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Vol. 141, No.78 • Since 1874 • Wayne, W.Va. • Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2015
Bypass the User Fee – Wayne County is open for business
I just want to go on record and say this is purely satirical before everyone gets in an uproar. It is just meant to open eyes is all and bring up scenarios that more than likely will never occur.
Last week I called for local politicians to give up their pay in an effort to balance budgets and provide extra revenue for needed projects throughout the area. I did have one respond to the article. I will not mention names, but they do already donate a lot of time and money to causes throughout the county. My hat is off to you. You know who you are.
This week I am going to push this a little farther. Huntington City Council voted 8-2 Monday night to increase the user fee to $5 a week for anyone working in the city. I have explained several times of my disgust for this action. This piece is no different.
What is done is done.
The issue I have is we all know that Huntington is the central hub for the region. Most of the workforce comes from outside the city to work in Huntington. Other than those working for the school board or the county residing in Wayne County also travel to Huntington for work.
I would go on a limb and say other than maybe the towns directly across the Ohio River, Wayne County has more residents per capita traveling to work in Huntington than any other area.
So now, not only do we shop in Huntington, work in Huntington, Wayne County residents as well as others will have to pay more money for the privilege to work in Huntington – because make no mistakes about it. The Huntington City Council made it a privilege to work in Huntington with the very first user fee vote. Increasing the fee collected just adds insult.
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The art seed was planted – now it's time to make it grow
Wonderful things happened in Westmoreland this thing all involving art.
Like I have said a million times over, it is going to take creativity to bring money into the local economy. West Edge may be the first step in a long process.
Tuesday night an art show opened the week-long events leading up to Saturday's Huntington music and Art Festival. The event is the brainchild of Westmorleand native Ian Thorton.
Originally the festival was a one-day event, but thanks to the wonderful space catering to artists that West Edge provides, new events were added to this year's festival. I have to admit. My train of thought does not always match with the community around me. Wayne County is not known for the arts. Huntington has a little due to Marshall University, but mostly this is a football first, fine arts second kind of town.
I was skeptical of the crowd an art show would bring in Westmoreland, let alone Wayne County. I was blown away.
Not only were there more than 30 artists displaying their works but also the venue drew in several hundred – if anything curious people to see what the show was all about. Granted, I am a khaki and polo shirt kind of guy – so the eclectic mix of artists and community was unique.
That is what was beautiful about the event were so many different backgrounds converging for art.
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A simple fix for the budget from Huntington to Wayne
This is a direct question to those who serve in public offices either at the local, county or state levels involving Wayne County?
Why do you do it?
Is it to help your community? Is it to make Wayne County a better place to live? Do you do it because something you saw with the political process angered you and you wanted to make a change? Was it because something positive was happening and you wanted to see it continue? Was it for economic development or education? Or was it for the money and prestige?
I have a simple solution to everyone's budget crunches from Huntington to the courthouse in Wayne to the steps of the Capitol…give up your pay for your services. How is that for a solution? Guarantee it is not a popular suggestion before it even hits print.
Donald Trump, Republican presidential candidate and business tycoon says he will not accept a paycheck for his services if elected president. He claims he is in it to bring this country back to prominence and he does not think receiving pay while so many in this country are struggling is just.
Do I believe him – probably not? He is a politician after all. Plus it would take an act of Congress to prevent the check from being cut.
The gesture is commendable. Now nothing comes for free and I get that, but I find it hard to stomach when the political powers complain they do not have money for budgets, but give themselves raises or continue to take salaries at the same rate they have been enjoying. They want services to be cut, jobs to be cut but don't take cuts themselves. Yet they want to put the burden on taxpayers. They want cuts and tax or fee increases.
It is easy for myself to sit here and complain. Like everyone else, I want services, but do not want to see tax or fee increases to pay for them. I think public service, like teaching is a thankless job filled with long hours and more complaints than praises. You took the job though.
Has anyone given themselves a raise locally in Wayne County or the local municipalities this year? Not to my knowledge there has not been. Congress needs to take a look at itself for that issue.
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Standardized testing a failed "one size fits all" approach
Have you ever heard some variation of the term, "You can't sugar coat manure?"
That is the kind of feeling I got Tuesday night during the Wayne County Board of Education meeting after hearing the results from last year's Smarter Balance Test. For those that do not know, this was the first year for the test that aligns with Common Core standards.
I have made no qualms about my feelings of Common Core. I honestly thought No Child Left Behind had issues, but Common Core takes the cake. There is not enough ink on the press to express my disdain for Common Core standards and curriculum. I am reminded of how much every time I help my children with their homework.
Well the results are in and from my opinion I believe Wayne County failed. I am sure the state as a whole followed suit.
I will go on record and say that I agree with Wayne County Schools Director of Assessment John Waugaman on two statements he made during Tuesday's presentation. The first being that data can be used and made to say whatever you want it to. The second is that it is difficult to discuss not only Wayne County's scores on the Math section, but the state's overall failure.
I do not have space in this piece to break down every school's scores. Those should be made available if not already on the state board's website. What I will say is one school had a score of 3 out of 100 in Math. That means three percent of students were proficient in Math at that particular school. My calculations put the overall average for Wayne County Schools somewhere between 9 to 12 percent.
Language Arts scores overall were better but they are far from the 75 percent proficiency that the state is shooting for statewide by 2020.
Statements were made that overall Waugaman believes the testing went well because those that participated took it seriously. The great opt-out debacle/controversy was also cited in the presentation. Some school's individual teachers were pointed out for their diligent work to explain higher scores, while excuses were given as to why some were so low. Everything from teachers with multiple classes to certain groups struggling with the curriculum to the possibility of a new teacher unfamiliar with the expectations of the class work being taught were listed to explain the scores.
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City cannot continue to tax non-residents for sub-standard services
I cannot begin to tell you how disheartening it is to agree with Fred Friar.
I was going to write this column last week, but I held off. Then as I was editing stories for this edition, I came across Fred's piece on the proposed Huntington City User Fee increase.
For those who have read my ramblings the past three years, you are familiar with my voiced plight of being a Westmoreland resident and feeling underserved. Westmoreland residents already pay twice for a fire fee. We pay for police services that at most provide us with a patrol every now and again. And that is not the police department's fault. I am not taking jabs at the boys in blue.
I am pointing directly to the atrocity that is calling 911 as a Westmoreland resident. Ah, the dance. The one where you contact 911 and sometimes Ohio picks you up because of the cell phone tower position. If that does not happen, then the jig really speeds up. Your call goes from Cabell County to Wayne County to Cabell and finally back to Wayne because you live in Huntington, but it is Wayne County. So an officer is finally dispatched and by then the rims are stolen off your car, a drug deal has taken place, a garage is broken in to while the crooks get away. That is if the police are able to show up at all.
So now, due to the "increases" in the cost of doing business, Huntington wants to impose an increase on the already ridiculous user fee. I say it is ridiculous because my wife is a business owner in Westmoreland. Not only does she pay B&O taxes and a city sales tax – she and her partner pay for an annual business license and the user fee.
Huntington wonders why no one wants to conduct business in the city limits. That is why Barboursville is growing, Ashland is bringing in business and all the area in between 29th St. to the I-64 exit is full of businesses.
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Wayne County's renaissance for agriculture has room to grow
I could not be happier that agriculture is making a comeback in Wayne County.
West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Walt Helmick was in Fort Gay to tour the former Fort Gay Elementary School site. Why?
Helmick is looking at locations throughout the state for an agricultural processing site. The tour is part of Helmick's plan to bring agriculture jobs back into the state to help boost the economy.
Many times I have heard that Wayne County is considered an "agricultural desert". You know, I would almost agree if it was not for all the home gardens, acres of cattle on White's Creek, pigs on Spring Valley and corn growing on Big Sandy River Road – but because of that I disagree.
I myself raise a garden, try to buy local if possible and am looking into how many chickens I can legally keep in my backyard. This is possible on a larger scale. Remember several months ago, I wrote that in order for Wayne County to pull itself out of the economic tailspin created from coal's departure that it would take some creativity? Huh hmmm….(hint hint)! This is the kind of innovation I was talking about.
There is abandoned mine sites in Wayne County and throughout the state. Underground mines could be utilized for mushroom production. When was the last time salt was looked for in this area if there is any to find? I don't know, just spit-balling ideas.
What about strip mine sites? Flat land a plenty. Those sites could be used for hog farms and honeybee production. Bees are dying off at alarming rates. Why not try to boost the bee population in West Virginia?
There will be plenty of room for mass crop slots from corn to wheat to beans to…who knows. That is the beauty of it. The possibilities are endless.
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Time for us to focus on the things we have in common
I am all for civil liberties and personal freedoms. I wish people could honestly just worry about themselves let alone everyone else. Sadly, the world is heading into a totally opposite direction – especially in this country.
I truly understand that we must be tolerant of individual's life choices, whether it be liberal, conservative, sexual/identity preferences, religious affiliations and personal belief systems.
The thing that gets me though is we are heading into dangerous territory. Everyone is so easily offended from speech, other's beliefs and religion. My Facebook feed for the past several months has been flooded with everything from the Confederate flag to gay marriage to Black Lives Matter to Kim Davis.
Well let me break this down for you…Confederate flag? It is a symbol that has been used for both pride and ignorance. Just because someone or group has used it as a symbol of hate does not mean it doesn't have value. There really are some out there that see it as heritage and not hate.
Gay marriage? Who cares? If someone wants to marry a box of Pop Tarts I say go for it. If you honestly sit and think about what the "traditional" marriage is in this country is then all a marriage amounts to it is a legal contract. Heck anyone can move in together and claim to be spouses. It is the piece of paper from the government that gives you the tax breaks.
Gay marriage is deteriorating the fabric of the family and threatens traditional values? I am remarried. I got a divorce and had more children with my second wife. In the Lord's eyes it is a sin. And if I am not mistaken all sin is sin. There are none greater or less and who are we to judge that? Something like 50 percent of all marriages now end in divorce so if homosexuals want to deal with the same fights, bills hurt, joys, pains, highs, lows, trials and tribulations of marriage heterosexuals go through, then more power to them. Bible says nothing about thou shall not make angry spouse sleep on couch.
Black Lives Matter? How about all lives matter? Don't even get me going on this. It is 2015 people. We live in a society with all kinds of races and nationalities many from mixed decent. Grow up. Human lives matter and by separating yourself into saying specifically your group matters, then you are doing nothing by buying into the race baiting that divides us.
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We have a responsibility that the public is safe as possible
ISIS has made its mark in Wayne County.
Wednesday morning was yet another eventful day for our small little corner of the Earth. The Wayne County Board of Education website was hacked. When viewers clicked on the site, they were redirected to an apparent ISIS propaganda site jam backed with a video, scary pictures and loud music blaring.
The news erupted on social media, before the traditional media (myself included) picked up on the story. Parents were angered that the county schools were not dismissed or at least put on lockdown. School officials stated that law enforcement had been notified and no immediate threat was opposing our children.
Parents still decided to remove their children from school throughout the county. Luckily, the BOE was understanding of the situation and parents were not charged with an unexcused absence Wednesday.
I included took my kids out of school for the simple fact Sandy Hook came with no warning. I would not be able to live with myself if my kids were shot and I could have done something to prevent it.
Now as foolish as that sounds to some, I will agree. It is foolish. I highly doubt ISIS was coming to Wayne County to bring Jihad. I am still a parent. Del. Don Perdue gave me a call to ask if I knew what was going on and to be honest we had a pretty heated exchange about the fact I removed my children from school. Having the uncanny ability to see two sides of everything, I get why Perdue was angry with me. By allowing ourselves to be panicked and remove kids from school, we were doing exactly what the hackers' intentions were – to be terrorized.
The fact still remains that I am a parent and my kids come first no matter my opinions.
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A Hodge Podge in Wayne Co.
Honestly…I cannot begin to put together sentences to convey my thoughts on what is going on in Wayne County.
I actually had someone tell me in the assessor's office they need my divorce agreement to confirm my ex-wife did not pay taxes on a vehicle that apparently the courthouse believes I am responsible for. Said they need proof in case they get audited.
Pardon my anger, loud voice and disgust for being there an hour fighting the poor ladies who were just trying to do their job – but seriously. An audit is the last thing the assessor's office or anyone working in that office should be concerned about right now.
The taxpayer's of Wayne County may never know the full story about what was going through Eric Hodges' head. I'd pay for the price of a ticket and popcorn to find out though. Remember, this story has been strange at the least and I don't think the investigators are done. There is more to this story that only time will reveal.
Add in the political posturing taking place throughout the county and it is going to be a long winter in Wayne County. All I can honestly say so I stick to reporting fact is the wind is blowing heavy right now. El Nino is going to have nothing on the upcoming election year. I am predicting a lot of changes. Of course some things will stay the same – but between the ongoing courthouse saga; some folks jockeying for greener pastures; the opening of an Intermodal Facility that is going to fail if the infrastructure issues such as Tolsia Highway and Kenova's water service to Prichard isn't fixed sooner than later; and just a wave of voter disgust thanks to eight promise filled years at the national level – things are going to get interesting around here.
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Road priorities need to change
Thank you Department of Highways.
I, along with every other Wayne county resident that utilizes Route 152 through Lavalette was pleased to see fresh paving. That road has become fairly hazardous in spots thanks to poor weather and heavy travel. The paving alleviated those problems.
That is enough with the pleasantries.
Has the state roads ever heard of the word "priority"?
The adjective form according to Dictionary.com is, "highest or higher in importance, rank, privilege, etc." The noun version has several meanings. The first one that struck me was, "something given special importance". It was the next one that really has some relevance here – "the right to take precedence in obtaining certain supplies, services, facilities, etc., especially during a shortage."
Guess what is in shortage in this state…funding for road projects and paving. Guess what has the right to take precedence in obtaining certain supplies, services, facilities, etc., especially during a shortage? How about the stretch of Route 52 from Kenova to Prichard?
I do understand that Rt. 152 is a direct route to our great county seat, but Tolsia Highway is a route of potential trade. Within the next few months, that is going to be a route of important trade with the opening of the Heartland Intermodal Facility.
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We all have our own truths
I just want to give a quick reminder to our readers in Wayne County.
The role of a true community newspaper is not just to report the warm and fuzzy stuff. Do not get me wrong. Nothing makes me happier as an editor when I get someone to come up and thank me for something we published. Sometimes it is a picture of a kid who did something in sports, or an academic achievement, or a local citizen making positive impacts on a community or just a good heart-felt feature.
Often times, though this is a thankless job. Can get lonely too. Often times you wonder who really is your friend or who is just trying to further an agenda in the press. Often times this job makes you question your own objectivity. If anything as a man and a journalist, this field has forced me to look at both sides of everything. It has made me a critical thinker even when emotion gets the better of me. An old friend told me a story has two sides and the truth normally lies somewhere in the middle. He was right.
We all have our own truths.
To say controversy does not sell papers would be a lie. People love a juicy story. The ongoing Eric Hodges' saga is one of them – and that is why this job is difficult. Hodges, despite his alleged transgressions, has family that lives in this county and friends. He is a well-liked individual so headlines involving him can become a point of contention.
The fact of the matter is our role as journalists is to be the "Fourth Estate". The press is the check and balance to our government – whether it is at the local, state or federal level.
The First Amendment to the Constitution "frees" the press but carries with it a responsibility to be the people's watchdog. That means we have an ethical duty as journalists to report not only wrongdoing, but keep those involved on their toes.
It is the whole, "We are watching," mentality.
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It is always about the kids
I have a son with Autism. He is the most loving, smart, unique and funny little guy in my tribe of six kids.
I can relate to the parent's that were at Tuesday's Board of Education meeting. You literally have to take the bad days with the good. Luckily we truly are blessed with many good days and very few bad ones. To see my son in action, you would never know it.
Like most parents though we see what others, including the school system often does not.
Tuesday's story on the front page, "Special Services Debate Turns Emotional" highlighted what is going on with special services in Wayne County Schools. I only have so much space to talk about what I believe needs discussed so if you want more details, pick up the prior edition from the office or become an e-subscriber.
Since Tuesday, my phone has ringed with individuals wanting to comment on the events from Tuesday. I have been sent a few emails of concern as well. All along, I have struggled as I listen to what people tell me. I have to struggle with being a parent of a child who could benefit from these services, but also I have to remain as objective as possible while writing on this subject as a journalist.
I see both sides of this issue. Special Services Director Kim Adkins, along with every other director at central office was told by the board in previous meetings at the end of the school year not to wait until the last minute to have contracts approved. Regardless of reasoning, circumstance or confusion – that point was made quite clear. Had these contracts been submitted for board approval in June, then this battle would have taken place in July instead of now. Now, services are still being delivered, but with uncertainty hanging over the contracts. Parents are worried their children that receive Applied Behavior Analysis Services and speech therapy are going to go without or have the services completely shook up. Currently, Kenova has no speech therapist servicing the school. That is alarming.
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Moving forward will take change
Believe nothing you are told and only half of what you see. An old wise man told me this once and I am starting to understand the meaning.
It has been stated by several Westmoreland residents that the plan for the new firehouse is to put it in between the entrance to the Kellogg Elementary student drop-off lane and the school itself. I have been told from both members of the Westmoreland Neighborhood Association's fire commission and the community that this is true. I and everyone else that attended last month's meeting heard it publicly stated that it was a done deal.
Not so fast. My instinct told me this was all wrong. Not only is that a terrible spot as anyone who has to travel through that intersection in the morning or mid-afternoon knows. The traffic from Kellogg, Vinson Middle, Spring Valley High School and the VA Hospital shift change intermingle into a cluster of disaster waiting to happen for nine months out of the year. A house would burn down by the time the fire truck left the station.
Secondly, no official vote has been taken by the Wayne County Education to donate, sell or do anything with that property. During a meeting of the Wayne County Board of Education earlier this year Huntington Mayor Steve Williams and police chief Joe Ciccarelli attended. It was to discuss putting a resource officer in Kellogg and Vinson Middle. There was a joke made by Williams that if the school system could find a piece of property in Westmoreland to donate for a fire station, it would be appreciated. I was at that meeting. Apparently, it was presented to Superintendent Sandra Pertee after the meeting to see if in fact it was possible. Only problem is the BOE did not bite. There has never been a discussion of the topic on an agenda since, let alone any other meetings or votes for a decision.
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We're in this together Wayne Co.
Before State Senator Bob Plymale (D-Wayne) introduced gubernatorial candidate Jim Justice during the C-K Business Association meeting Tuesday, he made a prolific statement.
"The state's next governor needs to understand the unique situation facing southern and western West Virginia right now," Plymale said.
We are truly in a unique position.
All the counties that fall under Plymale's statement are facing a myriad of problems. The coal industry is all but gone. Replacing coal jobs is drug abuse and stagnant local economies. Coal severance money is drying up quicker than a little farm creek in the August heat. Personal property crimes are increasing, as drug abusers need resources to fuel their habits. Our jails are overcrowding by the minute. Social services, community outreaches and county services are at the brink with all they can provide as demand for their services increase against dwindling resources.
I am no groundhog, but I have a pretty solid prediction to make about the election cycle for 2016. Mark your calendars for the Jim Justice-v-Bill Cole showdown for the state's top office.
Both men have their strong points and their downfalls. They could not be more night and day when it comes to personality, but both do have two things in common that could benefit our region. Both men are from the southern end of the state and both are businessmen.
Now, I think it would be obtuse yet safe to say that one has seen a little more success than the other when it comes to capital ventures. Justice is openly considered one of if not the wealthiest man in West Virginia. Cole has seen success of his own though with a chain of auto dealerships in multiple states. He has risen to be the Senate President. I'd deem that pretty successful.
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Lessons to learn on education
School is back in session.
Parents rejoice, while the children cringe. Teachers are ready to take the blank canvasses of our children and paint them with the brush of knowledge.
Too bad that paint is Common Core brand.
Yesterday, the opinion in the Herald Dispatch headline read, "GOP leaders' Common Core evaluation premature." I could not disagree more. I try to remain as middle of the road on topics while presenting both sides, but Common Core is one of those topics as a parent that I cannot say anything positive about.
Well, let me rephrase that. There is one thing I can say that is positive. The utopian idea of having a "common" curriculum through all states is a good idea. There are no borders when it comes to commerce and industry. Having a job pool educated with the same standards should in theory be a positive thing.
The August 7th HD opinion stated, "Logic would suggest that it's premature to give a failing or passing mark until the school work has been completed and graded.
But that logic apparently isn't a requirement for some of West Virginia's Republican leaders when it comes to the Common Core educational standards adopted by the state a few years ago. It's clear that they plan an all-out assault on Common Core during next year's legislative session."
I applaud Senate President Bill Cole, House Speaker Tim Armstead and Delegate Mike Folk, R-Berkeley, for their efforts to end Common Core. And the HD editorial is right on one point.
There will be an all out assault on Common Core and it already has begun.
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Adults ruin youth sports
Parents ruin youth sports. Let me rephrase that. Adults ruin youth sports.
Are you aware that for your child to play for a team in the Tri-State Youth Football League, it is based upon where your child attends school – not lives? Furthermore, there are no waivers to have your child released from one league to play in another. The logic behind it is that they do not want parents pulling their kids from a league based on the individual league's performance and take them to a more competitive league.
They say they adhere to "WVSSAC standards". As many know, the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission regulates athletics at the middle school and high school levels – not the elementary school level. Granted, the organization is needed for some stability and consistent guidance, but it has been proven many times over a judge can quickly take the teeth out of any WVSSAC ruling.
Students still transfer freely from school to school. The district lines are continuously blurred. It happens in the Kanawha Valley, it happens at Cabell Midland and it especially has traditionally happened here in Wayne County. Mingo County like Wayne County battles the issue as well with kids jumping back and forth across the river to Kentucky.
But those are middle school and high school kids. Parents do not have to pay money for their kids to play. Of course there are secondary expenses that come up. Unlike youth sports though, a player just shows up for the team and is on the team. There is no participation fee.
In the TSYFL, parents pay an average of $35 to $45 per child depending on if they cheer or play football. Then there are additional fees for additional kids. Take my family for example. I have six kids. If all play football and cheer at the same time that is almost $200 on the low end.
If you have $200 and you need to buy groceries, you have a wide variety of choice where to spend your money. Within 10 miles of my home I can shop at Wal-Mart, Kroger, Shopper's Value, Sav-A-Lot, Aldi, IGA and Foodfair. That is seven different grocery stores. Well guess what. I cannot take my kids to another league to play within that same 10 miles because the TSYFL says that is a no-no.
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Sometimes kids just need a life lesson
As many people know I am the father of six beautiful and strong-willed children ranging in ages from my oldest at nine to youngest at three. They admittedly are like every other kid today. I call them the "Playstation Generation". They have Ipods, access to several laptops and a Kindle Fire.
Even my youngest can find a "My Little Pony" video on YouTube with the precision of a molecular scientist. In other words, they have it pretty easy.
My wife and I like many parents work hard to provide for our kids. Often we have to go above and beyond to give them the "extras" – especially my wife. She does a lot of extras for them to pay for trips, clothes, toys and treats. The problem is more times than not the things we do get taken for granted. The Ipod gets lost. The Kindle gets dropped. The computer gets a sippy cup of juice dumped on it.
This past weekend downtown Huntington was the place to be. There was the Hot Dog Festival at Pullman Square and the Regatta at Harris Riverfront. My wife left Saturday morning to go to Charlotte to help her mother move taking the new van with her. It is our most reliable form of transportation – and newest. The A to B Honda Civic can not only hold five passengers at most (leaving two children to ride in the trunk or strapped to the ceiling), but it is also on its last leg. The Ford Expedition, which can seat eight passengers, is also out of commission.
My loving children awoke Saturday morning well rested and ready to go. Problem was I had no way of getting them anywhere. Although it was only a 10-minute conversation, it seemed like their whines and complaints of having nothing to do went on for hours. Especially when you only slept a few hours compared to their nine-hour slumber. One kid can weigh on you. Six can be equated to water boarding. So in my quick thinking, I got online. I do not know if it was desperation or sheer genius, but I got on the TTA website to get the bus schedule. We actually live a block from the bus route.
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Jail bill could be the final nail
Here is a scenario for Wayne County residents to ponder.
When the regional jail system was put into the hands of a state agency to house offenders of the law rather than the locally operated county jails – an unforeseen problem emerged nearly 20 years later. Cost to the counties.
If memory serves me right, the whole push from local jails was overcrowding and cost burden on the counties to house the inmates. Some local county jails had become modern day dungeons. There were complaints of mistreatment of prisoners and a lack of officers to control the jail.
Flash forward to today. In a recent WV MetroNews article by Hoppy Kercheval, West Virginia is facing a serious shortage in correctional officers. According to the article, West Virginia Corrections Commissioner Jim Rubenstein says the shortage of guards at state prisons has reached a critical point. He estimates that more than 300 of the approximately 2,400 corrections staff positions are vacant, and most of those are for correctional officers.
Kercheval writes as a result, "corrections officers are forced into double shifts of 16 hours and mandatory overtime. Many of the corrections officers want some overtime at time-and-a-half because it supplements their low salary (corrections officers start at less than $23,000), but the consistent long hours and low pay are driving many officers to other jobs. Nearly two out of every three hires leave within the first year."
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A silver lining for completion of I-73/74 King Coal Highway?
Is there finally a silver lining for the completion of the I-73/74 King Coal Highway?
According to a Charleston engineer there is. During Tuesday's quarterly meeting of the King Coal Highway I-73/74 Authority Metting, John Bullock of Gaddy Engineering introduced the group to new market tax credits.
In Bullock's words – these are how they work.
The Authority could seek funding to purchase land the road would go through with the caveat that the land company keeps the rest of the tract. Then once the road is developed, the property surrounding the road could be resold to investors to help pay for the project.
Those funds could be facilitated through New Market Tax Credits, according to Bullock.
NMTCs are federal tax credits that were legislated in 2000 with the purpose of encouraging the investment of private capital in designated low-income communities.
They are intended to support business growth, job creation and spur economic development in underserved communities throughout the country. Currently, Gaddy is looking at a stretch of land from Jenny's Creek in the southern end of Wayne County to Belo in Mingo County.
Bullock said this area meets the requirements to obtain new market credits.
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I lost my friend and mentor
It is hard when we lose a hero or someone we look up to. It is difficult to realize all the advice that helped mold you in some direction from a mentor can no longer be questioned. You are left to put into practice their wisdom.
You pray that all of the conversations, all the teachings and lessons can become active through you. In fact, how much did I listen or absorb?
I became that person this past Tuesday. I lost my mentor. I lost my advice.
I met Ron Ferguson for the first time in January of 2012 when I began working at the Wayne County News. Ron was no stranger to the community or myself. He had owned Ron's used cars for several years in Kenova. I was at least familiar with him – actually a bit taken back a used car salesman was the editor of a newspaper.
For the next three years, I spent my time with Ron building a life-long friendship and respect. Ron had a history in journalism working for the Ashland Independent and Huntington Newspapers before selling cars. He had covered everything from murder trials to city council meetings. He was always a wealth of knowledge or knew how to handle a situation. He was calm under pressure.
He was passionate about what he did. He would often say he hated the newspaper business but did not want to see the Wayne County News fold into an afterthought. Ron would tell anyone who would listen that is why he got back into newspapers. He was opinionated. You either loved him or hated him based upon what he wrote in his "Ron's Rambling's". IT didn't matter what side of the fence you were on. You still read it.
The "Grand Poohbah of Wayne County" as we dubbed him in the office, would call me outside or to his desk to talk about the next juicy bit of information he had gathered at the auto parts store or down at the greasy spoon in Wayne during lunch. We would discuss different scenarios and decipher what was truth from lies. Many times our conversations lasted well into the late hours.
There were car trips to Wheeling for football. There will always be an image stuck in my head of Ron with a white button-up shirt, jeans and cigarette resting on his lips as he pulled first prints off the press for careful inspection. A look of distant, yet questioned approval as he looked at the day's product.
"This is running high red," Ron would say.
He looked at our staff as family and he treated us as such. He patiently taught us the skills to hone our craft much as a father would his children or a skilled master talking to his apprentice.
"Michael I swear you could be a great writer. You are good, but you would be great if you could ever learn the difference between 'then' and 'than,'" Ron would yell across the newsroom as he edited my stories.
Ron also had advice on life. Many times I would come into the office beaten up with the challenges of raising a large family, paying bills and being a husband my wife could be proud of. No matter my mood, he had some anecdote or story to relate to what I was feeling that day.
He allowed me to use his garage in Kenova as my own whenever I needed to fix a car. He never would do it for me or in most cases show me. Instead he would tell me to take it apart and put it back together because that was the only way I would ever learn.
Pretty prolific stuff if you think about it.
He loved his family. He often talked to us about his wife Roberta and their son Morgan. He beamed about his wife bragging often of their relationship. If you really wanted to see him light up then you had to get him talking about Morgan. He was so proud of the young man his son had become and the future he has in front of him. Ron was proud Morgan worked hard on the family farm, loved tractors and is well on his way to be a very-well respected engineer. Ron was proud of his son's work ethic and general peace with the world. He helped me appreciate my own children even more.
Ron loved my son Jaxson. He would let me go to their farm and pick black walnuts for pumpkin rolls in the fall. Jaxson would pick up the nuts laughing and running -- talking to the horses. He would say, "Hey Jaxxssson," whenever I would bring the kids to the office. Of course he loved all of my kids and gave them candy or said hi to them all, but he absolutely adored Jaxson. My kids often ask how Ron is and if I am going to "Ron's Office" as they began to call the paper as they grew older. I still haven't told them yet. They adored Ron. He always would tell me when I got off the phone, "Now you take care of them baby's. Be careful boy."
He always called me boy. Even though I am 34, he called me boy. I get it now. To him I was and always will be a boy. He was a man and in his eyes, I was still a kid. The same way I have started to look at all high school kids. I can no longer relate, just understand and see myself in them.
I lost my friend and my mentor Tuesday. The things I have learned from Ron Ferguson will always stay in my heart and my thoughts. He was like the grandfather I never really got to have growing up. Full of wisdom. So whatever pasture you ended up at, sitting underneath a huge oak working on a car – continue to pass on your wisdom and pontificate Poohbah. Watch out for deer on your way home.
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Ron Ferguson, center, back row, was managing editor of the WCN from 2011 to 2015. The production crew poses for a photo after the last edition printed at the Wayne location rolled off the press Nov. 15, 2014. WCN file photo
Perfect storm possibly brewing in Wayne County
I am not talking about the hit movie with George Clooney. I am not talking about the recent weather we have been having – although what I am about to write is weather related. It is a perfect storm of sorts.
International meteorologists and weather pontificators announced last week that North America (especially California) could face the strongest El Nino weather pattern since the winter of 1997-98.
The American Meteorological Society published an article in September 1999 outlining the effects of that specific weather pattern.
According to the article, Southern states and California were plagued by storms, whereas the northern half of the nation experienced much above normal cold season temperatures and below normal precipitation and snowfall.
Major economic losses were property and crop damages from storms, loss of business by the recreation industry and by snow removal equipment/supplies manufacturers and sales firms, and government relief costs. Benefits included an estimated saving of 850 lives because of the lack of bad winter weather. Areas of major economic benefits (primarily in the nation's northern sections) included major reductions in expenditures (and costs) for natural gas and heating oil, record seasonal sales of retail products and homes, lack of spring flood damages, record construction levels, and savings in highway-based and airline transportation.
The estimated direct losses nationally were about $4 billion and the benefits were approximately $19 billion. The highly accurate long-range predictions issued by the Climate Prediction Center in the summer of 1997 for the winter conditions led to some major benefits. For example, the predictions led California to conduct major mitigation efforts and the results suggest these led to a major reduction in losses. Several utilities in the northern United States used the winter forecasts to alter their strategy for purchasing natural gas, leading to major savings to their customers.
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Fort Gay water issues strains town's economic development
Who would have thought a third-world problem would turn into a first world problem for southern Wayne County?
Approximately 71 percent of the Earth's surface is covered by water. The oceans hold 95.5 percent of that total. The human body is made up of 60 percent water.
We all need water to survive. Not only do we need clean water for consumption, we need clean water for agriculture, cooking, bathing and cleaning. We need it for manufacturing.
Does anyone remember the Derecho a few years back? OR what about the Elk River spill? In both instances society in West Virginia came close to the brink. Again, it is a first-world problem, but one that affected West Virginia residents.
We take water for granted until we do not have any.
For several years now Fort Gay residents have been battling a war with water. Utility mismanagement left the Fort Gay water utility in shambles. There was no leadership, no management or oversight to keep that utility running properly.
The Wayne County Commission – already strapped for cash – took over the utility to keep the water flowing. What they inherited was a fiscal mess of a run down facility.
The infrastructure is deteriorated.
According to members of the commission, they have gone to every public funding source they possibly can to get the issues under control. Their efforts have not been fruitful to say the least.
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Potential landslide preventable
Spring Valley residents may want to take note of this – especially those living between JoJo's Bar and the RPA Memorial Park.
Any day now a hard rain is going to come. There is going to be a natural disaster and I am not talking about flooding in the traditional sense. Instead, the front of your homes could be flooded with earthen debris.
There is a home that sits atop the hill above the creek running alongside Spring Valley Drive. A few months back, I wrote a story about this residence in hopes of getting them some help – and informing the community about the situation.
The Adkins' have been forced to leave their 2,000+ sq. ft. home due to a massive landslide. They are currently living in a two-bedroom trailer. The insurance company will not pay for the damages or cover the cost of the house. According to Melinda Adkins, the family has $500,000 of coverage that they cannot claim against. The moving earth is considered an "Act of God".
The family home is split-level. The bottom level where the kids' bedrooms were became flooded when the ground shifted, busting a water line and destroying everything. Now, black mold has set in making the home completely inhabitable.
The Adkins' have called the state and FEMA only to get no help. According to the family, the state claims no fault. The neighbors above have begun cutting trees down, which is compounding the situation.
The issue began on the opposite side of the road their house sits on according to the Adkins'. An engineer came out and determined a poorly maintained state road drain caused the problem. Furthermore, the neighbors' home above theirs is draining onto the Adkins' property. Over the course of six months, the land and the home have moved several yards. In some spots there is huge breaks in the land.
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Heroin allowed; fireworks not?
I am absolutely tired of local, state and federal lawmakers playing "nanny-state" by telling citizens what they can do within their personal lives.
I think Huntington has finally hit my threshold.
The city is becoming "progressive" in its fight against heroin abuse by implementing the state's first needle exchange program. The program's intention is to limit the spike in Hepatitis and HIV cases throughout the area due to dirty needle sharing by users.
The idea is if users have clean needles, then they will not spread disease.
Wonderful. You can openly exchange needles in Huntington, but you cannot let off fireworks. What kind of example does this set?
Westmoreland resident Carole Boster recently was published in the opinion section of our publication's parent company paper. Boster wrote, "Due to lack of enforcement by previous administrations, use of illegal fireworks has escalated in Huntington as residents compete to see who can set off the loudest, most spectacular display. Fireworks manufacturers feed into this mindset as they attempt to produce more dangerous items than their competitors. That leaves some of as prisoners in our home while fireworks rain down on our roofs and yards into the wee hours of the morning."
Prisoners? Heroin makes families and neighbors prisoners. Boster went on to write, "Last year in the greater Huntington area, a Wayne County boy was severely burned when he and his brother were playing with fireworks. The boy had to be air lifted to the burn unit of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital. Last year in Rome, Ohio, a couple lost their lives when fireworks set fire to their home as they slept. In Huntington, a home was set on fire by illegal fireworks. Thanks to a neighbor who saw the flames, the Huntington Fire Department was able to extinguish the fire without serious harm to the home or its residents."
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What does Wayne County need?
U.S Senator Evan Jenkins returned home to speak at a round-table with Wayne County constituents about what the county needs.
The answer is, "a lot".
Wayne County needs economic stability. We need the projects county business leaders and political officials are planning/currently working on funded. We need infrastructure. We need support.
For the nearly 20 years I have been a legal voter, it just appears to me that Wayne County has not had support from our highest representatives. We have had voices talking to us.
They have told Wayne County residents that, "I-73/74 will be done by 2002." We have been told that, "The Beech Fork Lodge is important to not only Wayne County, but the tourism and economic development of West Virginia. We are committing funds."
We have been told, "Kenova will fix its water, stormwater and sewer problems." We have been told, "The residents of Fort Gay will have clean water and the sewer problem fixed." We have been told, "The Prichard Intermodal Facility will bring jobs and economic development to Wayne County."
We have been told a lot of things Sen. Jenkins.
Wayne County residents have been told things for so long, pardon the scoff if you find many of us find any promises hard to believe when Wayne County is mentioned in the same breathe. That is not even talking about the national promises that have been made to all of this country's citizens – who like us locally are beginning to sense the desperation evolve into hostile resentment.
Sure, there have been some roads built. There have been some jobs created. There has been some tax breaks and other nibbles given off the table, but we need solid representation in Washington. We need action in Charleston.
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It has been a crazy week
It has been a crazy week in the news.
The Supreme Court ruled to allow gay marriage. The SCOTUS also upheld King-v-Burwell which outlays premium tax credits under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) to people buying private health insurance in all states, both those with exchanges established directly by a state, and those established by the Department of Health and Human Services in states that choose not to set up their own state exchange. Basically, Obamacare is here to stay for a while longer at the least.
You cannot forget the Confederate Flag debacle sparked in South Carolina – a movement that has sparked many merchants to pull any merchandise out of inventory displaying the controversial symbol. It also has labeled anyone a racist within the realm of social media for supporting the flag's existence.
This all happened as the U.S. military announced Tuesday it will be sending dozens of tanks, Bradley armored fighting vehicles and self-propelled howitzers to allied countries in the Baltics and Eastern Europe in response to Russian actions in the Ukraine, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said.
The equipment, enough to arm one combat brigade, will be positioned in Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria, Romania and Poland, Carter announced at a press conference with U.S. allies in Estonia. The equipment will be moved throughout Europe for training exercises.
Congress also quietly passed "fast-track authority" essentially allowing President Obama to approve the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement. The TPP has been highly contested simply on the basis no one understands what it will mean for the country.
Opponents claim it surrenders U.S. sovereignty to multinational corporations, handing them total global monopolies over labor practices, immigration, Big Pharma drug pricing, GMO food labeling, criminalization of garden seeds and much more. In all, the TPP hands over control of 80% of the U.S. economy to global monopolists, and the TPP is set up to enable those corporations to engage in virtually unlimited toxic chemical pollution, medical monopolization, the gutting of labor safety laws. It also potentially outsources American jobs to foreign countries – something the country is still attempting to recover from former free trade agreements.
So what does this all mean for Wayne County residents? I do not know.
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Using tragedy for agenda proof of media ignorance
The shooting in Charleston, South Carolina this week was a sickening act by an obviously disturbed individual. The things I have seen in the national media in the passing days is equaling saddening.
The fact anti-gun activists and race-baiters have come out of the wood works is mind boggling. They have not even began the proper grieving process. Already talking heads were discussing race and gun control. President Obama even delved into the need for stronger gun rights while taking questions on the shooting. It never seizes to amaze me.
Wayne County is pro-gun. We identify as Democrats, but topics such as gun control has forced us to vote Republican in recent elections. There are other factors, but telling the people of West Virginia to stop, "clinging to guns and the Bible" is not the way to win votes around here.
I do not know how many times this can be stated in a straight-forward and obvious manor, but guns do not kill people. People kill people.
Knives are deadly weapons, as are properly sharpened sticks. Bricks and rocks can be used as a deadly weapon. Power cords and simple rope can be used as a deadly weapon. A woman's high heel can kill someone. So can certain chemicals, so do cigarettes and alcohol and prescription drugs. You can die at the hands of another individual – but the common theme is a person has to use the weapon to kill someone and there are many common things used in daily life that could be deadly.
It is like an obese person blaming forks and butter for their health issues.
That is just the tip of the ice berg.
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Rogersville Shale – remember that name
Monday evening an environmental group called OVEC conducted a "town hall" forum in Westmoreland titled, "Not Your Grandparents' Oil and Gas Industry". It was a packed house for the informational meeting.
The meeting entailed what I would typically expect from that kind of meeting. There was a short film showing residents from the Marcellus Shale areas talking about the horror stories involved with the industry. The air pollution, the water pollution, the increased traffic and the raping of the land were all flash points of the short film. Basically the same gripes about the coal industry.
Then a gentleman from Wetzel County did a 15-minute slide show "highlighting" the same above-mentioned issues in his home county. The gentleman actually ended his presentation telling people," Don't say I did not warn you."
A lawyer specializing in mineral and surface rights was up next. He was about the less biased of the group, essentially bound by what the laws of the state appropriate. Even his discussion was talking about the "tricks of the trade" from oil/gas companies utilized to get land and/or mineral rights from property owners. There was even a handout given on what to omit out of a contract for leasing if presented.
I am not against giving out that kind of info. I am not against rallying for the environment.
One resident was for oil/gas coming to Wayne County, while another was cautious.
I for one think it is high time for this state to learn from its mistakes. Coal mining has been a disaster in many ways. It was a boon industry the state centered all of its infrastructure resources to cater to coal only to have the land raped, our workforce abused and jobs snatched through government regulation. Fact is the industry has not always abided by the book when it comes to safety regulations. Ask Don Blankenship how that is working out.
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What happened to ingenuity?
Once upon a time, our communities when faced with a problem rallied together to solve the issue. I have heard stories from various old timers telling tales of how families and neighbors banded together during the Great Depression. Someone was low on food, they all went to their gardens and gave what they could.
Someone's child had an opportunity to leave the coalfields and get an education, but did not have enough money to get to the "big city". They didn't let that stop the young adult from getting an opportunity. They pooled together some cash for a train ticket or the only man with a truck moved the future student up the road to Huntington or Morgantown or Charleston. Heck, the ladies of the community even prepared a few lunch pails with whatever they could come up with for the journey.
Resources are thin and more than ever the sense of neighborhoods and strengthening communities is more vital than ever. It was a breathe of fresh air to have Gladys Hamer come forward to help save Dreamland Pool this past week. I honestly thought it was gone.
Philanthropy is all but dead in this day and age. However, people such as Mrs. Hamer are the difference makers when government is no longer an option. Everyone expects government to provide, but what do you do when government is having a hard time providing for itself?
Currently, there are a lot of good things going on from citizen groups in Northern Wayne County. Last year when their backs were against the wall and a new school was looking like nothing but a pipe dream, members of the Ceredo-Kenova and Crum communities fought for new schools. Whether I, or anyone on the staff agreed with the school bond vote, they informed their communities and got people out to vote in favor. Two new schools are being built with renovations on a third.
That was grass roots activism.
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State road funding misguided
The state song is "Country Roads".
Only problem is the funding for some of the state's roads is not going where it belongs. Corridor H? Great job guys. Pat yourselves on the back.
Two weeks after finalizing bids for the completion of U.S. 35, the West Virginia Division of Highways has announced the winning contract for the 14.6-mile project.
On Tuesday, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin and Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox announced that Lexington-based Bizzack Construction had been awarded the contract to grade and prepare the drainage systems for the proposed route through Putnam and Mason counties.
The offer is the largest contract ever awarded by the state, but it is only the second project ever financed through the public private partnership financing method.
Tomblin said, "Investing in our state's infrastructure is critical to our state's continued economic growth. With today's bid awarding for the completion US Route 35, we are ensuring the safety of our residents and making it easier for new and existing businesses to expand as part of West Virginia's growing economy."
Wow. There you have it –another investment in infrastructure that does not benefit Wayne County or the development of the I-73/74 corridor.
Never mind the fact Wayne County is home to the Heartland Intermodal Project. Also do not pay attention to the fact that the project is a potential economic windfall for not only the county or region. Do not mind the project needs as County Commissioner Kenny Adkins put it, "Interstate quality roads connecting it to other interstates being vital to the facility's success." Do not pay any attention to it readers. Charleston obviously isn't. What is Tomblin's reaction? Well he was busy Tuesday also responding to Kentucky House Speaker Greg Stumbo's announced plan calling for the Kentucky Mountain Parkway to be expanded through West Virginia to Beckley. Kentucky lawmakers have already approved a 10-year, $753 million project to widen a 46-mile stretch of the parkway that, when completed, would create a 400-mile stretch of four-lane highway between Paducah and Pikeville.
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Things are going down the toilet in Prichard
Things are going down the toilet in Prichard.
Not just figuratively, but literally.
This past Thursday I was invited by a community member to be witness to a meeting at the Prichard Public Service District concerning a foul odor that is in the air in Prichard. It was your typical angry citizen-vs-(insert public utility) meeting. I feel for both sides of this issue. Is it the sewer plant's fault? Honestly, I could not see or smell how it is.
I did however finally get a whiff of what everyone was talking about on my way out of town. If that is what I were smelling nightly as residents complained, then I would be angry and looking for blame too.
I live near Huntington's treatment plant so trust me. I have smelled some terrible smells.
The odor problem is just not the only thing stinking though.
Several things came to mind during this meeting. 1) Do not tell a newspaper reporter that your last name is "none of their business" when not only are you the operator of a public utility, you are someone whose father-in-law spoke highly of while alive and considered a friend. It is a big county, with small borders. Everyone knows everyone. Not good for business and it makes you appear suspicious even if you really are not doing anything. 2) If you are a public utility, all meetings of your board need to be made public. It is public money at a public meeting and the public should be informed. The paper has not received a single public announcement of any board meetings concerning the PPSD.
I'm not even going to tell you we would be at all of them to cover, but without Facebook, no one at the paper would have known about this issue.
Those are just small petty things. There is a much bigger issue at play here that I think local and state officials need to take a look at. Where is the Heartland Intermodal located? Prichard.
Where is there a foul odor encompassing the community? Prichard.
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'Cameragate' decision sets very bad example
"Cameragate" has been the topic of discussion in Wayne for a little more than a year now. For those of you unfamiliar with what I am referring to – Scott D. Followay, Jeffrey L. Spence and James "Junior" Ramey III entered an outside building known as "Big Red" on the campus of Wayne High School to install a camera in the ceiling of the building disguising it in a smoke detector.
Their reasons for such action was to catch an "alleged" affair in progress.
Was there an affair going on? Some things are none of our business. We are all entitled to private lives. Did something happen on public property? If so, those people should be punished by the powers that be – even still it is none of the public's business unless it is a criminal act. In this case, the school administration and the school board should step in.
What I gather, an investigation turned up no evidence, but the parties involved were reprimanded. We are innocent until proven guilty.
What is the public's business is a camera being placed in a building used as a weight room as well as a locker room for visiting teams during football, baseball and softball seasons, especially in a building that is for both young men and women to use.
Minors, who were utilizing the space with the expectation of privacy, were potentially exposed to being filmed privately without knowledge. Now we know from WHS parents that attended a meeting where the footage of the tapes was shown that no minor was filmed in an inappropriate manner.
They still could have been.
Judge James H. Young Jr. accepted a no contest plea to trespassing and a destruction of property charge was dismissed. Prosecuting attorney Tom Plymale said there is no law or required punishment for a situation like this one. In what state are you speaking of?
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Wayne County needs the Hatfield-McCoy Trails
How many readers own an ATV or know someone who does?
Almost any time day or night, ATVs are the unofficial second vehicle of Wayne County residents. Despite it being illegal to ride on a paved, lined road in most parts of the state (except Gilbert and sections of Matewan) – they are commonplace on our county roads.
There is a magical place in Wayne County, a Graceland for ATV riders if I may.
Go out to the last campsite at the East Lynn Lake campground, walk a few yards past a fenced off dirt road and you will find it. Not many people know, but there is an ATV superhighway located there.
Any of the area gas stations and business owners will tell you during the summer months their businesses are frequented by truckloads of riders. Often those trucks are pulling trailers with three and four ATVS. They spend money on gas, food, beverages and ice.
Two years ago, I went to check this ATV trail that for those in the know is the county's worst kept secret. I was amazed by the amounts of riders that were out. In one hour's time, I counted 57 different riders pass by just yards from East Lynn Lake. I met a doctor, a gas line worker and a family out for a Sunday ride – all from different walks of life. I met one family that had come from Michigan to spend part of their summer vacation riding this illegal trail. They said they look forward to it every year.
One individual told me there is even cabins built on family properties all throughout the trail.
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Community can have an impact
Positive change occurs in communities when citizens become engaged in the small world around them. From community food drives to neighborhood association meetings to youth sports - each providing an opportunity to participate.
Recently, it appears on the national and world scenes that news coverage has lost touch with the "good news." So often the good news is saved for the last sound bite. The fast-paced "Information Age" has taken over the traditional news cycle making breaking news the expected norm.
It is unfortunate for the Wayne County News that we publish bi-weekly. Sometimes it is challenging to put some "new car smell" into a three-day-old story. The positive to that though is we have a niche. Our goal is not to keep up with the blink-of-an-eye turnaround other media outlets provide.
Instead, we are a community newspaper.
Recently, I have taken a leadership role here at the paper with the goal of making county residents truly believe that the Wayne County News is their community voice.
My mission is to ensure the validity of this paper throughout the communities that make up our wonderful home. I want to bring the "news you can use." That is not to say we will not continue to strive to report the hard investigative pieces on topics throughout the county, but it does mean we will work hard to report what you the reader want to see.
That is why I am asking all residents of Wayne County to come "work" for us. We want to publish your story. We want to know what is on your minds and going on in your lives.
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Milk, liberty and compromise
The battle for Raw Milk consumption in West Virginia soured earlier this year after Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin vetoed a bill that would have allowed herd sharing.
In layman's terms, herd sharing meant two or more people could co-own a dairy animal for the purpose of sharing the goods produced from the animal. Basically residents would be able to share raw milk.
House approved it and so did the Senate, but Tomblin vetoed it.
Recently, the owners of Lucas Farms in Wayne County organized a protest of the veto on the Capitol steps in Charleston. An honest sized group protested the veto calling it an, "infringement on private citizen liberties." That has pretty much been the theme this week in Wayne County after several parents fought the school board to opt out their kids from assessment testing.
Supporters of raw milk cite the fact our forefathers drank unpasteurized milk for centuries. They claim it is natural, free of chemicals and an individual right to consume raw milk.
Opponents, including Tomblin, believe it is a matter of public health. Delegate Don Perdue (D-Wayne) was one of the most vocal opponents of the bill in the House. The former Health and Human Resources committee chairman said it is a matter of science.
Perdue said that both the Food and Drug Administration, along with the Center for Disease Control do not support raw milk consumption. Both entities claim it is a risky practice due to the possible spread of diseases such as e-coli.
Perdue said that although raw milk consumption was the norm for hundreds of years, now is not the case. He said that the risk of spreading bacteria that is building immunity to antibiotics and mutating was not a problem 200 years ago.
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Testing people's patience American education style
As journalists, it is our goal to remain objective at all times.
We are community members, which often puts us in a direct moral conflict of keeping personal opinion out of the paper.
The positive is we have trained minds for objectivity and try to search for "everyone's truth" during times of conflicting information. The situation with school testing and parents' choice to opt students out of said testing is definitely one of those times.
On one side, you have Superintendent Sandra Pertee, central office administration and the faculty at these individual schools. They are sworn to uphold the rules and regulations set forth by not only the West Virginia Board of Education, the West Virginia Department of Education - but ultimately the U.S. Department of Education.
In other words, they are just "doing their jobs"- a job that sometimes forces hard decisions to be made.
Friday afternoon, Pertee along with Director of Assessment John Waugaman conducted an assembly at Spring Valley High School with students whose parents had signed opt-out forms from Smarter Balance testing scheduled to begin this week. Essentially, the central office duo told the students that there is no statute on state books allowing students to opt out of standardized testing.
Which brings us to the parents who believe their civil liberties to make decisions for their children's education are being trampled on. The parents are against Common Core curriculum, they are against what is being viewed as "pervasive" information mining, and overall, do not see the value in the Smarter Balance testing. They believe it is their right as taxpayers to pull their student from testing.
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It may be time for 'prehab'
I was scrolling through my Facebook Easter Sunday to see pictures of my friends' kids and families dressed in their new outfits, along with evidence the bunny had come to visit their homes.
I saw some kids squirming due to the tight church clothes they were being forced to wear. I saw pictures of excited youngsters receiving the creative baskets mom and dad had painfully constructed.
The pictures and posts made me smile. Then, I saw it. There was a post no one takes pleasure in reading. A former classmate had posted his brother and his brother's wife had been found dead in their home. Their son had discovered the pair.
The couple was from South Charleston. My connection to them is that I grew up with both of them. I have memories of endless hours of classroom time together, sleepovers, school functions, athletic events, dances and long summer days being teenagers on the streets of St. Albans.
I have fond memories of both of them - not of what I was reading.
They presumably died of a heroin overdose. According to WSAZ, they were two of eight heroin overdoses reported in Kanawha County alone Easter weekend. My childhood friends left behind three children and a mourning family.
Apparently the couple had struggled with addiction for some time, but I had no idea. The only perception I have of them is two high school sweethearts who were loved by so many. Not addicts. Their Facebook posts show loving parents just trying to raise their families like the rest of us - never a hint of addiction.
And to be honest with you, I will naively keep my former memories of them. To me they will be forever young.
So what is the point of this to tell you about my friends?
Heroin and pills have claimed the lives of people I grew up with from Wayne County back to the Kanawha Valley. It breaks my heart to see people that had so much promise lose their lives to addiction.
For more on this story and many others, subscribe to the WCN or the WCN e-paper today!
Construction of the Heartland Intermodal Gateway facility continues on Thursday, March 12, in Prichard. By Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch
Time to move on naming an Intermodal operator
Wayne County News Editorial
Construction on the Heartland Intermodal Gateway at Prichard is on track for the facility to open late this year.
The long-awaited project is designed to connect Wayne County and the Tri-State to the world of global shipping. But a critical piece of the public-private project is still up in the air – naming the private company that will operate the cargo transfer station.
The project was first unveiled in 2003, as Norfolk Southern Railroad and government leaders recognized the potential of expanding shipping between the major Atlantic port of Norfolk, Virginia, and the Midwest by raising the height on tunnels through our region. That work allowed the double stacking of the large shipping containers used in international shipping, and the first double stacked trains began rolling through in 2010.
When the new Prichard center opens, those containers can be unloaded from the Norfolk Southern rail line to trucks and from trucks to containers and rail cars. Eventually, officials hope to add connections to river barges along the Big Sandy River and air shipping at Tri-State Airport.
The shipping hub will provide an advantage for local industry, allowing companies to ship and receive parts and product more quickly. But it also will provide a new way for businesses in the region to ship out to the rest of the world, and officials hope that capability will draw warehousing and distribution centers that would benefit from locating close to the cargo transfer station.
The West Virginia Port Authority, which is a major public player in developing the intermodal facility, is charged with reviewing detailed proposals from private companies interested in handling the day-to-day operations and maintenance for the complex. Local leaders hope a decision is made soon.
"The critical piece is now," state Sen. Robert Plymale told The Herald-Dispatch last month. "We've reached the point where companies are making decisions on what intermodal facilities they're going to be using, and they need to know as soon as possible who the operator is going to be and what is going on."
It certainly makes sense to move ahead with naming the operator. If the goal of attracting new business in and around the cargo center is to be realized, interested businesses need to see that a strong private partner is on board to ensure a well-managed facility.
Let's hope a decision on the private operator is coming soon, and this game-changing project does not face any more unnecessary delays.
Hugh Roberts, the former carpentry teacher at Tolsia High School and current assistant principal at Spring Valley High School CTE, instructs a Tolsia student on building construction. Roberts was named the first recipient of a national CTE award in 2014. Photo submitted
Schools expand career focus
Wayne County
News Editorial
There was a time when a young person could find a decent job with just a high school degree.
But those days are numbered, and today students graduating from high school need to be ready for post-secondary education or participating in training programs that will provide them with the skills that the job market demands.
That is why the Career and Technical Education program at Wayne County's high schools is so important. As Reporter Michael Hupp detailed in last Saturday's Progress Edition, the Wayne County program is finding great success connecting students to the training that will help them get a start with meaningful careers.
From "simulated workplace" environments to agri-business, health care and technical training, the CTE programs are introducing students to the responsibilities of the workplace and what it takes to get started.
"We teach workplace skills that they will need, regardless of if they go the next level of learning or straight to the workforce," CTE Director Velvet Kelly said. The real-world emphasis also helps student understand the practical applications of what they study in school.
"A student may have difficulties visualizing how photosynthesis applies in a text, but once they see it in practice, then it clicks," Kelly noted. "They have a moment when it all makes sense."
That is a more critical step than ever, because the job market has changed. Many of the old careers have faded away, but jobs are available if the graduate has the right skills.
A recent survey by the the Huntington Area Development Council, which serves Wayne County, found more than 700 job current job openings, but many employers said they have difficulty finding qualified candidates to fill them.
"It's important that parents and students understand what careers are out there for them, what kind of education it takes to get those jobs, and the skill sets they need to have," said Kathy D'Antoni of the West Virginia Department of Education, who visited Wayne County schools last year to recognize the CTE program. "That's why Career and Technical Education is so important, because it allows students to find where their interest lies."
It is good to see Wayne County Schools taking the lead on practical programs to help our students find good careers right here in the Tri-State.
30 YEARS IN THE MAKING – In April of 2012, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, surrounded by officials and community members, is all smiles after signing Senate Bill 362, funding about $28 million for the lodge at Beech Fork Lake. Tomblin recently vetoed issuing the bonds for the Beech Fork project. WCN photo by Diane Pottorff
State needs to "find a way" with Beech Fork lodge
Wayne County
News Editorial
It was a pretty April day in 2012 when West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin sat on the shores of Beech Fork Lake and signed a bill authorizing a bond sale of $28 million to construct a lodge and conference center at the state park.
But the bonds were never issued, and the project Wayne County leaders have worked on for decades remained in limbo for another three years.
A legislative effort this year to get the ball rolling again turned to disappointment once more, when this week Tomblin vetoed issuing the bonds for Beech Fork and another project at Cacapon State Park. The governor explained he felt issuing the bonds would downgrade the state's bond rating because of declining revenue in the state lottery fund.
This latest setback has some questioning whether state leaders were ever really behind the project.
"I am bitter about all of this," Delegate Don Perdue told the Wayne County News on Tuesday. "The way it looks, it is like this administration never had a real desire to see both of these projects go forward."
Tomblin's office maintains he remains committed to the projects and "continues to work with his administration to explore other options to finance the project while remaining committed to fiscally responsible policies."
Residents of Wayne and Cabell counties need to make sure Tomblin does not forget his pledge. If lottery-backed bonds are not a workable approach, the state needs to find another funding source, because the lodge represents a solid investment in local and regional tourism.
Building the planned 75-room lodge with restaurant, indoor swimming pool and meeting facilities would enable the already popular state park to host conferences, reunions and other events. That could be an important boost to tourism in Wayne County, but the project also holds great promise beyond that.
Wayne County has the potential to tie into the growing Hatfield McCoy Trails for all terrain vehicles. An enhanced Beech Fork State Park would provide an additional gateway to the trail system on the western side of the state with air service and interstate access to easily connect with large population centers in the Midwest.
This is a project that benefits our region and the entire state of West Virginia, and it is time to find a way to get it done.
Contacting the governor
MAIL: Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East, Charleston, WV, 25305.
Current board continuing
previous panels' miscues?
There have been mumblings and grumblings from various and sundry Wayne Countians over the past three-plus years of my association with The Wayne County News concerning salaries of the county Board of Education's Central Office.
The complaints and gripes have come from private citizens, teachers, business people and even certain elected officials.
Many have called for an "investigation." Others have just shaken their heads, while some have "tsk, tsked" and noted that's the way it's always been.
One, however, pointed out the salaries of those school officials "On the Hill" far exceeded those of "this entire school" as he swung his arm encompassing one of the county's largest seat of academic instruction.
One of those elected to a county office even mentioned that courthouse officials will make no comments regarding what goes on "across the street."
With the latest recommendation from the county board to increase the pay of current Superintendent Sandra Pertee to bring her pay to a level enjoyed by others with the same jobs in other counties, we did a little research.
You can, too. Just google "wveis.k12.wv.us/schoolFinance/sf000018.cfm."
If you do, you will find 21 directors, coordinators or those with titles, account for $1,595,679.95 of Wayne Count schools budget. This includes the board's attorney ($92,600) and treasurer ($83,830.59).
Or, an average yearly salary of $75,984.76. This includes one coordinator who only earns $22,273 and another's whose pay is $48,663.45. If these lower salaries were taken out of the equation, the average pay would be more than $80,000.
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'Thor:' winter's last gasp?
If not, we've had enough
By RON FERGUSON
In Norse mythology, 'Thor' was the god of thunder and weather.
Didn't hear any thunder this week, but doggone it, we sure got the weather.
Despite local meteorologists' lackluster past predictions, they get kudos for predicting Wednesday and Thursday's snow and cold.
A foot of snow hit the Kenova area and coming on top of Wednesday's all-day rain, a base of ice made travel of any kind, nearly impossible.
By late evening Wednesday, inches of the white stuff had covered the county and the "falling weather" didn't let up until mid-afternoon Thursday.
Schools in all 55 West Virginia counties were cancelled, businesses were closed, and again, Wayne County and surrounding areas were virtually at a standstill.
A traffic snarl on hilly I-65 near Louisville left motorists stranded for some 15 hours as 21 inches of snow hit the area.
Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin declared states of emergencies.
The Huntington Mall in Barboursville and Charleston Town Center closed early.
West Virginia University, Fairmont State, Bluefield State and Marshall also closed Thursday. Marshall remained closed Friday.
Many residents throughout the Tri-State were without power, some even on Friday due to the heavy snow uprooting trees, breaking limbs or downing power lines. Some 80,000 customers lost service in the storm.
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Drug tests a good idea
for assistance applicants
By RON FERGUSON
A former "friend' of mine who happens to be a delegate in the state legislature recently wrote a column, published in the Herald-Dispatch, explaining why applicants for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families with previous drug-related convictions should not be required to undergo drug tests as a qualification for the program.
Why not?
If the former friend needed a job, he would probably be required to get tested.
When The Herald-Dispatch bought The Wayne News, those who were hired back had to submit to a drug test.
I had to pee in a cup for my other job with an auto parts company.
Why should someone receiving state money, federal money (my tax money) be exempt?
They are being paid.
The delegate said the cash assistance could amount to $460 a month for a mother of four.
True, that's not a lot of money for five people, but if they are poor they would also qualify for other programs.
He says they should be exempt because they are poor.
I've been poor most of my life, I just happened to marry someone with a good job.
What's being poor got to do with taking a drug test?
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'Extra snow,' a lot to handle
By RON FERGUSON
On the drive to "Out Wayne" Wednesday, some weather guru on the radio said we could get some "extra snow" later that day.
Lordy! Far as I'm concerned the very first flake that fell this year was too much. It was "extra snow."
All you cold weather lovers out there need to ignore me. It seems the older I get, the less I like ole Man Winter.
About five years ago, my son and I went to McAllen, Texas, for the wedding of my Army buddy's daughter.
It was the middle of November. Every day the temperature was 75-80 degrees. Shorts and tennis shoes were the norm.
In November!
'Course it does get cold there occasionally.
One day, he mentioned it was going to get into the 40s, "with rain. Going to be cold," he said.
Not like the minus-12 at my house Friday!
During my time stationed at Fort Lee, Va., in the late 60s, he said he had never seen snow except in pictures and on TV.
He came home with me every weekend but one, and on one occasion as we left Huntington (AWOL again), it snowed. He was amazed.
A few years back, he sent pictures of his first white Christmas in McAllen.
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Some tips from an old driver
By RON FERGUSON
Monday morning's cold and snowy start brought tough driving conditions and a few frozen water lines (at the Ferguson Plantation) and a lot of inconvenience.
But the weather cannot be an excuse when folks have jobs. Many workers, such as government, can usually stay home (quite often it benefits the rest of us) and still get paid, or at least are not penalized.
But headed to work at 7 a.m. Monday morning, after a certain young engineer had thawed the water lines, other drivers' habits on the snowy roadway drew attention.
Although the local highway department has worked diligently to keep roads passable, single-digit temperatures and below-zero wind-chills are not favorable to treatment of roadways.
Growing up in the 50s and 60s, there weren't many four-wheel drive vehicles around. Now there are four in our three-person household. And, there are two four-wheel drive tractors.
Back then, we learned to drive in the snow with only two-wheel drive – and only rear-wheel drive – and we did okay.
Sure, once in a while we'd get stuck, but help was usually only a phone call (maybe at the end of a walk) away. Try driving a 60s muscle car in four to six inches of snow… Too much muscle and not enough traction.
But with the marketing of so many four-wheel drive vehicles, owners think they can go anywhere at any speed.
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Real Wayne Countian,
and darn proud of it
By RON FERGUSON
We here in West Virginia are always caricaturized in movies and on TV as illiterate, ignorant, inbred fools who are married to our cousins, quit school in the first grade, chew tobacco, carry a jug of moonshine, live in squalor and are just downright – stupid.
Think the "Buckwild" TV program, a reality series about some idiot kids who were drunk half the time and crazy all the time. The show lasted until one of the stars (and two relatives) wound up dead and another jailed on drug charges.
True, some of us chew tobacco and some probably carry moonshine around. Lord knows there's lots of dope available, but… we all didn't marry our cousins and some of us managed a third or fourth grade education.
Wayne Countians are a bit different than other West Virginians.
Several years ago, in a heated discussion with a bank manager brought in from the Northern part of the state, I told him that, "If you haven't noticed, people in this area are a little different than those up North.
"People around here are more dependable – you can take them at their word and they're not out to take advantage of other people. We're different here than those… even from Milton north."
"I have noticed," he said.
It's true. Don't know if it's the Appalachian heritage or the influence of the true South and its gentility, but Wayne County people as a whole, are more polite and respectful than those up North.
Examples of that rudeness are as common as chants from visiting teams. Several years ago, supporters of Spring Valley sports were often slammed with slurs from other teams, one local school in particular would chant, "Wayne… County… trailer trash!"
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Football fans 'bowled' over
By RON FERGUSON
I love football.
Have for years and years.
High school, college, pro… doesn't matter.
Even midge (oops! gotta be politically correct) "youth" football, when played the right way with all the players getting a shot, and not running up the score with the first team the whole way, can be interesting. It's nice to see the youngsters learning the game and proper techniques to block and tackle, seeing it truly takes a "team."
And, I'm a lucky husband. My wife likes the game just as much, if not more, than I do. Soon after we tied the knot, I was telling her about a movie we had talked about but had not seen, being shown on TV that evening.
"But isn't there a football game?" she asked.
"Yeah, but it's somebody like the Jets and Buccaneers who haven't won three games between them," I said.
"I know – but," she came right back, "it's football."
Thinking about how many guys who liked football, but whose wives refused to watch it with them…
I think the Jets lost.
Saw the movie on reruns.
Over the Christmas-New Year's break we always watch a lot of football and this year was no different. A few days this recently the big screen was tuned to bowl games from noon to midnight, while the normal-sized TV went virtually unwatched.
Lots of games.
The motto at the Ferguson farm is "Watch as many bowl games as possible, 'cause it's a long time before football starts again."
But, I think even we were a little bit "bowled out" over the number of bowls. Seems like half the major college teams played in post-season games.
Wait a minute…
There are 128 schools listed in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA…
And there are 39 bowl games!
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Natural vs. artificial turf:
Grass is still the best
By RON FERGUSON
The debate goes on.
Natural grass vs. artificial surfaces.
Football on grass, dirt, mud…
Football on Field Turf…
We've all seen a player taken off the field on a cart with a severe leg injury.
It's a terrible thing, whether it's a professional player or a high schooler. Whether they're playing for money, a scholarship or just to be part of a team.
Happens all the time.
Players now are bigger, stronger, and faster than when football first began.
Collisions are more violent.
The human body can take only so much.
Remember when AstroTurf came on the scene?
The Houston Astros, a professional baseball team in Texas, built the first indoor sports facility and couldn't get grass to grow. Not enough light.
So somebody came up with a green, grass like material that looked like grass, kinda felt like grass and laid it down over the field.
The Astros used it and those who saw it thought it to be the greatest thing since sliced bread.
The Houston football team, the Oilers, used the same facility.
Everyone went "WOW!"
Players felt they were faster. Their uniforms didn't get dirty and, since they were playing inside, the building could be heated or air-conditioned.
Being plastic, the material could also be used outdoors. So very soon, practically every pro, then college, stadium in the country went to the "plastic grass."
Spectators didn't have to wonder if it was number 88 or 86 or 80 who made the play since there was no dirt or mud to obscure the letters.
How wonderful!
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(NaturalNews) In the aftermath of the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson yesterday, the mainstream media is now desperately trying to blame the attack on anti-government" sentiment.
The implication from these kinds of stories is that if you criticize the government, you therefore promote violence.
That is, of course, a silly idea, especially considering the fact that the government nearly always uses the threat of violence against its own citizens to get what it wants.
No one is surprised when the government uses the threat of violence to get what it wants these days. Today, the government actually commits felony crimes against the American people on a daily basis!
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Huntington School's Robin Parmiter and Ian Wilson
/ News
TWO York teachers whose World Cup song has taken the internet by storm have been invited to a prestigious education conference where Michael Gove will be among the speakers.
Huntington School's Robin Parmiter and Ian Wilson are to perform their song Bring it Home at the Sunday Times Education Fest in June, on a line up that includes speeches from Michael Gove, Shadow Education Secretary Tristram Hunt, David Baddiel and Ruby Wax.
The pair's World Cup song has now attracted nearly 58,000 views since it was posted on YouTube earlier this month, and it has been supported online by celebrities including Miranda Hart, Jack Whitehall and Clare Balding.
Robin said: "Clare Balding tweeted it on the day the England squad was announced, and said we captured the "beautiful madness"of football. I think that was our favourite comment."
The track has also been played on Radio 5 as part of a World Cup song competition and on Sunday, Robin and Ian played in an Emmerdale v York City charity match at Bootham Crescent and saw their song played to the crowd again.
Robin added: "It was really fun to go and play at Bootham Crescent. It was brilliant to be in the changing rooms and wear the shirt." I managed to score as well, and that will go down as one of the best moments in my life."
Back at school in Huntington, the song has the support of pupils and staff alike, and had its first live performance at the Year 13 leavers' assembly.
"This kids have really got behind it, someone said this is what Huntington is all about - hard work, passion and inspiring people," Robin added.
Promoted Stories
Huntington School's Robin Parmiter and Ian Wilson to perform Bring it Home at Sunday Times Education Fest
Take the opporunity to kick Gove in the nuts - you'll be national heroes.
Wow,how exciting,national heroes,why?.
Take the opporunity to kick Gove in the nuts - you'll be national heroes.
Wow,how exciting,national heroes,why?.