Broadcasting awards were dispensed again this year at this week’s annual meeting of the West Virginia Broadcasters Association. At the end of the night’s ceremony Bluefield based Adventure Radio came away with five broadcasting awards including: Station of the year won by J104.5, Doug Dillon of Kicks Country won The Best Morning Show award. Adventure Radio news won for Best News Coverage and Adventure Radio Sports won the award for the Best Sportscast. J104.5 won the night’s most prestigious award for Legendary Station which is bestowed to only one West Virginia radio station each year.
I asked Vice President Danny Clemons how Adventure Radio managed to garner so many awards this year.
DANNY CLEMONS
“It’s total teamwork. From the programming department all the way down to engineering, sales and administrative in order for an award of this magnitude to be received. Our original mission statement was provide a product for the community and service the community we live in and that’s what we do.”
Bluefield based WVVA won the award for best TV station in West Virginia.
FEDERAL FUNDS WILL BUY BUSSES FOR STATE TRANSIT
CHARLESTON WV 3-8-10
With remaining funds from last year’s Recovery Act the West Virginia Department of Transportation will receive nearly $4.5 million to support its Transit Capital and Assistance Projects throughout the state. A little over a million dollars of that money will go to southern West Virginia Transit systems to purchase and maintain vehicles.
Bluefield Area Transit which serves Mercer and McDowell County can purchase two ADA accessible vans, a mini van and support vehicle with the funds. Transit Authorities in Greenbrier, Wayne and Logan, Boone and Fayette Counties will also buy vans with the funds.
West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin’s mother 87 year old Mary Manchin had a stroke last Friday and was recovering at Ruby Memorial Hospital.
TRAINING ON BIG WALKER TOWER
BIG WALKER MOUNTAIN 3-4-10
Drivers traveling on Route 52 over Big Walker Mountain witnessed an unusual sight Thursday as several individuals repelled from the 100 foot high lookout tower.
Bland County based ABB Wind manufactures transformers for wind turbines which stretch hundreds of feet in the air. Servicing these transformers can be dangerous and ABB Wind contracted Washington State based Gravitech to deal with this challenge. Gravitech’s Kevin Denis on what happened this week at Big Walker Mountain.
KEVIN DENNIS
“The course involves all these guys climbing up to the top of the tower to learn how to use all this safety equipment and how to rescue and lower each other off a 200 foot structure if an accident ever did occur.
We specialize in fall protection and rescue. We want to protect the worker from the fall and if an accident did occur and somebody’s hanging from the equipment, the rescue side.
Think of the five o’clock news whenever you see the window cleaner hanging from the rope on the outside of the building. We gave him the rope. We gave him the harness, we showed him how to use it. We successfully arrested the fall and and now we’re going to show you how to get the guy down.”
LEGISLATORS OF THE TWO VIRGINIAS ASK FOR DELAY AT E.P.A.
WASHINGTON D.C. 3-4-10
On Thursday, Senator Jay Rockefeller and Congressmen Nick Rahall and Alan Mollohan of West Virginia and Rick Boucher of Virginia introduced legislation in their respective legislative bodies to delay the Environmental Protection Agency’s impending regulation of Greenhouse Gas emissions.
This legislation, called the Stationary Source Regulations Delay Act, pushes the timeline of the E.P.A.’s most stringent regulations on Carbon Dioxide and Methane emissions for two years.
This legislation applies only to stationary sources of these greenhouse gasses. Regulation of motor vehicles should go forward as planned.
Last year, Congressman Boucher was the only one of these three Congressmen to vote in favor of Cap and Trade legislation which imposes costly penalties on coal fired power plants which emit large amounts of Carbon Dioxide during the electricity generating process.
Boucher amended Cap and Trade legislation to include 10’s of billions of dollars for the development of carbon capture technology.
Cap and Trade is stalled in the Senate but unless this Delay Act passes, EPA regulations penalizing carbon dioxide emitters, like coal fired power plants, will take effect in the coming months.
MERCER COUNTY STUDENTS CAN FORGO SPRING BREAK
PRINCETON WV 3-4-10
This winter’s record snowfall has resulted in schoolchildren in Southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia missing several weeks worth of instruction as a result of weather related closures.
In response to this, schools throughout Mercer County will remain open from Monday April 5th to Friday April 9th in what is normally a Spring Break period.
Mercer County School officials are calling this voluntary program offered to student from Kindergarten through 12th grade the Spring Break Academy.
Elementary through Middle school student who want to attend will be taught reading, writing and arithmetic and are expected to attend the full day.
High School students, with their own transportation, may opt to attend specific courses offered throughout the day.
Questionnaires are being sent out this week to parents to find out how many students are interested in Mercer County School’s Spring Break Academy.
COLD PATCH IS TEMPORARY FIX
CHARLESTON WV 3-4-10
Motorists throughout the region have seen and felt the impact of this winter’s severe weather on area roadways. Potholes are appearing everywhere everyday on major and minor roadways and in response to this, West Virginia’s Department of Highways announces a $12 million Winter Damage Repair Program, starting in the Spring.
These funds will be needed because money normally used for Spring repairs is being used to patch roads now before they become impassable as the DOH’s Brent Walker explains.
BRENT WALKER (DOH)
“We will continue to be out there providing a cold mix patch whenever we get some consistently dry days. It’s a band aid approach. It’s a cold type mix that doesn’t require the heat that regular asphalt does and it truly is a temporary fix because you have vehicles that will ride right over it and pick it up with their tires. It’s just something we can do in cold weather.”
APPALACHIAN RAISES RATES BASED ON PRICE OF COAL
CHARLESTON WV 3-2-10
Appalachian Power submitted a request to West Virginia’s Public Service Commission for an 8.2% rate increase earlier this week primarily to cover the cost of fuel in their coal fired power plants.
This is part of a four year phased in 43% rate increase request that the PSC approved last year. Appalachian Power’s Phil Moye explains.
“We had to buy a bunch of coal during that time when prices were just tremendously high. But the amount built into our customers rate was really low. WE had maybe $40 a ton built into customers rate but we were paying say $65 a ton on average. Well that’s $25 a ton difference. So those are costs that we incurred but never recovered.”
The PSC allowed Appalachian Power to raise rates by more than 12% late last year and the company planned to ask for a similar increase this year.
“At this point last year, were expecting the increase to be around 12% or so and as it turns out it’s 8%. If the cost of coal remains low as it is today then the future increases may be at the low end of the scale like we’re seeing.”
PRESIDENT DECLARES WEST VIRGINIA DISASTER AREA
CHARLESTON WV 3-2-10
President Obama approved West Virginia governor Joe Manchin’s request that several counties in West Virginia be declared a disaster area due to the snowstorm occurring on December 18th of last year.
Locally, McDowell, Wyoming, Raleigh, Greenbrier and Mingo were among 15 counties in West Virginia which now qualify for Federal funds related to the snowstorm. This assistance will go to local governments and some private nonprofit organizations for emergency work and repair and replacement of disaster damaged facilities.
In addition, 9 counties including McDowell, Mingo and Raleigh counties here locally are eligible for reimbursement for snow removal assistance and other actions designed to protect the public during the storm.
Look for more disaster declarations relating to snow squalls occurring in 2010.
WOMAN WILL GO TO TRIAL FOR KILLING HER BABY BOY
PRINCETON WV 3-2-10
In a preliminary hearing on Monday, Mercer County Magistrate Jim Dent found probably cause for charging 23 year old Katherine Boozer of Princeton with 1st degree murder in the death of her 6 month old son. Boozer was arrested last month and charged with child abuse after taking her 6 month old son to Princeton Community Hospital with multiple injuries.
The infant died from his injuries after being transported to Roanoke Memorial Hospital. Testimony taken at the hearing revealed that the baby boy had suffered a fractured skull and was bleeding from his nose and mouth when he arrived at PCH. Authorities found blood in many areas of the boy’s room upon Boozer’s arrest.
Only Katherine Boozer and an acquaintance Aaron Johnson were at the residence at the time the child’s injuries occurred. Johnson testified that he did not injure the child. Boozer did not testify.
The case goes before the Mercer County Grand Jury in June.
BLUEFIELD SEES SNOWIEST WINTER ON RECORD
BLUEFIELD WV 3-1-10
It’s official. According to the National Weather Service, snow flurries in the last several days have indeed made this winter season, the snowiest ever recorded in Bluefield since official records began being kept in 1959.
To date, Bluefield has seen 80 inches of accumulated snowfall since October, which tops the previous record of 78 inches set back in 1995.
That’s still quite a bit less than Elkins, West Virginia, in Randolph County which has officially recorded just under 100 inches of snowfall this season.
The highest recorded accumulation of snow this year comes, as one might expect, from the Snowshoe Ski Resort which has so far seen 173 inches, or well over 14 feet, of accumulation since the snows began to fall last year.
Charleston, West Virginia has so far recorded nearly 5 feet of accumulation. The snowiest season ever recorded in Charleston were in the Fall and Winter months of 1995 and 1996 when the state capitol accumulated 106 inches of snow.
PAINT THE TRAIN PROJECT
BLUEFIELD WV 3-1-10
Today is the last day for business’s and Civic Groups to register for Bluefield, West Virginia’s “Paint the Train” art project. With grant money from the Coal Heritage Trail, the city purchased 25 fiberglass trains, similar in design to the antique train engine in Bluefield’s City Park. On March 9th, the city will draw 25 winners from those who registered for the Paint the Train Project. Mayor Linda Whalen explains what happens next.
MAYOR LINDA WHALEN
“They will be given away for the business to paint and then we will get the train back and place it in the downtown. It will be along Bland Street, Federal Street and Bluefield and Princeton Avenues. Then after they’re on display for a year or so, we’ll have an auction and then your company, can buy the engine back. Maybe they’d like to put the engine in front of their business. Money from the auction will go towards future art projects.”
Registration for the Paint the Train Lottery is free.
BLUEFIELD AND SURROUNDING CITIES APPROACHING RECORD SEASON SNOW TOTAL
BLACKSBURG VA 2-26-10
The National weather Service Issued a Blizzard Warning Thursday afternoon lasting until midnight Saturday.
Robyn Brown of the National Weather Service’s Blacksburg office.
“There’s a possibility of 8 to 16 inches of additional snow over a 3 day period. It’s just going to keep snowing at least till Sunday with sustained winds of 35 miles per hour or greater with moderate to heavy snow expected. So that’s where the Blizzard Warning comes in.”
As of now, Bluefield has seen 71 inches of snow since December 1st of last year making it the 3rd snowiest winter on record. By the end of the day, though, Bluefield’s record snow totals could surpass 1959’s record snow total of nearly 73 inches for the season.
1995 is officially the snowiest year on record with nearly 78 inches of snow for that season but that record snow total will likely be surpassed before week’s end.
SECOND PIZZA RESTAURANT ROBBER SENTENCED
PRINCETON WV 2-25-10
In Mercer County Circuit Court, 25 year old Christopher Witchley, the second of two men who in January pleaded guilty to robbing Bluefield’s Little Caesar Pizza Restaurant, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in the hold up. Witchley and Derrick Oakes both of Bluefield, Virginia, admitted to storming into Little Caesar’s on Bland Street in Bluefield at about 8 o’clock, Sunday evening on August 3rd, 2009 and using a firearm to demand money.
One round was fired from a handgun but it is not clear, which of the two men fired the shot. Both Witchley and Oakes are black and were wearing masks during the robbery. The bullet from the gun did not hit anyone but many of the employees sustained injuries at the hands of the robbers, including the store manager who was reportedly pistol whipped when he could not initially remember the combination of the store’s safe.
Witchley’s accompliss, 24 year old Derrick Oakes was also sentenced to 25 years in prison in the same court, some days ago.
POLICE CHIEF WARNS CITIZENS TO KEEP PURSES HIDDEN
TAZEWELL VA 2-26-10
Since the onset of this cold snap, the town of Tazewell has seen a big increase in purse snatching, of a sort. Tazewell Police Chief, Brian Hieatt, talks about a spike in car break ins.
CHIEF BRIAN HIEATT
“What we were wanting to do is to try to remind people, especially women is to not leave their purses and their valuables out in the open. The problem we’re having right now in our town and it’s happening mostly in our public parking areas, people are leaving their purses in plain view and we have somebody or several purses who are busting car windows, grabbing the purses and then running. It may happen a week apart, two days apart and in so many different parking lots. It’s hard to pinpoint where the next one will be.
In November, during a break in. A gentleman, got the guy and wrestled the guy who was breaking into his car and the guy got away. He described the person who was breaking into his car as a young white male. Maybe in his teens. It may not be the same person who’s doing all the break ins but he was definitely involved in at least one.
I’ll also tell you that the Sheriff’s office is having the same problem in the Claypool Hill area and so we’re sharing information with them.
From what we’ve seen, mainly they’re taking cash and throwing the pocket book away. What I hate is people losing their family photos and irreplaceable things like that.”
MAN FOUND DEAD IN APARTMENT
BLUEFIELD WV 2-24-10
The family of 57 year old Maurice Banks of Tiffany Manor in Bluefield called Bluefield West Virginia’s Police Department just after 7:30 Tuesday evening for a well being check as they’d not heard from him in 3 or 4 days.
The family of Banks was at his Tiffany Manor Apartment when officer Daniel Lambert, of the Bluefield Police arrived on scene.
OFFICER DANIEL LAMBERT
“His apartment was locked and we had to gain entry through a window. I observed the body. It appears it had been there for two or three days. Cold. Stiff. There was no sign of foul play. I found a lot of drug paraphernalia. I found several bottles of Hydrocodone pills, crack pipes, straws. He was crushing them up and snorting them. I found several liquor bottles around his bed. I also found that he was a severe diabetic. Looks like an overdose.”
No official determination of cause of death yet but the apparent overdose appears to be accidental. According to the police, Banks was a veteran and was not married at the time of his death. His body was sent to Charleston for an autopsy.
CLEAN SWEEP BUT NO CLEAR SIDEWALKS
BLUEFIELD WV 2-24-10
Members of Bluefield West Virginia’s city board confirmed that Operation Clean Sweep, which allows citizens to get rid of brush and various junk around their property for free, will again take place this Spring. According to Mayor Whalen, Clean Sweep costs the city almost $50,000 each year.
I asked the mayor about another issue.
WILLIAM PAINE
I know code enforcement has been something that your administration has focused on to some degree. The last couple of weeks there’s been an awful a lot of snow on an awful lot of sidewalks. Is the city planning to ticket anyone with snow on their sidewalks or is it a problem?
MAYOR WHALEN
Well, if we look around, it certainly is a problem because people are having to walk on the street. On the other hand, the snow, as deep as it’s been, we have to be realistic. So, would we like to have all of our sidewalks clear? Absolutely we would but it’s something that we have to be reasonable about.
WILLIAM PAINE
No tickets.
MAYOR WHALEN
I doubt it.
STATE GOVERNMENT ACTS TO LOWER ELECTRIC RATE FOR THE TIME BEING
RICHMOND VA 2-24-10
Today in Richmond, Virginia’s Governor Bob McDonnell signed into law a bill that removes Appalachian Power’s 12.5% interim rate increase that was placed into effect on December 12th, of last year.
State Senator Democrat Phillip Puckett, a Democrat, sponsored the Senate Bill 680 which also changes existing state law to prohibit the implementation of any interim rate increases in the future by Appalachian Power Company or any other electric utilities that operate in Virginia. Senate Bill 680 calls for the company to suspend the interim rate and requires the State Corporation Commission to rule on the utility’s base rate case by July 15.
Local co-sponsors of the bill in the General Assembly include Republican Delegates Anne Crockett Stark of Wytheville and Will Moorefield of Tazewell.
The law removing the rate increase goes into effect today.
BOARD VOTES TO CHANGE MEETING TIME AND MORE
BLUEFIELD WV 2-13-10
At this week’s meeting, Bluefield, West Virginia’s Board of Directors voted to change their official meeting time from 7:30 PM on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month to 6PM on those same Tuesdays.
According to Mayor Linda Whalen, the change will make meetings more convenient for the general public and save the city some overtime pay for employees who are obliged to attend the board meetings.
That same resolution made it easier for the board to grant themselves salary increases, after a required public hearing. Currently, board members earn $50 per meeting. The city charter stipulated three different pay rates for board members of $15, $25 and $50 dollars per meeting. According to the city attorney, this action clarifies the apparent contradiction in the city charter.
The board also voted to lease the 3.52 acre plot of land located off Route 52 just outside the city limits towards Bramwell to Virginia based S & W Logging for $600.00 per month . This land was earlier purchased by the city for a proposed new transit center and will now be used to park the big trucks.
Reports are that Gary Bowling’s House of Art needs to add an additional exit to comply with fire codes. Wednesday’s Open Mike is cancelled.
TRIAL SET FOR SANITARY EMPLOYEES ACCUSED OF THEFT
PRINCETON WV 2-23-10
A trial date of June 8th was set for 5 former employees of Bluefield’s Sanitary Board who are accused of felony charges of embezzlement and fraud.
Longtime director of Bluefield’s Sanitary Board, 58 year old Terry Allen Honaker, now of Wytheville, faces charges of obtaining money by false pretences and carrying out fraudulent schemes. Fifty two year old Stephan Burkhart is accused of falsifying accounts, Dewayne Houk, who was still employed by the Sanitary Board until indicted several weeks ago, is charged with embezzlement. Thirty two year old Joseph Anthony Nunn and 40 year old Kirk Anthony Simkins also face fraud related felony charges.
In another fluid related story, West Virginia American Water is asking the West Virginia’s Public Service Commission for a rate hike to improve the region’s aging water delivery infrastructure.
CRASH AND BLAZE RESULT IN TWO DEATHS OVER THE WEEKEND
PRINCETON 2-21-10
Sometime before noon Sunday, an auto accident on Falls Mills Road just inside the West Virginia State Line resulted in the death of 38 year old Bluefield native Roy Boyd. The female passenger traveling with Boyd reported that he swerved to miss something and lost control of the vehicle. Boyd was ejected from the vehicle and killed, the female passenger survived and was released from the hospital.
In the Predawn hours of Saturday morning, 24 year old Kenneth Ray Osborne died in a residential structure fire on Schrader Hollow Road between Bramwell and During. Reports are that earlier that evening, Sheriff’s deputies responded to a complaint involving Osborne, who was said to be causing a disturbance.
Bramwell’s Volunteer Fire Department responded to and extinguished the blaze. The West Virginia State Fire Marshall is investigating the cause of the fire.
BLUEFIELD STATE COLLEGE BRINGS IN MOTHER BLUES
BLUEFIELD WV 2-21-10
In recognition of February being Black History Month, Bluefield State College invited “Mother Blues” to perform at campus’ Conley Hall this week.
Mother Blues, otherwise known as Pat Cohen, is now based in Charlotte, North Carolina but the road that brought her to Bluefield, wasn’t always that smooth.
PAT COHEN
“I lived down in New Orleans. From New Orleans I came from Salisbury, N.C. Because of Hurricane Catrina. I lived in the 9th Ward and I lost everything. So I came back here. But you know, it’s O.K. because everything happens for a reason and wherever you go you take yourself.”
That’s why they call it the blues.
CRASHED CREW FINDS RESCUE
POCAHONTAS COUNTY WV 2-19-10
All 17 military personnel on the the Navy Nighthawk helicopter which crashed in the Mountains of Pocahontas County West Virginia 2 o’clock Thursday afternoon have now been recovered and are receiving medical care.
The Blackhawk was part of Operation Southbound Trooper 10 an annual exercise involving U.S. military combined with N.A.T.O. and even Canadian Troops. It was flying from Fort Dawson to Fort Pickett when an Air National Guard C-130 spotted the crash site about 7PM that night.
Mark Moss is deputy of public affairs for the Navy’s Atlantic Fleet.
MARK MOSS
“Some of the injured had scrapes cuts and bruises and there were some more serious injuries but none of them appear to be life threatening as of this point.
Initially an Army Blackhawk helicopter came onto the scene and lowered two crew members to assess the situation. They dropped off supplies but they had to leave because their helicopter was running out of fuel. Some of the fire and rescue people turned to and some of the people in the area even used their own vehicles in the rescue. There was a report of two snow cats coming from the Snowshoe ski resort to aid in the rescue.
The last person transported from the crash appears to have been evacuated at about 10AM Friday morning.”
An investigation into the crash is ongoing.
HELICOPTER CRASHES IN POCAHONTAS COUNTY
POCAHONTAS COUNTY WV 2-18-10
What’s thought to be a Blackhawk type military helicopter carrying 17 passengers crashed sometime around 2 o’clock Thursday afternoon near the border of Greenbrier and Pocahontas Counties in West Virginia’s Eastern Mountains.
The Helicopter took off from Fort Pickett in Blackstone Virginia and was flying to Elkins when the crash occurred.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, by nightfall Thursday, at least 6 people had been transported to Roanoke Memorial Hospital for their injuries. Ambulances are currently standing by at the Greenbrier Valley Airport near Lewisburg ready to take injured passengers to local hospitals if needed.
No reports of fatalities could be confirmed at press time.
PIZZA RESTAURANT ROBBER SENTENCED
2-18-10
In Circuit Court in Princeton this week, 23 year old Bluefield Virginia native, Derrick Oakes was sentenced to serve 25 years in prison for his role in the armed robbery of the Little Ceasars Pizza restaurant last August.
Both Oakes and 24 year old Christopher F. Witchley, also of Bluefield, Virginia pleaded guilty to robbing the restaurant on January 12th.
Oakes and Witchleyd to storming the Little Ceasars, and used a firearm to rob the restaurant. One shot was fired but no one was hit but several employees were beaten during the robbery.
Bluefield native, 41 year old Veronica Lynn Banner, who earlier pleaded to felony conspiracy, is thought to have driven the getaway car.
Christopher Witchley and Veronica Banner will be sentenced for their roles in the robbery in the near future.
HEAVY EQUIPMENT USED TO MOVE SNOW IN AREA TOWNS
BLUEFIELD WV 2-18-10
Commuters throughout the Adventure Radio listening area from Beckley to Bandy and beyond need to be aware of city and state road clearing crews as they clear snow from the roadways.
That’s the sound of heavy machinery used to clear Federal Street in uptown Bluefield, West Virginia. Bluefield’s Sanitary Board is lending dump trucks and front loaders to the city in an effort to keep traffic moving, even if they delay the traffic a little bit to get it done.
Bluefield police patrolman Nathan Allen, spent all day Wednesday as an escort to these road clearing crews.
NATHAN ALLEN
“I’m just basically sitting here, trying to warn people just to be careful and be safe. Where they scraped the roads, just piles up on the sidewalks.”
The snow is being dumped in the vacant lot next to the Princeton Avenue Parking Building and according to the national weather Sizable snow mounds are being created in a vacant lot next to the Princeton Avenue Parking Building and in Bluefield’s City Park. And it according to the national weather service, we may not see the pavement under the pavement it may not be till Spring.
BLUEFIELD COLLEGE GETS ACCREDITED
BLUEFIELD VA 2-18-10
On Wednesday, faculty of Bluefield College officially celebrated their national recognition from the Teachers Education Accreditation Council for the School’s Teacher Education Program. Bluefield College has been producing well rounded and licensed teachers since 1977 but just recently decided to seek national accreditation through a rigorous auditing process.
Donna Watson is director of the Teacher Education at Bluefield College.
DONNA WATSON
“Graduates in the past have always been very impressed with their degree of preparation and really with their idealism and enthusiasm for the job. Which I believe is very important. Now with accreditation, people who have never heard of Bluefield College or known any of our graduates can look and say, ‘Oh, they’re from a Nationally Accredited program.’”
ROAD CREWS CLEAR STREETS BUT ACCIDENTS HAPPEN
BLUEFIELD VA 2-17-10
It’s the best of times and the worst of times for those who operate snow plows in the Adventure Radio listening area. Continual snowfall means that some of these city and state workers get plenty of overtime doing what they do best. On the down side, the need is so great for these snowy street sweepers that there’s not a lot of downtime, between outings.
Roy Boyd plows the snow for the town of Bluefield, Virginia.
ROY BOYD
“We got to work 8 hour shifts and if you get called at night, then you got to work then too”
WILLIAM PAINE
So you guys go to the main roads first then you go to the residential section?
ROY BOYD
Yes sir, yeah.
WILLIAM PAINE
Are these things four wheel drive?
ROY BOYD
Yeah, yeah.
WILLIAM PAINE
Hey is it tough to get around without hitting any cars for example?
ROY BOYD
Oh, we hit ‘em, but it’s not our fault. You start sliding a little bit and you can’t help it.
WILLIAM PAINE
The cars start sliding?
ROY BOYD
No, we do!
PLANNERS LOOK TO THE FUTURE IN POCAHONTAS
POCAHONTAS VA 2-16-10
The town of Pocahontas, Virginia has seen some hard times since its heyday more than a half century ago but town leaders are planning a revival. An ATV trail will be built adjacent the town this Spring which will complement the Exhibition Coal Mine. In March, the Pocahontas Town Council will submit a $1 million grant application to the state to rehabilitate the historic structures lining the main street.
Pocahontas Town Council Member Amy Flick talks about grant money and tourists.
AMY FLICK
“A huge chunk of the money goes to the Company Store. You know how it’s braced up right now? They’re going to try to close off the back and then turn it into a visitor’s center. I’m going to try and make it so that them ATV riders can ride their ATVs through the Exhibition Coal mine. I mean, how cool would that be? To come back to another state and say, ‘I rode through a coal mine.’”
“Then we want to put together a walking tour. So that you can turn on your IPOD and hear a history of all our buildings and of course, we have our paranormal tour. That’s a whole different group who are into the paranormal.”
“This isn’t going to just benefit the town of Pocahontas. I mean all of us are going to benefit, all of us.”
COLD WEATHER PERSISTS UNTIL…SPRING?
BLUEFIELD WV 2-15-10
The Adventure Radio Listening Area is officially under a Winter Weather Advisory until at least 6 o’clock Tuesday evening. Listeners should expect up to 6 inches of additional snowfall through the early evening Tuesday with high temperatures in the high 20’s.
Robyn Brown works at the National Weather Service’s Blacksburg office.
ROBYN BROWN
“It’s just an upper low that’s passing through and causing us these snowshowers. There’s going to be some more of these upslope snow showers until, at least Thursday night. Looks like sometime between Saturday and Monday, we could get some more snow showers. We’re definitely getting socked with this cold air.”
WILLIAM PAINE
I love this Winter weather but some of my listeners like the warmer stuff. When do you think the next chance of some warmer air settling down on us?
ROBYN BROWN
“The Spring?”
FIRE BURNS FAMILY OUT OF THEIR HOME ON A SNOWY SATURDAY
BLUEFIELD WV 2-13-10
Early last Saturday evening, firefighters from both Bluefield’s responded to a structure fire at 521 3rd Street, in Bluefield, West Virginia.
Bluefield, West Virginia Fire Chief, Kevin Scanlon, describes the scene.
“ This is single family dwelling, which was well involved when we arrived. We concentrated on protecting the neighbor’s house, which was a close exposure on what we call the Delta side. Now the fire is just about out. We’ve got to wait for the power company to de –energize the building. Then we get inside and overhaul, then we can all go home.”
Calvin Johnson and his wife Sylvia will not be able to go home, however.
The fire started in the home of, Sylvia and Calvin Johnson sometime before 7 o’clock Saturday. Sylvia was home when the blaze began and husband Calvin was working at the Radio Shack.
The cause of the fire is as yet, unknown but no one was injured. The house, which was owned by Calvin Johnson’s mother, is likely a total loss.
TWO WOMEN ARRESTED ON FELONY CHARGES
BLUEFIELD/PRINCETON 2-10-10
An anonymous tip led to the arrest of 37 year old Renne Suzanne Lester of Bluefield, West Virginia early Wednesday afternoon. Bluefield police arrested Lester at Hardee’s on Bluefield Avenue.
Lester is wanted in connection with a recent burglary at Marshall Miller and Associates in Bluefield Virginia. She and a male suspect, who has already been arrested are accused of grand larceny for the theft of thousands of dollars worth of equipment.
One person living at the Sherman Oaks Mobile Home Park off of Airport Road near Bluefield was taken to the hospital early Tuesday morning as a result of injuries sustained in a fire. Firefighters extinguished the blaze shortly before sunrise Tuesday. An investigation is ongoing but arson is not suspected.
Earlier this week, police arrested Twenty three year old Katherine Boozer of Princeton for child abuse. Boozer’s 6 year old child was flown to a Roanoke hospital for serious injuries authorities believe were inflicted by the mother. The 6 year old boy died from his injuries Tuesday and Boozer has now been charged with murder.
MAN SHOOTS AND KILLS ANOTHER AS HE DRIVES ROUTE 10
PRINCETON WV 2-10-10
Athens police arrested 33 year old Harvey Lee Henley of Princeton at about 7:30 Tuesday evening for the shooting death of Johhny Midkiff of Lashmeet.
At about 6:30 that same Tuesday evening, 33 year old Johnny Midkiff and his father were driving down Route 10 near Lashmeet. Authorities believe Harvey Lee Henry shot Johnny Midkiff in the facial area , either as he was driving or after Midkiff stopped and the two had a verbal altercation.
Johnny Midkiff’s father then took control of the H2 Hummer and somehow ran Henley down before crashing into a nearby residence. Johnny Midkiff died on scene.
Johhny Midkiff shot and killed his wife, Lorrie Midkiff last Spring as he was cleaning his gun. The case went before the Mercer County Grand Jury but no True Bill was issued as the incident was deemed accidental.
CITY CHOOSES FORMER QB AND BOARD MEMBER TO HEAD PARKS AND REC
BLUEFIELD WV 2-10-10
The city of Bluefield will have a new Director of Parks and Recreation starting Monday. Former City Board member and current Vice President of Sarver Candy Company Pete Sarver will act as the director of Parks and Rec, following the recent resignation of Robin Leffler, who held the job for several years.
Though the city received a multitude of applications for the job, in many ways, Pete Sarver was the natural choice. Sarver was active in getting new tennis courts for the city which opened just last Spring. Sarver was also actively involved with recent renovations of Mitchell Stadium.
Sarver played in Mitchell Stadium as quarterback for the Beavers and garnered Bluefield High School one championship and one undefeated season in 1968 when the Beavers weren’t permitted to play the title match.
Sarver went to Wake Forest on a scholarship and then gave that school their first championship team.
ROLLOVER CAUSES DEATH AND INJURY
BECKLEY WV 2-8-10
Just before Midnight Sunday, 32 year old Joseph Adkins of Newark, Ohio was traveling south on Interstate 77, when at mile marker 39, just after the I-64 split, Adkins ran into the rear of a tractor trailer which was also traveling southbound on 1-77.
Adkins 96 model Saturn sedan flipped several times as a result of the impact, trapping both himself and 43 year old Terry May of Ona, West Virginia. May was transported to Raleigh General but died sometime in transit.
Ronald Thatcher and Jay Pike, both in their 30’s and both from Huntington were riding in the back seat of the Saturn but sustained no injuries. Joseph Adkins only received minor injuries in the accident but was charged with driving while intoxicated. He’s currently in the Southern Regional Jail.
SNOW, ICE AND SLEET, OH MY
BLUEFIELD WV 2-5-10
Despite Concord Charlie’s prediction of an early Spring, Winter weather seems to have a good hold on our listening area. If you’re a skier, sledder or snow shoeing enthusiast, the forecast bodes well, as Jim Hudgins from the National Weather Service’s Blacksburg office explains.
JIM HUDGINS
“Yeah, we’ve got a winter storm warning in effect. It’s kind of like those systems we’ve seen in last month or so, you know, interacting with just enough cold air to see these big snow events. Yea, it looks like El Nino is changing the southern jet stream. Without El Nino, it’s doubtful these systems would exist or at least, they’d be a lot weaker. Tomorrow’s kind of a mixed bag. We’ll get from one to 3 inches during the day but during the night we’ll get more and that’s where we’ll get the higher amounts.”
WILLIAM PAINE
So heavy snow Friday night?
JIM HUDGINS
Yep, we’re going 4 to 8 inches with some light icing.
TALLEST TOWN TAKES A STAND AGAINST RISING ENERGY RATES
BLUEFIELD VA 2-5-10
In protest to the latest rate increase proposed by Appalachian Power, Bluefield Virginia Mayor Don Harris had a letter drafted which will be sent to the State Corporation Commission in protest of the increase and in support of State Senate Bill 680 which would re-regulate state utilities.
MAYOR DON HARRIS
“This will be the first step to putting teeth to the State Corporation Commission because they are always passing charges to us. When we go to these public hearings, the judges always tell us that they’re just following the law and that there’s nothing they can do…well, then the law needs to be changed and that’s what this bill will do.”
Drafts of the letter are available at town hall, the Treasurers office and several businesses in downtown Bluefield Virginia. Harris will take the letters with to the SCC’s public hearing in Richmond, on March 16th.
CITIZEN DEMANDS ACTION AGAINST APPALACHIAN POWER
TAZEWELL VA 2-4-10
At Tuesday’s meeting of the Tazewell County Board of Supervisor’s, Linda Short of Tazewell expressed her concern over her electric bill and the burden placed on all Appalachian Power customers.
“What kind of a company and what kind of people would put this kind of burden on the people of Virginia. We must raise up against Appalachian Power. We need to get these regulations under control. We need to let Richmond know that we will not stand for this.”
As did most in the room, chairman of the Board Seth White agreed that some action should be taken but then took a minority position on passage of the Ridgeline Protection Ordinance.
A few minutes later, Chairman White then took a minority position on Passage of the Ridgeline Protection Ordinance.
“Chair votes no, the (Ridgeline Protection)Ordinance passes, 3 to 2.”
(Applause)
SCHOOL BUS WRECKS WHILE SCHOOL YEAR EXPANDS
PRINCETON WV 2-4-10
After coming to a stop on Willow Oak Drive at the JoHo Estates near Princeton, a Mercer County School bus slid backwards until finally hitting a tree. A girl, reportedly an eighth grader was transported to Princeton Community Hospital for minor injuries but the 14 other students on board continued on to school.
West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin signs the first piece of legislation passed during the 2010 regular legislative session today. The bill requires all children in the state of West Virginia to receive a mandatory 180 days of classroom instruction time during the school year.
The likely result of this bill is that children will start school earlier in August and later into June.
SUPERVISORS SAY NO TO TURBINES
TAZEWELL VA 2-2-10
MIKE HYMES
“All the sudden, I’m the key vote. Well the key vote says, ‘I’m in favor of the Ridgeline Protection Ordinance.”
After more than a year of intense discussions, public hearings, and a professional study concerning the erection of wind turbines, it came down to the one swing vote of Tazewell County’s Southern District Supervisor Mike Hymes as he joined Supervisor Dave Anderson and Jim Campbell in approving the Ridgeline Protection Ordinance.
The ordinance effectively prohibits the construction of wind turbines on East River Mountain and Burkes Garden and imposes strict height restrictions on all structures over 40 feet in height on all of Tazewell County’s Ridgelines.
Prior to the vote, County Supervisors received close to 1500 letters of support for the ordinance with large crowds consistently favoring this ordinance opposing wind turbines.
Both Supervisors Anderson and Campbell suggested forming a conservancy of some type to purchase land on East River Mountain which would compensate land owners who would profited by leasing their land to BP and Dominion for the turbines.
STATE SENATOR WANTS TO REREGULATE PUBLIC UTILITIES
RICHMOND VA 2-1-10
Virginia’s State Service Commission recently approved an interim rate increase of 14% that was recently requested by Appalachian Power. Though not yet formally approved, the rate increase is now in effect adding to a string of rate increase requests approved by Virginia’s SCC. As a result, Customers of Appalachian Power have received alarmingly high electric bills. Deregulation, which occurred in the late 90’s gave the SCC less authority, Virginia State Senator Phillip Puckett wants to change that.
SENATOR PHILLIP PUCKETT
“We have at least 2 bills I’m aware of that would take the regulations to pre 1999. We said that the companies could make a rate request for anything they want and the SCC has very little control over that if they can show that they actually spent that…that they need that money to recoup their expenses which the public utility is entitled to. What we’d like to do is give that authority back to the SCC so that they can say, ‘we don’t think you need that much.’ Right now, you know, they can’t say that.”
SUPERVISORS TO VOTE ON RIDGELINE PROTECTION ORDINANCE TONIGHT
TAZEWELL VA 2-2-10
The Tazewell County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on one of the most contentious issues in recent memory at Tuesday’s meeting. The board will convene at 6PM Tuesday, February 2nd and should vote on the Ridgeline Protection Ordinance which would prohibit energy giants BP and Dominion Energy from erecting wind turbines stretching more than 400 vertical feet into the sky on both East River Mountain and Burkes Garden. The Ridgeline Protection Ordinance also places restrictions on tall structures throughout Tazewell County.
It seems likely that people in groups both for and against the ordinance will arrive at Tazewell County’s Administrative building for the vote and some may end up outside, if the gathering is as big as many believe it will be.
At January’s Public Hearing on the issue, individuals favoring the ordinance out numbered those speaking against the ordinance by a 4 to 1 margin.
Since the meeting, 143 people have written board members opposing the ordinance, where 1,174 people wrote in support of the Ridgeline Protection Ordinance.
MERCER COUNTY CANDIDATES FILED FOR JUDGE AND SHERIFF
PRINCETON WV 2-1-10
The deadline to register as a candidate in the upcoming election has passed and barring any late entries postmarked by midnight Saturday, the list of candidates vying for local and state offices is set.
The race for the 9th Judicial Circuit Court judge should be interesting. Omar Aboulhosn, a Democrat who was appointed by West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin to fill this newly created judgeship will run against fellow democrat and Mercer County’s current Prosecuting Attorney Timothy Boggus.
Another exciting primary will occur this Spring as 5 men will run for the Democratic nomination for Mercer County Sheriff. The incumbent, Sheriff Don Meadows was appointed Sheriff by the Mercer County Commission with the resignation and subsequent prosecution of Sheriff Danny Wills last year. Meadows, who has acted as Mercer County’s Sheriff before will face another former Sheriff, Harold Buckner along with Emmit Wiess, Edwin Vanover and former Bluefield Police Chief, Charles “Chuck” Blizzard. Anthony Patton White will face the winner of the primary in the November general election.
More on the upcoming election as the primary approaches.
LEVY PASSES WITH HELP OF SNOWSTORM
PRINCETON WV 2-1-10
Winter weather again holds our listening area in its grip with many areas reporting 6 inches and more of snowfall over the weekend. Virginia caught the brunt of the snow this time round and the Virginia State Police report that since 6PM Friday through 6AM Sunday 1,729 crashes occurred on Virginia’s roadways. The weather also resulted in nearly 1500 disabled vehicles littering the roadways.
No fatalities reported so far.
Weekend weather likely caused a lower turnout for Mercer County’s $10 million school Levy vote which passed on Saturday. Unofficial vote totals reported that nearly 2000 voters approved of the Levy, which will go towards teachers salaries, textbooks and other educational needs, with less than 400 voting against the levy.
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