The physician/scientist model for the clinic - a place which includes home visits, on-site research and testing, and practicing close to the patients - is based on Caroline Morton’s experience of the Raleigh County coal camps where her grandfather practiced for over 50 years, and her father’s work as a family physician in Beckley, treating patients from birth to death.

Holmes Morton overcame daunting hurdles as a high school drop-out to find “meaningful work,“ as he calls it. Morton’s work in understanding Glutaric Aciduria Type 1 has led to preventive treatments. The screening programs developed in the clinic are now used for all newborns in Pennsylvania and in many other parts of the United States.

~~  Produced by Jean Snedegar - West Virginia Public Broadcasting ~~

General revenues totaled $309 million in August, beating the $278 million estimate.

Sales and personal income taxes provide nearly 70% of general revenues.

Both taxes exceeded their monthly projections as well as their August 2009 collections.

Manchin administration officials call the results impressive, and say they suggest economic growth.

Severance taxes on coal and other natural resources were also better than expected.

Officials say coal production is up for the fifth straight month.

Coal prices have increased as well.

The new budget year for the state began July 01, 2010.

The state expects to collect $3.7 billion by June 30, 2011, the end of the budget year.

September 1st signals the beginning of another hunting season in West Virginia. For many years now, September 1st is the traditional opening of dove season across a wide swath of the United States. These early seasons provide extra opportunities to get out and enjoy good shooting before the regular seasons kick in.

For such a small bird, dove hunting, or better phrased, dove shooting, is a major event. The farther south you go the bigger event it becomes with cookouts featuring the day’s bag of morning doves. Many southern plantations in the Carolinas, Old Virginia and Mississippi host extravagant bar-b-que after the day’s shooting. In West Virginia, we have a couple of shooting preserves in the Eastern Panhandle and in Monroe County that conduct dove shoots with blinds and shooting butts set up for visiting hunters.

In reality, we talk about dove shooting instead of dove hunting because there is normally very little hunting for the birds, but more shooting once the field is located. For years it has been published by the arms and ammunition companies that on the opening day of dove season there will be more shotgun shells fired than there will be the rest of the entire season. The reason is that the birds are small, fast flying with a very erratic flight pattern.

PLANNING THE GOOSE HUNT
The early goose season should be good this year with an abundance of geese. While goose hunting, remember that your gun must be plugged to hold no more than three shells total. If using a repeater, that means one in the chamber and two in the magazine. And also remember that steel or lead alternative shot must be used. So no lead shot when hunting waterfowl.

A little pre-season scouting can help make your opening day a success. Drive around in any of the major river valleys and watch for geese on the water on nearby land. Check out the flood control ponds and any harvested corn, bean or milo fields. Geese will have set up areas of use and should be there when the season opens Sept. 1st. If the land is privately owned, stop and ask permission to hunt before the season opens. If on public land, make sure it is open to hunting. According to the Federal Migratory Bird regulations this year you will be allowed five geese per day and a possession limit of 10 after the second day of the season.

PLANNING YOUR DOVE HUNT
When planning your dove outing, look first for places where grain has been recently harvested, especially wheat, milo, buckwheat sunflowers and corn. There is always some spillage in this type operation and the doves will find it and set up a feeding pattern. They will normally feed early in the morning and in late afternoon. Remember, on the first day of the season there is no shooting allowed until noon. Doves also will search out water sources like small ponds, streams and lakes. If you can’t locate a harvested grain field you can often do just as well if you can locate a recently reseeded surface mine where a lot of wheat straw has been used in the reclamation and replanting. The birds will pick out the small pieces of grain from the straw.

PUBLIC LAND HUNTING OPPORTUNITIES
In providing shooting areas for doves the WVDNR also does some planting on selected Wildlife Management Areas. Green Bottom and McClintic on the Ohio River near Point Pleasant are traditional areas for dove and goose shoots. Bluestone, Hillcrest and Pruntytown WMAs also have fields planted specifically to provide quality dove shooting. When scouting out areas, look along the major streams and rivers of the state. Look where there is some form of agriculture, specifically small grain. The South Branch Valley around Romney, Moorefield and Petersburg are good locations to find birds but sometimes getting permission to hunt is difficult, especially if they are still harvesting. It is always best to secure permission first before opening day. Again according to the Federal Migratory Bird regulations, this year’s bag limit will be 15 per day with a possession limit of 30 after the first day.

GUNS, LOADS, EQUIPMENT
Doves are not hard to bring down – they are just hard to hit. Any shotgun is adequate for bagging the little winged rockets. While any gauge can be used, it is probably safe to say that the favorite gun for dove shooting will be a 20 gauge side by side or over/under and for geese it will probably be a 12 gauge, although with the new shells the three inch 20 gauge is an excellent choice.

Improved cylinder and modified chokes work well as far as chokes go for doves and probably modified and full for geese… If you choose to shoot your favorite pump or semi-auto shotgun make sure the gun is “plugged” so that it can only hold three shells. Plugged guns are mandatory as dove and waterfowl shooting comes under the federal regulations governing migratory birds, although a migratory bird stamp is not required for doves as it is for geese. Both geese and doves will require that you obtain a HIP card from any license agent. Now that you have your gun, you need to choose shells. 7 ½’s and 8’s in low brass target type loads are the odds-on favorites for doves. For geese, a lot of hunters prefer size BBB steel.

SAFETY IN THE FIELD
Since there are normally other shooters surrounding a dove field, safety is a key consideration. Something in a lightweight camo shirt and vest works well. I always wear some sort of safety shooting glasses as you are looking up and others are firing into the sky. If after geese around water, be sure to wear some sort of prescribed floatation vest. Don’t shoot low-flying birds and be aware of other shooters in the area. Take plenty of shells, some cold water or soft drinks as the September sun can be hot, a small folding stool or chair and get out for some fast action and great eating. A good retriever will be a big aid in recovering both geese and doves.

As I travel around in mid-August, all indications are that both morning doves and geese had a very good nesting season and should provide an abundance of birds.

STONECOAL LAKE – The lake is at summer pool and clear. Fishing is great. Bass are in about 10-15 feet of water. Try early mornings and late evening for the best action.  Sunfish and crappie have been caught around cover using minnows and live bait. Summer bluegill fishing is still good.  Try live bait in shallow water (1-2 feet).  A few trout are still being caught on spinners.

STONEWALL JACKSON – The lake is approximately two feet below summer pool and milky.  Fishing is good.  Bass are active and in about 10-12 feet of water. Try early mornings and late evening in and around big timber for the best action. Sunfish and crappie have been caught around cover with small jigs and live bait. Some nice perch reported being caught this week in the tailwaters. Before heading to the lake please contact Corps of Engineers at 304.269.7463.

SUMMERSVILLE – The lake is at summer pool and clear. Bass are in about 15-20 feet of water. Try early mornings and late evening for the best action.  Sunfish and crappie have been caught around cover. Try the upper end of the lake for walleye.  Brood trout were stocked in the tailwaters on August 12. If you are looking for a back country trout fishing experience hike down in and enjoy. For more information call Corps of Engineers at 304.872.5809.

SUTTON – The lake is at summer pool and clear. Fishing is good.  Try early mornings and late evening for the best action. Bass are moving into deeper water 20-25 feet and hitting plastic baits.  Crappie and bluegill have also been caught around standing timber with small jigs and live bait.  The tailwaters are normal and clear. Some trout are still being caught. Before heading to the lake please call Corps of Engineers at 304.765.2705.

TYGART LAKE – The lake is at the summer level.  White bass feed on minnows at dawn on the surface and can be seen breaking water in the coves.  Spinners, crank baits, and casting spoons are good baits for white bass.  Fish for largemouth and smallmouth bass using crank baits or tube jigs in 10 to 20 feet of water along the shoreline. Walleye will be scattered throughout the lake in 30 to 50-feet depths.  Night fishing success for channel and flathead catfish has been good for the past month.

There are lots of walleye and trout in the tailwater.  Large brood trout have been stocked this week.  Walleye fishing is best during higher flows (1,500 to 5,000 cubic feet per second) and trout fishing is best at low flows (less than 1,000 cubic feet per second).  Call the Corps of Engineers telephone hotline at 304.265.5953 for daily lake and tailwater conditions.

CHEAT LAKE – Fishing is good throughout the lake.  Largemouth bass are being caught off the shoreline in 15 feet of water using tube jigs. Channel catfish are doing well and 2 to 3 pounders are abundant throughout the lake, particularly in the area from Mt. Chateau upstream.  Boaters have been successful using chicken livers at depths of 20-feet.  The embayments at the Cheat Lake Park and Trail are good areas for bank fisherman to catch sunfish and largemouth bass.  The rock riprap on the lake side of the recreation area also holds lots of fish.  Fish for yellow perch in 10-15 feet along any shoreline using a piece of night crawler and several split shot.  Large sunfish are abundant along the shoreline across from the Sunset Beach cove up to the I-68 bridge.

Try the tailwater fishing pier for all species.  Jigs with minnows or 3-inch power grubs are the best baits.  White or chartreuse are good colors.  Start fishing at dark when sauger and walleye begin feeding.  The pier is located entirely in West Virginia about 25 minutes from Morgantown.  Take U.S.  Rt. 119 from Morgantown to Point Marion, PA, turn right after crossing the Cheat River and proceed 4 miles to Cheat Dam.  The parking lot is in Pennsylvania but the entire pier is in West Virginia.  The pier is lighted for night fishing and is handicapped accessible.

MONONGAHELA RIVER – Most species are attracted to the currents in the tailwaters of the locks and dams. Channel catfish can be caught on the Morgantown or Westover side of the dam using chicken livers or prepared stink baits. Start fishing for sauger and walleye about an hour before sunset because they will begin feeding at dusk. Jigs with minnows are particularly good baits but 3-inch plastic grubs will also be productive. White or chartreuse are good colors. Large drum and carp are common along the shoreline between Deckers Creek and the dam.  A pier at the Morgantown power plant makes fishing safe and convenient. This is also good area for channel catfish and carp. The discharge at the sewage treatment plant below the Star City Bridge also attracts lots of fish, particularly carp. Largemouth bass anglers should fish the weed beds along the shoreline between Star City and the state line.

Elk River – Numerous reports of bass and muskie caught during the cooler parts of the day from the dam to the mouth in Charleston. Try soft plastics, buzz baits, spinnerbaits, and various crawfish imitating lures. Live bait is also a good choice if artificial prove to be ineffective. Turn rocks over along the river’s edge, or use a small seine to gather crawfish and hellgrammites. Large drum and channel catfish can also be taken this way, cast slightly ahead of cruising fish using light line and minimal weight with the live offering, then hang – on!  The WVDNR is conducting a muskie study on the Elk River currently. If an angler keeps a muskie with what appears to be a metal tag on the dorsal fin, please contact the district office in Pt. Pleasant immediately (304.675.0871). We would like to gather information (total length = tip of snout to maximum length with the tail fin lobes squeezed together, location of capture, tag number) from the tagged fish. Flyers have been placed at put-ins, and in small tackle/convenient stores along the Elk River in Braxton, Clay, and Kanawha counties. Your participation is much appreciated.

CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA

Water levels are normal and clear.  August is a great time to introduce a child to fishing.  The weather is nice and fish are very active.  If you are looking for a place to go please check the fishing regulations and the WVDNR website for a list of public access or call your local WVDNR district office for some advice and a place to take a youngster fishing.  Some tailwaters in the state have been stocked with brood trout in the month of August.  Always use sun block and drink plenty of fluids when out on the water.  If going alone, always tell someone where you are going and when you will return.

WEST-CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA

Late summer is an excellent time to fish Ohio River Tailwaters.  Anglers fishing below the Belleville and Willow Island dams are catching white bass, hybrid striped bass, and a few other species.  Lead headed jigs with twister tails (white or chartreuses), which are fished along the bottom, are the lure of choice.  Recently, heavy metal lures have also been successful.  Best spots to fish these areas include eddies and back-current sections, and anywhere that river flows are unusual. Schools of hybrid striped bass will periodically move up to the surface to ambush prey, so keep a look out for this activity.  When this activity is seen, agitator bobbers fished with rubber minnow imitations or fresh bait fished with surf casting equipment, generally provides the best result.

Elsewhere on the Ohio River fishing for catfish has been good.  Channel catfish anglers should use night crawlers, chicken liver, or prepared catfish type baits. Live fish should be used for flatheads.  Good fishing sites for catfish include deep areas along islands and tributary mouths.

Fishing has been good for largemouth bass in area lakes. Spinner baits, rubber worms, crank baits, and surface lures are producing bass in areas of good cover.  Good choices for area lakes include Mountwood in Wood County, Conaway Run in Tyler, Charles Fork in Roane, North Bend Lake in Ritchie County, and Elk Fork, Woodrum, and O’Brien lakes in Jackson County.  These lakes can also supply good bluegill fishing.  For these sunfish use trout magnets or spinners, small jigs, or small worms.

Local musky streams should be fishable this weekend.  This time of year musky anglers use large crank baits or jerk baits and best spots are usually around fallen trees or riffle areas.

Terrelle Pryor was impressive in his season debut as he delivered for the Buckeyes, throwing three touchdown passes, completing 17 out of 25 passes for 247 yards.

DeVier Posey received two touchdown passes while Dane Sanzenbacher got one touchdown pass, all from early Heisman Trophy contender Pryor. Brandon Saine was also impressive as he rushed for 103 yards.

Marshall struggled early trailing the OSU 7-21 at the end of the first quarter. The Buckeyes went off to a fast start, scoring two touchdowns within the first five minutes of the first quarter to lead 14-0 even before Marshall could execute their first play.

The Buckeyes have not lost an opening game at home since 1978.

Marshall had nothing much to offer to a strong Buckeyes team. Perhaps No.13 Miami can offer tougher resistance when they clash with Ohio State on September 11, 2010