Glenville State College Associate Professor of Mathematics Paul Peck has been selected as the 2009 College Mathematics Teacher of the Year by the West Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics (WVCTM).
Peck was recognized during the WVCTM annual meeting held at the Days Inn in Flatwoods, West Virginia March 19-20, 2009.
The WVCTM is a statewide organization that advocates the best practices in mathematics instruction for students of West Virginia. The council is devoted to encouraging an active interest in mathematics and to improve the teaching of mathematics at all levels: elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and the teacher training program in colleges. WVCTM is an affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Members of WVCTM are leaders in the field of mathematics education including teachers and administrators from pre-kindergarten through college as well as college students studying to join the education profession.
Each year, WVCTM recognizes a Mathematics Teacher of the Year for each level of education: Elementary, Middle/Jr. High, High School, and College/University.
“I was quite surprised and honored to receive the Mathematics Teacher of the Year Award. I appreciate the fact that several of my Glenville State College colleagues came to see me receive this award,” said Paul Peck.
Professor Peck earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education from Glenville State College in 1970. He was awarded a Masters Degree in Mathematics from West Virginia University in 1981. Peck has been a member of the GSC faculty for the past twenty-six years. He has received the Outstanding Faculty Award for his teaching excellence at GSC in addition to serving as President of the Faculty Senate and taking a leadership role with the Wesley Foundation. Peck is advisor of the Alpha Iota Chapter of Chi Beta Phi and was lead writer of the GSC math folio for NCATE accreditation. During his career at Glenville State College, Peck has taught Trigonometry, Calculus, Euclidian Geometry, Modern Geometry, Abstract Algebra, Discrete Math, Statistics, and Math for Elementary Teachers. He is currently the Acting Chair of the Department of Science and Mathematics.
“We congratulate Professor Peck on being honored as the WVCTM Teacher of the Year. Since joining the GSC faculty in 1982, he has been instrumental in educating many of West Virginia’s public school math teachers. He is an outstanding mathematician and teacher. All of us at Glenville State College are very proud of him and his accomplishments,” said Dr. Kathy Butler, GSC Provost and Senior Vice President.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 30, 2009
For more information:
Bob Edwards
Public Relations Department Assistant
Glenville State College
Glenville, West Virginia
304.462.7361x7610
Gilmer County High School senior basketball player, James Farley who led the Titans to the South Division title and a berth in the NOC with a 12.4 points per game average and 71 assists, has been named in Little Kanawha Conference Honors.
Conficker.
It’s the name of the latest doomsday computer attack that, according to the hype, is supposed to wreak havoc on computers Wednesday.
Computer experts say the Conficker infection -actually a computer “worm” that can copy itself to computers that aren’t protected - is designed to start receiving new instructions from its designers on April Fool’s Day, but experts say there are no signs yet that it will take down the Internet as we know it.
Conficker might be hidden in fake patches, which would make it easier for the worm to spread. (We had warned in earlier Tech Notes)
The best speculation is that that the worm is capable of recording your computer keystrokes, including your passwords. Criminals might use this information to try to steal money from bank accounts.
Some experts say this is why they don’t expect a major computer shutdown April 1.
If computers aren’t working, the worm can’t spread and can’t capture passwords.
In case you are wondering whether you are infected or not: If you have kept up with Microsoft Windows patches, you were probably protected before the worm had a chance to sneak onto your computer.
Make sure you go manually to Microsoft by using Windows Updates to get the patches. DO NOT FALL FOR TEASERS!!! (Read our earlier Warnings under Technology|Computer|Science categories)
Microsoft notes that if you’re already infected with Conficker, the worm actually might prevent you from downloading security patches that would remove it. In fact, the latest version of the worm released earlier in March was designed to stop those patches from updating.
WV Toddler Shot in Struggle for Gun While Great-Grandfather Fell Sleep
A three-year-old boy was shot in both feet as he and his five-year-old brother struggled over a .357 Magnum revolver they found inside a home in Blacksville.
WV State Police Senior Trooper T.W. Morris said the injured boy was treated at Ruby Memorial Hospital on Saturday night after a bullet grazed his left foot and pierced his right foot.
A man who had been working on the house said he had stashed the revolver under a bed set up in the living room because he had been receiving threats.
When the younger boy found the gun, his brother chased him outside to try to take it away from him. Morris said the gun fired when the older boy got a grip on it.
The brothers were being watched by a great-grandfather, who had fallen asleep.
An attempt to extend a West Virginia anti-harassment law to the Internet may have some long-reaching consequences.
Senator Mike Green of Raleigh County sponsored the bill last week.
The measure would make it a crime to send harassing or abusive e-mails or other computer-based communications.
But the Senate Judiciary Committee amended the bill to include statements posted on Web pages or online forums.
Such statements must be untrue and designed to encourage others to spread the falsehood, or ridicule the person they target.
Civil liberties advocates question whether that goes too far.
The bill would make such statements a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500, up to six months in jail, or both. Repeat offenders would see those penalties double.
Photo Contest Will Award College Money to Grandchildren
Grandparents in West Virginia could turn some of their favorite family photos into cash.
The state’s SMART529 college savings program, in conjunction with the state chapter of the AARP and the West Virginia Association of Retired School Employees, is sponsoring a contest to find the best photo of a grandparent enriching the life of their grandchild.
Grandmothers and grandfathers are encouraged to submit a photograph featuring them teaching their grandchild a life-enriching skill, such as reading, cooking, drawing, fishing, etc.
Five regional winners, selected by a panel of judges, will each receive a $500 SMART529 college savings account for the grandchild featured in the photo.
Visitors to the SMART529 Web site, www.smart529.com, then will get the chance to vote for a grand-prize winner.
That winner will be announced at a special ceremony in Charleston and will receive an additional $4,500 SMART529 college savings account for his or her grandchild and $500 cash.
Interested grandparents or grandchildren can find the entry form at www.smart529.com or by clicking H E R E.
The form can be submitted by e-mail to ‘SMART529.Team@hartfordlife.com’.
or by mail to: Grandparents are Great Teachers, PO Box 1228, Charleston, WV 25324-1228.
Photos will not be returned.
The contest is open to West Virginia grandparents and grandchildren. The grandchild must be between 3 and 12 years of age as of Friday, April 3, 2009.
Entries must be submitted by 11:59PM Friday, April 3, 2009.
We had a posting on 3/25/09 that officials for the Civil War Trails program were planning to install new signs and markers in Gilmer County to tell the stories of battles and identify the home and burial grounds.
We noticed one of these signs on campus of Glenville State College.
If you have seen them in other places in the area, please sent us information and possibly pictures so we can share them with everyone.
April is designated as “Arbor Month” in West Virginia, by WV Governor and he is encouraging communities, organizations and schools throughout the Mountain State to recognize the important roles trees play in daily life.
Governor encourages people throughout the state to actively participate in tree-planting projects, such as Mountaineer Treeways, a program that solicits volunteers to plant tree seedlings on public property.
West Virginia’s Arbor Day is set for April 10 this year, but Arbor Day celebrations and tree plantings are scheduled throughout the month in communities across the state.
National Arbor Day is the last Friday of April (April 24, this year). Many states observe Arbor Day on different dates according to the best tree-planting times.
For more information about Arbor Day, Arbor Month and the Mountaineer Treeways program, contact Urban and Community Forestry Program Coordinator Bob Hannah at 304.825.6983 or visit the Division of Forestry’s Web site, www.wvforestry.com.
Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2009 Time: 11:00AM-1:00PM Event: Go Green Place: Molohan Campus Community Center, Main Lobby Contact: Kipp Colvin at 304.462.7361x7412
As we have seen in the reports, WVDNR has been busy stocking the waters in WV.
Biologists say the biggest problem has been low flows from a lack of rainfall. The mountains where the bulk of the trout streams are located were running very low after the long dry spell of last fall and the rain in 2008 is below average.
Some have criticized the trout stocking schedule by the DNR. Critics say most can’t make it to their favorite stream until the weekend, normally several days after a stocking. There is a belief that most of the fish are caught by then, however Mike Shingleton who heads up the Coldwater Fisheries Program for DNR says they have proven conclusively that’s not the case.
“If we stock on a Tuesday or Wednesday and somebody gets there Saturday the stream has had a lot of pressure on it,” admits Shingleton. “We just finished up three years of tagging trout and watching the catch rates. Every water we tagged trout in showed at least half the fish were still there a week to ten days after we stocked.“
Shingleton says what anglers are finding is not that the fish have been fished out, but they have become acclimated to their new wild environment and have taken more instinctive feeding and movement patterns.
“They hang in there and they start moving a little bit, especially rainbows,“ said Shingleton. “If a fisherman shows up on a Saturday he shouldn’t concentrate just on where we stocked and his techniques may be a little bit different.“
Many wonder exactly where the fish are stocked. The points in the stream where the fish are deposited are easily identified if you pay attention to the points where the road and stream are in closest proximity.
“Bridges are good access and then wherever the access road gets close to the stream,” said Shingleton. “We carry trout, but we can’t carry them very far.“ ~~ WVMN - WVDNR ~~
West Virginians could soon cast early votes at other sites besides their county courthouses.
The House of Delegates voted 72-25 to send the Senate a proposal that would allow county commissions to decide whether and where to allow other early voting locations.
Supporters say the measure recognizes the growing popularity of pre-election voting. Nearly 155,000 voters cast early ballots in the 2008 general election.
Advocates also tout it as an aid to voters in larger counties who face a long drive to the courthouse.
Critics also question whether commissions would allow additional locations when it’s opposed by the clerk, the county’s elections chief.
“You could have the county commission and the county clerk at odds, and I don’t think that’s good for the state,“ said Delegate from Roane County.
Charleston Gazette State Baseball Rankings—March 30
Class A
1. Moorefield
2. Wheeling Central
3. Buffalo
4. Pendleton County
5. Notre Dame
6. Matewan
7. Williamstown
8. Gilmer County
9. Charleston Catholic
10. St. Marys
They are there on day one to bring us into the world. In our most vulnerable moments, they are who we turn to for care. They are our physicians. Today is National Doctor’s Day, a little-known observation for a profession relevant to us all. Call your Doctor and thank him on his day.
Chocolate lovers will descend on Ripley, West Virginia on Saturday, April 4, 2009 for the Second Annual West Virginia Chocolate Festival, sponsored by the City of Ripley.
From 10 AM to 4PM vendors will offer a wide variety of chocolate laced treats, from ice cream to donuts to truffles to dipped fruit for sale and sampling.
In addition to inside vendors, a chocolate factory, hand making chocolate, will be situated outside the Conference Center. There will be a parade at 11AM which will end at the festival site, McCoy’s Conference Center.
Admission and parking are free.
There will be entertainment from local groups and a visit from the Easter Bunny is expected at this family event. Ripley is accessible from I 77, Exit 138 or US highway 33, and WV highway 62..
For additional information you may contact the City of Ripley at 304.372.3482
Based on The US Treasury Department data, here is the list of banks in WV and their federal bailout fund status:
JPMorgan Chase - $25 billion
SunTrust - $3.5 billion
Fifth-Third Bank - $3.45 billion
BB&T - $3.1 billion
Huntington Banks - $1.4 billion
WesBanco - $75 million
First Community Bank - $41.5 million
Peoples Bank - $39 million
Centra Bank - $15 million
United Bank – Refused to accept any
Calhoun Banks - None
Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 - Martinsville - 2009
Winner:
Jimmie Johnson - Chevrolet - Lowe’s
He made a daring pass on Denny Hamlin then pulled away in the final laps to win at Martinsville for the fifth time in the past six races.
Top 10:
01 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe’s 190/5
02 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Freight 180/10
03 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Old Spice / Office Depot 165/0
04 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 165/5
05 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet BB&T 155/0
06 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet U.S. Army 150/0
07 05 Mark Martin Chevrolet Kellogg’s / Carquest 146/0
08 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Amp Energy / National Guard 142/0
09 44 A.J. Allmendinger Dodge Charter Comm. 138/0
10 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Irwin Industrial Tools 134/0
Standings as of Martinsville:
01 Jeff Gordon
02 Clint Bowyer
03 Kurt Busch
04 Jimmie Johnson
05 Denny Hamlin
06 Kyle Busch
07 Tony Stewart
08 Carl Edwards
09 Kasey Kahne
10 Kevin Harvick
At least eight states, including West Virginia, are actively considering making drug tests mandatory for food stamps, welfare, or unemployment recipients . I really think this is a good idea.
But in a classic demonstration of how America has always had one drug law for the rich and one for the poor, no one has suggested drug testing recipients of billions in bailout cash.
We could probably save a lot of money by testing Wall Street financiers for pot or cocaine.
Both are using the tax payers’ money! Don’t you agree?
Kanawha County state Senator Erik Wells took on the state’s two teacher unions last week, accusing them of being more interested in pay than students’ education.
“We have to change,“ an emotional Senator said during a Senate Finance Committee meeting Thursday. “I get tired of the WVEA and the AFT always talking about pay and not about kids.“
Senator Wells made the comments as he pushed for legislation that would allow for the creation of charter schools.
Senator Wells and other supporters say charter schools would clear out much of the typical public education bureaucracy, allowing innovation and great accountability.
WV is one of just eight states that do not permit charter schools.
WVEA says that charter schools would amount to cherry picking the best students at the expense of others by “taking public money away from every child in West Virginia and telling a select few students that they will have a better chance.“
Senator Wells accused WVEA and others of “fear mongering” to keep charter schools from working. “I’m just looking for some change in the way we educate our students,“ he said.
Senator Wells was relentless on the unions, accusing them of not having the best interest of students in mind. “I would hope your organizations would not be a roadblock,“ he chastised the unions.
The unions prevailed, however, because the committee decided to just study the bill rather than act on it. Senator Wells agreed to study the resolution, but added that he’ll bring the bill up next year. “I’ll be dammed if I’m just going to stand there and let it go by,“ he said.
The legislation would have permitted a charter school if 60 percent of the parents and teachers wanted it.
Statement From Governor Manchin About Meeting With White House Environmental Officials
Governor Joe Manchin released this statement on 03/25/09, after meeting with officials from the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency:
“Late this morning, I met with senior White House environmental officials to discuss mountaintop mining and the letters sent yesterday by the EPA about mining permits. We had a very productive meeting during which I shared our concerns about the potential impact of those letters. They explained that they are evaluating a number of permits, but want to look more closely at the two mining permits in question. I told them we are looking for a balance between the environment and the economy, and they assured me that they will work with us to find that balance.
“As a result of our discussions this morning, our state Department of Environmental Protection is bringing together the mining companies that have permits in question and EPA officials. We will expedite this meeting so we can work together to resolve the concerns on these issues and build a dialogue for the future.
“With a new administration comes new policies and they will have to evaluate past policies to determine where they can make improvements. We need to give them the opportunity to sit at the table with us and find common ground.”
A film arriving to stores this week is “Burning the Future: Coal in America,” a look at the conflict between the coal industry and residents of West Virginia who face environmental degradation and “a government that recklessly appeases the demands of the local coal companies at the expense of the community’s safety.”
New York Times writes: West Virginia provides coal to produce electricity for half the nation. Ironically, while preserving jobs, coal mining disfigures mountainsides, destroys plant and animal species and spreads toxic groundwater. Yet so effective is the coal industry’s public relations campaign promoting “clean coal” that these long-term environmental disasters remain largely unreported. In response, documentary filmmaker David Novak provides an impassioned, harsh exposé of big coal. “As upsetting as it is informative”.
The movie can also be seen on the Sundance Channel in May!
WV Jail officials are saying, there is not enough room in West Virginia’s jails and prisons for its inmates, and the overpopulation issue is expected to get worse in the coming years.
West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety and the West Virginia Division of Corrections reports that the population in regional jails and prisons in WV as of 12/31/2008 was 6,059.
The current prison capacity in the state is 5,300.
In the report at the end of 2008, the top five crimes committed by DOC inmates for fiscal 2008 were: —- Robbery - 547 inmates —- Drugs - 597 inmates —- Burglary/Breaking and Entering - 704 inmates —- Forcible Sex Offense - 840 inmates —- Homicide - 841 inmates.
Currently 85% of jail and prison inmates are being held for non-violent crimes.
WV DOC FY 07-08 Annual Report and a daily inmate count, among other sources, also report that the total prison commitments for calendar year 2008 were 3,273, while the total number of prisoners released - including paroles, discharges, escapees, those who died while incarcerated, court-ordered releases, pardons, medical respite and diagnostic releases - was 2,698.
Filmmaker Storm Taylor doesn’t expect everyone to be glad that somebody else is doing a documentary about Jesco White and his family. The star of “The Dancing Outlaw” has an international cult following, both for his mountain dancing and for his often bizarre antics.
Taylor says he’s heard many times, “You’re going to make West Virginia look bad.“
“He believes people who think in those terms shouldn’t turn their heads. It’s really part of the problem. “It’s not ‘Hillbillies Gone Wild,’” he said. “A lot of people want to think that’s what we’re doing. The Whites are what they are. There’s no faking it.”
For the past year, Taylor and his film crew have visited Boone County. They’ve filmed White, his family and the people surrounding them for a documentary titled “The Wild and Wonderful Whites.” The documentary is bankrolled by Johnny Knoxville, Spike Jonze and Jeff!
Tremaine, the creators of the wildly popular MTV series “Jackass,” which featured Knoxville and his friends performing dangerous, self-destructive and crude pranks and stunts.
Taylor says he understands rural people are sensitive to how they’re portrayed in the media. He comes from Maryville, Tenn., a small town just outside of Knoxville, where he spends most of his time working in real estate to support his part-time interest in filmmaking.
“I met Johnny (Knoxville) at a pool hall in south Knoxville,” Taylor said. “I came outside and there was a guy sitting in my car listening to my Johnny Cash cassette.”The two hit it off. After Knoxville went to California and became a television and film star, Taylor worked on several productions with him and others connected with “Jackass.”
He says he could work full-time in film and television if he wanted, but has little interest in making commercials. For a while, he filmed a regional travel show for Turner Broadcasting, which gave him the opportunity to explore one of his main interests.
“I love small-town culture,” he said. “Any chance I get to see something small-town, a fair or folk art, I grab it.”
The travel show had a limited run and was only available in 13 states, but it did give him the chance to meet White. Taylor says he was a fan, but they became friends.
“It all took on a bigger aspect than I thought,” he said.
Seeing how White lived, Taylor got involved with the dancer. He and his crew stripped out old insulation and underpinned White’s trailer. They built a front porch for him and worked on some of the electrical problems in the building. Taylor visited from time to time and hung out with White.
A chance meeting between Julien Nitzburg, one of the producers of the original “Dancing Outlaw” video, and Knoxville sparked a conversation about doing another documentary. Knoxville suggested Taylor would be the right man to do it.
“My key concern was that it be done correctly,” Taylor said. “This is not a ‘Dancing Outlaw Part 3,’ but a reintroduction to Jesco and the entire family. They’re fascinating people and I think many people are surprised they’re amazingly likeable.”
But he’s not pulling his punches. Taylor’s film crew spent a year following the family. Some of Taylor’s footage includes filming people in jail or getting out of jail, people in rehab and even people getting kicked out of rehab.
“But we also talked to the sheriff,” he said. “We talked to the attorneys. We interviewed some of the pastors from the community. We tried to keep it well-rounded and true.”
Taylor says part of White’s issues come from the intense poverty the family has endured over the years. A culture of entitlement has developed around them. A belief the family is owed money has caused rifts between people who could and would help them.
He says White is surrounded by more than enough “great friends,” who don’t care so much for the man, but would rather see the crazy character.
“They want to take him out drinking,” he said. “They’re the ones killing the guy.”
Taylor isn’t saying he hasn’t been guilty of the same thing. Back when he first started coming to visit White at his trailer, he was one of those people who showed up on his doorstep with a jar of moonshine ready to party. Over the past year, as he’s had the chance to see the value of those kinds of friends, he’s changed his approach.
“These days, I call ahead and make sure he’s got something to eat,” Taylor said. “He doesn’t eat right. He doesn’t take care of himself.”
Taylor says the film is almost finished. With another month of editing, “The Wild and Wonderful Whites” will be ready for film festivals.
“We have 500 hours of footage,” he said. “This ought to be a six-part series instead of just an hour-and-a-half film.”
Although he hopes “The Wild and Wonderful Whites” will be picked up for distribution at movie houses, he’s realistic. Only a spare handful of documentaries get picked up for national distribution. A few end up as art house films. But he expects “The Wild and Wonderful Whites” will probably find its audience on DVD. ~~ by BILL LYNCH / AP ~~
WV Legislature is facing an uphill battle for a bill that forces the high schools in WV to hire a full-time athletic director and set standards for them.
The price tag for this bill is set at $6 million, which has to be paid by either the state’s 55 county school systems or individual high schools.
Unfortunately, the bill that would require the hiring of athletic directors does nothing to fund it.
Gilmer County High School Principal Nasia Butcher told Charleston Daily-Mail that her school could use a full-time employee to handle athletics but the county already is strapped for funds.
“If they gave us the funding, it would be great,“ she said. “I would be in favor of that. That would make all of our lives easier.
“But passing it without the funding? It’s difficult now as it is.“
Butcher said the county’s current athletic director is also an elementary school teacher. The person is paid about $5,000 a year for the athletics work, which includes many duties.
The Gilmer athletic director is responsible for sporting events for six grades (7-12) and has to hire referees, meet with coaches, go over rules and regulations, and schedule every game and make- up game, manage transportation issues and make sure teams have the right equipment. The athletic director also attends as many games as possible, including all away football games.
Blue-Hippo is such a cute name for a computer finance company.
But the thousands of unfortunate people who have been robbed of their hard-earned money by this outfit must think of it more like the hippopotamus of the wild — vicious and unpredictable.
Here is an example of a lady who wanted a computer but couldn’t pay cash for it, and financing was not possible.
A little more than a year ago she saw a television ad about how easily anyone with poor credit could get a computer by simply making a few payments up front to prove they are worthy of financing.
She signed up to make bi-monthly payments that would add up to $1,918.
In return she would receive a basic Dell desktop computer that today one could purchase for less than $500.
After paying $853.85 with a $99 down payment and 17 installments, she still didn’t get her computer. She was late on making a couple of payments, but she had already paid up front more than the computer was worth.
She called the company numerous times but kept getting the runaround. She repeatedly was put on hold for up to an hour. She was told that supervisors were unavailable. Then she was told her computer was in the warehouse. Finally she was told she could use the money she paid to buy other electronic toys Blue-Hippo sells — at prices far higher than typical retail.
“I just want my money back,“ she said. “The funny thing about all this is that now I actually have enough to buy a PC if only I could get my money back.“
It took a few tries, but I finally got through to an attorney for Maryland-based Blue-Hippo, who promised to make things right for her by refunding her money.
As the result of a complaint brought by the Federal Trade Commission, Blue-Hippo’s two finance companies agreed three years ago to pay up to $5 million to customers whose money was taken but who received nothing in return.
That settlement did not seem to have much of an effect on Blue-Hippo. Consumer complaints continued to flood the Better Business Bureau and attorneys general around the country, according to the BBB.
Two years ago, West Virginia’s attorney general filed a suit against Blue-Hippo, charging that it failed to honor its promise to return payments to customers in that state who got smart and wanted their money back.
According to the Better Business Bureau, Blue-Hippo failed even to respond to more than 1,000 written complaints in the past couple of years.
But enough is enough. This company has shown by its actions that its prime motivation is to steal from the poor.
How can a company justify its existence by conning people with bad credit to send them as much as $2,000 and in return they might or might not send them a computer worth $500?
Apparently the company felt comfortable doing what they did as it seemed to be the national policy. Capitalism at work! Get rich at the expense of the poor, and get away with it. Now, it is time for the FTC and attorneys generals to take this company out.
A former Union Carbide building in Charleston, West Virginia is imploded to make way for new construction at the University of Charleston. (Saturday, March 28, 2009)
US Representative Shelley Moore Capito | R-WV, as well as six other key House members on the Financial Services Committee, have been targeted by hundreds of WV merchants who are struggling to hold off greedy big banks and rising unfair hidden credit card fees.
The group is calling on Capito to stand up to credit card companies and big banks who, after the disaster of the subprime mortgages, are still practicing predatory lending with credit cards, charging huge, hidden fees known as interchange that are threatening to squeeze thousands of merchants out of business and are costing hundreds of dollars per year for the average household.
As WV’s unemployment rate rises past 4.6% and more than 295,000 residents using Food Stamp, these fees are a big burden to West Virginians.
The Lady Pioneers bats awoke in the second game of the double header with the Lake Erie College Storm as they were able to gain a split Friday afternoon in a non league contest.
The Lady Storm silenced GSC as they earned a 3-1 victory in the opening game.
Glenville State used a six run 3rd inning to pick up a 13-7 victory in game two.
The writer’s “Internal Evidence” is one of the lamest pieces of sophistry I have ever seen.
To us the bible as proof of its own inspiration is, in logic, a classic example of circular reasoning. It is like saying “I’m right because I say I am”.
The writer confuses evidence with proof.
In the case of the blood, the blood is only the evidence; it is the scientific knowledge of blood that is the proof. The white granular substance is only the evidence; the lab test is the proof.
With regard to the bible, we have been testing the “thing itself’ through higher criticism for a century and a half and the “thing itself” does not pass the tests.
WV is a full-fledged participant in the new national Common Core Standards program. The confusion is caused by the State’s reference to the Next Generation program that is actually the Common Core Standards program for K-12 English learning arts and math. One advantage of joining the national program is that there will be on-line testing to determine how individual schools, and county school systems in WV compare with education outcomes, and the State’s overall performance can be compared to other states. The objective for Common Core is to strive to establish the USA as a world leader in education, something we lag badly with now.
Your government ‘sells’ this sort of stuff to make you feel good, when in actuality, its just more invasion into your life, causes bigger government, and in the end you have less input and they have more control?
I can just picture pans of them in the showcase at the local grocery store.
Not sure the effect it would have on this community. Doubt the store would have to reorder often.
It is the job of the Principal to make sure the drinking fountains are covered, water to the sinks turned off while providing hand-sanitizer and drinking water plus make sure any water used for meals or dishes has been boiled. Did they do it? Last time someone was too busy looking down their nose with a do what I want attitude. Last time they had no water at all.
Can we be certain that the children at Sand Fork are NOT drinking and washing their hands in the bad water?
By the way—-
What is the status/outcome of Superintendent Blankenship standing in defiance of the Health Department Order to close the Sand Fork School in April when there was not water, and the unsanitary conditions that resulted?
Has there been any testing of students and staff to determine if any hepatitis or other disease issues have resulted in the defiance of Health Department Order?
Next Generation CSO Crosswalk to 21st Century CSOs.
You can find this link on the WVDE web site.
“The Crosswalks Documents were created by the work groups in English Language Arts and Mathematics who studied the Common Core State Standards and then placed these standards into the West Virginia Framework for Next Generation Standards.“
WV does not plan to comply with Common Core.That was revealed from RESA at the last Gilmer County BOE meeting. They will institute Next Generation standards. RESA now has their own consortium. We are aware WV has joined multiple consortia that were funded by federal grant monies.
When all is said and done, the WV BOE must be the ones held accountable for passing or failing to meet national standards. Right now deferral from meeting NCLB requirements another year is pending. Nothing shows it will ever happen.
Does any of this improve the educational future of WV children? Westest results in Gilmer County declined during the past two years ofintervention.
You can spend a lifetime following the political money trail,never be bored and often upset.That can only be changed at the ballot box. One of the most fundamentally important questions on the table right now should be, are the children getting true value for tax dollars spent on education today?
Norma, are Blankenship and Matterin double dipping to receive their regular State retirement benefits plus full compensation for their school system work too This is information WV taxpayers should know. Thank you.
Earl B. So sorry to be late responding, had some down time. Last year’s BOE financial statement showed Mr. Blankenship receiving $123,000 and a little over $4,000 in travel. As to Mr. Mattern, I will try to find who issues his contract and if we would be provided that info or will a Freedom of Information request necessary.
I know that Gilmer County BOE did not hire W&S. There was no bid.The state issued that contract. It is my understanding the state has a list of “approved vendors”. I believed those were vendors that meet state criteria such as insurance, bonding, product specs. etc. I have found no evidence that being included on that list exempts a company or an entity from the laws regarding public improvements and bidding whether education or no.
Dear Burnt. I can’t wait until our IRS gets their hands on your med records to go with the financial records. We will be able to have more scandal with all that good stuff. thanks, ‘J’
Shipley is correct. As Karen P. has pointed out on here many times, smaller is better.
Home schools do better.
Amish schools do better.
Catholic schools do better.
Voucher systems do better.
Local control and local responsibility work. Thousands of tiny systems are custom built for the students they serve. Thousands of small experiments discover what works in education, and what doesn’t. These schools can spend more time chasing excellent teachers and less time chasing grants and they don’t have layer on layer of administrators looking out for administrators.
The U.S. Dept. of Education is a failure and the State Dept of Education is not much better, but don’t worry, they will take care of themselves!
I would like to try and summarize this article.
I am Jay Rockefeller and I just helped spend another 2.4 million of your tax dollars on more government that you didn’t even need or want.
He neglected to mention that you will also be getting thousands of new IRS agents to enforce the law.
Good point Earl Batson. Remember, the ‘education budget’ portion of state expenses, is over 50% of the entire state budget. Mark Manchin is son of A.J., former treasurer. Remember that deal? If our new AG ever starts investigating corruption, he will need to at least double his staff.
Great that the Feds FINALLY prosecuted somebody who actually violated this law. One out of HOW MANY? They don’t need new laws until the really start enforcing the ones they already have,
Mrs. Hurley, could the Coalition get us information for the compensation for Ron Blankenship and Ted Matterin for a GFP posting? Citizens have a right to know. This school mess raises serious questions about who profits from funds being spent and the treatment of Williamson and Shriver is one of many issues needing to be looked into. Why does the firm get what is believed to be no-bid contacts to have a monopoly on school building projects? Is any of Mark Manchin’s SBA money to W & S from federal sources to give the feds justification for investigating?
This glaring example of purposely withholding information from the public extends to Mr. Ted Matterin, Mr. Charles Heinlein, Dr. Linger, Gayle Manchin, and Governor Tomblin. The problem could be resolved within days if the individuals would exhibit courage to act. An investigation needs to be done to expose how State interventions have failed, what the expenses to WV taxpayers have been, and how our public school children have suffered from the gross incompetency while the State tinkered over the years. Does anyone know if Ron Blankenship receives his 120 K salary in addition to his State retirement money, and does Ted Matterin get his consulting fees paid in addition to his regular State retirement? It is no wonder that the individuals do not want to speed up the return of our schools to County control because it is would be against their financial interests.
This is just going to prove out as superfluous, ‘put a new dress on the old problem, and no one will recognize it’ ,government styled charade.
Remember how Linger and board of education told the Governor how ‘they’ were not in agreement of the audit?
To the Board of Ed[23] employee and the 80K unnecessary, non-working phone system. The bus drivers say that their bus radios were working OK when Blankenship had them replaced. Can you tell us how much that cost the taxpayer? Do you know how much the salary was that was paid to the Troy Principal who never showed even one day for work? And people wonder why the taxpayers are hissed off with this mafia payola system?
Superintendent Blankenship. You are a *radio guy* ? How about telling where all those good used radios reside today? Tell your school board in a public meeting, so everyone knows.
If the school board, as a balanced group of elected representatives are supposed to have control of discipline, but Blankenship jumps ahead of the Board, wouldn’t the parents and students have a solid basis for a suit against both Blankenship and the State ? Parents, you need to speak out!
So how many times has this happened that the board and no one else is aware of?
What makes Blankenship think he has been appointed judge, jury and hangman for our Gilmer County children?
Mr. Manchin,
I understand your statement of over dose on drugs. But what about the people that need pain pills and you fix it till they can’t get the medicine they need. That is not the right thing to do.
The doctors know when the patience is taking to many pain pills, and then he should stop them. But to take them away from the people that are suffering will not work. A lot of people get hooked on them, but that is because they are not trying to do what they are suppose to do with the medicine.
You have to be responsible for yourself and the medicine you take. Take it the way it is suppose to be taken and you won’t over dose on it.
We have a hard enough time trying to make ends meet. Do we have to suffer along with that to?
Think about it, one day you will get older and you may have to have pain medicine to. What if the doctor looks at you and say sorry, this is what you wanted.
Sincerely yours,
Betty
Our problem is the superintendent who thinks he is knows it all. He has always does his work, if any, in secrecy. He really likes his back scratched in all of his dealing. I hope I am getting the point across. He does not want the state to communicate with people in the county. How many times the state officials have mentioned that Blankenship should have explained or been at a meeting?
By must look at the source of problem on 05.13.2013
I attended one of the levy meetings where Superintendent Blankenship and Board President Bill Simmons was actually telling all of us how desperate this levy was for the children. The levys funds would be used to buy books and tablets that were needed but there was not enough money in the budget to purchase. The Superintendent and the school board appeared to be ‘selling’ the levy to those of us attending.
Are you saying that the levy funds are and will not be used as was presented to us in the public meetings?
There are very important legal issues that need addressed in this Gilmer School debacle.
Apparently both Superintendent Blankenship and principal Butcher have stated publicly, that there have been several students expelled from school.
Expulsions from more than one school.
The elected school board was not informed nor were they involved either.
Discipline and school trips were the only two items your school board can vote on. These issues are under their control.
Seems Blankenship has taken it upon himself alone to be the “court of expulsion” without informing or involving the school board.
These students and their parents were denied their “day of court” with the school board being excluded.
How long must Gilmer County citizens be treated in this fashion?
Governor Tomblin and Delegate Boggs and Walker. Please help!
Obviously there is NO oversight of Blankenship. There is NO oversight of the State of West Virginia Board of Education.
Governor, Delegates. You have a responsibility to resolve these issues.
“If you’re a school or district leader who is considering using education technology and digital learning in your schools, STOP—and go no further—until you have a comprehensive plan that addresses your district’s specific challenges and learning goals for all students,” said Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia. “Project 24 will help districts plan for the future and fully integrate digital learning into classrooms and school systems to achieve the goal of college and career readiness for all students.”
The “24” in Project 24 represents the next twenty-four months, a time during which the nation’s education landscape will change greatly as states and districts face numerous challenges, including the need to implement college- and career-ready standards for all students; utilize online assessments to gauge comprehension and learning; push for greater system and classroom innovation; deal with shrinking budgets; and contend with demands of states’ waivers from key provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act.
