GSC Athletic Fest Today

The Glenville State College Athletic Fest is Saturday, July 31, 2010.

It will be held at Morris Stadium.

There will be all kind of prizes for example; a 700 CDL Rifle, a 4-wheeler, and all kind of cash prizes.

Only a total of 2,500 tickets will be sold.

The gates open at 3:00PM with entertainment during the drawings, food and drinks will be provided from 4:00PM to 8:00PM.

Tickets are $100 dollars, tickets holders may bring additional guest for $15 dollars; gate admission without tickets will be $20 dollars.

Make sure to contact Rick Moore at 304.462.6229 or Mandy Frymier at 304.462.6220.

Tickets will also be sold at the gate prior to the start of the drawings.

More Than $2.2 Million in “E-Rate” Funding for WV Public Schools and Libraries

Senator Jay Rockefeller today announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) awarded West Virginia $2,224,950 in “E-Rate” funds through the Schools and Libraries Program.

Rockefeller is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, which oversees the FCC.

“We cannot underestimate the importance of E-Rate funds for West Virginia students and families,” said Senator Rockefeller.  “This essential funding provides access to technology that will improve the way people learn and the way we teach our children—most importantly, it provides opportunity for the people who need it most.  Accessibility to the Internet, especially in our schools and libraries, gives people the tools they need to remain competitive and get the best jobs.”

Counties receiving funding in rounds 6-10 include: Hancock, Harrison, Kanawha, Lewis, Marion, Mineral, Pleasants, Raleigh, Randolph, and Wood.

Background
West Virginia has received more than $131 million in E-Rate awards since Senator Rockefeller created the program by an amendment to the 1996 Telecommunications Act – and more than $25 million just this year.  West Virginia received its first discounts in 1998.

The Schools and Libraries Program of the Universal Service Fund, commonly known as E-Rate, is administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) under the direction of FCC, and provides discounts to assist most schools and libraries in the United States to obtain affordable telecommunications and Internet access.

The Schools and Libraries Program supports connectivity - the conduit or pipeline for communications using telecommunications services and/or the Internet. Funding is requested under four categories of service: telecommunications services, Internet access, internal connections, and basic maintenance of internal connections.

WV Department of Agriculture Announces Photo Contest Winners - 2010

Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass is proud to announce the winners of the 2010 agriculture photo contest.

“We received a tremendous number of entries and the judges said they had a dif­ficult time selecting the winners from the many excellent photos,” said Commissioner Douglass. “The entrants did a superb job of capturing the beauty and character of the farms of the Mountain State.”

Winning entries – along with a selection of additional entries – will be displayed during the State Fair of West Virginia in the Gus R. Douglass Agricultural Annex building. First-place entrants will receive a West Virginia Grown gift basket, courtesy of the WVDA’s Marketing and Development Division.

Winners will be honored at a ceremony during the Fair Wednesday, August 18, 2010 at 10:00 AM.

Adult entrants competed in five categories. Student entries were judged separately. The winners, by category:

First Convictions Under New WV Wildlife Law

A Preston County man and a Tucker County juvenile are the first persons charged and convicted with violating a wildlife law passed this year by the West Virginia Legislature.

Division of Natural Resources Police Officers Sgt. Gary Johnson and Officer Josh Rhodes charged Mike A. Chapman, 22, from Aurora, WV and an unnamed Tucker County juvenile in Preston County magistrate court in July, 2010.

Both were charged and convicted of spotlighting, carrying loaded firearm in a vehicle and illegal killing of wildlife.

The deer was killed in the Aurora area of Preston County and had antlers in velvet that measured almost 16 inches at the widest point.

Fines, court costs and replacement costs totaled $2,414.80. In addition, the two are required to perform several hours of community service.

The new law, which went into effect in June, provides that additional replacement costs be collected from persons who are convicted of illegally killing wildlife, with the additional costs being based on the antler size of an illegally killed deer.

The old law provided for a $200 replacement cost for all deer that were illegally killed regardless of antler size. Persons who are convicted of illegally killing a deer are still assessed the $200 replacement costs. If the deer has antlers in which the main beams measured at the widest point equals 14 inches but less than 16 inches, the replacement is $1,000; 16 inches and less than 18 inches is $1,500; 18 inches but less than 20 inches is $2,000; and greater than 20 inches is $2,500.

“The purpose of the enhanced replacement costs is to act as an additional deterrent to slow the illegal killing of deer that are considered to be trophies and that are a valuable natural resource of this state,” according to DNR Law Enforcement Section Chief David Murphy. “Many people come to West Virginia to hunt for trophy whitetails. They spend a lot of money in our state, purchasing licenses, eating in our restaurants, buying food, gasoline and other items at stores and staying in motels, and they have every right to expect that resource to be protected from poachers.”

FEMA Sets Deadlines

More than 2,000 state residents have applied for assistance from the floodwaters that damaged or destroyed their properties in June.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency says those 2,115 residents have received approximately $5 million in disaster assistance.
The federal disaster declaration covers Mingo, Wyoming, Logan, McDowell and Lewis counties.

FEMA spokesman Greg Hughes says the agency believes there are other residents that still have not registered for help. “People live busy lives nowadays and it’s easy to put off something that you want to get done, but other things get in the way. We encourage you to contact us,“ Hughes said.

FEMA has set several deadlines in association with the June storms. The final days to file for disaster unemployment insurance is August 5 for those who live in southern West Virginia and August 11 for those in Lewis County. Hughes says the last day to file for any type of assistance is August 23, 2010.

Hughes says some disaster victims think they have to pay FEMA back, but they don’t. The money comes in the form of grants. There are low-interest loans available from the Small Business Administration.

Hughes says the important thing is for victims to register because that opens the door to many options. “We encourage people not to preclude them from the disaster assistance process by making a personal judgment of whether or not they would qualify,“ he said.

FEMA registration can be done at 1.800.621.FEMA or by going to disasterassistance.gov.

Bon Appétit: ORANGE-SCENTED EGGPLANT AND COUSCOUS ROLLS

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant (about 1 pound)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 oranges
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
3/4 cup couscous
2 cups crumbled feta cheese, divided
4 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup prepared marinara sauce

Directions:
Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
You may need 2 baking sheets.
Trim both ends of the eggplant.
Standing the eggplant on end, slice it lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick slices.
Discard the end slices of skin.
Arrange the slices on the prepared baking sheets and brush with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
Bake until lightly browned on the undersides, about 10 minutes.
Turn the slices over and continue baking until the second sides are lightly browned and the flesh is tender, about 10 to 15 minutes longer.
Meanwhile, to make the filling, grate the zest of a half an orange, then juice both oranges.
Transfer the zest and juice to a medium saucepan.
Add the cinnamon, cardamom, the apple cider vinegar, the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the water.
Bring to a boil.
Stir in couscous and remove the pan from the heat.
Cover and let stand until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
Uncover the couscous and fluff with a fork, then let cool.
Stir in 1-1/2 cups of the feta and 3 tablespoons of the parsley.
Season with pepper.
Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Place about 1/4 cup of the couscous mixture at one end of each eggplant slice.
Pressing with your fingers to compact the filling, roll up each slice and transfer them, seam-side down, to the prepared dish.
In a small saucepan, heat the marinara sauce until warm.
Drizzle the marinara sauce over the rolls.
Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake until the rolls are heated through and the sauce is bubbling, about 15 minutes.
Sprinkle with the remaining feta and parsley just before serving.

Servings: 4

Stargazing - 07.31.10

The Moon and the planet Jupiter highlight the sky late tonight.

They rise in late evening, with Jupiter to the right of the Moon.

Jupiter outshines all the other planets and stars in the sky at that hour, so it is hard to miss.

Daily G-Eye : 07.31.10

Meditation Moment - 07.31.10

Herod arrested John …

Today we read of John the Baptist’s bearing his final witness to the law of God in the giving of his blood, shed in martyrdom.
How faithful a life he had lived.
Filled with the Holy Spirit when still unborn, he bore witness to the presence of the Lord in Mary.
When yet a child, he pointed to the greater reality of spiritual values by retiring to the solitude of the wilderness.
In the fullness of time, he appeared to bear witness to the One who was about to show himself.
When he did show himself, John pointed him out as the Lamb of God and sent his own disciples to him, saying, ‘He must increase, while I must decrease.’
Finally, John accepted imprisonment and death for the love of God’s law.
How rare an example of life-long fidelity for those who will ask grace to imitate it!

*  For TRI attorneys as they challenge a Virginia prison ban on Christian nonmusic CDs.

Delphia C. Marks

Delphia C. Marks
Age 73, of Rt. 1 Pennsboro passed away at 2:30 AM on Friday, July 30, 2010 in United Hospital Center of Clarksburg following an extended illness.

She was born in Mullins, WV on February 03, 1937: daughter of the late Lawrence Lester and Lillie (Farley) Lester.

On February 04, 1987, she married Johnnie Marks, who survives.

Mrs. Marks is also survived by four daughters: Brenda Wayne and Linda Minor both of Exchange, WV, Rhonda Marks of Weston and Sara Richards of West Union, two sons: James Derosette of Texas and Chris Marks of Fort Hood, TX and three step-sons: Johnnie I. Marks of Hurst, TX, Carl Marks of Fort Worth, TX and Gene Marks of Pennsboro, WV.

Also surviving are nine grandchildren, three step-grandchildren and one great grandchild. She is also survived by one brother: Lawrence E. Lester, Jr. of Ritchie County, two sisters: Laura Harman of Oak Ridge, TN and Lura Carte of Strange Creek, WV and several nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, Mrs. Marks is preceded in death by three brothers: William, Garland, and Edward Lester and one sister: Ina Derosette.

Mrs. Marks was a homemaker. She loved to quilt and enjoyed vegetable and flower gardening. She also enjoyed canning the vegetables that she grew. Mrs. Marks was not afraid to work and was a pretty good carpenter.

Family and friends will be received at the Hardman-Paletti Funeral Home 730 N. Main Avenue Weston on Monday, August 02, 2010 fro 11:00 AM until 1:00 PM.

Funeral services will be held on Monday at 1:00 PM from the Hardman-Paletti Funeral Home chapel with Pastor Mitch Richards officiating. Interment will follow services in Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens of Jane Lew, WV.

Hardman-Paletti Funeral Home of Weston is in charge of arrangements for Delphia C. Marks.

07.31.10

Today - 07.31.yyyy

Today is Saturday, July 31, the 212th day of 2010. There are 153 days left in the year.

Thought for Today: “The art of life is to show your hand. There is no diplomacy like candor. You may lose by it now and then, but it will be a loss well gained if you do. Nothing is so boring as having to keep up a deception.“ E.V. Lucas, English author and critic (1868-1938).

Today’s Highlight in History:

On July 31, 1910, Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen, whose wife, Cora, had disappeared from their London home, was arrested along with his mistress, Ethel Le Neve (posing as Crippen’s son), aboard the steamship SS Montrose upon its arrival in Quebec, Canada. (Crippen was later convicted by a British court of murdering his wife and executed; Le Neve was acquitted of any involvement.)

On this date:

In 1777, the Marquis de Lafayette, a 19-year-old French nobleman, was made a major-general in the American Continental Army.

In 1875, the 17th president of the United States, Andrew Johnson, died in Carter County, Tenn., at age 66.

In 1919, Germany’s Weimar (VY’-mahr) Constitution was adopted by the republic’s National Assembly.

In 1948, President Harry S. Truman helped dedicate New York International Airport (later John F. Kennedy International Airport) at Idlewild Field.

In 1964, the American space probe Ranger 7 reached the moon, transmitting pictures back to Earth before crashing onto the lunar surface.

In 1969, the American space probe Mariner 6 flew by Mars, sending back images of the Red Planet.

In 1970, “The Huntley-Brinkley Report” came to an end after nearly 14 years as co-anchor Chet Huntley signed off for the last time; the broadcast was renamed “NBC Nightly News.“

In 1972, Democratic vice-presidential candidate Thomas Eagleton withdrew from the ticket with George McGovern following disclosures that Eagleton had once undergone psychiatric treatment.

In 1989, a pro-Iranian group in Lebanon released a grisly videotape showing the body of American hostage William R. Higgins, a Marine lieutenant-colonel, dangling from a rope.

In 1991, President George H.W. Bush and Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in Moscow.

Ten years ago:
•  The Republican national convention opened in Philadelphia, with George W. Bush’s name put into nomination for president.
•  Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak (EH’-hud bah-RAHK’) survived a no-confidence vote.
•  North and South Korea agreed to reopen border liaison offices and reconnect a railway linking their capitals.

Five years ago:
•  Police arrested seven people during a raid on an apartment in southern England, bringing to 21 the number in custody in the relentless hunt for accomplices in the failed July 21 transit bombings in London.
•  Jeong Jang shot a 3-under 69 to win the Women’s British Open by four strokes.

One year ago:
•  Three American tourists were arrested by Iran on suspicion of espionage during what their families have said was a simple hiking trip along the Iraq-Iran border; Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal remain in Iranian custody.
•  Space shuttle Endeavour and its seven astronauts returned to Earth, completing a long but successful construction job that boosted the size and power of the international space station.

Today’s Birthdays:
Actor Don Murray is 81
Jazz composer-musician Kenny Burrell is 79
Actor Geoffrey Lewis is 75
Actress France Nuyen is 71
Actress Susan Flannery is 67
Singer Lobo is 67
Actress Geraldine Chaplin is 66
Former movie studio executive Sherry Lansing is 66
Singer Gary Lewis is 65
Rock singer Bob Welch is 64
Actor Richard Griffiths is 63
International Tennis Hall of Famer Evonne Goolagong Cawley is 59
Actor Barry Van Dyke is 59
Actor Alan Autry is 58
Jazz composer-musician Michael Wolff is 58
Actor James Read is 57
Actor Michael Biehn is 54
Masssachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is 54
Rock singer-musician Daniel Ash (Love and Rockets) is 53
Entrepreneur Mark Cuban is 52
Rock musician Bill Berry is 52
Actor Wesley Snipes is 48
Country singer Chad Brock is 47
Musician Fatboy Slim is 47
Rock musician Jim Corr is 46
Author J.K. Rowling (ROHL’-ing) is 45
Actor Dean Cain is 44
Actor Ben Chaplin is 41
Actor Loren Dean is 41
NFL quarterback Gus Frerotte is 39
Actress Annie Parisse (pah-REES’) is 35
Actor Robert Telfer is 33
Country singer-musician Zac Brown is 32
Actor-producer-writer B.J. Novak is 31
Actor Eric Lively is 29
Country singer Blaire Stroud (3 of Hearts) is 27
Singer Shannon Curfman is 25

WV Lottery - 07.30.10

4-0-8

7-1-7-9

02-06-21-23-24-25

11-30-40-48-52     MB: 42   Megaplier: x 4  

GCFRN: Brushy Fork Annual Institute‏

The Gilmer County Family Resource Network will be sending a team of up to 8 people from the county to training at Brushy Fork Annual Institute in Berea, Kentucky, September 15-17, 2010.

Registration, lodging and travel are covered by the Flex-E grant and Benedum Foundation scholarships.

Visit the Brushy Fork Annual Institute website to see a detailed description of what tracks are available at www.brushyfork.org.

Contact the FRN if you would like to attend and why and how your attendance will benefit the community.

Not everyone who applies will be able to attend on the limited number of scholarships available.

Call 304.462.7545 or email at”gcfrn@yahoo.com” for more information.

Below is a list of this year’s tracks.

Track:

Appalachia’s Economic Future

Legal Issues for Nonprofits

Digital Storytelling

New Tools for Economic Development

Vaughn Grisham’s Three Rs Plus for Community Development

Effective Communication by Choice

Wicked Problems: Strategy Making for Senior Leaders

Nonprofit Management

Financial Management for Nonprofits

Fundraising Beyond Grants

Grant Writing

Tools for Promoting Your Program or Issue

Web Site Development

Leadership Development

Donna Waddell, PCED
Executive Director
Gilmer County Family Resource Network, Inc.

TechNews: FBI Details Worst Social Networking Cyber Crime Problems

According to FBI, the following are some the most serious social networking cybercrimes:

Phishing
Phishing attacks on social networking site users come in various formats, including: messages within the social networking site either from strangers or compromised friend accounts; links or videos within a social networking site profile claiming to lead to something harmless that turns out to be harmful; or e-mails sent to users claiming to be from the social networking site itself. Social networking site users fall victim to the schemes due to the higher level of trust typically displayed while using those sites. Users often accept into their private sites people that they do not actually know, or sometimes fail altogether to properly set privacy settings on their profile.  Social networking sites, as well as corporate websites in general, provide criminals with enormous amounts of information to send official looking documents and send them to individual targets who have shown interest in specific subjects. The personal and detailed nature of the information erodes the victim’s sense of caution, leading them to open the malicious email.

Data Mining
Cyber thieves use data mining on social networking sites as a way to extract sensitive information about their victims. This can be done by criminal actors on either a large or small scale. For example, in a large-scale data mining scheme, a cyber criminal may send out a “getting to know you quiz” to a large list of social networking site users. While the answers to these questions do not appear to be malicious on the surface, they often mimic the same questions that are asked by financial institutions or e-mail account providers when an individual has forgotten their password. Thus, an e-mail address and the answers to the quiz questions can provide the cyber criminal with the tools to enter your bank account, e-mail account, or credit card in order to transfer money or siphon your account. Small-scale data mining may also be easy for cyber criminals if social networking site users have not properly guarded their profile or access to sensitive information. Indeed, some networking applications encourage users to post whether or not they are on vacation, simultaneously letting burglars know when nobody is home.

Cyber Underground
The cyber underground is a pervasive market governed by rules and logic that closely mimic those of the legitimate business world, including a unique language, a set of expectations about its members’ conduct, and a system of stratification based on knowledge and skill, activities, and reputation. One of the ways that cyber criminals communicate within the cyber underground is on website forums. It is on these forums that cyber criminals buy and sell login credentials (such as those for e-mail, social networking sites, or financial accounts); where they buy and sell phishing kits, malicious software, access to botnets; and victim social security numbers, credit cards, and other sensitive information. These criminals are increasingly professionalized, organized, and have unique or specialized skills.

Beyond Cyber Crime
Valuable information can be inadvertently exposed by military or government personnel via their social networking site profile. In a recently publicized case, an individual created a fake profile on multiple social networking sites posing as an attractive female intelligence analyst and extended friend requests to government contractors, military and other government personnel. Many of the friend requests were accepted, even though the profile was of a fictitious person. According to press accounts, the deception provided its creator with access to a fair amount of sensitive data, including a picture from a soldier taken on patrol in Afghanistan that contained embedded data identifying his exact location. The person who created the fake social networking sites, when asked what he was trying to prove, responded: “The first thing was the issue of trust and how easily it is given. The second thing was to show how much different information gets leaked out through various networks.“ He also noted that although some individuals recognized the sites as fake, they had no central place to warn others about the perceived fraud, helping to ensure 300 connections in a month.

The FBI’s director, Robert Mueller this week told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the FBI’s response to growing cyber crime threats begins with its cyber squads in each of the FBI’s 56 field offices with more than 1,000 specially trained agents, analysts, and digital forensic examiners. “The FBI has also led the development of the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force, which now includes 17 intelligence and law enforcement partners working side-by-side to identify the source of national security threats and significant Internet schemes. In support of victims of Internet crime, the FBI has expanded the IC3, which continues to receive, track, and refer for prosecution the ever-increasing wave of Internet crimes, from child exploitation to fraud,“ he stated.

GCHS: New Student Enrollments

Gilmer County High School will begin enrollment for new students on Thursday, August 12 through Tuesday, August 17, 2010 by appointment.

Please call the office 304.462.7960 beginning Monday, August 02, 2010 to schedule an appointment with Mrs. Anita Roberts.

Please bring the child’s immunization records and any school transfer records available to the appointment.

GSC Places 15 Student-Athletes on WVIAC Commissioner Honor Roll

Glenville State College placed fifteen student-athletes recognized for their outstanding grades and made the WVIAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

The athletes are:

•  Thomas W. Mutter, Football, Senior, GPA 3.30, Marketing.

•  Dustin J. Mullins, Basketball, Junior, GPA 3.46, Social Studies education.

•  Autumn D. Davis, Basketball, Senior, GPA 3.46, Behavioral Science

•  Kimberly L. Stephens, Basketball, Senior, GPA 3.96, Sports Management

•  Courtney J. Rzepka, Track, Junior, GPA 3.64, General Science Education

•  Marlon E. Henry, Track, Senior, GPA 3.68, natural resource management

•  Andrew M. Ferraro, Track, Senior, GPA 3.64, Social Studies education

•  Betsy M. Nelson, Track, Senior, GPA 3.56, Elementary/Early Education

•  Misty M. DeLong, Track, Senior,,GPA 3.41, Marketing

•  Lora J. Spencer, Track, Senior, GPA 3.53, Behavioral Science

•  Rachael S. Stewart, Track, Senior, GPA 3.51, Physical Education

•  Brandi L. Phillips, Golf, Junior, GPA 3.60, Physical Education

•  Bryson J. Karp, Golf, Senior, GPA 3.33, Marketing

•  Brooke D. Foster, Softball, Senior, GPA 3.31, Physical Education

•  Meagan L. James, Softball, Senior, GPA 3.43, Social Studies Education

I-64: Unique Interstate Bridge Ready for Traffic

Motorists who regularly travel Interstate 64 to and from Charleston have watched the interstate bridge slowly take shape across the Kanawha River between South Charleston and Dunbar for the last two years.

This week, some will get to actually drive on the new span as a limited opening occurs.

Beginning Saturday morning, vehicles heading eastbound from Dunbar to South Charleston wishing to get off at MacCorkle Avenue will be able to access the new structure.

The limited opening will allow construction crews to finish the final phase of the bridge which will eventually carry all eastbound traffic for I-64 in the area.  The final phase includes tying the new bridge into the existing interstate.  The official opening of the span to normal traffic is expected sometime in October.

The span is an engineering marvel and the only one of its kind in the United States.  It’s received several awards and accolades for the design, which crossed the river without putting anything in the water and giving passing boat traffic plenty of clearance.

The magnificent span was not without tragedy though, Construction Foreman Jon Beatty was killed during the early stages of the bridge construction when one of the forms used to build a support tower came unrigged from it’s moorings and landed on him.  Inside the hollow interior of the bridge, near the support tower where he died, workers placed a bronze marker to pay tribute to Beatty.

Motorists will notice a twist in the bridge as they drive across the new span.

It goes from an 8% cross slope in one direction to an 8-percent in the other direction. It does exactly that, it twists one way then banks back the other way, but it’s a much better alignment than the existing bridge and should allow for a lot safer travel through this area.

Once complete, the DOH will turn its attention to the existing bridge which will carry westbound I-64 traffic.

Officials expect to do considerable refurbishing to the existing span in the coming months.

4th Annual Kenny Greenlief Memorial Golf Tournament‏

Fishing Report - 07.29.10

BURNSVILLE – The lake is at summer pool and clear. Fishing is good. 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 with small jigs and live bait, and reports of nice flathead catfish being caught as well.  For more information call Corps of Engineers at 304.853.2398.

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 getting good.  Try live bait in shallow water (1-2 feet).  A few trout are still being caught on spinners.

STONEWALL JACKSON – The lake is at summer pool and clear.  Fishing is good.  Bass are active and in about 10-12 feet of water. Try early mornings and late evening for the best action.  Sunfish and crappie have been caught around cover with small jigs and live bait. 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.  Trout were stocked in the tailwaters on June 21 by helicopter. 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 still in about 20-25 feet of water 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 near the summer level. Walleye have been caught during the day in the 30 to 50-feet depths where the water temperature is around 70 degrees. Smallmouth bass can be caught using crank baits or tube jigs along the shoreline.  Look for white bass at the head of coves or the upper part of the lake.  Fish for crappies in the fish shelters between the boat ramps at the marina.  Start fishing for walleye at dark when they move into shallow water to feed.

There are lots of trout and walleye in the tailwater. 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 – White bass schools can be seen breaking the surface throughout the lake.  Cast crank baits, spoons, or jigs for fast action.  The easiest way to fish the lake for all species is drifting along the shoreline with a night crawler or minnow on a hook with a couple of split shot at a depth of 10 to 15 feet. Cast small rooster-tail spinners for large bluegills and pumpkinseed sunfish in downed trees along the shoreline.  Channel catfish can be caught throughout the lake but are particularly numerous upstream of Mt. Chateau.  Cheat Lake has been one of the top lakes for bass fishing tournament success for the past 5 years.  The embayments at the Cheat Lake Park are good areas for bank fishermen to catch sunfish and largemouth bass.

Try the tailwater fishing pier for sauger, smallmouth bass, walleye and white bass.  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 and is lighted for night fishing and is handicapped accessible.

MONONGAHELA RIVER – The water temperature is 80-82 degrees.  Flows are low but fishing continues to be good during the day for smallmouth bass in the lock and dam tailwaters. The best fishing success for sauger and walleye is during low light conditions at dawn and dusk.  Sauger, smallmouth bass, walleye, and white bass are always attracted to the currents in the tailwaters.  Jigs with minnows are the best baits right now. Channel and flathead catfish are abundant throughout the river.  Carp are being caught from shore at the Ruby H.M. Park and at the Star City ramp.  Troll large crank baits for muskies anywhere on the river.

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 high and milky.  July 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.  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
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 chartreuse), which are fished along the bottom, are the lure of choice. Clever anglers are tipping their jig hooks with minnows or shad. 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. Fresh bait (small skipjack) can be caught from these areas using “Sabiki” rigs.

Elsewhere on the Ohio River fishing for catfish has been good. Channel catfish anglers should use nightcrawlers, 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.  Best fishing times will be early in the morning and during the evening hours. These lakes can also supply good bluegill fishing. F or these sunfish use trout magnets or spinners, small jigs, or small worms. Fishing for 8-12 inch sized largemouth bass at Woodrum Lake in Jackson County has also been quite good.

Summer is a good time to fish for channel catfish in area lakes and streams. Chicken livers, nightcrawlers, and prepared catfish baits work well. Remember fishing at night is generally better than fishing during the day for catfish in the summer.

Local musky streams should be fishable this weekend. Summer musky anglers use large Crankbaits or jerk baits and best spots are usually around fallen trees or riffle areas. Fishing has been quite good this year for musky along Middle Island Creek, the Little Kanawha river, and on the Hughes River and its forks.

Public Service Commission Consumer Advocate Wants Frontier Investigation

The WV’s public utility watchdog has joined FiberNet in asking the state Public Service Commission to reopen its decision to approve Frontier Communication Corporation’s purchase of Verizon’s landline network in West Virginia.

In a letter filed with the commission Thursday, the PSC’s Consumer Advocate Division didn’t state a reason for the request—only that it agrees with FiberNet that the PSC investigate Frontier’s operating system.

Last week, FiberNet, which uses Frontier’s landline network, alleged that Frontier’s operating system was causing numerous problems for customers.

Frontier has until Friday to file a response with the PSC.

On July 01, 2010, Frontier took over more than 600,000 telephone access lines from Verizon in West Virginia.

WV DMV Delays Electronic Temporary Tag Program

The West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles is delaying a new electronic temporary license program in response to dealers’ criticisms.

The program initially was scheduled to begin August 31, 2010. Now it has been postponed until March 31, 2011.

Dealers now mail or hand deliver vehicle registration information to the DMV. The new program would require dealers to enter that information into a DMV database. Temporary tags would be printed at the dealership.

Dealers say the new system could force them to hire more workers and inconvenience customers. They also say some small dealers could be forced out of business.

A dealer said, “This is serious. The old system is working fine. But now they’re saying, you’re mandated. You have to do this.”

Small dealers say, “dealerships that sell fewer than 30 vehicles a month should be exempt.”

“The new system is going to force the smaller dealers to go out of business,“ a small dealer said. “They might not have a computer-savvy person on staff. It’s like you’re asking an electrician to do a plumbers’ job, but they’re not a plumber.“

DMV plans to offer dealers a second option that would require only a fax machine and a printer. Dealers could print temporary tags at their dealerships and file the paperwork the traditional way.

“They could do everything else manually,“ DMV said. “We’re adjusting the program. Our goal is that all dealers will say this is a great system.“

The system would save DMV the cost of printing temporary cardboard tags and allow law enforcement agencies to trace a temporary tag number to determine who owns the vehicle.

The West Virginia Auto and Truck Dealers Association said their group supports the electronic transfer records, “but this has to be done right, and this program is not right.“

Dealers plan to meet with DMV officials on August 04, 2010.

Health Insurance Companies’ Threat to Refuse Coverage for Children Is Shameful and Will Not Stand

Senator Jay Rockefeller released the following statement on Thursday regarding the recent news that some health insurance companies have threatened to stop issuing new individual insurance policies that cover children under 19 with pre-existing conditions.

“Some health insurance companies worked from day one to block the passage of health reform with strong consumer protections for American families.  Now, since they couldn’t stop health reform, they are sparing no expense to lobby for ways to weaken implementation of the law to their advantage – and this week, their scheme continues to the detriment of children.  These efforts are shameful and they will not stand,” said Rockefeller. “By threatening to stop issuing new policies to children with pre-existing conditions – because they might not then be able to make as much of a profit on those children – health insurers are once again showing their true colors.”

Rockefeller continued, “It is bad enough that some health insurance companies continue to blatantly put profits before people, but now they are deliberately using children as political pawns in their attempts to weaken health reform.  It just doesn’t get any lower than that.”

“I want the health insurance companies to hear me loud and clear – I will never stop fighting you each step of the way to stop your deplorable actions that hurt children.”

Background:
Senator Rockefeller has dedicated his entire career to protecting children and making sure they have all of the resources and protections they need.  Rockefeller is honored to serve West Virginia families as Chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care, where he secured inclusion of an important provision in the health reform bill that would immediately eliminate all pre-existing condition exclusions for children under age 19. This provision is based on legislation he reintroduced in 2009 – the Pre-existing Conditions Patient Protection Act (S. 623).

On Wednesday, to ensure the coverage of children and address some health insurance companies’ concerns, the Administration clarified that there will be an open enrollment period for children with pre-existing conditions who are currently uninsured – and that they won’t “hesitate to issue regulations if insurance companies unfairly limit access to insurance for children who need it most.” The Administration also clearly stated that benefits to children from the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) will not be affected.

An Administration fact sheet with questions and answers on Enrollment of Children Under 19 Under the New Policy That Prohibits Pre-Existing Condition Exclusions is available H E R E.

Gilmer County High School Sports Physicals Make-Up Day

The Sports Physicals for the Gilmer County High School will be at the School-Based Health Clinic located inside Gilmer County High School on Monday, August 02, 2010 from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM.

No student can participate in any WVSSAC school sport without a sports physical.

Parents must complete the physical form and sign the consent before a physical can be performed.

Any student presenting without a signed consent will not be seen.

All insurances will be billed but co-pays /deductibles will be waived.

Please bring copy of insurance card.

Call Minnie Hamilton Health System, Glenville office at 304.462.7322 to schedule an appointment.

Forms can be picked up at Go-Mart, Pizza Hut and Rite Aid in Glenville.

West Fork Conservation District Supervisors Meeting – 08.03.10

The West Fork Conservation District Board of Supervisors monthly meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 03, 2010 at the Snowbird Park, Doddridge County, WV .

The meeting starts at 9:00 AM.

Contact Dinah Hannah, Administrative Officer, at 304.627.2160 for further information.

The West Fork Conservation District in West Virginia is comprised of the following four (4) counties located in the northern-central portion of the state:

•  Doddridge County
•  Gilmer County
•  Harrison County
•  Lewis County

GCHS Sports Practice Schedule

The following sports will begin practice on Monday, August 02, 2010:

•  Varsity Football
•  Varsity Cheerleading
•  Golf
•  Cross Country and 7/8th grade Cross Country

The following sports will begin practice on Monday, August 09, 2010:

•  Varsity Volleyball
•  7/8th grade Football
•  7/8th grade Cheerleading.

The 7/8th grade Volleyball team will begin practice on Monday, August 16, 2010.

Bon Appétit: Grilled Sirloin with Polenta and Sour Cream

Ingredients:

For the steak:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
4 cloves garlic
1-1/4 pounds sirloin steak, trimmed of fat and very thinly sliced

For the polenta:
18-ounce tube prepared polenta
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper
Garlic powder

For the sour cream:
1 cup sour cream
1 shallot, finely minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

Directions:
In a blender, combine the oil, vinegar, salt, peppercorns and garlic.
Puree until smooth, then pour into a stainless steel or other nonreactive bowl.
Add the steak, mixing gently to coat, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the polenta into 8 slices.
Use a pastry brush to lightly coat both sides of each slice with oil.
Sprinkle both sides of each slice with a bit of salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Set aside until the steak is ready to grill.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, shallot and chives.
Set aside.
Heat the grill to medium-high.
Coat the racks with cooking spray or oil.
Grill the polenta slices for 3 minutes per side, or until bold grill marks appear.
Use a spatula to carefully transfer the slices to serving plates.
Grill the steak for 1 minute per side.
Mound 1 or 2 slices on top of each polenta round.
Top each with a dollop of sour cream.

Servings: 4

Stargazing - 07.30.10

The planets Saturn, Mars, and Venus team up low in the west in early evening.

Venus is the “evening star.“

Saturn and Mars look like fainter stars to the upper left of Venus, with Saturn a little above Mars.

Daily G-Eye : 07.30.10

Meditation Moment - 07.30.10

‘This is the carpenter’s son, surely?’

How mean people can be! Those from Jesus’ home town couldn’t believe such a gifted and impressive person could be from one of themselves. Indeed, how can a carpenter be God?
Lord, help us to open our eyes and hearts.
Touch us so that we can see the greatness of our Father’s ways.
May we reach out—in our prayer and in our activities—to all the neglected and pre-judged ones in our world (the useless old, the wastrel young, the greedy refugee, the selfish brother).
Lord, these beloved are your gift to us.
May we find in them the unmeasurable span of your great love and the inspiring challenge of your presence.

Michael Allen Clevenger

Michael Allen Clevenger
Age 24, of 314 Rowgh Lane Camden passed away on Sunday, July 25, 2010 in Weston due to an automobile accident.

He was born in Warren, Ohio on May 02, 1986 and raised in Lewis County: son of Kevin and Deborah Kirkpatrick of Camden, WV, maternal grandmother: Reta Simones and paternal grandfather: Lester Lowther.

Michael is also survived by two brothers: Richard Lowther and Brandon Marple, three sisters: Crystal, Amber and Angela Kirkpatrick, and two nieces and five nephews.

He was also survived by his fiancé: Traci Clark, aunts, uncles and cousins, who loved him. Mr. Clevenger was preceded in death by Grandma Judy Lowther, two uncles: John and Denny Kirkpatrick and one aunt: Jeanie Lorentz.

Michael worked for Viking Pools.

He loved to hunt, fish, ride four-wheelers and camping. He will be missed by family and friends.

Family and friends will be received at the Hardman-Paletti Funeral Home 730 N. Main Avenue Weston on Friday, July 30, 2010 from 11:00 AM until 1:00 PM.

Funeral services will be held on Friday at 1:00 PM from the Hardman-Paletti Funeral Home chapel.

Interment will follow services in the Snyder Cemetery of Gilmer County.

Hardman-Paletti Funeral Home of Weston is in charge of arrangements for Michael Allen Clevenger.

07.30.10

Today - 07.30.yyyy

Today is Friday, July 30, the 211th day of 2010. There are 154 days left in the year.

Thought for Today: “An efficient bureaucracy is the greatest threat to liberty.“ - Sen. Eugene McCarthy (1916-2005).

Today’s Highlight in History:

On July 30, 1945, during World War II, the Portland class heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis, which had just delivered components for the atomic bomb that would be dropped on Hiroshima, was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine; only 316 out of some 1,200 men survived the sinking and shark-infested waters.

On this date:

In 1792, the French national anthem “La Marseillaise”, by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, was first sung in Paris by troops arriving from Marseille.

In 1864, during the Civil War, Union forces tried to take Petersburg, Va., by exploding a gunpowder-filled mine under Confederate defense lines; the attack failed.

In 1918, poet Joyce Kilmer, a sergeant in the 165th US Infantry Regiment, was killed during the Second Battle of the Marne in World War I. (Kilmer is perhaps best remembered for his poem “Trees.“)

In 1932, the Summer Olympic Games opened in Los Angeles.

In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill creating a women’s auxiliary agency in the Navy known as “Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service”—WAVES for short.

In 1960, the recently founded American Football League saw its first pre-season game, in which the Boston Patriots defeated the host Buffalo Bills 28-7.

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Medicare bill, which went into effect the following year.

In 1975, former Teamsters union president Jimmy Hoffa disappeared in suburban Detroit; although presumed dead, his remains have never been found.

In 1980, Israel’s Knesset passed a law reaffirming all of Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state. The Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu became independent of joint British-French rule.

In 1990, British Conservative Party lawmaker Ian Gow was killed in a bombing claimed by the Irish Republican Army.

Ten years ago:
•  President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela won a fresh six-year term in a landslide re-election.

Five years ago:
•  President George W. Bush was pronounced “fit for duty” after a checkup that showed that the 59-year-old commander-in-chief, an avid mountain bike rider, had lost eight pounds since his last physical exam in December 2004.

One year ago:
•  Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. and the Cambridge, Mass. officer who arrested him for disorderly conduct at his home, Sgt. James Crowley, had beers with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden at White House to discuss the dispute that unleashed a furor over racial profiling in America.

Today’s Birthdays:
Actor Richard Johnson is 83
Actor Edd (correct) “Kookie” Byrnes is 77
Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is 76
Blues musician Buddy Guy is 74
Movie director Peter Bogdanovich is 71
Feminist activist Eleanor Smeal is 71
Former U.S. Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D-Colo.) is 70
Singer Paul Anka is 69
Jazz musician David Sanborn is 65
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is 63
Actor William Atherton is 63
Actor Jean Reno (zhahn rih-NOH’) is 62
Blues singer-musician Otis Taylor is 62
Actor Frank Stallone is 60
Actor Ken Olin is 56
Actress Delta Burke is 54
Singer-songwriter Kate Bush is 52
Country singer Neal McCoy is 52
Actor Richard Burgi is 52
Movie director Richard Linklater is 50
Actor Laurence Fishburne is 49
Actress Lisa Kudrow is 47
Bluegrass musician Danny Roberts (The Grascals) is 47
Country musician Dwayne O’Brien is 46
Actress Vivica A. Fox is 46
Actor Terry Crews (“Everybody Hates Chris”) is 42
Actor Simon Baker is 41
Movie director Christopher Nolan (“Inception”) is 40
Actor Tom Green is 39
Rock musician Brad Hargreaves (Third Eye Blind) is 39
Actress Christine Taylor is 39
Actor-comedian Dean Edwards is 37
Actress Hilary Swank is 36
Olympic gold medal beach volleyball player Misty May-Treanor is 33
Actress Jaime Pressly is 33
Alt-country singer-musician Seth Avett (AY’-veht) is 30
Actress Yvonne Strahovski (TV: “Chuck”) is 28

WV Lottery - 07.29.10

8-5-5

6-2-3-1

01-02-06-08-10-23

Frontier Union Workers Complain About Mandatory Overtime

Verizon’s transfer of millions of DSL and landline customers to Frontier Communications has not gone smoothly so far.

Unsurprisingly Frontier is seeing more difficulty in markets Verizon neglected for years (like West Virginia).

Frontier’s trying their best to stay ahead of the problem(s), but appears to be running into complaints by union workers about the fact they’re requiring mandatory overtime to address Verizon’s neglected infrastructure and repair backlog:

An anonymous e-mailer wrote the Daily Mail to say that some employees are overstressed, including some older workers “who are having a very difficult time coping with 70-hour weeks, especially those who work outside in this unbearable heat.”Frontier employees are willing to help the company succeed, but this is not the way to proceed,“ the e-mailer wrote. “It is alienating employees and showing a total lack of respect for their mental and physical well-being. Their family lives are suffering and the company doesn’t seem to care at all.“

From the article, union workers seem to be complaining that Frontier’s declaring their Verizon migration an emergency in order to require mandatory paid overtime, a classification Verizon only used in physical disasters. Of course many of these same workers were concerned that they wouldn’t have jobs at all not that long ago, and this overtime may help ensure that Frontier’s deal with Verizon doesn’t wind up like Verizon’s deals with Hawaiian Telcom and Fairpoint Communications.