April 30, 2008

A roundup of people indicted for alleged drug-related crimes took place last week in Mingo County, West Virginia. 16 people were arrested in one day, most of them from Williamson. The roundup involved officers from the Williamson Police Department, Mingo County Sheriff’s Department and West Virginia State Police, as well as the Pike County, Kentucky, sheriff’s office, according to the Williamson Daily News.

Five water treatment plants in this region have received awards from the Kentucky Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet, according to a press release. Benham Water Plant received special recognition for achieving optimized water quality goals 100 percent of the time in 2007. Among those recognized for achieving goals 95 percent of the time were Jackson Municipal Water Works, Pineville Water System, Southern Water and Sewer District and West Liberty Water Company.

The Virginia Mountaineer reports that Buchanan County has entered into an agreement with CNX Gas Company to participate in the production of a gas well. By paying around 10 percent of the cost of the well – more than 26,000 dollars – the county will receive a portion of the profits from the well, which is on property owned by the county.

Parents should keep their kids away from Parent-Teacher Association meetings, if they’re anything like a recent one in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. The Floyd County Times reports of charges of terroristic threatening, harassment and assault filed by the various parties to a run-in during the meeting. The site-based council at Prestonsburg Elementary School voted to dismiss four administrative staff members to free up money to hire two teachers. The husband of the school’s principal accused the council of carrying on a vendetta against the principal. He and some of the parents reportedly got into a shouting match, resulting in the arrival of police officers to bring the meeting back to order.

The Kentucky Magistrates and Commissioners Association has recognized a Johnson County man as 2008 Public Servant of the Year. County commissioner Paul Daniel was given the award at the organization’s annual conference. According to the Big Sandy News, Daniel, a barber, is active with the W.R. Castle Volunteer Fire Department, which he helped to found.

Talk about a rude awakening. Elaine Short of Man, West Virginia, got one last week when she found a large black bear dead on her back porch. The bear had been shot by an arrow and apparently wandered onto Short’s porch on Bridge Street, where it died, according to the Logan Banner.