Thursday, February 12, 2015
Midland girls, boys compete in Regional swim meet, Page 24 50 Cents Volume 117 Issue 6
First day for Groups receive recycling grants Cabell schools maybe Aug. 13 By Amanda Smythers amanda@theputnamstandard.com
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection awarded five Cabell County agencies a total of $248,495 of recycling assistance grants through Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan (REAP). Cabell County secured 13.9 percent of the total $1.8 million awarded, the most of any West Virginia county. With the Cabell County Waste Authority, Goodwill Industries of KYOWVA Area, Huntington Area Habitat for Humanity, Metal Center Recycling and Mountwest Community & Technical College all receiving money, Cabell was also the only county with government, nonprofit and private agencies receiving funding. “Its encouraging to see other counties really trying to restructure and get on board with more recycling,” said Sandy Rogers, REAP grant program manager for the DEP. “There’s a lot of counties that are doing a great job. This is a reformation for them.” Rogers said that the community desire, coupled with a low year for grant applications, ensured that all Cabell agencies which applied received all of the requested funding. “It seems to be that there’s a general Riley Stone, 90-year-old resident of Huntington, makes weekly recycling drop offs at the Fifth Avenue Kroger. He was featured in the Cabell See Recycling, Page 6 County Solid Waste Authority’s “caught green handed” section.
By Amanda Smythers amanda@theputnamstandard.com Cabell County Schools will begin the 2015-2016 academic year on Thursday, Aug. 13, pending a second public hearing. This is a full week later than the 2014-2015 school year when students started school on Aug. 6. Although professional and service personnel voted heavily in favor of the accepted 2014-2015 calendar, the early August start date was a point of contention for several parents and teachers who spoke at last year’s public hearing. This was further expressed in a petition that board member Karen Nance, the board representative on the calendar committee, gave to the committee for consideration. “As concerned parents, teachers, staff and community businesses we would like to request major changes to the school calendar for Cabell County Schools,” the petition reads. “We are not asking for less than 180 days of instruction. We are only asking for a major change to the start and end times of the school calendar.” Lenora Richardson, director of assessment and curriculum and head of the calendar committee, said there is very little leeway on the overall calendar. The state requires 180 separate days of instruction and an employee term of 200 days. It also requires certain days See Calendar, Page 4
Cabell Midland athletes commit to play in college
Athletic Director Chris Parsons talks about Nathan Jefferson’s accomplishments as a Madeline Gilson smiles along side her mother Mary and brother William, as her football player. Jefferson is joined by his parents, Jerry and Teresa Jefferson, during father Walt speaks about her accomplishments over her high school career. Gilson his signing to attend West Virginia State University. See story on Page 5. signed to play volleyball with West Virginia Tech. See story on Page 5.
INSIDE THIS EDITION: n
Calendar of Events, page 2 n At the Capitol, page 4