Milton eyes Home Rule, city revenue
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Winter Sports
Pages 7-10
By Justin Waybright
50 Cents
justin@thecabellstandard.com
Milton residents and business owners could see a decrease in B&O tax and an increase in sales tax if the city gets approved for the West Virginia Municipal Home Rule Program. The plan allows city government more power in accomplishing goals and projects. Council members took the first step toward acquiring it during the creation of an ordinance, enacting municipal sales, services and use tax during Tuesday's meeting. To submit an application for the program, the new ordinance must be in place. It gives the city the ability to place a one percent sales tax on anyone purchasing in Milton. This will only go into effect if the city cuts its B&O taxes and the Home Rule application gets approved. "This plan has to be in place before we get the application for Home Rule," Mayor Tom Canterbury explained. Councilmember Carl Harshbarger pointed out, "I don't want people to think we're going to put a one percent sales tax in before we talk about it with the public and vote on it." Charleston, Wheeling, Bridgeport and Huntington currently participate in the program. The plan saved the River City about $165,000 in demolition costs, helped it retain nearly $250,000 in property value and reduced the number of arsons according to city of Huntington records. Milton council members hope SEE MILTON ON PAGE 4
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l Volume 115 l Issue 49
Midland selected for GRAMMY By Justin Waybright justin@thecabellstandard.com
Cabell Midland High School is one of 123 schools in the nation selected as a GRAMMY Foundation Signature School Semifinalist. It is the only one in the state to earn the honor. The Knights' fine arts program achieved the recognition. The national designation is something Principal Kelly Daniels is proud of. "It's the teachers in the performing arts programs - Leslie Riedel, show choir director; Tim James, band director; Ed Harkless, Collegium Musicum director and Ron Caviani, orchestra director," she said. "The teachers and the students...They deserve it." More than 1,900 students attend Cabell Midland High School. Because of the large numbers, Daniels points to the importance fine arts programs provide.
Cabell Midland's Rhythm in Red Show Choir is one of the fine arts programs that helped the high school earn the GRAMMY Foundation's Signature School recognition. Courtesy Photo "In a school as large as ours, it's important for every child to have a niche where they feel they belong," she explained. "These
programs become families that help keep the kids on track and give them an identity at Cabell Midland."
Daniels added, "No teacher accepts anything but excellence SEE MIDLAND ON PAGE 4
Farm to School, harvesting a bright future By Justin Waybright justin@thecabellstandard.com
Two Cabell Midland students are harvesting a future. Junior Zachary Call and Senior Orin Jackson have earned $13,900 from the sale of tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, eggs, lettuce and potatoes. All this food is given to schools across Cabell County. It's all part of a federally funded program, called Farm to School where the WVDHHR, WV Department of Education, WV Department of Agriculture, CDC, WV Farm to School Community Development Group, Collabora-
tive for 21st Century Appalachia, New Appalachian Farm Research Center and the WV Small Farms all worked together to fuel the project. Jackson is the top-earning student farmer in the state and Call is the second-highest. The young man is currently harvesting lettuce that will be used in school salad bars throughout the county. "I knew produce could be raised in this area, especially peppers." said Jackson. "A lot of schools, institutions and organizations are buying off big companies and they're getting rich SEE FARM ON PAGE 16
Orin Jackson and Zachary Call earned more than $13,900 in the Farm to School program for Cabell County Schools. The two Cabell Midland FFA students hope to make a future out of growing and supplying local produce.
Inside This Week: TREE OF REMEMBRANCE - PAGE 3 TRANSITION SCHOOLS - PAGE 6 ONA ELEMENTARY - PAGE 16
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