The Putnam Standard

March 2, 2012

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Local group works to tackle wellness issues in county

Toyota to expand production capacity in Buffalo

By Jack Bailey

By Jack Bailey

jackbailey@theputnamstandard.com

jackbailey@theputnamstandard.com

TEAYS VALLEY – The headlines are as common as they are troubling.

West Virginia is among the nation's leaders in obesity; prescription drug abuse is high among youth and adults alike; and alcohol abuse remains a lingering problem.

One local group is working to combat these and other problems that face Putnam County.

Putnam Wellness is a coalition of concerned citizens and service providers from across the county who are interested in substance abuse prevention, and the health and wellness of all Putnam County citizens.

The group meets monthly, on the second Friday of each month, at a different location around the county. The next meeting is set for March 9 at noon.

The meetings are open to the public and attendance varies depending on what may be hot SEE WELLNESS ON PAGE 14

BUFFALO – Toyota Motor Manufacturing announced last Thursday that they will expand their production capacity of sixspeed automatic transmissions at their plant in Buffalo beginning later this year.

The expansion in production will mean an additional investment of $45 million at the Buffalo plant and will result in the creation of 80 new jobs in Putnam County. The expansion will raise total employment at the plant to 1,200 and bring total investment

by Toyota in Buffalo to $1.3 billion. It is the second expansion at the Buffalo plant announced during the past year.

“The continuing expansions at Toyota Motor Manufacturing of West Virginia speak volumes about the company’s positive experience of doing business in Putnam County,” said Putnam County Commissioner Joe Haynes. “The fact that a world

Page 4

class company like Toyota choose to locate here and continues to grow their business, sends

a positive signal to other new or established businesses who might be considering our county.

We are business friendly in PutSEE TOYOTA ON PAGE 14

Putnam commissioners begin work on county budget for 2013

By Jack Bailey jackbailey@theputnamstandard.com

LOCAL YOUTH EXCELS ON THE WRESTLING MAT

Toyota Motor Manufacturing announced last week that they would expand production capacity of six-speed automatic transmissions at its Buffalo plant. The added production capacity will result in 80 new jobs. Photo courtesy of Toyota

WINFIELD – The Putnam County Commission will have a number of tough decisions to make as it crafts the overall county budget for the fiscal year that will begin July 1.

At the Commission’s meeting on Feb. 28, commissioners heard from 10 offices and departments that receive funding from the County Commission, with several asking for increases over what was budgeted for the cur-

rent fiscal year.

County Manager Brian Donat said that any increases over the county’s current $18 million fiscal year budget will have to be weighed carefully, as the county’s regional jail bill has continued to escalate in the past few months and shows no signs of going back down.

“It gets tougher every year,” Donat said following last week’s nearly five hour meeting. “In the last three years or so we haven’t seen a significant amount of growth. At the same time we have

seen a significant increase in the regional jail bill going forward.

That will put a crunch on the overall budget.”

Donat told commissioners that the county’s regional jail bill jumped to more than $119,000 in December and stayed at $118,000 for January.

“And I’ve talked to a number of people in law enforcement and they don’t anticipate that coming down,” Donat said, adding that if the trend continues, the regional jail costs for the fiscal year will wind up being $200,000 more

than the county budgeted.

Despite those rising costs, several agency heads appeared before the County Commission last week asking for increases in their budgets for the 2013 fiscal year beginning July 1.

Putnam County Sheriff Mark Smith asked for $42,000 in additional funds for the coming year in order to purchase ammunition. He said that with the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, ammunition has been more difficult for his department to obSEE COMMISSION ON PAGE 3

The Putnam Standard E-MAIL YOUR NEWS ITEMS TO US AT JACKBAILEY@THEPUTNAMSTANDARD.COM

Page 2 – March 2, 2012 Putnam County Schools Developmental Screening Putnam County Schools Developmental Screenings will be held on Friday, March 2, 2012 at the Teays Valley Presbyterian Church, Teays Valley Road. We will screen children ages 2-1/2 to 4 years for speech/language, hearing, vision, motor skills, social skills, self-help and cognition Please call 586-0500 ext 1154, to schedule an appointment.

FamilyCare HealthCenter’s Monthly Diabetes Class Our Certified Diabetes Educator, Grace Gibson, teaches about carb counting, medications, food labels, meal planning, and complication prevention in a fun and informative atmosphere.

Attendance is free; giveaways and refreshments are provided.

Registration requested.

TEAYS VALLEY (call 304-4213690 to register) Wednesday, Feb. 29 from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon.

Election Workers Needed If you are registered to vote in Putnam County and would like to work as an election worker in the May 8, 2012, primary election, please contact the office of the Putnam County Clerk at 304586-0202, by March 30. Workers will be placed on a first come basis. Both evening and day training sessions will be available.

First Baptist Church of St. Albans to present Annual Music Camp The First Baptist Church of St. Albans at Sixth Ave. and Second St. will offer its 22nd annual Music Camp, July 16-20, 9 am to 2:30 pm daily at the church. The camp is for children entering grades 2 through 7 in September 2012.

Children attending the Camp participate in choral singing, handbells, Orff instruments, a basic music class, instruction to the orchestra and recreation Participants need not have prior formal music training.

Other activities include a cook-

Community Calendar out and a swimming activity.

Optional classes include Introduction to Guitar, Drums, Pipe Organ, and Interpretive Movement.

Tuition for the camp is $37 per child with family rates available.

For additional information and online registration, visit www.musiccampfbc.com. Online registration begins Saturday, March 10.

You may also register at the church Monday – Friday, 8 am – 4:30 pm beginning Monday, March 12.

The Music Camp is under the direction of Thomas Hollinger, Director of Music at the church.

Questions? Call the church at 304-727-4661.

SW Agricultural Association Meets March 5th The SW Agricultural Association will meet on Monday, March 5th in the Commission’s Chambers of the Old Winfield Courthouse at 7 PM (3389 Winfield Road, second floor).

Larry Six, District Landowner Assistant Forester from the WV Division of Forestry, will discuss current state and government programs that are available to the 260,000 non-industrial woodland owners in our state. Programs are offered to assist WV residents in establishing better forestry management practices to increase growth, yields and health while protecting the soil, water and aesthetic values.

For further questions call the Putnam County Extension Office at (304)-586-0217.

Civil War Weekend Held at Valley (Wave Pool) Park, Hurricane March 23, 24 & 25, 2012 This is going to be the biggest event of the year. You don’t want to miss it. There will be Storytelling, Night firing, Parade Drills, Ladies Tea, Historical Lantern Tour, a Military Ball, Sutlers and Re-enactors who will commemorate the skirmish of Hurricane Bridge and the Battle of Scary Creek. These are just a few of the activities going on. For more information call Putnam County Parks (304)562-0518 ext. 10 or

Visitors Bureau at (304) 562-0727.

Notice Putnam Union PSD meetings for 2012 will be held the 1st Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at Route 34 Fire Department.

Putnam County Voter Registration Deadline Putnam County Voter Registration deadline is April 17th, 2012.

For more information contact the Putnam County Clerk’s office at 304-586-0202.

Sobriety Checkpoint set for Saturday, March 17th There will be a Sobriety Checkpoint conducted on Saturday, March 17, 2012 at approximately 2000 hours on West Virginia Route 34 near the Chapman Funeral Home in Teays Valley, WV. The purpose of the checkpoint will be the detection and apprehension of suspected drunken drivers, as well as the enforcement of the traffic laws of the State of WV. The checkpoint will be operated from 2000 hours until 0200 hours for a total of 6 hours.

Kanawha Valley Coin Club announces Annual Coin Show The Kanawha Valley Coin Club would like to announce their annual Coin Show to be held March 3rd & 4th at the Charleston Civic Center, Charleston, WV. The show will be held between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Sunday.

There is no admission fee. Dealers from WV, OH, and KY will be in attendance to buy, sell, and trade coins, jewelry and coal mine scrip.

The Kanawha Valley Coin Club meets the first Tuesday of each month at the South Charleston Library. The meetings start at 7 p.m. The public is invited to attend these meetings.

For more information about the upcoming Coin Show or about club meetings, you can call 304-562-6917 or 304-727-4062.

Visit the club’s website at www.kvcoinclub.com.

Pre-K Information Fair at Teays Valley Church of the Nazarene There will be a Pre-K Information Fair from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on March 2 at Teays Valley Church of the Nazarene. For more information call Rebecca Meadows at 304-586-0500.

Winfield, West Virginia, USPS 451-160 The Putnam Standard (ISSN, 451160) is published weekly at P.O. Box 179, Winfield, WV 25213. Yearly subscription rates: In-County $22.00; In-State $38.00; Out-of-State $48.00. Bill Unger, Publisher. Periodical Postage paid at Main Post Office, Winfield, WV, and additional mailing offices under the act of March 3, 1979. Postmaster: Send Address changes to the Putnam Standard, P.O. Box 179, Winfield, WV 25213. We reserve the right to accept or reject and to edit all news and advertising copy.

Girls Just Want To Have Fun Event Please join us for a free fun filled day for girls and women of all ages!

We will have music and dancing, giveaways, jewelry, makeup, snacks and desserts for tasting, products to purchase, lots of ac-

tivities and a supervised play area for the little ones!

There will be a fashion show, massages, mini makeovers and face painting, Zumba with Tauletha, nail painting, hair demonstrations and more!

Please visit and “like” our Facebook page for a list of vendors and updated information!

When: March 3, 2012 from 10am – 1pm Where: Valley Park Community Center Contact Melissa Bias 304-5418914 or Karen Haynes 304-7577584 for more information.

OH-KAN Coin Club Show What: OH-KAN Coin Club Show Where: Quality Inn (formerly Holiday Inn), Rt. 7 North, Gallipolis, OH 45631 When: Sunday, April 1, 2012 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Parking and admission are free.

For additional information please call 740-992-6040.

Ladies Tea - Civil War Weekend March 24, 2012 You are cordially invited to be our guest at a Ladies Tea. All ladies eight years of age and above are welcome to attend.

You may bring your favorite tea cup. Three o’clock in the afternoon held in the Valley Park Community Center. Tickets on sale at the Putnam County CVB office (304-562-0727).

Vendors needed for Cross Lanes UM Church Sale-A-Rama Cross Lanes United Methodist Church is looking for vendors for its Indoor Garage Sale-A-Rama, 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 10.

Space rental is $20. Space with a table is $25.

For more information, call Betty Darby at 304-760-8333 or Peggy Thompson at 304-7553450.

Cabin Fever!

‘Boys Day In’ will be held March 10, 2012 at The Commons of Putnam County Valley Park (formerly the Museum In The Community) from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Ages 1 to 12 will enjoy handson activities, games and more!

The event is free of charge and refreshments will be served.

For more information call Karen Haynes at 757-7584 or Putnam County Parks & Recreation 562-0518 ext 10.

University of Charleston announces upcoming Speakers The University of Charleston Speaker Series announces the following schedule: Energy: Who’s Got the Power??

The Putnam Standard March 8 – “The Power of Natural Gas” with David Porges, CEO of EQT Corporation March 27 – “The Power of Coal” – with Kevin Crutchfield, CEO of Alpha Natural Resources April 12 – “Global Power Plays” – with Barry Worthington, Executive Director, U.S. Energy Association All events begin at 6:30 p.m. in Geary Auditorium, Riggleman Hall, and are free and open to the public. No tickets needed. Details, photos, and speaker bios are available on our website, www.ucwv.edu/speakerseries.

For more information, please contact: University of Charleston Office of Communications, (304) 3574716; communications @ucwv.edu.

4th Annual Putnam County Rotary hosting Annual Charity Raffle Putnam Rotary is offering tickets for its annual charity raffle.

"We're not selling tickets," said Chet Marshall. "We're offering an opportunity to get something in return while supporting college scholarships and local community improvement projects."

The club this year awarded two scholarships for Putnam high school students, an increase made possible by funding through the annual raffle.

All income from ticket sales goes to charitable projects. The club will pay the cost of prizes.

Three drawings for prizes were made. The first drawing for $500 was held on February 14th.

The second drawing will be held on March 13 and a final drawing will be made on April 10 for a grand prize of $1,000.

All drawings will be at noon at the First State Bank Community Room. Holders of the winning tickets do not need to be present to win.

Passport Day in the USA – March 10, 2012 The South Charleston Public Library is hosting a special passport event in South Charleston, WV on Saturday, March 10, 2012 from 10 am until 3 pm to provide passport information to U.S. citizens and to accept passport applications. The South Charleston Public Library is joining the Department of State in celebrating Passport Day in the USA 2012, a national passport acceptance and outreach event.

U.S. citizens must present a valid passport book when entering or re-entering the United States by air, U.S. citizens entering the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda at land borders and sea ports of entry must present a passport book, passport card, of other travel documents approved by the U.S. government.

Information on the cost and how to apply for a U.S. passport

The Putnam Standard is available at travel.state.gov.

U.S. Citizens may also obtain passport information by phone, in English and Spanish, by calling the National Passport Information Center toll-free at 1-877-487-2778 Event: Passport Day in the USA 2012 Date: Saturday, March 10, 2012 Time: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Where: South Charleston Public Library, 312 4th, South Charleston, WV, 25303 (304-7446561).

More than 60 employers expected to attend spring Career Expo Marshall University Career Services will conduct its annual Spring Career Expo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 7, in the Memorial Student Center’s Don Morris Room on the Huntington campus. The event is open to all Marshall students, faculty and alumni. Recruiters will be sharing information on parttime, full-time and internship positions.

More than 60 employers are expected to have recruiters at the event, representing the areas of customer service, IT/computer science, health care, media sales, insurance/financial services, corrections, retail management and many others. A continually updated list of employers planning to attend the Career Expo is available online at https://marshallcsm.symplicity.com/ events.

Denise Hogsett, director of Career Services, said students are encouraged to dress professionally and come prepared with multiple copies of their resumes.

Hogsett said even if students are not looking for a job, attending the expo presents an excellent networking opportunity.

Questions about the event may be directed to Debby Stoler in Career Services by phone at 304696-6679 or by e-mail to stolerd@marshall.edu or to the Career Services front desk by phone at 304-696-2370 or by email at career-services@marshall.edu.

Civil War Weekend 2012 Dinner & presentation with Abe Lincoln - March 22, 2012 - at the Commons of Putnam County at 6:30pm.

Tickets on sale at the Putnam County CVB Office - $20 adults; $10 children 10 & under - or call 304-562-0727.

Community News

March 2, 2012 – Page 3

COMMISSION FROM PAGE 1 tain. He said that he wants to start ordering more ammunition in bulk so that it will be on hand when his department needs it. As an example, he said that one specific type of ammunition he ordered in August still has not been received by his department.

Smith also asked for an increase in his budget for salaries for his higher ranking officers.

Putnam County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Sorsaia also came before the Commission asking for additional funds in his budget for salaries. Sorsaia asked for an additional $50,000 in his budget in order to raise the salaries of some of his assistant prosecuting attorneys that he said were “grossly underpaid.” He said that the raises are needed in order to remain competitive with private sector law firms.

Sorsaia said that the last time he attempted to hire an attorney to fill an open position in his office he found several people interested in the position, but they would have had to have taken a $10,000 to $15,000 pay cut to go work there.

Sorsaia said that his goal is to raise his assistant prosecuting attorneys salaries to $75,000 a year.

Also appearing before the Commission, Putnam County Clerk Brian Wood made an impassioned plea for more money to raise the salaries of workers in his department.

“I asked last year and I want to ask again this year,” Wood said.

“It (pay raises) is needed. They work hard for the people. They’re here every day. I beg you all to step up to the plate.”

Putnam Circuit Clerk Ronnie Matthews also asked for an increase in his budget for the next fiscal year in order to hire a new full-time court clerk to work in the circuit court courtroom of Judge Stowers. Matthews said that he was compelled by state code to provide the full-time clerk to the circuit judge.

Matthews said that he was asking for an increase in his budget from $509,260 this year to $557,486 next year with the bulk of the increase going toward the new court clerk.

Others were more modest in their budget requests for the coming year.

Gary Walton, director of the Putnam County Development Authority, asked for a 4 percent increase in the amount of funding his agency receives from the County Commission.

Walton said that the Development Authority has had a busy year and if a number of prospects he has been meeting with decide to locate in Putnam County the county will have to begin development of the second phase of its business park.

Assessor Sherry Hayes asked for an increase in her budget for part-time help because she said that she expects to lose three employees of her office this year, including two long-time employees who are retiring.

Hayes said that the employees have all agreed to work on a parttime basis until full-time replacements are hired and trained.

Other departments such as the Health Department, Parks and Recreation and the Day Report Center did not ask for any increases next year, just the same amount they received during the current fiscal year.

In other news at the Feb. 28 meeting, Lowell Wilks of the Rivers to Ridges Heritage Trail, asked the commission for a $12,500 contribution for his or-

ganization to help support a visit

by Americorps members to Putnam County in April and May. Rivers to Ridges was previously known as the Kanawha Gateway Heritage Area and has been bringing Americorps members to the area the past few years to work on a variety of projects.

This year, Wilks said, Americorps members are slated to work on a new trail in the Red House area; work on a variety of projects at Valley Park; and also work in the Buffalo area on a variety of projects.

Wilks said that in all 10-12 Americorps members would be in the county for 4-5 weeks working on the projects. The money he requested would go toward materials for the projects they would be working on.

Commissioners said that they would make a decision on Wilks’ request after finalizing the county budget for the coming fiscal year.

In other news at the Feb. 28 meeting, commissioners said that they wanted to move forward with a plan to extend water service to residents of Manilla Ridge. Commissioners listened to presentations on two possible options to extend water service along Manilla Ridge with one option being to phase the project in over time, and the second being to proceed with extending the

service to nearly 50 residents using a main six-inch line.

Ultimately, commissioners said that they would prefer to pursue the six-inch line that would reach more residents. A public hearing must now be held on the proposed project and that hearing will take place at the commission’s March 13 meeting.

Following the public hearing, funding for the project would be pursued with the application for $1.5 million from the HUD Small Cities Block Grant Program.

In other news at the Feb. 28 meeting, commissioners approved a number of applications for Community Participation Grants.

If awarded, the grants would for the following: $3,000 for interior renovations at the Hoge House in Winfield; $5,000 for bathroom and shower facilities for the Putnam County Fair; $5,000 for a new amphitheater for the Putnam County Fair; and $9,000 for various renovations and upgrades at Valley Park.

The Putnam County Commission will hold a special meeting on Saturday, March 10, beginning at 8 a.m. to work on the county budget for the next fiscal year.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the County Commission will be Tuesday, March 13, beginning at 9 a.m.

Community News

Page 4 – March 2, 2012

The Putnam Standard

Milton Youth excels on the Wrestling Mat

By David Payne Sr. For The Putnam Standard

At the tender young age of Milton resident eight, Paulrichard Humphrey is a dominating force on the wrestling mat.

The youngster is undefeated this year in his youth-league wrestling. His father, Jamie Humphrey, couldn't be prouder.

“He went 31-0 in the Mountaineer League this year and won the championship,” he beamed.

Paulrichard, in fact, says he can't remember when he began wrestling. In fact, he was wrestling long before the first long-term memories formed in his mind. By the time of his first official match at age two in the Southern Nationals tournament in North Carolina, he already had far more wrestling experience than the average toddler, his father said.

“The rule was if you weren't in diapers, you could wrestle.

So, we signed up Paulrichard, my wife took him to the bathroom, took his pull-up (training diaper) off and put a wrestling singlet on. He took fifth place and he was wrestling against four and five year olds,” he said.

Milton resident Paulrichard Humphrey, 8, has been wrestling longer than he can remember.

That was his first match, but his wrestling experience didn't start there. Paulrichard has wrestling in his blood. His brother, Caperton, 14, recently won the 145-pound weight division at the WSAZ Invitational Wrestling Tournament in Huntington. In March, Caperton will be competing for a state title at the West Virginia Junior State

Wrestling Championships at Parkersburg High School.

Even before his first official match at age two, Paulrichard had plenty of wrestling experience.

“He started off wrestling with his brother at home,” the father said, “and he was always at the practices. He was there anyway and you know he's not going to

just sit there, he wants to get out and see what the other kids are doing, plus he's wrestling with his big brother. He had been practicing for a long time before we ever put him in that first tournament.

“He's a good technician for an eight-year-old. He's aggressive and strong, very meticulous in his moves. A lot of kids his age get in a hurry, but he's very concentrated on what he's going to do. He concentrates on making that next move and he's not in a hurry to do it. He's aggressive, but poised in his attack. He's going to stay on you, but when he puts a move on you, he does it correctly,” he said.

Paulrichard said he has his brother to thank for teaching him wrestling skills.

“I learned a lot from my brother. I went to his tournaments when I was little and watched him wrestle. He teaches me moves and I watch him do moves that I don't know how to do,” he said.

Jamie Humphrey said he will be taking both boys to Black Hills, S.D., in mid March to wrestle in the Amateur Athletic Union's World Championship tournament.

“Caperton won it when he

was 10. We're hoping for two additional wins between the brothers,” he said.

However, the boys will be participating in the world-championship tournament primarily to gain experience, the father said.

“As long as they do their best, to me, it doesn't matter what happens. Just getting that quality competition is what is important. You have to wrestle harder there and when you have harder competition, you get as good as you can be. There will be tougher competition there to help these boys increase their level of wrestling skill,” he said.

Caperton said Paulrichard's success comes from hard work.

“He works hard and he wants to win everything. That gives him a step up to achieve those goals. He's a good learner. I wrestle with him, goofing around, showing him moves and stuff and he picks up on that. He's picked up about everything I've showed him,” he said.

Like his older brother, Paulrichard plays multiple sports.

“I also play baseball and football,” Paulrichard said. “But wrestling is my best sport. I love it. It's a lot of fun.”

National Consumer Protection Week set for March 4-10 You protect your family, pets, cars, homes… you name it. But it’s important that you remember to protect yourself, and one place where you need security is in the consumer marketplace. That’s why USA.gov supports National Consumer Protection Week, which runs from March 4th10th. This special week is dedi-

cated to encouraging consumers to take full advantage of their consumer rights and make better-informed purchasing decisions.

DID YOU KNOW? • If you suspect you’re a victim of online fraud or a scam you can submit a report to the FBI through the Internet Crime

February Birthdays!

Happy Birthday to ALL Colton Green - March 3 Macheala Chapman Lois Hoffman Ken Shull Joyce Fetty Linda Holstein Valerie DiCarlo

Amanda Hackney Katrina McCune Christina Easter Linda Okeke George Armstead Jr. Kevin Zimmerman (March 5th)

If you - or someone you know - will be celebratrating a birthday in the coming months... Call 304-743-6731 and give us their name - OR just email the information to trudyblack@theputnamstandard.com

Complaint Center? Here you can report an incident that happened to you, or someone else.

• There is a statute of limitations on old debts and a collector’s ability to sue you for them? This does not mean that you no longer owe the money, or that the collector can’t still get you to pay them. It means that you can’t be sued to cough up the dough after a certain amount of time has passed.

• If you have a safety issue with a consumer product you can report it to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission? Besides alerting others to potentially dangerous products,

you can search recalls and reports on other items you might already own or receive alerts about newly discovered hazardous items. You can also download the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s “Recalls.gov” application on your mobile phone—giving you the most up-to-date recall information wherever you are.

• Teens today are at risk in ways that no generation before them has had to consider?

Teach your teenagers the dangers of inappropriate texting and explain to them how what they choose to post online can affect them now, and for the rest of

their lives.

• The Consumer Action Handbook is your free guide to help you navigate an increasingly complex marketplace? Updated annually, it includes a sample complaint letter and the contact information for many large companies to help you get in touch with them and rectify your issue.

Have specific questions about consumer topics like credit, ID theft or scams? Get answers from USA.gov’s experts during the live Consumer Protection Q&A event for the public on Tuesday, March 6, 2012 from 2-3pm EST. You can post questions ahead of time or ask them during the live social media hour, which will take place on both USA.gov’s Twitter feed (@USAgov) and Facebook page (Facebook.com/USAgov).

The Putnam Standard

Community News

March 2, 2012 – Page 5

Rotary speaker discusses signs of drug abuse TEAYS VALLEY -- Sara Whitney has been a front line warrior in the war against drug abuse. She began as a paralegal with the Putnam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in 1997, and became an investigator for that office about five years ago.

"In southern West Virginia, we had been losing one person a day from pill overdoses," she told Putnam Rotarians at the group’s meeting on Tuesday.

Whitney's focus has been on the young victims of the drug war who suffer neglect and abuse because of their home circumstances.

She deals with families, she says, "because we often are dealing with teenagers who have learned the behavior from their parents.

"We're talking about kids who are in a chaotic home life.

"You have a parent who is not worried about their water bill being paid, their heating bill being paid. They're worried about where they are going to get their next fix.

"When cops are responding to a home where there is a domestic violence situation between mom and dad, but little Johnny is in the corner watching, he's a victim too. And he's going to grow up learning that same behavior.

Sara Whitney (left) and Nancy Bellamy are investigators for the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney.

"The four-year-old playing in the street: [it] could be [that] mom is busy and the child slipped out. But if the police have responded time after time, we probably have an issue.

"Pay attention when you have a kid who -- you've never met them -- is hugging you and they're trying to get your attention, because, probably there's something more going on in that kid's life.

"When they get to school, when they get to the ball fields, when they get to social situations, these kids are the ones who are in trouble. They have behavior issues because they don't

know how to act. No one has ever taught them that this is the way you act, or this is how you react when someone does something.

"They're more likely to experience neglect, the physical abuse, the sexual abuse, the emotional abuse from their parents, their care givers.

"They are more likely to end up with a grandparent or a neighbor or somebody else caring for them -- whomever they can find.

"If you have more than one child in a home, then the older ones are caring for the younger ones.

"They don't talk. They just look at you, because they've been

told, 'You can't talk to anybody, because if you talk to somebody then CPS is going to come and they're going to take you from us.' It's ingrained in them," she said.

Whitney recalled a recent case where a mother rolled over, passed out drunk, and smothered her baby.

In a Putnam County case, a child with cystic fibrosis had no medication. The mother, however, had 29 medications for herself. "This mom's priority was herself, not her kids."

In a hospital in a neighboring county, a mother was caught unhooking an IV for her baby and drawing the medication into a syringe for her own use.

"Meth labs are on the rise," Whitney told the group. "One of the things that we saw with meth labs really early on is the security: You have a shack. But you have security all over the place. You have cameras -- they know you're coming before you ever get there.

"We look for dental care, for kids whose teeth are just rotting out of their heads.

"Everything the kids touch is in their mouths. When you have drugs in the home, they're usually where kids are going to get to them..Kids breathe faster, than adults. Their hearts beat faster.

When they're exposed to chemi-

cals, the intake is faster."

Attitudes toward drugs have changed among teenagers, Whitney said.

"When we were in school 20 years ago," she said, "you knew who used drugs. You knew who that group was. Now, you don't.

"We're dealing with teenagers who, when you ask them. 'Do you have a drug problem?' they say, 'No.' "So, if we 'drug test' you, you're going to be clean?' "'Weeell . . . No.' "'So you have a drug issues?' "'No! It's just pot.'"

Drug Endangered Children began as a national movement in 2004, and Whitney meets quarterly with the West Virginia DEC at the State Police Academy, and she represents the Prosecutor with the state Children's Justice Task Force She also talks with parents, with teachers, to anyone who will listen. She is available to speak with church groups, with schools, and civic clubs.

It still "takes a village to raise a child," and the close communities of a generation ago may still be one of the strongest weapons in the war against drug abuse.

"We encourage you to be the nosey neighbor," said Sara Whitney. "There are many red flags in drug abuse."

WVSBDC offers Small Business Workshops in Kanawha County Register for March 13 Session on Sustainable Growth or Business Fundamentals CHARLESTON, WV — Two small business workshops are scheduled for Tuesday, March 13, in Charleston. The workshops “Business Fundamentals” and “Sustainable Growth” are part of the West Virginia Small Business Development Center (WVSBDC) new training and business coaching program Three Step Jump Start to help small business owners receive the right information at the right time.

Three Step Jump Start helps entrepreneurs and small business owners in West Virginia accelerate their potential success by learning the structure and services provided by WVSBDC. This first step is accomplished by viewing a video

located on the agency’s web site, www.wvsbdc.org. Entrepreneurs and business owners can then attend one of two workshops held each month.

One workshop is designed specifically for start-ups and new businesses and the other for existing and mature businesses.

The workshops are: 9 a.m. to noon: “Business Fundamentals” is designed specifically for people who are thinking of starting a business, or have had a business for one

year or less. The workshop provides essential information on what an entrepreneur needs to know to start a business successfully. There is a $35.00 per person fee per workshop.

1 to 4 p.m.: “Sustainable Growth” is designed for existing and mature businesses in operation for a year or more. The workshop provides essential information for what a business owner needs to know to build, expand or refresh a business. There is a $35.00 per person fee per workshop.

Both workshops will be held in the Charleston Area Alliance

Building, 1116 Smith Street, Suite 312, Charleston.

GOERING AND HIS GANG A talk by

Ken Hechler Moderated by Paul Nyden

Thursday, March 8 6:30 PM VFW Post 9097 3236 Teays Valley Road

FREE • PUBLIC INVITED

Former congressman Ken Hechler was a major in the U.S. Army when he interviewed Hermann Goering and other top Nazi officials at the end of World War II. He will share his story at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in Teays Valley.

Presented by the West Virginia Humanities Council.

Leisure

Page 6 – March 2, 2012 Across 1. Boito’s Mefistofele, e.g.

6. High-five, e.g.

10. Strong fiber 14. Boredom 15. Engine sound 16. Advil target 17. Phrases with two meanings 20. Kind of palm 21. Chair part 22. Accost 23. Away 25. Opera star 26. Willy ___, former West Germany chancellor 29. Shrewish 33. Back muscle, familiarly 34. Theological rationalism 36. Parkinson’s treatment 37. Father of Balder 39. Appliance that removes moisture 41. Move through water 42. Drunk, in slang 44. Baddies 46. “___ Ng” (They Might Be Giants song) 47. Nighttime travel stop (2 wd) 49. Ryegrass 51. Pay (up) 52. Quaker’s “you” 53. Feral feline

The Putnam Standard

56. Chinese “way” 57. Galileo’s birthplace 61. Novocaine, for one (2 wd) 64. 1968 Chemistry Nobelist Onsager 65. Copper 66. “I give up!”

67. Astringent 68. ___ bag 69. Character

Down 1. Resting places 2. Dwarf buffalo 3. Like a bug in a rug 4. Induce to commit perjury 5. Black gold 6. Floor it 7. Air bag?

8. “A jealous mistress”: Emerson 9. Blend beforehand 10. ___ National Monument in SD 11. “God’s Little ___“ 12. The Beatles’ “___ Leaving Home” 13. Makeup, e.g.

18. Flying high 19. Romance, e.g.

24. “That’s ___ ...”

25. Molecule consisting of two identical simpler

molecules 26. Flower 27. AM/FM device 28. Inclined 29. Victory hand gesture 30. Hawkeye 31. Gumption 32. Muslim porter 35. O. Henry device

38. Tumor 40. Extremely popular 43. Drivel 45.

Ed.’s request (acronym) 48. All together 50. Feel remorse for 52. Spoonful, say 53. ___ podrida

54. Black shade 55. Almond 56. Camping gear 58. Allergic reaction 59. Fodder holder 60. Air force heroes 62. “The Matrix” hero 63. Cast

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

WORD SEARCH Able Acid Advance Age Aim And Arc Area Art Ate Barn Boy Cab Cake Car Coal Consideration Cook Cries Dances Define Dew Dim Dog Dolls Dug Eat Egg Elf Endure

Flap Flash Gun Hops Hot Ill Instantly Job June Junk Knew Knit Large Lid Lit Mad Man Men’s Nap Note Nut Oil Out Pan Pig Plant Poet Pub Rang Recall

Rely Remembering Reply Rid Rob Sad Saw Sea Seeds Sets Silk Sir Slot Soon Tag Tap Tea Tent The Tie Toss Trim Type Units Use Vets Vine Was You

The Putnam Standard

Church News

Cabin Fever Boys Day In set for March 10 at Valley Park

By Jack Bailey For The Putnam Standard

HURRICANE – Little boys ages 1 to 12 will have a special day of their own on March 10 as the fourth annual Cabin Fever Boys Day In event will take place at Valley Park in Hurricane.

The annual event gives boys a chance to come out and have fun with other boys of their own age, said event organizer Karen Haynes.

“This year we will be making birdhouses, and there will be a big sandbox to play in,” said Haynes, “and there will also be mini-Putt-Putt golf and we will be making pine cone bird feeders.”

There will also be coloring and games and other activities designed for boys to have fun, she added.

Teays Valley Church of God will be supplying refreshments for the event, Haynes said.

A new edition to this year's Cabin Fever event will be archery, Haynes said.

For younger boys, age 9 and younger, they will be able to shoot at a target with soft tipped arrows.

Then for boys ages 10-12 they will be able to shoot at a target with actual arrows, Haynes said.

In addition, an archery instructor will be on hand to instruct the older boys on proper shooting technique, Haynes said.

Cabin Fever Boys Day In will take place at The Commons (formerly the Museum in the Community) at Valley Park. The event will run from 10 a.m. until noon and is free

of charge.

Last year, Haynes said the event drew about 70 boys. She said she hopes to draw more this year, but no matter the number that turn out, a good time should be had by all.

“It will be a good time,” she said.

Cabin Fever Boys Day In comes a month before the annual Princess Tea Party, which is set for April 21 this year.

The Princess Tea Party will also be held at Valley Park and will run from 10 a.m. until noon. The Tea Party has grown to a large annual event that draws several hundred young girls from throughout the region.

For more information call Karen Haynes at 757-7584 or Putnam County Parks and Recreation at 562-0518 ext.

10.

March 2, 2012 – Page 7

Kathy Voth to present her “Cows Eat Weeds” Research The WVU Extension service will host a Winter Agric u l t u r a l D i n n e r M e e t i n g o n T h u r s d a y, M a r c h 8 t h a t 6:00 PM at the Fire Side Grille (4170 SR #34, Hurricane; (304)- 757-4700). This workshop will examine K a t h y Vo t h’s w o r k o n t r a i n i n g c o w s t o e a t w e e d s .

Us i n g D r. Vo t h’s p r o c e s s , a c a t t l e p r o d u c e r c a n t e a c h c o w s t o e a t w e e d s i n a s l i t t l e a s 1 0 h o u r s ov e r 1 0 d a y s and then sit back and relax while the cows get to work ( h t t p : / / w w w. l i v e s t o c k f o r l a n dscapes.com/index.htm). Furthermore, many weeds are nutritious with several containing 20% protein l e v e l s o r h i g h e r. W i t h e a c h y e a r, i n c r e a s e d r e s i s t ance to herbicides becomes more apparent and this management option offers farmers another way to i m p r o v e t h e i r p a s t u r e s . C u r r e n t l y, t h e r e a r e 1 3 1 h e r bicide resistant weeds in the US of which 11 weeds are glyphosate (Roundup®) resistant. This dinner presentation is funded in part by The WVU Small Fa r m s C e n t e r a n d n u m e r o u s l o c a l b u s i n e s s e s . R e s e r vations are required. Please RSVP by March 6th with WVU Putnam County Extension Service (304)-5860217.

Airman David A. Cochran graduates from Basic Training at Lackland AFB

Attorney General Darrell McGraw Warns of Companies Claiming to Represent Banks in Mortgage Foreclosure Settlement Scam asks homeowners for bank account info in order to get settlement benefits

CHARLESTON, WV - West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw today warned the state’s homeowners to beware of solicitations from scammers purporting to be working with banks as part of the recent landmark mortgage-foreclosure settlement.

The scam calls typically offer to tell the homeowner whether they’re on the eligible list for an up-front fee of $500 or more.

Additionally, they ask the consumer to provide bank account numbers and promise to deposit the settlement money directly into the consumer’s account.

The thieves may pose as thirdparty companies working with the settlement or as a representative of one of the five participating banks.

Unfortunately, thieves often prey on those most in need, said Attorney General McGraw, whose office has established Project: Save Our Homes to

provide free assistance to West Virginians in applying for and obtaining foreclosure settlement relief. Homeowners should never provide their bank account and routing numbers in the belief that this is a legitimate part of the settlement.”

McGraw adds that Project: Save Our Homes was set up to help guide consumers through their foreclosure relief and loan modification options under the settlement with JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citibank, Bank of America/Countrywide, and GMAC/Ally Financial. Interested homeowners should call the Attorney General’s Consumer Hotline, 1-800-3688808.

The mortgage-foreclosure settlement is good news for struggling homeowners, McGraw said.“It can prevent foreclosures and provide financial relief to those affected by foreclosures and mortgage fraud.

Project: Save Our Homes lets us help families keep their homes and protect our consumers against scams that try to exploit the settlement.”

Relief and benefits available under the settlement can include loan modifications, principal reduction, direct payments, free underwater refinancing, safeguards for military, and more.

We have the opportunity to return to a stable lending environment with growing rising homeownership while lending a hand to borrowers who need financial help or a second chance, ” McGraw added.”

To report a scam or file a complaint, West Virginians can reach the Attorney General’s Office online or by calling the Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-368-8808. For regular consumer news updates, follow AGWestV on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Air Force Airman David A. Cochran graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.

The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits to-

ward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

Cochran is the son of Jimmy Cochran of Red House.

The airman is a 2006 graduate of Poca High School.

Small Fruits Workshops

Join us for a FREE 5-part workshop series to learn how to grow your own fresh fruit, even in your own backyard. The information is pertinent to any grower looking to grow his or her own small fruits. Workshops are made possible by a Specialty Crop Block Grant from the West Department of Agriculture.

Schedule March 6 - Blueberries March 27 - Grapes April 3 -Fruit Trees

Time 10:00 - Noon

Workshops will be held at the Pumpkin Park in Milton, WV To register, contact Jeanie Sutphin at 304-204-4305 or extension@wvstateu.edu West Virginia State University R&D Corp. does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran.

Page 8 – March 2, 2012

Community News

Carrot Pineapple Cake

Putnam BOE hires engineering firm, addresses personnel changes

By David Payne Sr. For The Putnam Standard

Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 3/4 cups white sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups shredded carrots 1 cup flaked coconut 1 cup chopped walnuts 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained Icing: 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese 1/4 cup butter, softened 2 cups confectioners' sugar Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.

2. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

Make a well in the center and add sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla.

Mix with wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in carrots, coconut, walnuts and pineapple.

3. Pour into 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Don't panic, the center will sink a little. Allow to cool.

4. To make the frosting: Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until creamy.

Want to share one of ‘your favorite’ recipes with our readers? Send it to PO BOX 186, Culloden, WV 25510, email it to trudyblack@theputnamstandard.com, or trudyblack@thecabellstandard.com.

The Putnam Standard

The Putnam County Board of Education agreed to hire an engineering firm for site preparation at two building projects and heard a plea from a teacher's union representative to keep teachers in mind as they work on next school years' budget during the Feb. 20 meeting.

The board hired Triad Engineering for geotechnical engiat Winfield neering Elementary and Conner Street Elementary. School officials said the work is needed to begin construction at the schools. Winfield will have a new building, while a new addition is planned for Conner Street.

Terry Cunningham, addressed the board on behalf of the American Federation of Teachers, Putnam County.

“We ask that the board consider pay raises for teachers as you work on the budget.

We're at the top (of state teacher pay) and we'd like to stay at the top, so we can attract younger teachers,” he said.

Superintendent Chuck Hatfield added that the board had made a commitment last year to try to provide raises over a three-year period. He said the board will be finalizing its budget in May. “We're working on the budget now, but we won't really even know exactly how much money we have to work with until we get the assessments from the tax office in March,” he said.

The meeting included an 11-minute executive session to discuss a personnel matter.

The board approved an involuntary leave of absence for central-office maintenance worker Christopher Coyner, who is the son of board member Jack Coyner. He was ar-

rested on Feb. 14 on a misdemeanor charge of unlawfully possessing a firearm. According to the criminal complaint, the alleged offense did not occur on school property.

It also approved leaves for Poca High teacher Elisabeth Morgan, Buffalo Elementary teacher Chelsea Stanley and Rock Branch Elementary teacher Allison Tusing.

The board also approved the following resignations: Amanda Eggleton, • Hurricane Middle, assistant baseball coach.

C. Jason Henley, Hurricane High, assistant boys' track coach.

Craig Snyder, Winfield High, assistant football coach.

Mary Humphrey, substitute secretary.

It also approved the following assignments: • Kris Hall, Winfield Elementary, autism teacher, long-term substitute.

Ronda Moncada, Hurricane High, English teacher, library media.

Jana Posey, Hometown Elementary, fifth-grade teacher, long-term substitute.

Tracy Clark, Crystal Reynolds, Donald Thomas, substitute teachers.

Andrew Ball, Poca High, boys’ tennis.

William Biggs, Hurricane High, assistant baseball.

Randolph Carter, Buffalo High, assistant girls' basketball.

Cheryl Cicchirillo, G.W. Middle, after-school language arts tutor.

Stephanie Fitch, Hurricane Middle, after-school tutor, math.

James P. Gregory, Hurricane High, assistant girls' track.

David Patrick Hart, Buffalo High, assistant boys' track.

Hilton Ingraham, Winfield Middle, assistant boys’ track.

Leslie B. Payne, Poca Mid-

dle, assistant baseball.

Madison Reta, Winfield High, assistant softball.

Angela Smithson, Poca High, after-school tutor, social studies.

Craig Snyder, Winfield High, varsity football.

Paul Sowards, Hurricane Middle, assistant girls' track.

Amber Unroe, Conner Street Elementary, afterschool tutor.

William Watkins, Winfield Middle, assistant baseball.

Nyle Whittington, Buffalo High, volleyball.

Debra Williams, G.W. Middle, after-school tutor, language arts.

Mary Humphrey, central office, secretary/accounting.

Molly Witte, Hurricane Middle, secretary/accounting.

Amy Allen, G.W.-Buffalo area, bus operator, afterschool tutoring.

The board approved the following transfers: • Jeffrey Ashworth, Poca Elementary, third grade to SLD/MI. Teresa Atkinson, Winfield Middle, SLD/MI to G.W. Middle.

Angela Farmer, Conner Street Elementary teacher second grade to Winfield Elementary, fifth grade.

Margaret Logan, Hurricane Town Elementary, secondgrade teacher to first grade, Hurricane Town Elementary.

Alicia Martin, Conner Street Elementary, secondgrade teacher to fifth-grade Patricia Tabor, Hurricane Middle, music teacher to Winfield Elementary.

Marsha Armstead, Hurricane area bus operator, from bus 2205 to bus 2005.

Charlotte Caldwell, Hurricane area, bus operator, bus 2301 to bus 2304.

Teresa Cochran, Scott Teays Elementary, aide to Winfield High, aide/autism mentor.

Gail Eggleton, Putnam Career and Technical Center secretary to central office.

Jeremy Lovejoy, Poca Middle, aide, to Winfield High.

Joan Runion, Scott Teays Elementary, cook to Hurricane Middle.

Leah Tabor, Hurricane area bus operator, bus 2201 to half-day bus operator, bus 990.

The Putnam Standard

Outdoor News

March 2, 2012 – Page 9

The Turkey's remarkable comeback in West Virginia

David Payne Sr. and David Payne II enjoy huntington during the 2011-2012 Season. Photo by David Payne Sr.

By David Payne Sr. For The Putnam Standard

Five years ago, Wayne Bailey died. Most people have probably never heard of him, but if you have hunted – or even had the pleasure of seeing – a wild turkey in the Eastern U.S., you have him to thank.

Last week, I interviewed Kem Shaw about the upcoming turkey season and the general condition of the turkey population in Put-

nam and Cabell counties. We talked about how it used to be – in an era I can only remember the ending of – when there were simply no turkeys in the county. No, not one.

You don't see any bison, elk or wolves in the area anymore, but nobody really ever thinks about that. They are all animals that have been gone from the area for a century or more, but the turkey (as well as the white-tailed deer) once belonged to that group of extirpated animals. A group of conservation visionaries dedicated their lives to bringing back deer and turkey. They were so successful, it seems as if they have always been here.

Wildlife in general took one heck of blow in the late 1800s and early 1900s with pollution, commercial hunting, clearcutting and the disappearance of the American Chestnut tree, which had been a primary food source for wildlife. A long list of wild animals died out altogether in the area, including turkey and white-tail deer.

Bailey was born in 1918 Rock, Mercer County. He worked as a West Virginia game biologist from 1945 to 1970. By the 1950s, the turkey was gone from virtually all of West Virginia. Only a few of the wiliest, craftiest birds remained in a few remote pockets near the Virginia border in the craggiest terrain the Mountain State has to offer.

The first attempts to reintroduce turkeys were to breed birds at the French Creek Game Farm (which was established for that purpose) and were dismal failures. Bailey realized that the only way to bring turkeys back would be to catch wild turkeys in the eastern mountains and turn them loose in other parts of the state.

Anyone who has ever hunted a turkey can see the problem here.

It's hard enough to even lure a gobbler within shotgun range, so how on earth are you supposed to catch a turkey?

Bailey and his fellow biologists came up with a brilliant solution with his invention they called the

“rocket net.” With it, biologists could lay in wait over a baited site (which is legal for biologists, not for hunters, by the way). When a turkey showed up, they shot the net over the turkey, then transported the birds elsewhere for reintroduction.

Bailey devoted himself to the turkey both in, as well as out of, the field. He fought to the political battles to marshal resources to restore the turkey in West Virginia and was one of the founders of the National Wild Turkey Federation.

He was also the first recipient of the NWTF's conservationist of the year award. I suppose in the turkey world, that's the equivalent of Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth being the first inductees into Cooperstown.

Bailey left his home state in 1970 to restore North Carolina's turkey population. That year literally marked the end of the decline of the Tarheel State's turkey-population decline.

Bailey is credited for wildturkey habitat improvement on

more than one million acres of public land in West Virginia and helped biologists in Ohio, Illinois, New Hampshire, Vermont and Pennsylvania restore the turkey in those states. He was also a prolific author, writing more than 100 papers and at least two books on wild turkeys and other wildlife.

Those works were widely read and influential among American wildlife biologists. For the hunter, he did write some lyrical musings as well, which are packaged in his book, “Wayne's Turkey World: Sixty Years of Hunting.”

I don't think it's any stretch to say that thanks to Bailey and those he inspired, West Virginia leads the nation in wildlife data collection. No other state can boast the sheer volume of historical data West Virginia has. That modern wildlife data revolution began with the man who took Bailey's torch, Jim Pack, but that's a subject for a later column.

Contact David Payne Sr. at davidpayne@theputnamstandard.com.

Time to gear up for Spring Gobbler Season

By David Payne Sr. For The Putnam Standard

West Virginia wildlife biologists say there is no time like the present to prepare for West Virginia's annual spring-gobbler season, which runs from April 23 to May 19.

“The earlier you get out better,” said Kem Shaw, wildlife biologist. “Even just driving backroads on your way to work each day and seeing birds in fields is productive.”

Scouting for turkey is somewhat different than preseason deer scouting. While deer often follow a specific daily routine in a relatively confined area, the same can't be said for turkey.

“We did some studies a few years ago on turkey movement,” Shaw said. “We had one on the Chief Cornstalk (Wildlife Management Area) that traveled 12 air miles in a week. Some traveled 20 miles a week in the (Monongahela) National Forest because the food source wasn't good.”

Although some birds might log plenty of frequent-flyer miles, others don't, especially if they have a reliable source of food, he said.

“Some do wander around, but some stay in the same area,” he said. “Look around for birds and see where they have been scratching. There's some places that look like a vacuum cleaner has gone through the woods with all the turkey activity.

There's a lot of birds in Putnam County, but the kill has been low in some years, I think that's from a lack of hunting pressure.

From talking to hunters – and I see a lot of birds myself – I think the birds are there, but not the hunting pressure. We've got a strong, healthy turkey population and I think we're in for a great spring.”

In addition to the regular season, there is also a special oneday youth spring gobbler season on April 21, for eight-to-18year-old hunters, who must be accompanied by a properly licensed adult who cannot carry a

law makes it seem like you can hunt until 1 p.m., but it's illegal to have an uncased firearm in the woods after 1 p.m., so leave the stand early.

If you bag a turkey, you have to field tag it immediately when you get back to camp or your vehicle although your best bet would be to attach it in the field and make sure it hasn't fallen off when you get back to camp.

If you find yourself without a proper field tag, you can make Biologists say hunters should get one yourself and attach it to the ready for spring gobbler season. Photo bird. The tag needs to have your

by Mark Shock, provided by West Vir- name, address, hunting license ginia Division of Natural Resources number, as well as the date, time weapon and must remain close and county of kill. That tag has enough to render assistance. to stay on the carcass until it is Youth hunters over 15 must also tagged at the checking station. be properly licensed. The bag You've got 72 hours from the limit is one bearded turkey, time of kill – or 24 hours after which counts against the the season ends (whichever hunter's annual limit. Only shot- comes first) to get the carcass guns using shot size between checked in. You have to keep the check-in-station tag on the No. 4 and No. 7 ½ are legal. carcass until it is dressed for When the season starts, keep consumption. these laws in mind: According to conservation ofShooting hours are a half hour ficers, among the most common before sunrise to 1 p.m. That

violations are hunting over bait, improper license or hunting without a license, exceeding the bag limits, illegal possession of wildlife and hunting without permission. Also among the top offenses are ones that even honest hunters can commit in a moment or two of forgetfulness – failure to field tag a turkey and loaded gun in a vehicle.

Keep in mind that you and your average conservation officer probably have two different ideas of what constitutes a loaded gun in a vehicle, so be careful what you do when you return to the vehicle after a morning's hunt. Don't lay a loaded firearm on a tailgate, lean it against the vehicle, etc.

For your pre-season scouting, however, leave your firearm at home, but bring your call.

“There's no better time to practice your calling,” Shaw said.

Contact David Payne Sr. at davidpayne@theputnamstandard.com.

Obituaries

Page 10 – March 2, 2012 CAROLYN BARBARA (WEAVER) COON RANDY WELLINGTON ENGLE HELEN (JUDSON) FOWLER WILLIAM "BILL" P. HARRIS CELESTIA VIRGINIA "SIS" HERDMAN MACIL A. JIVIDEN JOHN THOMAS "JT" KOONTZ AARON RAY LILLY W.E. "BILL" McELFISH ANTHONY RINGEL ANTHONY RICHARD ROMERO IDA KATHRYN KING ROSS LARRY “DOC” SLATER HOWARD H. STEWART MARSHA J. THOMAS NEAL "BUD" WALTERS JR. RONALD D. WALTON CHRISTOPHER "CHRISSIE" WATSON MARGARET K. WILLIAMS TIMOTHY WAYNE WOMACK CHARLES J. WRAY

CAROLYN BARBARA (WEAVER) COON Carolyn Barbara (Weaver) Coon, 74, of St. Albans quietly left this world Sunday, February 19, 2012, at her residence.

Born February 12, 1938, in Anawalt, Carolyn was the daughter of the late John R. and Ruby Lou Weaver. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Billy L. Coon; and her son, James A. Coon.

All who knew her called her a sweet, gentle lady. She was always willing to help her family, friends and neighbors, and enjoyed spending time outdoors visiting with everyone.

Carolyn graduated from Van High School, and attended Cumberland College prior to marrying Billy L. Coon. She worked part-time for several local churches while raising two children. In her later years, she was a volunteer at Thomas Memorial Hospital, as well as a volunteer income tax preparer through VITA and AARP. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Joyce and Craig Hoffman of Atlantic Beach, Fla.; daughter-in-law, Sandra McCallister of Hurricane; granddaughters, Destiny Coon of Hurricane and Jamie Coon of Illinois; and brothers, John R Weaver Jr. of Cross Lanes and Jerry Weaver of Charleston.

Memorial services were held Friday, February 24, at First Baptist Church, St. Albans, with the Rev. Joel M. Harpold officiating.

The family suggests donations are made to the American Heart Association, 162 Court St., Charleston, WV 25301; or First Baptist Church, 523 Second St., St. Albans, WV 25177.

You may also share memories or condolences with the family at www.bartlettchapmanfuneralhome.com.

RANDY WELLINGTON ENGLE Randy Wellington Engle, 58, passed away unexpectedly February 12, 2012.

Randy graduated from St. Albans High School, and resided in Parkersburg. He served in the U.S. Navy, and was a veteran of the Vietnam War. Randy was the son of the late Charles Clyde Sr. and Pearl Samples Engle.

He is survived by his sister, Betty Engle Farmer and her husband, Bill, of Deltaville, Va.; and his brothers, Charles C. Jr. and his wife, Patti, of Charleston, Cody Phillip and his wife, Franci, of Winfield, Rodney and his wife, Lynn, Ted R. and Jerry L., all of St. Albans, and Richard of Glen Allen, Va. He is also survived by his nephew, David and his wife, Emily, of Whiteston, Va. Memorial service was held Friday, February 17, at Cunningham Memorial Park, Upper Mausoleum Chapel, St. Albans, with the Rev. Loretta Isaiah officiating.

Burial with military honors by James E. Marshall Post #187, Winfield followed.

Please visit www.bartlettchapmanfuneralhome.com to share a memory or leave a condolence.

Bartlett-Chapman Funeral Home, St. Albans, was in charge of arrangements.

HELEN (JUDSON) FOWLER Helen (Judson) Fowler, 95, of Winfield and formerly of Point Pleasant, went to be with her Lord on Wednesday, February 15, 2012, at Putnam Care and Rehab, in Teays Valley.

She was a retired clerk from City Ice and Fuel and was a member of the Bellemead United Methodist Church. She was very active in her church and in her community.

Helen was born October 31, 1916, in Hartford, a daughter to the late Austin and Cora May (Smith) Judson. In addition to her parents, she was also preceded in

death by her husbands, Jack Fowler and Loyed Baker; a son, Gayle Moore; a grandson, Mark Buckalew; and four brothers, Melvin, Austin, Roy and Raymond Judson.

Helen is survived by her son, Marvin Baker, of Mt. Sterling, OH; her daughter and son-inlaw, Linda and Roy Buckalew, of Winfield; six grandchildren; twelve great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

Funeral services were held Saturday, February 18, 2012, at the Crow-Hussell Funeral Home, with Rev. Tom Hill officiating.

Burial followed in Suncrest Cemetery.

Helen’s care was entrusted to Crow-Hussell Funeral Home. An online registry is available at www.crowhussellfh.com.

WILLIAM "BILL" P. HARRIS William "Bill" P. Harris, 91, of Cross Lanes departed this life Sunday, February 19, 2012, at his home following a short illness.

He was a loving and devoted father who will be greatly missed by family and friends.

He was a retired World War II Seabee Navy veteran. Over the years, he had affiliations with the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was a retired pipefitter, having worked at Union Carbide in South Charleston for over 43 years. Bill faithfully attended Calvary Baptist Church in Hurricane, where his wife is a member.

Survivors include his loving wife of 64 years, Ruby Harris; and three children, Pamela Radford Anderson of Hurricane, Barbara Jones of Catlettsburg, Ky., and Patrick Harris of Charleston. Bill is also survived by four grandchildren, Sara Austin of Saline, Mich., Missionary Nathan Radford of Kitale, Kenya, East Africa, Christy Reed of Mt. Orab, Ohio, and Michael Jones of Cincinnati, Ohio; as well as seven greatgrandchildren.

Funeral services were held Thursday, February 23, at Tyler Mountain Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Pete Thompson officiating.

Special thanks to caregivers at St. Francis Hospital, Covenant Home Health and Kanawha Hospice Care.

The family has requested that donations are made to Baptist Faith Missions, General Fund, P.O. Box 471280, Lake Monroe, FL 32727-1280. Online condolences may be sent to www.tylermountainfuneralhome.com.

CELESTIA VIRGINIA "SIS" HERDMAN Celestia Virginia "Sis" Herdman, 78, of Leon passed away Wednesday, February 15, 2012, at CAMC Memorial Hospital following a sudden illness. She was a Christian, and a member of Manila Chapel Church. She was a homemaker, and loved and cared

The Putnam Standard for her family.

Born August 8, 1934, she was the daughter of the late Warren D. Bowling and Hazel Ellis Bowling.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death in 1998 by her husband of 45 years, Randil G. Herdman; an infant daughter, Virginia Diane Herdman; brothers, John Bowling and Vernon Marshall; as well as an infant sister.

Survivors include a daughter, Arettia Hollis of Columbus, Ohio; sons, Brycle E. (Diana) Herdman of Cross Lanes, Keith A. Herdman of Nitro and Randil L. (Marie) Herdman of Leon; brother, Curtis Bowling of Leon; sisters, Margaret Brown, Mattia Duty, Barbara Frabott and Karen Ferguson; nine grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held Monday, February 20, at Raynes Funeral Home, Buffalo with Pastor Sampy Hart officiating. Burial followed in Shiloah Church Cemetery, Red House.

Online condolences may be sent to the Herdman family, and the online guestbook signed, by www.raynesfuneralvisiting home.com.

Raynes Funeral Home, Buffalo, was in charge of arrangements.

MACIL A. JIVIDEN Macil A. Jividen, 90, of Eleanor completed her earthly journey and went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Monday, February 13, 2012, surrounded by her family who cherished and loved her dearly. She was a faithful member of Shiloah Community Church, Red House, and before her illness enjoyed attending Hometown Senior Citizens. Her greatest joy in life, other than the Lord, was her family. She enjoyed having family gatherings at her home, and cooking Sunday dinners for all to enjoy. Her two most enjoyable hobbies were gardening in the summer and quilting through the winter, and generously passing them down for family to enjoy.

Born November 15, 1921, in Buffalo, she was the daughter of the late Earl and Florence (Johnson) Whittington. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 48 years, Bracil Jividen; sons, Delmar "Lloyd" and Larry Jividen; daughter-in-law, Helen Jividen; grandsons, Travis "T.J." and Robert "Bob" Jividen; sisters, Vivian Allinder, Audrey Parsons, Bonnie Phillips, Juanita Armbrust and Ada Cain; and brothers, Jerry and Arliss Whittington.

Left to cherish her memory are her sons, Delbert Jividen of Red House, Belford (Juanita) Jividen of Buffalo, David (Karen) Jividen of Fraziers Bottom, Jerry (Luanne) Jividen of Poca and Gary (Nancy) Jividen of Eleanor; her daughter, Pam (Shawn) Swett of Eleanor; sister, Reba Phillips of

Nitro; brother, Bob Whittington of Mesa, Ariz.; 13 grandchildren, Connie, Mike, Carrie, Leah, Kim, Shane, Chris, Amy, Merideth, Shannon, Shanda, Angie and Brittany; 19 great-grandchildren, Nick, Wesley, Lucas, Justin, Cassie, Andrea, Dillon, Katelyn, Lindsey, K.C., Christie, C.J., Lexi, Davin, Kylar, Chandler, Chase, Mi Kayley and Connor; and three g re a t - g re a t - g ra n d c h i l d re n , Makenzie, Colton and Matthew.

In loving memory of our precious, loving mother, grandmother, sister and aunt. We were very blessed to have had her for 90 memory-filled years, but now she has gone to be with her Lord and Savior in Heaven to suffer no longer on this earth. Macil will be greatly missed by family and friends. She touched the lives of many people, and memories of her will last forever. We have gained another star in the sky, and a guardian angel in Heaven.

The family would like to thank Charlotte and her staff at My Fair Lady Personal Care Home; and the hospice nurses, especially Tammy, for the loving care given to our mother.

The family suggests donations are made to HospiceCare, 1606 Kanawha Blvd. W., Charleston, WV 25387-2536.

Funeral services were held Saturday, February 18, at Shiloah Community Church, Red House with Pastor Paul Browning and Pastor Ray Humphrey officiating. Burial followed in Buffalo Memorial Park, Buffalo.

Online condolences may be sent to the Jividen family, and the online guestbook signed, by visiting www.raynesfuneralhome.com.

Raynes Funeral Home, Buffalo, was in charge of arrangements.

JOHN THOMAS "JT" KOONTZ John Thomas "JT" Koontz, well-known and longtime area gospel singer, 75, of Kenna was called to his heavenly home Wednesday, February 15, 2012, at home surrounded by his loving family. He was retired from the State of West Virginia, and was a member of Goldtown Community Church, Goldtown, where he served as choir director for 20 years.

JT began his singing career in the 1950s, and sang with several gospel groups over the years, such as The King's Harmony Boys; The Newsman Quartet; The Calvarymen Quartet; The Shoremen Quartet; The Pauley's; and most recently his family group, The Koontz Family.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ezra Oshel and Freda Mae Dorsey Koontz; son, Tony Koontz; sisters, Lillian Fisher McCorkle and Edith Crank; and brothers, William D. "Buddy" Koontz and Oshel "OJ" Koontz.

Surviving are his loving wife, Bonnie Good Koontz; sons and

Obituaries

The Putnam Standard daughters-in-law, Steven and Michelle Koontz of Ripley and Chris and Meredith Koontz of Kenna; former daughter-in-law, who he still considered as a close member of the family, Lori Lanier; sister, Francis Harrison of Swansboro, N.C.; grandchildren, Elizabeth Koontz, Andrea Koontz Barr and her husband, Joey, and their daughter, Zoie, Isaac, Ethan and Eli Koontz and Daniel and Samuel Parsons; nephews, Larry Fisher, Richard Crank, Greg Koontz, Travis Koontz and James Harrison; and niece, Catheryn Brooks.

Services were held Sunday, February 19, 2012 at Goldtown Community Church with the Rev. Al Mendez and the Rev. Aaron Jones officiating. Burial followed in Floral Hills Gardens of Memories, Pocatalico.

Good Shepherd Mortuary, South Charleston was in charge of arrangements.

The family asks that donations are made to Goldtown Community Church, 17549 Charleston Road, Kenna, WV 25248.

AARON RAY LILLY Aaron Ray Lilly, 33, of Scott Depot passed away.

He was a salesman for Teays Valley Hardware, Scott Depot. He was a music lover, and played guitar. He will be remembered for his honesty and trustworthiness. He was a loving father of three; a cherished and loved son; a wonderful brother; and a friend to many.

Aaron is survived by his children, Griffin Edward, Reece Aaron and Macheala Sidnee Lilly; mother, Pamela R. Lilly; sister, Sara Elizabeth Lilly; uncles, Tom and John Miller; aunts, Beverley Murdock and Pam Miller; nieces, Kaitlyn Mae and Savannah Nicole Lilly; and multiple cousins.

A celebration of Aaron's life was held Sunday, February 19, at Casdorph & Curry Funeral Home, St. Albans. Burial followed in Forks of Coal Cemetery, Alum Creek.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.casdorphandcurry.com.

W.E. "BILL" McELFISH W.E. "Bill" McElfish, 84, of Hurricane passed away at his home February 15, 2012, after a brief illness.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Kate McElfish; and granddaughter, Cassi Joanna McElfish.

He was retired from Union Carbide; a member of Hurricane First Baptist Church; and a member of Putnam Masonic Lodge AF&AM 139.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Lu McElfish; sons, Brad (Ellen) McElfish and Dr. Charles E. McElfish, both of Hurricane; five grandchildren, Michel Alan Dixon, Jacquelyn Simokat, Briana McElfish, Kendrick McElfish

and Kathryn Lee Chaffin; three great-grandchildren; stepchildren, Becky Ryan, Sandy Cripps and Ron Oxley; two step-grandchildren, Jennifer Porter and Kelly Cripps; and two step-greatgrandchildren.

Funeral services were held Saturday, February 18, at Allen Funeral Home with the Rev. James McGehee officiating. Burial followed in Valley View Memorial Park with Masonic rites conducted by Putnam Lodge AF&AM 139.

Condolences may be sent at allenfuneralhomewv.com.

ANTHONY RINGEL Anthony Ringel of St. Albans passed away unexpectedly at home February 14, 2012, from a heart attack.

Anthony was born October 7, 1963, at St. Francis Hospital, Charleston. He graduated from St. Albans High School, and attended West Virginia State University. He served as an employee of the West Virginia House of Delegates for many years.

He was preceded in death by his beloved brother, Matthew, in 1984 and his father, Robert A. Ringel, in 2010.

Anthony was a well-known drummer, and played in several bands during the 1980s and 1990s. They included The Shock, Reverend Blues and the Apostles and Blue Dogs. He was a lifelong fan of the Washington Redskins, WVU Mountaineers and the St. Albans baseball teams, which he loved to watch sitting on lounge chairs in the back of a pickup truck with his dear friend "Mr. White."

Anthony was a kind, gentle, sweet man who spoke ill of no one, and was most dearly loved and will be greatly missed by his family and many friends.

He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Cassidy and Chris Sauvageot; grandson, Christopher Matthew, and granddaughter, Chloe Jean Sauvageot; mother, Eleanor Ringel; brother, Robert J. Ringel; and aunts, April Bersin of Louisiana, Alice Kerner of California, Murel Mabe of South Charleston, Nancy Ringel of Charleston and Alice Melbourne of Connecticut.

A Mass of Christian burial was held Saturday, February 18, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, St. Albans with Father Patrick McDonough officiating.

Burial followed in Cunningham Memorial Park, St. Albans.

The family suggests donations are made to Anthony's favorite charity, Manna Meals, 1105 Quarrier Street, Charleston, WV 25301.

Casdorph & Curry Funeral Home, St. Albans assisted the Ringel family with arrangements.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.casdorphandcurry.com.

ANTHONY RICHARD ROMERO Anthony Richard Romero, 56, of St. Albans passed away February 15, 2012, at home.

He was born May 10, 1955, in Wichita, Kan., and was a son of Esubio James and Carolyn Cooper Romero, who preceded him in death.

In addition to his parents, he was also preceded in death by a brother, Charles Lee Townsend; and a sister, Tina Marie Romero.

Anthony is survived by his sons, Jason Anthony Romero of Morgantown, Joshua Brock Collins of St. Albans and Andreas Cook of St. Albans; his daughters, Toni Marie Cook of St. Albans and Toni Rae Pentatol; brothers, Casimiro Joe Romero of St. Albans and Micheal Romero of Brockway, Pa.; sister, Antonia Romero Edens of Sissonville; grandchildren, Ricky Cook, Matthew Cook and Andreas Cook Jr.; nieces, Cassandra Romero Tobia, Jessica Romero Brown and Fran Romero; nephews, Justin Romero, Casimiro Jose Romero and James Michael Romero; five greatnephews; and four grand-nieces.

A gathering of family and friends was held Saturday, February 18, at Casdorph & Curry Funeral Home, St. Albans.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.casdorphandcurry.com.

IDA KATHRYN KING ROSS Kathryn has left to join her son, Robert L. Sidebottom II; and her parents, Madeline and Dewey King.

She was born in St. Albans, W.Va., and lived there most of her life. Her home on Coal River was always welcoming and warm.

Many memorable times were spent there with family and friends and will surely be recalled as the days pass.

In 1992, she decided it was time to move to Pensacola to be nearer to her family. She left her beloved West Virginia and became a fixture at the Park Place Apartments in Pensacola. She will be fondly remembered with the stylish single curler propped in her snow-white hair.

She was mother to Thomas K. and Michael B. Sidebottom, grandmother (nanny) to Ben, Meika and Matthew Sidebottom and Amy Hinson (Clint) and greatgrandmother to Denver, Ella and Seth. She was Aunt Kathryn to Steve Sidebottom and Ada Carol McLane (Don).

She will always be in the hearts of lifelong friends Mary and Bill Rose and the Austin family of St. Albans. We will miss her.

A service for family and friends is being planned.

A special thanks is extended to the staff of Consulate Health Care for providing comfort in her final days.

Please donate to a favorite charity in her name.

March 2, 2012 – Page 11 LARRY “DOC” SLATER Larry “Doc” Slater 63 of Hurricane went to be with the lord at his home on February 14, 2012 after long illness.

“Doc” was a retired Truck Driver from Ralph H Burns and Sons and a Computer Tech with P C Medic Computer Service. He was a member of Sheppard’s Chapel Ministry in Arkansas.

Surviving: Wife Deborah; Daughters: Jennifer Rose of Sissonville, Tammy Slater of Sissonville and Kelly Harper of Sod; Stepdaughter: Lisa Buglehall Caddo Mills TX. A Celebration of Life was held Friday February 17, 2012 with Rev. Barry Eplin and Rev. Paul Benson officiating.

Allen Funeral Home, Hurricane, was in charge of arrangements.

His body was cremated after the service.

Donations, in memory of Larry Slater, may be made to Shepherd’s Chapel, PO Box 416, Gravette AR 72736.

HOWARD H. STEWART Howard H. Stewart, 82, of Nitro entered into heaven's gate February 10, 2012.

Born March 14, 1929, to Homer and Grace Stewart of Whitesville. He was also preceded in death by sisters, Evelyn and Delphia; brother, Roy Stewart; and grandson, Jeffrey Scott Hayes.

Howard was a Korean War veteran. He was a Bell Lines driver for many years, and Teamster, before retiring from Smith Transfer. Howard was a former member of the Clown Unit with Beni Kedem Shrine, and a volunteer driver, transporting children to the Shriner's Hospitals.

Howard is survived by his wife of 56 years, Betty; loving father to son, Jeff of Nitro; son, David and wife, Sandy, of Nitro; daughter, Robin and husband, Jeff Hayes, of Scott Depot; granddaughters, Cassie and Katie Stewart of Nitro and Jennifer Stephens of Hurricane; and brother, Ronald Lyons of St. Albans.

Howard was a member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Nitro where he enjoyed Sunday school, apple butter days and the men's fellowship breakfast.

A Celebration of Christian Life memorial service was held Saturday, February 18, at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Nitro with the Rev. Nancy White and

retired Pastor Paul Baldwin officiating.

Bartlett-Chapman Funeral Home, St. Albans assisted the family.

Contributions may be made, in memory of Howard, to St. Paul's UMC Roof Fund, 2008 20th Street, Nitro, WV 25143.

MARSHA J. THOMAS Marsha J. Thomas, 62, of Powhatan, Va., passed away peacefully February 16, 2012, after a long battle with acute renal failure and related health issues.

She was born March 11, 1949, in South Charleston. Marsha attended St. Albans High School, and graduated from Marshall University in Huntington. She loved reading, music and her dogs and cats, but most of all her family and friends.

She is survived by her husband, David; daughter, Sara Beth; and her brother, John Young of St. Albans.

Marsha requested no funeral service, and the family has honored those wishes. There will be a memorial service for her in West Virginia at a later date.

Please consider a donation to The Powhatan Animal Control Center, 4000 Old Plantation Rd., Powhatan, VA 23139.

NEAL "BUD" WALTERS JR. Neal "Bud" Walters Jr., 79, of Eleanor passed away on Friday, February 17, 2012, at Hubbard Hospice House, Charleston.

Born June 9, 1932 in Mount Hope, Bud was a son of the late Lonnie Neal Sr. and Grace Miller Walters.

He was owner, operator and developer and CEO of Real Estate Equity Corporation, DBA, Camelot Village; a member of Minerva Masonic Lodge 13, Barboursville, A.F. & A.M. and a veteran of the United States Air Force. Neal was a pilot and loved flying his airplanes as well as restoring classic automobiles.

He is survived by his wife, Anita Walters; daughter, Michelle Walters Robinson (David) of Eleanor; son, L. Neal Walters III of Oak Hill; sisters, Janice Beaver (David) of Altamonte, Fla., and Patricia Brock of Mount Hope; three grandchildren, David Jr., Isaiah and Isabella Robinson; and his beloved dog and companion, Toby.

There will be no services at this

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Obituaries

Page 12 – March 2, 2012 time.

The family requests donations are made to Hubbard Hospice House, 1001 Kennawa Drive, Charleston, WV 25311, or First Baptist Church, 901 Roosevelt Blvd., Eleanor, WV 25070.

You may share memories or condolences with the family at www.chapmanfuneralhomes.co m.

RONALD D. WALTON Ronald D. Walton, 61, of Scott Depot, formerly of London and Montgomery, made his transition on February 15, 2012, at his home with family and friends surrounding him with love.

He was a graduate of Cedar Grove High School and West Virginia (University) Institute of Technology, and received his master's degree from Marshall University. He was director of Student Affairs at WV Tech for over 15 years, and became the executive director of the Board of Medicine for the State of West Virginia, where he retired after more than 20 years of service.

He served as choir director for Cross Lanes United Methodist Church for over 25 years, and taught classes at West Virginia State (University) after his retirement.

Ron is survived by his com-

panion, Dianna Taylor; son, Bernardo Brooks; siblings: Roland, Junora and William "Tim" (Jennifer); uncles, William "Bill" (Blanche) Jones and Freddie (Barbara) Riley; aunts, Annestine Wright and Mary Carolyn (Ed) Nowlin; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Funeral services were held Sunday, February 19, 2012, at Cross Lanes United Methodist Church, Cross Lanes. & Breckenridge Walton Chapel of Faith Funeral Home, Charleston assisted the family.

Ron has requested that contributions be made to either Cross Lanes United Methodist Church or the First Missionary Baptist Church of London.

CHRISTOPHER "CHRISSIE" WATSON Mr. Christopher "Chrissie" Watson, 80, of Poca, formerly of Nitro, passed away February 20, 2012, at Hubbard Hospice House.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Rowena Pickens Watson; daughters, Teresa Moses and Suzanne Crockett; seven grandchildren; and a host of great-grandchildren.

A tribute to the life of Chrissie was held Thursday, February 23, at Gatens-Harding Funeral

Home Chapel with Randy Satterfield and Carlton Schooly officiating. Private entombment followed in Haven of Rest Memory Gardens.

Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.hardingfamilygroup.com.

Gatens-Harding Funeral Home, Poca, assisted the Watson family.

MARGARET K. WILLIAMS Margaret K. Williams, 93, of St. Albans passed away Saturday, February 11, 2012, following a short illness.

Born September 30, 1918, in Spring Hill, she was a daughter of the late Arthur and Pauline Thomas Cobb Weed. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Jess Willard "Bill" Williams; her sister, Isabelle Bennett; and her brother, Lewis Cobb.

Margaret was a graduate of South Charleston High School, and was a retired sales associate from Cox's Department Store and Peebles Department Store. A resident of St. Albans since 1952, she was an active member of the First Baptist Church of St. Albans, and the Order of the Eastern Star Chapter #79, St. Albans.

Margaret lived independently

The Putnam Standard

until the fall of 2011.

Surviving are her sons, Robert W. Williams (Carolyn) of Bloomington, Ill., and Wayne T. Williams (Della B.) of Louisville, Tenn.; grandchildren, Wayne F. Williams (Jennifer) of Chattanooga, Tenn., Warren L. Williams of Louisville, Darren M. Williams of Albuquerque, N.M., and Deirdre M. Steel (Scott) of Bloomington; and great-grandchildren, Jordan Williams, Andrew Smith, Jackson Steele and Alaina Steele, all of Bloomington, and Jesse Williams, Caroline Williams and Jacob Williams, all of Chattanooga.

Funeral services were held Sunday, February 19, at BartlettChapman Funeral Home, St. Albans, with the Rev. Joel M. Harpold officiating. Burial followed in Cunningham Memorial Park, St. Albans.

Online condolences may also be made by visiting www.bartlettchapmanfuneralhome.com.

TIMOTHY WAYNE WOMACK Timothy Wayne Womack passed away peacefully at home on February 13, 2012.

Born December 12, 1958 in Huntington, he lived his life in the Hurricane area. He was a vol-

unteer firefighter with the Forestry Division, Putnam County for over 18 years.

Surviving are his wife, Cheryl Womack; step-daughter, Cindy Quentrill; step-son, Ryan Vauter; 2 step-grandchildren, Holly Quentrill and Hayden McCormick. Also surviving are his three sisters, Annette Hudson, Deborah Jividen and Doraetta Hesse and several extended family members.

Memorial services were held Thursday, February 16, 2012 at Springdale Freewill Baptist Church, Cow Creek, Hurricane, WV. Online condolences may be made by visiting www.chapmanfuneralhomes.com.

The family would appreciate contributions be made on their behalf at Putnam County Bank, PO Box 308, Hurricane, WV 25526.

Chapman Funeral Home, Hurricane, WV assisted the family.

CHARLES J. WRAY Charles J. Wray, 88, of Apple Grove, W.Va., died Feb. 18 in Emogene Dolin Jones Hospice House.

Funeral services were held Wednesday, February 22 at Deal Funeral Home, Point Pleasant, W.Va.; burial followed at Mount Union Cemetery, Pliny, W.Va.

Wireless Internet in store this fall for all Putnam County Schools

By David Payne Sr. For The Putnam Standard

Putnam County Board of Education is one step closer to having the resource of wireless internet at the disposal of all its students.

At the Feb. 20 meeting, the board authorized wireless installation at six schools, George Washington Elementary, George Washington Middle, Hurricane High, Hurricane Middle, Mountain View Elementary and Winfield High.

Superintendent Chuck Hatfield said school officials intend to have wireless internet in all of the county's schools this year.

“We are planning for all our schools to have wireless by fall. Technology is the way we are headed. It's a driving force in the business world and it will be a driving force in education and we are making a concerted effort to have it in all our schools by this fall,” he said.

The board authorized Pomeroy IT Solutions to in-

students have better equipment already than we could provide them.”

Board member Deborah Phillips expressed concern at the meeting about the security of the wireless systems. Hatfield said that it would be a secure system with restrictions – only authorized school users would be allowed and the wireless systems wouldn't offer a special backdoor of access to school records, etc.

The systems are designed to work with laptops that stuPutnam County school officials say wireless Internet is in store for all of dents will be using in the the county's schools by fall. Photo illustration by David Payne classrooms and the bringstall the wireless systems at a Other schools will have your-own pilot at Buffalo cost of $381,700. A break- wireless internet access as part High is also designed with lapdown of those costs by school of construction or renovation, top computers in mind. Smart follows: including Buffalo High phones and tablets won't be alGeorge Washington School, which will be the setlowed.

Elementary, $21,099. ting of numerous pilot proBoard member Sam SenGeorge Washington grams next year. Among those telle said that making such imMiddle School, $25,304. will be a special wireless inprovements in schools makes Hurricane High ternet pilot, called BYOD the community more attractive School, $121,571.

(Bring Your Own Device). If for businesses expanding or Hurricane Middle successful, the program will relocating.

School, $83,211. likely be introduced at other “When I talk to somebody Mountain View Ele- schools as well. about moving here, the first mentary, $40,527.

“We have a lot of confithing they ask about is the Winfield High dence that this will work,” schools,” he said.

School, $89,986.

Hatfield said. “A lot of these

Wireless Internet is just a taste of some of the new technology concepts in store for the new Buffalo High. When it opens its doors for the first time this fall, it will feature 21st-Century academic programs that will make it a showcase for the entire state, said Craig Spicer, board president.

Buffalo will feature a technology-intensive, projectbased learning experience.

Each student will have access to his/her own computer. It will also feature an agricultural-science program. The board took a step in that direction at the last meeting by creating a vocational-agriculture position at the school for the next school year.

School officials say that if the pilot programs at Buffalo are successful, they could find their way into other schools in the county.

Contact David Payne Sr. at davidpayne@theputnamstandard.com.

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Page 14 – March 2, 2012

Community News

The Putnam Standard

TOYOTA FROM PAGE 1 Thursday that they will expand their production capacity of six-speed automatic transmissions at their plant in Buffalo beginning later this year.

The expansion in production will mean an additional investment of $45 million at the Buffalo plant and will result in the creation of 80 new jobs in Putnam County. The expansion will raise total employment at the plant to 1,200 and bring total investment by Toyota in Buffalo to $1.3 billion. It is the second expansion at the Buffalo plant announced during the past year.

“The continuing expansions at Toyota Motor Manufacturing of West Virginia speak volumes about the company’s positive experience of doing business in Putnam County,” said Putnam County Commissioner Joe Haynes. “The fact that a world class company like Toyota choose to locate here and continues to grow their business, sends a positive signal to other new or established businesses who might be considering our county. We are business friendly in Putnam County, a fact reinforced by this latest decision by one of the worlds most respected companies.”

Putnam County Chamber of Commerce President Marty Chapman welcomed the news of Toyota’s expansion.

second time in approximately a year, Toyota will expand the Buffalo plant due to the success of their diligent, hard-working, and devoted employees,” said West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin. “Toyota’s commitment to excellence coupled with the strong West Virginia work ethic is a match made for positive economic growth benefitting both the company and the community.”

U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito echoed similar comments.

“I am thrilled to learn that Toyota will create 80 good-paying jobs in West Virginia. Toyota has been an important partner to the West Virginia community for over a decade, providing over 1,000 jobs and support to local families,” Capito said.

“Our economy is still struggling to recover, and the fact that Toyota continues to expand in the Mountain State is a testament to the strength of the West Virginia work force.”

U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, DW.Va., who was instrumental in helping bring Toyota to Putnam County, said that he was pleased with the company’s announcement.

“This is great news for Toyota’s workers and the company’s plant in Buffalo,” Rockefeller said. “Toyota has been such an asset to West Virginia and our people, bringing good jobs to our state and currently employing more than 1,100 workers.

I’m proud to have played a role in bringing Toyota to West Virginia more than 15 years go.

Toyota’s continued expansion in Buffalo is a testament to the exceptionally strong and devoted work force that we have. Our workers are the reason that companies like Toyota choose to come to West Virginia.”

events where people are able to turn in unused prescription drugs. The next such drug take back event is set for April 28 in Putnam County and Smith said that every municipality in the county has signed up to participate this time around.

People wanting to turn in unused prescription drugs will be able to visit their local police station or municipal building on April 28 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. to drop off any unused prescription drugs.

Another program that Putnam Wellness is involved with is in conjunction with the Teays Valley Church of God and is called the 'Keep a Clear Mind' program.

The program includes 20 fifth grade students and provides 'conversation starters' to encour-

age the students and their parents to talk about drugs, alcohol and even other issues such as bullying.

Other activities with which Putnam Wellness is involved take place throughout the year, and Smith said the group encourages those who are interested to contact them or to attend one of their monthly meetings.

Putnam Wellness has a Facebook page that users can like to receive updates on the group's meetings and activities.

In addition the group has a website that can be found at http://regionalfr n.org/putnam.html, or people may call 304-414-4470 for more information.

Alisha Smith can be reached at alisha@regionalfrn.org.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing’s Buffalo plant as seen by the air. With the plant’s most recent expansion announcement, a total of 1,200 people will be working in Buffalo. Since breaking ground on the plant, Toyota has invested a total of $1.3 billion in the facility. Photo courtesy of Toyota “Toyota continues to be everything you would want a corporate citizen to be,” Chapman said. “They kept their people working during the down time brought on by the devastating earthquakes in Japan and now they are continuing to expand bringing more good paying jobs to our region. We truly appreciate everything they have done for Putnam County and its citizens.

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The increased production capacity will begin in November and will be completed by July 2013. Production capacity will increase from 400,000 six-speed transmissions a year to 520,000 a year.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia Inc. currently builds six-speed transmissions for the Avalon, Camry, Lexus RX350, Sienna and Venza.

“I am so pleased that for the

WELLNESS FROM PAGE 1 topics of the day, according to Alisha Smith of the Regional Family Resource Network who serves as a point of contact for the Putnam Wellness group.

Among some of the activities that Putnam Wellness is involved with are supporting 24-7 Clubs in local schools.

The 24-7 Clubs encourage students to not do drugs.

So far 24-7 Clubs are in place at Hurricane High School, Hurricane Middle School, George Washington Middle School, Poca High School and Poca Middle School.

The goal is to have a 24-7 Club at every middle school and high school in the county, Smith said.

Putnam Wellness has also served as one of the sponsors for community drug take back

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