Thursday, December 11, 2014
The
Volume 145 Issue 49 50 Cents
Putnam Standard
School board supports pay raises, union By Zach Cumberland zach@theputnamstandard.com
More than 100 customers of other Aldi branches traveled near and far for the grand opening event in Teays Valley on Thursday, Dec. 4.
Hundreds line up for Aldi’s opening By Michael Circle michael@theputnamstandard.com
Aldi’s new store manager Ronnie Hughes cuts the ribbon alongside Aldi’s Operations Director Briana Markham.
The Putnam County School Board put its support behind the West Virginia Education Association and voted to support an increase in teacher salaries. Board members signed a letter and sent it to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin asking for the issue to be considered during the 2015 legislative session. Adam Feazell, a WVEA representative and business education teacher at Hurricane High School, spoke with the board at their Dec. 1 meeting to argue its quest to increase teacher salaries by 2019 and stay competitive with bordering states. Feazell presented the school board with the sample letter. Earlier this year, the Putnam County Board of Education joined 51 other local boards in signing a resolution that was sent to Gov. Tomblin and passed See Board, Page 6
People lined up outside waiting to make their first purchase as Aldi opened its doors in Liberty Square for the first time. After the ribbon was cut, more than 100 customers made their way through the entrance and into the aisles. “It’s awesome to open this new store,” said Ronnie Hughes, Aldi’s store manager. “I’ve been with Aldi 17 years and I felt like this would be a great location. We have great values, great products. It’s another option for people to save some money and get some great stuff.” Putnam County Commission President Steve Andes said the store would make a great addition to the county. “It’s another great day for the county,” Andes said. “It’s an undersold market. We have a Kroger and Wal-Mart and now we have Aldi. If you talk to the people in the county, they’ve just been beating me up wondering when it was going to open. They absolutely love the produce, the great brands and the low prices. It’s more employment and increases the tax base, See Aldi, Page 3
Teays VFD seeks members By Amanda Smythers amanda@theputnamstandard.com The Teays Valley Volunteer Fire Department is in its 50th year, celebrating the anniversary with the largest call volume in recent memory. The department has already run 972 calls in 2014, which Chief John Smoot said puts them on target to hit 1,225 by the end of the year. That would be a 23 percent increase from 2013 and a remarkable 246 percent over 2010, which only reached 354 total calls. “We’re a volunteer fire depart- Smoot See Teays VFD, Page 5
Putnam Family Court Judge Rick Witt ready to move forward By Zach Cumberland zach@theputnamstandard.com In the first of many changes to come, newly elected Putnam County Family Court Judge Rick Witt removed the sign from inside the Putnam County Judicial Building that read “closed from noon to 1 p.m.” Witt (R) defeated challenger David Hill (D) in the Nov. 4 general election and is ready to change Putnam’s family court system.
“We’re going to be doing things a little bit different,” he said. “The court house is open and will be open. We’re going to start scheduling hearings at 8:30 a.m. rather than 9 a.m. We’re here to serve the public.” The number one goal for Witt, who received 65.9 percent of the vote, is to take care of substantial backlogging so people can get hearing dates quickly, he said. Right now, if someone needed an all-day hearing and called to
schedule before Witt took office, the date would not be until the first of March. This, Witt said, is not fair and is not how it will continue. “What we’re going to do is stagger the support staffs’ lunch,” Witt See Judge, Page 4 Republican Richard “Rick” Witt defeated Democrat David Hill in the race for Putnam County Family Court Judge for the 26th Family Court Circuit.
INSIDE THIS EDITION: n
Wrestling Invitational, pg 8
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Poca & Buffalo girls BB, pg 9