The Webster County Budget: Part Two

In our first article about the Webster County budget, we examined three different year’s budgets from 2008 to 2012.

Our initial review reached these conclusions:

(A)  Total revenues, including coal severance revenues, declined a total of $509,968.40 from 2008 to 2012.

(B)  Total spending increased a total of $1,192,276.14 from 2008 to 2012.

(C)  Coal severance revenues declined $184,972.18 from its 2008 level (about a 27 percent decline), with future coal severance revenues expected to be even less.

(D)  At the end of each fiscal year examined, the County had “on paper” a significant surplus ($2.442 million to the good back in 2008, $2.415 million in 2010, and $1.034 million in 2012).

We left for further analysis many issues, including the question of whether the increase in Regional Jail fees account for the $1,192,276.14 increase in spending from 2008 to 2012?

We can answer this question most easily.  

In 2008, the bill to the Regional Jail paid by the County was $185,134.00.  Magistrates Danny Markle and Gary Payne were in office during this time period, along with Judges Jack Alsop and Richard Facemire.  In 2010, the bill to the Regional Jail increased to $489,123.06, with the same two Judges, but two new Magistrates, John Stone and Rich Robertson, in office.  In 2012, the Regional Jail bill surpassed half a million dollars at $517,579.24, with the same Judges and Magistrates in office.  The increase in the Regional Jail bill from 2008 to 2012 is $332,445.24. Both Judges and Magistrates set bail for defendants and both Judges and Magistrates issue terms of imprisonment, all of which contribute to Webster County residents being incarcerated at the Regional Jail.

Many folks have complained that, at least in part, the current Magistrates and their system of setting high bail amounts (which many defendants cannot post) are to blame for the County’s alleged budget problems.  The facts exposed by the analysis of the County’s budgets from 2008 to 2012 reveals that the Regional Jail bill accounts for only 27.9% of the increase in spending from 2008 to 2012. 

Clearly, the County’s finances are going in the wrong direction:  less total revenue and more total spending.  

However, a claim that the declining revenues are based solely on declining coal severance tax revenues is inaccurate.  The declining coal severance revenues account for only 36.3% of the total decline in revenues.  

Further, a claim that the increased spending is based solely on the increased Regional Jail fees is likewise inaccurate.  As noted above, the increased Regional Jail fees make up only 27.9% of the increase in spending.  

This leaves at least two important questions unanswered:

First, if declining coal severance revenues account for only 36.3% of the total decline in revenues, what makes up the other 63.7% of the decline in revenues?

Second, if increased Regional Jail fees account for only 27.9% of the total increase in spending, what makes up the other 72.1% of the increase in spending?

Stay tuned for answers to these questions and more from the Commentator as we continue to examine the County budget.

Here is a quick link to our first article about the County’s budget:

http://webstercommentator.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-webster-county-budget-more.html

Sheriff Candidate Interview: David Bender

"Frankenstorm" Approaches Webster County

Live Radar as of 3:30 p.m. on Monday, October 29, 2012

The Webster County Budget: More Spending, Less Revenue

Is Webster County broke?  If so, why is the County broke?  And how can it be fixed?

These and many other questions arise after a review of the County’s budget information published annually in the local newspaper each September (the County operates on a fiscal year that runs from July 1 to June 30).

You have likely seen the several pages of legal notices listing the County’s revenues, expenditures, and changes in fund balances.  Trying to figure out what all that means is quite an undertaking.

County Budget Decisions Are Made At This Courthouse

Over the next several weeks, the Commentator will attempt to unravel the facts, myths, and misinformation about the County’s budget predicament, if there is one at all.  We will examine what is required to be published each year as a legal notice as well as examining the supporting documents maintained in the County Clerk’s office.  We also hope to interview key county government officials that manage the budget and/or have an impact on the budget.

We start first with a review of the information about the budget contained in the annually published legal notices.  Our review will include the fiscal years that ended on June 30, 2008, June 30, 2010, and June 30, 2012.  These three years will show a trend in the County’s finances.  

We also picked these years to evaluate the claims that: 

(1) the current Magistrates (who took office January 1, 2009) set high bonds which result in more people being jailed, thereby increasing the Regional Jail bill that the County pays the State; 

(2) coal severance revenues have decreased dramatically; and 

(3) the County Commission is funding discretionary projects and spending more money than the revenues would allow.

We realize there are quite numerous and complex other claims that impact the budget and those will be addressed as well.

For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, the total of all revenue paid to the County was $4,236,093.91, and this amount included $428,595.66 paid to the County for the Back Fork Water Extension Project.  The County paid out $428,612.66 for that water project.  The total of all expenditures (including the water project expenditures) was $3,371,590.49.  Simple math would reveal that the County took in more than it spent for fiscal year 2008 and the legal notice clearly shows that to be the case, listing an excess of revenues over expenditures of $864,503.42.  At the start of the fiscal year, the County listed a beginning funds balance of $1,578,152.97.  Adding the 2008 excess revenues to the beginning funds balance left the County with a whopping "surplus" of $2,442,656.39 as of June 30, 2008.

For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010, total revenues were $3,598,534.07 and total expenditures were $4,123,079.97, for a deficiency of $524,545.97 (in other words, the County spent a half million more dollars than it took in during 2010).  Even though the County apparently lost money in 2010, that half million dollar deficiency was applied to the beginning funds balance of $2,939,962.47, still leaving the County will a surplus on paper of $2,415,416.57.  This “surplus” is almost identical to the “surplus” that existed in 2008.

And now to the most recent financial information available:  For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2012, total revenues were $4,651,879.03 and total expenditures were $5,489,617.15, for a deficiency of $837,738.12.  These figures include $1,354,189.74 paid to the County for the Diana Water Extension project but also include $1,354,363.18 paid out by the County for that project.  Again, as in 2010, the County took in less than it paid out.  Applying the $837,738.12 deficiency to the beginning funds balance (of $1,872,705.14) still left the County at the end of the 2012 fiscal year with a “surplus” of $1,034,967.02.

In the past, when public officials were asked about these surpluses, the answer was something to the effect that “well, that money isn’t really there, that’s just an accounting number.”  In the upcoming weeks, the Commentator hopes to solve whether what was printed as a legal notice listing an ending funds balance of some $2.442 million dollars in 2008,  $2.415 million dollars in 2010, and $1.034 million dollars in 2012 was correct or not.

At this point, we accept as true what the County put forth in the legal notices, that is, that the County was $2.442 million to the good back in 2008, $2.415 million in 2010, and $1.034 million in 2012.  Without further explanation of these “surpluses,” the question must be asked as to whether the County’s budget is in trouble or not.  At this point, we do not have an answer for our readers from our review of these figures.

For sake of analysis, let us review what the County took in as revenues and exclude the one time water projects mentioned above.  In 2008, excluding the Back Fork project, actual revenue was $3,807,448.25.  In 2010, actual revenue was $3,598,434.07.  In 2012, excluding the Diana project, actual revenue was $3,297,479.85.  These three years show a decline in revenue of $509,968.40 from 2008 to 2012.

What has caused this half million dollar decline in revenue?

Part of the answer to the decline in revenue is the coal severance fund.  In 2008, the fund generated $668,450.12 for the County.  In 2012, the fund generated $483,477.94, a decline of $184,972.18 from its 2008 level (about a 27 percent decline in coal severance revenue).  We understand that the County can expect even less in coal severance revenue in future fiscal years due to the downturn in coal mining activity in the County.  However, the decline in coal severance revenue is well less than half of the County’s half million dollar decline in total revenues from 2008 to 2012.  

What makes up the other part of the decline in revenue is a question yet to be determined.

Now to the question of what the County is spending:  In 2008, excluding the Back Fork project expenditures, the County spent $2,942,977.83.  In 2010, the County spent $4,123,079.97.  In 2012, excluding the Diana project expenditures, the County spent $4,135,253.97.  These three years show an increase in spending of $1,192,276.14 from 2008 to 2012.

What has caused this $1.192 million dollar increase in spending?  The Regional Jail bill?  Funding discretionary projects?  

Stayed tuned to the Commentator for answers to these and the other questions raised in this article.

House of Delegate Candidate Introduction: Robert Karnes

The Commentator previously invited candidates for State Senate and House of Delegates to participate in video interviews.  No candidate responded, but Republican House of Delegate candidate Robert Karnes agreed to provide a "candidate introduction" for our blog.  Karnes is a candidate to represent the 44th House of Delegates District, which includes and is predominantly comprised of Webster County.  Here is his introduction:

Republican Candidate Robert Karnes

"I would like to thank you for the opportunity to introduce myself to some of your readers. I grew up in Nitro, WV. We were generally pretty poor, however both of my parents believed the key to success was hard work, thrift and diligence. At 10 years old my first job was inserting section “B” into section ”A” of the Kanawha Valley Leader, a weekly paper. Like other kids in those days my brothers and I would also earn extra money by dragging a lawn mower around town and cutting grass. When I was 15 and 16 I worked with my brother hanging drywall in Central Florida during the summers. I worked as a lifeguard for a few years and I worked at Disney World. I even tried college for a year. I spent one semester each at WVU and WV Tech.

When I was 21 I started working for FSIS, a communications company. FSIS is a family business initially started by my father in 1986. When I started work at FSIS my brother and I were the only employees. Our primary operations area was Florida. During the next several years we gradually expanded our operations to cover all of the US. As with most start-ups we made very little money and usually that meant less than minimum wage. For me it also meant driving 1 1/2 million miles over a twenty year period. As we expanded our service area and customer base we began to make a little profit.

In 1996 I started another business, ARK DataLink, which dealt in satellite hardware. At its peak we were one of the top 100 DISH Network dealers. I achieved this by building an online store before many people had become familiar with the Internet. After operating ARK DataLink profitably for about five years I decided a return to FSIS offered more opportunity for future growth.

A few years later, in 2004, I was asked to assume control of FSIS. We are still a small business with 10 employees. We provide WAN services across North America. We are Cisco and Microsoft partners.

House of Delegates District 44

In 1991 I met my wife Amy. She worked as a service and project coordinator for one of our clients and over a period of time our interest in each other expanded beyond our professional relationship. After several months of completely outrageous long distance bills we decided it would be cheaper to get married and raise a family. We have been married for 18 years and have 8 children, 5 boys and 3 girls. Our youngest was born the 16th of October this year.

It was the bleak future faced by my children that impelled me to get involved in politics and seek election to the House of Delegates. This is my first time seeking office. I don’t believe we should tolerate career politicians.

I have lived in several states and at one time or another I have worked in every state. For many West Virginians, traveling outside our borders to find work has become normal. While I would never discourage anybody’s kids, including my own, from going out and seeing the rest of the country, it should never be forced on them because of a lack of opportunities here in West Virginia.

From 1900 to 1950, West Virginia was one of the fastest growing states in the nation. It is only the high taxes and over regulation grown up over the last 60 years that has made it so difficult to create and keep jobs here in West Virginia. As a result of these taxes and regulations we have lost 150,000 residents since 1950. During this time the US population more than doubled. Only the 1970’s offered any kind of growth and only because the Arab oil embargo made our coal a hot commodity.

We can change this multi-generational recession.

The solution to our employment problem is as simple as crafting an environment that encourages businesses to move here or stay here. That means lower taxes and a careful re-examination of our regulatory environment. We should keep only what is necessary and scrap the rest. This is a much broader problem than Webster County or the 44th district and it will require a much broader solution.

I can’t emphasize enough; Webster County cannot “grow it alone.” We will not experience significant growth until West Virginia does. As your delegate I will consistently vote to improve the business climate across West Virginia in order to encourage job growth in our state and in the 44th district.

Additionally, I will work to improve our schools by removing as much of the red-tape coming out of Charleston as possible. I oppose school consolidation (including the recently proposed closing of Diana) and I think it is imperative we work to restore and revitalize as many of our small community schools as possible. I want to see our local school boards, teachers and parents setting the priorities for our schools. I believe in local government as strongly as I believe in limited government.

My opponent is a career politician who has presented no ideas on how we can improve Webster County or West Virginia. In fact he has generally refused to answer questions. Hiding instead behind a “no promises” position. This makes it difficult to compare the two of us. So I will simply reiterate what I believe are some critical ideas if we want a better future for our children.

West Virginia is one of the highest taxed states in the nation and it has without doubt contributed to our unemployment problems. We need tax cuts.

We know regulations are hurting our coal, timber and agriculture industries. We need to review and simplify our regulatory environment.

I believe we should introduce a proper appeals process into our legal system. Our state Supreme Court has an overcrowded docket that makes reasonable review of questionable verdicts unlikely.

Our school systems are failing our children. We need to return control of our schools to the parents, teachers and local school boards. Our schools worked before Charleston began to dictate everything from curricula to discipline (none). I believe our failing school system leaves many of our youth without hope for a bright future which leads to drug use and other crime. We can fix this.

We are currently in a shrinking economy with cities and counties chasing a dwindling business population. With too many workers and too few jobs, wages in WV are far below the national average. Implementing some of these solutions can turn this around and instead of sniping neighboring counties for endangered jobs we can create an environment where jobs are chasing workers and wages rise as demand increases.

I have been endorsed by National Rifle Association, WV Farm Bureau, WV Family Foundation, West Virginians for Life, Patriot Coal, National Federation of Independent Business and others. These are folks like you and I that are working to protect our liberties and create a growing West Virginia where everybody has a chance to prosper.

Thanks again for your blog space and time."

Robert Karnes

304-619-6534

More information about Karnes can be found at his website:

www.karnesfordelegate.com

Blizzard Warning Issued for Webster County

UPDATED 2:18 P.M. OCTOBER 29, 2012
Winter does not officially arrive for just under another two months, but the National Weather Service has issued a "blizzard warning" that includes Webster and surrounding counties.

One to three feet of snow are possible in elevations above 3,000 feet with 11 to 18 inches in lower elevations.

10 Day Forecast from Intellicast.com as of 6:25 a.m. on October 29, 2012

Here is the official statement from the National Weather Service as of 2:18 p.m. October 29:

218 PM EDT MON OCT 29 2012

...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM EDT WEDNESDAY...

* LOCATIONS...VERY ELEVATION DEPENDENT WITH THE BEST CHANCES
ACROSS HIGH TERRAIN...BUT CAN NOT BE RULED OUT IN THE VALLEYS.

* HAZARD TYPES...HEAVY WET SNOW...AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE 3000 FEET ELEVATION WITH
11 TO 18 INCHES BELOW 2000 FEET ELEVATION.

* WINDS...WEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH.

* TIMING...PERIODS OF SNOW...MIXED WITH RAIN FOR THE VALLEYS...
WILL INCREASE IN INTENSITY DURING THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
THE BRUNT OF THE STORM OCCURS OVERNIGHT TONIGHT AND ON TUESDAY.

* IMPACTS...THE HEAVY WET SNOW MAY BRING DOWN TREE LIMBS...
CAUSING POWER OUTAGES OR FLUCTUATIONS. SNOW LOADING...OR THE
WEIGHT OF THE SNOW...MAY CAUSE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE...INCLUDING
COLLAPSING ROOFS. THE COMBINATION OF SNOW AND WIND WOULD LEAD
TO BLOWING SNOW AND REDUCED VISIBILITY.

SHOCKING NUMBERS: 40 Percent of Webster County Residents Receive Social Security/SSI Benefits

Four of every ten persons in Webster County receive some form of Social Security benefits, with nearly two of every ten persons in the county receiving Social Security disability (SSD) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), there were a total of 3,627 Webster County residents receiving some form of Social Security in 2011.  As the 2010 U.S. Census revealed that the county has 9,154 residents, that translates into 39.6% of the county's population on Social Security.

The SSA reported that 802 county residents receive SSI benefits, or 8.8% of the county's population.  Another 925 residents receive SSD benefits, or 10.1% of the county's population.  The 1,727 persons who receive either SSD or SSI make up 18.9% of the county's population.

The SSA also reported that 1,900 county residents receive regular Social Security retirement benefits, or 20.7% of the county's population.

Webster County has a median household income of $28,025.00, based on an average of 2.2 persons in each household in the county.  Persons living under the federal poverty level amount to 22.9% of the county's population.

In comparison, neighboring Pocahontas County, with a 2010 population of 8,719 residents, has three of every ten residents receiving some form of Social Security benefits (2,569 residents total for 29.5% of the Pocahontas population).  Only one of ten Pocahontas residents receive SSD or SSI, which is half of the Webster percentage on disability. The median household income in Pocahontas is $32,161.00, based on an average of 2.18 persons in each household.  15.3% of Pocahontas residents live below the poverty level.

Statewide, 28.7% of West Virginia residents receive some form of Social Security benefits.  Pocahontas is close to the statewide average. Webster easily eclipses the statewide average by nearly 12% more.

Links in support of statistics included in this article include:

http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/oasdi_sc/2011/wv.html

http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/ssi_sc/2011/wv.html

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/54000.html

Highlanders Lose in Overtime to Pocahontas 47 to 40

In a high scoring game at Highlander Field in Upperglade Friday evening, Webster County dropped its season finale to the visiting Pocahontas Warriors 47 to 40 in overtime.

Joe Collins of Webster County took the opening kickoff about 65 yards to set up the Highlanders for their first score.  Webster then scored on a 8 yard run by Jake Thayer to quickly lead 7 - 0, but Pocahontas wasted no time in tying the score at 7 on a 14 yard running play.

On the ensuing kickoff, Walker Lawson returned the kick for 82 yards to put Webster back on top at 13 to 7.  Not to be out done, Pocahontas returned the ensuing kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown to re-take the lead at 14 to 13 with 6:20 still remaining in the first quarter.

Pocahontas increased its lead to 20 to 13 on a 44 yard pass play early in the second quarter.  After a brilliant fake punt by Hunter Given, Webster closed the gap to within 20 to 19 on a 12 yard touchdown run by Lawson.  The teams went into halftime with the Warriors leading 20 to 19.

After Pocahontas scored in the third quarter to lead 27 to 19, Lawson ran the ball about 24 yards for another Webster score and when the two point conversion was successful, the game was tied at 27 with 7:43 remaining in the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Warriors kicked a 30 yard field goal to lead 30 to 27 with 9:07 remaining in the game.  After a 40 yard pass play from Thayer to Dalton Davis, Webster was set for another score at the Pocahontas 12 yard line.  On a fourth down and goal from the 14 yard line, Given made a spectacular diving catch in the end zone to put Webster in the lead at 33 to 30 with 6:49 remaining.  Slow motion video replay of Given's diving catch shows the ball did not hit the ground as alleged by some Pocahontas fans.

With 2:20 remaining in regulation, the Warriors scored on a 6 yard running play to again re-take the lead at 37 to 33. With 1:31 remaining, Webster bounced back on a 36 yard scoring pass from Thayer to Given and when the extra point was good, the Highlanders led 40 to 37.

The Warriors would not quit.  They quickly marched the ball down the field to about the 10 yard line.  The Warrior quarterback threw a pass into the end zone which appeared to be intercepted by Given, but the referees called Given out of bounds giving the Warriors new life.  On the next play, Pocahontas appeared to score a game winning touchdown, but the play was called back for holding on the Warriors.  Pocahontas then kicked a 31 yard field goal with 2 seconds remaining in the game to tie the score at 40 and send the game into overtime.

Pocahontas scored first in overtime and Webster's last play on a fourth down and goal from the 5 yard line ended in a Pocahontas interception.  Webster finished the season at 4 wins, 6 losses.  Pocahontas finished with 5 wins, 5 losses.

Webster certainly had an up and down season.  But for two last minute losses to Richwood and Roane County, and the heartbreaking overtime loss to Pocahontas, Webster's record would likely be at 7 wins, 3 losses and the team would now be preparing for the playoffs.

State Senator Fully Supportive of Frontier's Webster County Internet Expansion Bid

State Senator Gregory Tucker, of Summersville, is fully supportive of the Webster County fiber optic Internet upgrade bid recently made by Frontier Communications.

State Senator Greg Tucker

As previously reported, Frontier placed a $8.3 million dollar broadband Internet expansion project bid with the State's Broadband Deployment Council.  Frontier seeks to use federal stimulus funds to provide some of the highest Internet speeds in the State to some 3,700 homes in Cowen, Webster Springs, and Hacker Valley.

Senator Tucker, whose district includes Webster County, believes there is a good possibility that the project will be funded.  Contacted briefly yesterday by the Commentator, Tucker said that only a few hurdles remain before it can receive approval from the Broadband Council.

The Council has been responsible for assigning over $126.3 million stimulus dollars across the State of West Virginia for high speed Internet expansion.  The Council must finish the project by February, 2013, or risk losing unspent funds. West Virginia was awarded the $126.3 million in federal stimulus money in 2010.  In its bid, Frontier believes it can complete the Webster County project by January 31, 2013.

If the project is funded, Senator Tucker hopes that by having some of the highest Internet speeds in the State, Webster County will be more attractive to landing technology and Internet related businesses.  He suggested that the County's business park near Cowen would be ideally suited to attract high tech business that depend on fast Internet speeds.  Tucker said he has already voiced his support for the project and believes an announcement on Frontier's bid will be forthcoming shortly.

Members of the Council considering Frontier's bid include:

Judge Dan O'Hanlon, Chair, Vice Chancellor of Higher Education Policy Commission, and Designee for Cabinet Secretary Keith Burdette; Erica Mani, Vice Chair, Governor's Office, Deputy Chief of Staff, and Designee for Governor Earl Ray Tomblin; George "Lee" Fisher, Public Member (Rural communities); Jeff Forbes, Public Member; Jan Fox Ph.D., Marshall University,Senior Vice President for IT/CIO, and Representing higher or secondary education; Jimmy Gianato, Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, Director, and Ex-officio member; Gale Given, West Virginia Office of Technology, Chief Technology Officer, and Designee for Cabinet Secretary Ross Taylor; Elaine Harris, Communication Workers of America, International Representative, Representing employees of communication and cable providers and/or communication workers union; Michael Kelemen, Suddenlink Communications, Director of Government Relations, and representing cable operators; Jorea Marple, State Superintendent of Schools, and Ex-officio member; Jim Martin, Citynet, President and CEO, and Representative of competitive local exchange carriers who provide services in this state; James Nestor, Lumos Networks, Director of Public Affairs, and Representative of the interests of the business community in this state; Dana Waldo, Frontier Communications, Senior Vice President and General Manager of West Virginia, Representing incumbent local exchange carriers who provide broadband services in the state; Jeff Wise, Enterasys Networks Inc., Senior Systems Engineer for West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania, Representing broadband equipment manufacturers; State Senator Bob Williams; State Senator Bob Beach; Delegate Dale Stephens; and Delegate Brent Boggs.

Superintendent Fears State Takeover If School Consolidation Does Not Occur

The "reorganization plan" presented at the Board of Education meeting on October 23 is justified by Webster County Schools' Superintendent Martha Dean because of the continuing county-wide decline in student enrollment and the related lack of state-matched revenue due to such decline.

Superintendent
 Martha Dean

In her report released to the Board, Dean stated that "we run the risk of state takeover because our financial resources will not support our current system."

According to statistics Dean presented at the meeting, overall student enrollment in the county has decreased from 2,416 students in 1988 to 1,499 students in 2012.  On a percentage basis, the Diana Elementary School has experienced the largest decline, at 62% from 1988 to 2012, or a drop in student enrollment from 204 in 1988 to its current 77 in 2012.

In support of closing the Diana school and sending all of its Pre-K to sixth grade students to the Webster Springs Elementary School, Dean points out in her report to the Board that "there is no grade level at Diana School with a sufficient number of students to require a full-time teacher for that grade level."  No grade at Diana has more than 10 students.  In comparison, the lowest number of students in any grade at Glade Elementary is 18 students, and the lowest at Glade Middle is 19 for any one grade.  At Webster Springs, the lowest number of students in any grade is 17.  At Hacker Valley, grade sizes range from 11 to 18.

Dean's plan does not affect the Hacker Valley school.  From 1988 to 2012, Hacker Valley's enrollment has decreased from 101 to 72, but actually increased from 2008 (when it had only 54 students).  Dean's plan does suggest that "the Board may want to consider giving students from Diana the option of attending Hacker Valley.  The number of students at Hacker Valley is 72 this year and they could accommodate part of the students from Diana with no increase in staff."  Dean suggests that Diana students from Jumbo and Sugar Creek "would be at least as close to Hacker Valley as they are to Webster Springs."

In proposing that Diana be closed, Dean cites in her report the inequity in having staff paid the same as at other schools but having considerably less students to manage.  Dean anticipates the closing of the Diana school will eliminate four service positions for a savings of about $100,000.00 and potentially the elimination of up to 10 teaching positions amounting to an additional savings of $500,000.00.  Dean argues that "if Webster County keeps the same schools and the same grade configuration currently in place, we will have to pay for as many as ten teachers beyond what the school aid formula will pay."  Other savings come from eliminating utility bills and other maintenance costs associated with the Diana school.

Dean presented a copy of a slide show to Board members which began with this caption:  "Drastic Action Is Needed!"

Her proposal requires public input and a vote by the Board by December 31, 2012.

In addition to the closing of the Diana school, the plan would change the high school from grades 9 to 12 to grades 7 to 12, moving all students in grades 7 and 8 from Diana, Webster Springs, and Glade Middle to the high school.  Glade Middle would be eliminated and Glade Elementary would have Pre-K through grade 6.  Again, no grades at Hacker Valley are affected by the plan.

Dean suggests that moving grades 7 and 8 to the high school is justified because "we have not been providing the curriculum these students should have" and "putting them in one school will increase our flexibility to provide more appropriate courses for their age level."   She added that "they could have richer art, music, foreign language, physical education, health, and technology offerings."

Dean's report also addresses whether the high school has enough room for the seventh and eighth graders.  She believes that with some remodeling, this can be accomplished, and in an area that could be somewhat isolated from the older students.  

"I know this is a big step and will probably be controversial on all fronts.  However, in my judgment, it is time to take bold steps to insure that this county can remain solvent over the next several years.  If we continue to try to maintain an organizational plan that has too many schools and is lacking in a robust curriculum for one age group of our students, we run the risk of state takeover because our financial resources will not support our current system," Dean said in the report.

First Baptist Church Gets New Sign

The First Baptist Church in Webster Springs recently installed a new electronic sign, which gives messages, date, and temperature.



Jury Finds Jumbo Resident Not Guilty

Jeffrey Wayne Hall

Last week, a Webster County Circuit Court jury found Jeffrey Wayne Hall, age 41, of Holly River Road at Jumbo, not guilty of three counts of possession of child pornography.

The trial before Judge Jack Alsop lasted a day and a half before the jury returned their not guilty verdict.  Hall was represented by Buckhannon lawyer Dennis Willet.

Webster County Clerk Explains Voting Procedures

Webster County Clerk Terry Payne took time out of a busy first day of early voting at the Webster County Courthouse to explain many of the voting procedures that voters will encounter when either voting early at the Courthouse or at the polls on election day.  Clerk Payne is a wealth of knowledge about election procedures and she and her staff are available to assist all voters with any questions or problems.  A big thanks to Clerk Payne for providing yet another glimpse into the election process (she also cooperated during the May, 2012 Primary Election with questions about vote tabulations).  For the earlier primary election video, please visit:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVVKXYLS9LA

BREAKING NEWS: Superintendent Proposes Closing Diana Grade School

At Tuesday evening's Board of Education meeting, Webster County Superintendent of Schools Martha Dean dropped a bombshell on Board members:  the proposed closing of the Diana Elementary School.

According to a source present at the Board meeting, Dean's plan proposes to close the Diana school and send all of Diana's students from Kindergarten through sixth grade to the Webster Springs Elementary School, with an option for parents of those children to send them to the Hacker Valley Elementary School.  Her plan further proposes to send all seventh and eighth grade students in the County (except for Hacker Valley) to the Webster County High School in Upperglade, where a new wing for a Middle School (of such seventh and eighth graders) would be schooled.  The plan does not affect any of the students at the Hacker Valley school, regardless of grade.

Details on the plan caused more questions than answers at the Board meeting.  Board members did not vote on the plan, but requested the Superintendent to provide more information.  According to the minutes of the October 23, 2012 meeting published on the Board's website, "Superintendent Dean will offer suggested solutions to budget shortfall and reorganization."  Dean's consolidation plan was apparently proposed due to projected budget shortfalls.

Here is a link to the entire Board of Education October 23, 2012 agenda/minutes:

http://boe.webs.k12.wv.us/pages/WebsterCSD/Board_of_Education/Agenda

The Commentator will be reviewing the Superintendent's plan as presented at the meeting and this matter will be updated upon completion of the review.

Webster Courthouse Windows Get New Paint Job

Within the last month, about 20 exterior windows and interior doors were painted with new signage directing visitors to the appropriate Courthouse offices.  According to Webster County Clerk Terry Payne, the new lettering on the windows cost $30.00 per window, which totals approximately $600.00.  The lettering was painted by Craigsville resident Roger Frazer.

Interim Sheriff Appointed for Webster County

 As a result of Webster County Sheriff Jerry Hamrick's announced resignation effective October 31, 2012, the Webster County Commission on October 3 appointed court bailiff and home confinement officer Jeffrey Hayhurst as interim Sheriff effective November 1, 2012.  Hayhurst will serve unti the end of the year. 


Jeffrey Hayhurst (left) with Sheriff Jerry Hamrick



Hayhurst, of Cowen, was surpised by the appointment as he made no application to be the interim Sheriff.  Hayhurst was attending a Court Security Conference in Morgantown on October 3 when Sheriff Hamrick telephoned him and told him there was bads news, in that the Sheriff requested Hayhurst to resign his position as bailiff/home confinement officer.  Caught off guard by the request, Hayhurst then asked what the good news was and the Sheriff informed him that the Commission had just appointed him to serve as interim Sheriff.

Hayhurst has served as bailiff/home confinement officer since September, 2011.  Hayhurst, age 29, was recently married to Brandi Johns on June 23, 2012.  After his interim term expires as Sheriff, Hayhurst plans to apply for the soon to be vacant deputy sheriff's position.

Voters Face Ballot Amendment on Sheriff's Term Limit

When Webster County voters go to the polls for the 2012 General Election, they will have the opportunity to vote on a ballot amendment regarding term limits on the office of Sheriff.

Under present law, a Sheriff can serve only two consecutive terms before they must sit out a term and then they can come back for another two terms.  The term of office for a Sheriff is four (4) years.  Serving part of a four year term counts as one of the two terms under the present law.

The amendment on the ballot attempts to remove any term limit for the Sheriff, which means that if approved a Sheriff can serve an indefinite number of terms.

Vote "FOR" to remove the term limit.
Vote "AGAINST" to keep the current term limit in place.

Here is the actual amendment as it appears on the ballot:

Our opinion:  Vote AGAINST THE AMENDMENT.  Keep the term limit in place.  We can only wish that more political offices have term limits to cut down on career politicians and all the ills that go with entrenched, career politicos.  It should be interesting to voters that the main proponent to lift the term limit is none other than the West Virginia Sheriff's Association.

In the past, West Virginia voters correctly rejected three different attempts to have the term limit removed.  In 1982, 1986 and 1994, voters rejected repealing the term limit: the vote was 64 to 36 percent in 1982, 69 to 31 percent in 1986 and 66 to 34 percent in 1994.  Three strikes and you are out.  This should not even be on the ballot except for some self-serving, politician sheriffs who convinced the likewise entrenched West Virginia House and Senate politicos to put it on the ballot again.

Webster Agency Violates Environmental Laws

This past July, the Webster County Economic Development Authority was fined $4,750.00 for alleged violations of state environmental protection laws.

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection claimed that the Authority violated its water pollution control permit for the water line construction on Route 15/20 near Grassy Creek Road.  The WV DEP claimed that the Authority failed to prevent muddy run offs into Grassy Creek and along the Barrenshe road drains.  In addition, solid waste and demolition material was not properly disposed.

The work on the water line project was actually performed by sub-contractors for the Authority, but the Authority is the agency responsible to make sure the sub-contractors perform the work in accordance with environmental laws.

Gary Weir, the head of Webster's Economic Development Authority, signed a consent order with the DEP agreeing to pay the $4,750.00 fine.  The Authority proposed to pay the fine by giving $2,500.00 to Camden on Gauley (to help cover the cost of work reclaiming torn down buildings on Main Street) and pay $2,250.00 to the state.

Here is a link to the consent order signed on June 20, 2012 by Weir:
http://www.dep.wv.gov/pio/Documents/Settlements%20and%20Orders/Webster%20Co%20EDA.pdf

Early Voting In Webster Begins Wednesday October 24

While the General Election is now two weeks away on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, early voting at the Courthouse in Webster Springs begins on Wednesday, October 24 and runs through Saturday November 3.  Voters will continue to have the option of a paper ballot or the electronic voting machine.  Normal voting hours during the week are from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.  County Clerk Terry Payne and her staff are also required by state election laws to have early voting on Saturday, October 27 and Saturday, November 3 from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.  For more information about early voting, the Clerk's office can be reached at (304) 847-2508.  This post will be updated later today with sample ballots.

The West Virginia Secretary of State's office also maintains an interactive state-wide map showing the total of "early absentee voting" in each county.  As of October 19, 2012, the map shows that for Webster County, 9 Democrats, 3 Republicans, and 1 No Party Affiliation "early absentee votes" have been cast.  The statewide total is 4,864.

Here is the link for the interactive map:
http://www.sos.wv.gov/elections/history/Pages/Early_Absentee_Voting_Totals.aspx

Webster County sample ballot (front and back pages):

Webster County Deer Hunters Predicted to Do Well

The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR) recently released its Fall game harvest predictions for Webster County and the news looks promising.

For whitetail deer hunting, the DNR predicts that the harvest of whitetail bucks during the two week November gun season will be slightly higher in 2012 than it was in 2011.  The harvest for all other deer seasons, including archery, anterless, and muzzleloader, are predicted to be similar in 2012 to that of 2011.

The DNR also predicts that the black bear harvest this year will be higher than 2011.  This year's Fall turkey harvest is predicted to be similar to last year.

The DNR, with cooperation from the Division of Forestry, makes its harvest predictions based on a number of factors, but primarily on its "mast" survey.  "Mast" includes all species of acorns (such as white, black, and red oak), nuts (such as walnuts, beech, and hickory), and fruits (such as wild cherry, grapes, and apples).

Webster is part of Region 2, known as the Mountains Region, which also includes Pocahontas, Greenbrier, Randolph, and Tucker counties.  The mast survey for Region 2 provides the basis for the DNR's predictions.

According to the mast survey, "weather conditions during last winter (2011-12) were mild by comparison to the winter of 2010–2011 regarding snowfall and freezing temperatures.  Last year’s mast crop provided wildlife with enough energy reserves to survive the mild winter.  As a result, winter kills of deer and turkey were expected to be minimal."

As to the predicted deer harvest for Region 2, the survey says that "the increased reproduction  of 2011 and the mild winter of 2011–2012 should mean that there are plenty of 1.5 year-old animals for hunters in the woods.  The overall mast conditions should be favorable to a variety of deer hunters."

Time will tell if the DNR's predictions are accurate.  In 2011, Webster County hunters bagged 1,068 bucks during the two week gun season.  That was a substantial increase over the 807 bucks killed in 2010.  In 2011, the total deer harvest for Webster County was 2,044.

Weekly Free Ads and Announcements

Once per week, we will add a post listing advertisements and announcements, such as classified ads, yard/garage sales, birth, wedding, birthday, graduation, lost/found, etc. announcements.  Your ad or announcement will remain as a post for four weeks, unless you sooner request the same be deleted.  You can place your name, telephone number, address, or email in your ad/announcement as you desire.  You can also email us a photo or two as well to include with your ad/announcement.  Please email your ad/announcement to:  wvcritic@gmail.com.  In your email, you must include a name and phone number for verification before the item will be published.

Unemployment in Webster County Second Highest in State

According to numbers released on October 4, 2012 by the federal government's Bureau of Labor Statistics, Webster County has the second highest unemployment rate among West Virginia's 55 counties.

Webster's 11.6% unemployment rate was second only to Boone County's 11.9% rate.  Six other counties also had rates in of 10% or more.

Monongalia County has the lowest rate at 5.2%

State-wide, West Virginia's unemployment rate ticked up to 7.6%, which is slightly below the national average of 7.8%.

Candidates for public office representing Webster County need to inform voters of their plans to reduce Webster's unacceptably high unemployment rate.

Frontier Bids to Upgrade Webster County Internet

From the Charleston Gazette (portions most applicable to Webster in red):


October 18, 2012
Frontier gets a break after mail mix-up
State sent bid request to wrong address, causing firm to miss deadline
By Eric Eyre

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The West Virginia Office of Technology will consider using federal stimulus money to fund an $8.3 million Webster County broadband expansion project suggested by Frontier Communications, even though the company missed a deadline last week to submit the proposal.

Frontier seems to have a good excuse for its late submission.

The state sent its request for project ideas to a Frontier retail store in Ranson, Jefferson County -- not to Frontier's headquarters in Charleston.

"We don't normally receive communications to our headquarters through our retail store in Ranson," said Dan Page, a Frontier spokesman.

Earlier this month, the technology office solicited proposals for spending an estimated $9 million left over from a $126.3 million stimulus grant designed to expand high-speed Internet service in West Virginia.

The state must spend the entire grant amount by Feb. 13 -- or risk having to return unspent funds.

Last week, five companies and a state agency submitted project proposals -- everything from a $5 million wireless Internet expansion in central West Virginia to a $1.1 million tour bus that would travel the state to spread the word about the benefits of broadband.

Late last week, Frontier General Manager Dana Waldo sent a letter to the state Department of Administration, saying the company didn't find out about the state's request for broadband project ideas until Oct. 9 -- the last day to submit proposals. That same day, the Gazette also published a story about the state's plans to spend the $9 million in leftover grant funds.

State officials acknowledged this week that the Office of Technology's written request for project ideas was mistakenly sent to Frontier's retail store. The technology office gave the Ranson address to the state Purchasing Division, which mailed the letter to the retail shop.

"As part of normal practice, agencies may send the Purchasing Division a suggested listing of vendors who may be interested in a particular request," said Diane Holley-Brown, spokeswoman for the Department of Administration. "Frontier Communications out of Ranson was listed as one of the suggested vendors and was sent the request."

The vendor list included Citynet, Suddenlink, AT&T, Stratuswave and Alltel.

The state's online purchasing bulletin board posted the request for project ideas twice -- on Sept. 28 and Oct. 5, Holley-Brown said. Frontier executives apparently did not see the postings.

Frontier hopes to use the $8.3 million in stimulus funds to extend fiber-optic cable to 3,700 homes in Webster Springs, Cowen and Hacker Valley. The Webster County residences would have some of the fastest Internet speeds in the state. The project would cost $2,200 per home.

"It would greatly benefit the citizens in these rural communities with bandwidth to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities, continuing education, and strengthening these communities to compete in the global economy," Waldo wrote in a letter to the state.

Waldo added, "This project is even more unique because these rural areas generally lack the thriving business communities in most metropolitan areas."

Frontier's project, unlike other competing proposals, makes job promises.

If the Webster County project gets funded, Frontier will retain 90 technicians and engineering assistants whose contracts are set to expire Dec. 31, Waldo said. He sent a copy of the letter to Elaine Harris, an executive with the Communications Workers of America union, which represents Frontier employees in West Virginia.

Holley-Brown said the technology office would review Frontier's project, despite the missed deadline. Frontier is West Virginia's largest telecommunications company.

"The Office of Technology is currently reviewing all suggestions to determine which ideas meet the scope of the grant guidelines," she said. ". . . All ideas will be considered."

A committee will review the project ideas and submit recommended proposals to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's office. The winning projects will be forwarded to the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, which oversees the state's grant money, for approval.

West Virginia is using the bulk of the $126.3 million stimulus grant to bring high-speed fiber to more than 1,000 "community anchor institutions" -- schools, libraries, health centers, State Police detachments, 911 centers, county courthouses and state agencies. Frontier secured the contract to install the fiber.

The state initially planned to build 2,400 miles of fiber, but scaled back the project significantly. Frontier now expects to complete 550 miles of fiber.

The U.S. Department of Commerce's inspector general is reviewing the state's use of the stimulus funds.

Frontier would have to finish the Webster County project by Jan. 31, according to the Office of Technology's written request for proposals. Because of the short timeline, no other companies that applied for the $9 million in leftover funds proposed building a fiber network.

Waldo said Thursday that Frontier could complete the Webster County project by Jan. 31 by stringing fiber atop existing telephone poles. That would eliminate the need for time-consuming environmental assessments.

"We're willing to commit the necessary resources through our partnership with the Communications Workers of America," Waldo said.

The specifications for using the $9 million also require the construction of "middle-mile" fiber projects that other telecommunications companies could tap into, and that connect one rural community to another. Frontier's proposal appears to be a "last-mile" project -- one that builds fiber from an Internet provider directly to customers.

Waldo said West Virginia's $126.3 million broadband grant could be modified to include Frontier's proposed project, "including any necessary changes to allow us to implement it within [federal] guidelines."

Reach Eric Eyre at ericeyre@wvgazette.com or 304-348-4869.

Who is Financing our Candidates?

Here are links to the campaign finance reports for both Dana Lynch and Robert Karnes (both are candidates for House of Delegates representing Webster County):

Dana Lynch:
Dana Lynch campaign finance reports

If you review all four reports filed by Lynch, you will see that he has "loaned" himself over $8,300.00 and received a contribution from Summersville lawyer Linda Garrett of $500.00.

Robert Karnes:
Robert Karnes campaign finance reports

If you review all the reports filed by Karnes, you will see that he and his wife have "loaned" his campaign about $3,400.00 and received contributions from Patriot Coal of $500.00 and smaller amounts of $25.00 on different occasions from Summersville lawyer Tim Ruckman.  Karnes also list several other small contributors ranging from $25.00 to $100.00.


Here are links to the campaign finance reports for both Margaret Beckwith and Clark Barnes (both are candidates for State Senate for the new district that represents Webster County and other counties):

Margaret Beckwith:
Margaret Beckwith campaign finance reports

Clark Barnes:
Clark Barnes campaign finance reports

Barnes is spending over $20,000.00 and Beckwith is spending about $500.00.  Barnes is being financed by money he "loaned" his campaign, but he also has $500.00 contributions from about a dozen political action committees (opinion:  with all these committees contributing to his campaign, you can bet those special interests will be knocking on his door for paybacks if he is elected).

Second Election Poll

Who will you vote for House of Delegates?
	Robert Karnes (R)
	Dana L. Lynch (D)
pollcode.com free polls

Who will you vote for State Senate?
	Clark Barnes (R)
	Margaret Kerr Beckwith (D)
pollcode.com free polls

Who will you vote for Sheriff?
	David Bender (D)
	Rick Thomas (R)
pollcode.com free polls

Please note:  Write-in candidates for all offices are not included in any of these polls.  Election history in Webster County and elsewhere proves time and time again that a write-in candidate can NOT win against those already on the ballot (especially write-in candidates who have already LOST in an earlier primary election in the same year).  Most folks who want to express dissatisfaction with the candidates on the ballot will write-in someone's name.  However, most of those "protest" write-in votes are never counted because the person they wrote in did not file as an official write-in candidate. So, you can vote in protest for an official or unofficial write-in candidate, but the result will be the same:  it is a wasted vote because no write-in candidate in Webster has ever won against someone already on the ballot.

Election Poll

Who will you vote for President?
	Mitt Romney (Republican)
	Barrack Obama (Democrat)
	Jill Stein (Mountain)
	Gary Johnson (Libertarian)
	Randall Terry (No party affiliation)
pollcode.com free polls

Who will you vote for Governor?
	Bill Maloney (Republican)
	Earl Ray Tomblin (Democrat)
	Jesse Johnson (Mountain)
	David Moran (Libertarian)
pollcode.com free polls

Who will you vote for U.S. Senate?
	John Raese (R)
	Joe Manchin III (D)
	Bob Henry Baber (M)
pollcode.com free polls

Who will you vote for U.S. House of Representatives?
	Rick Snuffer (R)
	Nick J. Rahall II (D)
pollcode.com free polls

Please note:  Write-in candidates are not included for any of these polls.

We have a former Webster resident, Walt Helmick, running for Agriculture Commissioner.  We here at the Commentator think it is a good idea to vote for someone for state-wide office that has connections to Webster and we certainly agree with the endorsement of Helmick recently made by the Charleston Gazette:
October 18, 2012
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- We sometimes question whether a state that has been so industrialized for so long really needs a commissioner of agriculture, but the state Constitution requires voters to choose one, and we think Democrat Walt Helmick is the better choice for the job.

Helmick, originally of Bergoo in Webster County, served on the Pocahontas County Board of Education and then County Commission before being elected to the House of Delegates in 1988. In 1989, he was appointed to an unexpired term in the state Senate from Pocahontas County, and has been re-elected to that seat every year since 1990. During that time, he has served on the Agriculture Committee, and risen to chair the Military, Banking, Natural Resources and Finance committees.

Helmick does believe the agriculture commissioner is still relevant. First, the department is responsible for food safety. Also, while West Virginia is not known as a farm state, it has 23,400 farms, more per capita than any other, Helmick said. More could be done to foster the growth and production of food in West Virginia and to grow markets, here and elsewhere. Food is already a $6 billion-a-year industry in the state, he said. He is interested in looking for ways to bring more locally produced food to West Virginia tables, including those in education and corrections.

Helmick received his bachelor's degree from West Virginia Tech, is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute, and started out his career as a welder. His previous businesses include H&S Welding Supply, Home Health Supply and Mountaintop Athletic Club at Snowshoe. He and his wife, Rita, operate a natural spring water bottling company on their 200-acre farm in Minnehaha Springs.

Helmick's broad experience gives him a thorough understanding of state government, issues and opportunities, and makes him a good choice for the Nov. 6 election. Early voting starts Oct. 24.

Webster Braxton Game Statistics

Webster County    0    0    0    6    -6

Braxton County    7    12    7    7    -33

BC - Perkins 46 run (Coleman kick)

BC - Oney 54 run (kick failed)

BC - Yanero 17 run (run failed)

BC - Yanero 4 run (Coleman kick)

BC - Coleman 4 run (Coleman kick)

WC - Given 18 pass from Thayer (pass failed)

Webster did not score until the fourth quarter when they were down 33 to 0.  Near the end of the first half, Webster took over with 1:05 remaining on their own 25 yard line.  Webster drove the ball to the Braxton 41 yard line when quarterback Jake Thayer threw a pass to running back Joe Collins, who appeared to catch the ball on the Braxton 3 yard line with 24 seconds remaining in the half.  However, the officials ruled that Collins caught the ball out of bounds.  Webster ran a few more plays but only advanced to Braxton's 24 yard line before time ran out in the half.  A review of the video of Collins' catch on the 3 yard line clearly showed that he was in bounds and Webster should have had the ball on the 3 yard line.  If this call was made right, Webster would have likely scored and gone into halftime with some momentum.  It was a game changer.