MARCH NEWS 2004
  • March 31 am  Talking about knuckle head politicians, stupid thugs stealing, or a juicy drug related murder  in Clayberry takes most of our time. For the most part, our topics here are related to that crap. Those are the stories and for the most part done in a light hearted manner.
  • March 31 am Yesterday morning a split second error in driving on a rain soaked road took the life of Cathy Fitzwater Adkins and her 3 year old daughter Rachel.  Both young and pretty and with bright futures. The news saddened our community and gave many a reason to pause and rethink their day.  Such stories aren't  fun.
  • March 31 am There may be a ray of hope in Election 2004. Many candidates have gone around and hand marked or otherwise changed their road side signage to comply with the law of the land by adding the proper disclaimers.
  • March 31 am Yesterday a group of 20 met to come up with a plan to increase tourism in the county. Sponsored by CAEZ, the plan calls for an Oct. 2004 Fall Foliage car, bike, hike, Tour event to include a music show, road side vendors engaged in arts and crafts, and maybe even a Gospel sing.
  • March 31 am Here's the deal: promote, promote, promote between now and Oct 2004; get a bunch of out of towners in here for a few days when the trees are red and orange; while here, get them to spend every penny and max out the credit cards they have in their rich little pockets; then, send them home! Instead of the same three dollars circulating in the county, the rich yanks would be adding new $ and into the pockets of local merchants and craftsman. Sounds like a plan and long overdue too.
  • March 31 am  With  election slates being formed, it's time for our online survey. Use the email link below and give us your best guess on who will finish in the top 4 spots for Sheriff.  Running on the Demorat ticket for Clay County Sheriff and in no particular order are: Legg, Hunt, Holcomb, Paxton (old), Paxton (young), Boggs, Triplett, Morris, Buckshot, Gibson, Bragg. Sometime this weekend we'll release the results. Thanks
  • March 31 am Clay County Busines Development Authority and the Clay Roane PSD meet Thursday evening 5pm and 7 pm respectively. Both should be interesting affairs.
  • March 30 am  Today the CAEZ is hosting a workshop on preserving stuff in the county.  Nice idea. Get a bunch of tourists in here to see the swinging bridge or what's left of Widen, fleece them with trinkets and send them on their way. W e don't have to educate them or nothing! Sure sounds better and quicker than attracting Toyota to Filcon Field.
  • March 30 am Still think that police have to have a search warrant before bashing down you front door and searching your dirty underwear basket? WRONG!!!!!!!!!! click So Much for the 4th Amendment.
  • March 30 am And for  us borrowers of music and movie files, the elected ones in DC, the ones that take campaign contributions from the music industry, are working on a new law to send you to jail if you P2P or share a file. That's right, one file and off to the slammer you shall go! Click GREASY PALMS
  • March 30 am And now for the good stuff. Politics, Clayberry style
  • March 30 am    Don't you love it when a dried out ole drunk puts it all over the blue bloods of Clay. Just happened. While we broke the story last Thursday in the am, the Charleston Daily Mail made Earnie Sirk's formal complaint against County Commission candidate Brian Holcomb front page news yesterday. To see the Daily Mail's below the fold story click FT PAGE.  If you can't get the link to work, that story and the formal complaint are posted over on the ADVISORY page, this site.
  • March 30 am Did you read the Mail's article?  No you didn't!!! Go read it...
  • March 30 am So who's more stupid? Holcomb admits to the handing out of campaign materials to kids during school time and while on the payroll of the taxpayer? Link says there's nothing wrong with campaigning the kids you're in charge of, that they aren't over the fine line. Or is it Principal Phil Dobbins for allowing one candidate to campaign while leaving out all the rest?  Dumb Dumb Dumb
  • March 30 am They were suppose to stick with their original story: Deny Deny Deny
  • March 30 am  With all of em saying there isn't anything illegal or unethical about Brian's campaign tactics, that opens the door for everyone to go into classrooms and  twist arms of first time voters.
  • March 30 am Can't you see it now.... Down one hallway are posters for one candidate and on the other wall, the other candidate's signage. Talk about a way to start a riot! Kids could form gangs for politicos.  The haves would support one slate while the havenots could sport buttons for the others. For the littliest kids, pay them to wear campaign tee shirts! Only thing worse than that would be hanging the Ten Commandments up. Oh, they already do that, sorry clickers
  • March 30 am And then, since our schools can be used to politic little ones, each and every school bus can have great big campaign signs on each side. According to the response given the Daily Mail reporter, that's all legal and ethical in the Great Nation of Clay.
  • March 30 am But then there's Earnie "Wide Glide" Sirk. The Daily Mail quotes Sirk as saying he doesn't care a bit about politics.  Time to barf folks. But you got to hand it to the 6000 pound bohemoth from Ivydale, he put it all over Link and company. Part of   what they've been doing for years, finally made it to the front page of the State's Republican newspaper. That more than Sheriff candidate Roger Hunt was able to accomplish with his complaint on Mathew Bragg's actions.
  • March 30 am And what about Sheriff candidate Scott Legg telling voters during Sunday's Fleece the Candidate's Chili Cook Off at Valley Fork. Scott told the assembled he would be a "non working" Sheriff if elected. He would spend his time doing office duties and not out in a patrol car. Sort of like banker's hours. Now that's the way to get votes!
  • March 30 am And another first for Clay. Sheriff candidates Roger Hunt and Joe Morris are running radio ads.
  • March 30 am  Next time you bump into our little appointed Demorat Prosecutor Daniel Grindo, the guy who's running for Braxton County Prosecutor, ask him how many bumper stickers he had on his car and posters he had in his yard for Dubya while in law school
  • March 29 am With the ladies working the flower beds and the men turning over their gardens, the weekend was quiet for the most part. Haven't even heard a report of a stolen vehicle in the last 48 hours.
  • March 29 am For our around the world clickers, and anybody else that may be considering moving back to Clayberry, be sure to check out Jeanies's Real Estate button over on the home page. Lot's of nice places to buy and call home.
  • March 29 am Just got this in: My name is SGT Rusty Vaughan. My wife, Misty Carr Vaughan, would like to announce the arrival of our son, Justin Scott. He arrived on 28 March 2004 at 6:34 in the morning. He weighed 6lbs 9oz, and was 19 1/2" long. He was born in Ireland Army Community Hospitalon Fort Knox, KY. His two very excited older brothers, Jacob Michael and Jonathan Thomas, were overwhelmed by his arrival. My parents are Richard Vaughan of Nebo and Teresa Douglas Simons of Winfield. Misty's parents are Thomas and Maysel Carr of Ivydale. John and Maysel Douglas of Ivydale are Justin's great grand-parents. Misty and I have been stationed here at Fort Knox for a little over two years, although I have served a total of 14 years on active duty. Just wanted to take a little of your time to announce our sons arrival. Thank you.
  • March 29 am Something else is missing too. We haven't had a Boil Water Order in two full weeks! Watch all H break loose this last week of the month
  • March 29 am Anybody that knows School Board member Gene King knows that he can turn on those alligator tears just like that. Sheriff candidate Mathew Bragg must be taking lessons from the grand master, Gene. During yesterday's Fleece the Candidates Chili Cook Off at Valley Fork Elem., Bragg turned on the tears. County Commission candidate Fran King was bestowed the Grand Chili Bean Queen winner.
  • March 29 am  It's time for the backdoor politicos to start forming their campaign slates. Who they have in their stable, who they want elected, who they can control. In the end, this year anyway, every candidate is vulnerable except one. This year, the blue bloods know, to keep their tax assessments low, they have to keep the incumbent. As we get closer to election day, no matter who, they'll get sold out to keep the one person that can save them the most with property assessment tax dollars.
  • March 29 am Friday afternoon another lawsuit was filed against our own little questionable social service provider, Clay Development Corp (CDC). Late last year Circuit Judge Alsop told the CDC clan to put Earnie Sirk back on the general membership committee. They did and that lasted for about three weeks. During a specially called general membership committee meeting where a bunch of the attendees were employees of the agency or friends of the employees, Sirk got his 300 pound hind end tossed out again.
  • March 29 am In this new civil suit paperwork , Wide Glide is asking to be reinstated, force the CDC Family to give proper notice of any further Special meetings, and to remove the employees of CDC from the general membership roles.
  • March 29 am While other quasi government senior service providers make the front page Charleston newspapers, our troubled agency continues to fester without much notice at all. They like it that way.
  • March 28 am  Clayton Ramsey, 76, see FUNERAL page
  • March 28 am   If you're looking for something to do, two nice happenings in Clayberry. How about some good Chili and get your picture took. Click over to our EVENTS page for details.
  • March 28 am We've had a heck of a week. As the week opened, a troubled young man, Michael Butcher was found dead in a car beside Clay Lumber Co. 9 days earlier Butcher had been busted near the same spot with drugs and drug making hardware. For many in the county, the question remains, was the death a simple overdose or did someone need to shut him up.
  • March 28 am  It was a powerful County Commission meeting last Monday where Commissioners made severe cutbacks to deal with budgetary shortfalls. The word went out, employees will loose their jobs  by July 1. Two other items of note from that meeting. One, CCC voted to pursue a $6000 grant for Queen Shoals PSD to rebuild their system. Two, during intense discussions, it became clear, the wind is blowing from a different direction for Central Appalachia Empowerment Zone (CAEZ) Director Jerry Sizemore.
  • March 28 am And this was an interesting week for politics. With signs being torn down left and right, bit professional billboards went up. Another first for this county.
  • March 28 am According to a formal complaint lodged by Earnie Wide Glide Sirk, County Commission candidate Brian Holcomb is accused of politicking while working as a teacher at Clay High. Sirk's angle is one of safety for the students who have carried home via buses long sharp metal stakes and Holcomb for Commission posters. Now that's a good slant, but for  many others, the words came easy: What a dumb, unethical thing to do Brian! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING BOY?????
  • March 28 am  Friday morning Court Bailiff Gene King was seen in uniform passing out Harald Fields for Commission signs in the Bomont area of the county.
  • March 28 am Well thought of students at CCHS were busted on drugs in their vehicle as the week ended Friday. Late late Friday, the Commission minus Bragg met and approved a stripped down 2004 - 2005 budget, $300,000 less than this year's financial road map guide. Another lawsuit was filed against the always notorious Clay Development Corp (CDC). A rumor of another election law investigation surfaced Friday evening.
  • March 28 am Saturday morning a report came in that torn up into little, itsey bitsey pieces, campaign posters were seen laying in Brian Holcomb's driveway. Word has it that Prosecutor candidate Barry Koerber is bailing out of the race and has taken a Charleston job.
  • March 27 am  A note from one of our Classified users: would the lady from indore call me again i lost your number and my grandson got your direction 655-7438 or email me at kenneth25235@yahoo.com with direction
  • March 27 am Just got this notice too    Clay County Humane Association WILL NO LONGER BE ACCEPTING ANY ANIMALS NO EXCEPTIONS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!!!!!!!!!!!!   Thank you. Also, we will be continuing to offer low cost spaying and neutering to the county.
  • March 27 am the Bank of Gassaway thermometer made to 84 yesterday. Spring and darn happy to have it.
  • March 27 am  Things are kept quiet over at Clay High where they had a drug bust yesterday.
  • March 27 am The 1/2 million dollar man , Bob Graham, knows how to make front page news. Graham runs  a senior center inWyoming County in a similar fashion to our very own little Clay Development Corp (CDC).
  • March 27 am  Back a couple months ago Earnie Sirk won a case against CDC. The judge ordered Sirk back on the general membership committee. Didn't last long. Within days the family clan called a meeting and tossed him again. Bet that peed off Judge Alsop!.
  • March 27 am  We've got word that Sirk and a whole gaggle of folks that've been tossed from the CDC roles have filed another legal challenge to the secret social service agency. Our plan is to have more details on the suit posted tommorrow night late. Check back then for details.
  • March 27 am County Commission got it together around 4:30 Thursday to meet and vote in the new 2004-2005  $1.2 million budget. Meeting notice called for a 1pm meeting. That's $300,000 less than the current financial instrument.
  • March 26 pm Here's your chance parents to get rid of those kids. Tonight 6 to 8pm and in the morning 10 to 2pm is sign up time for Little League softball and baseball. Get those brats signed up at the high school and they'll be out of your hair for a couple hours a day during practice and games.
  • March 26 pm  And we have a correction. Over on the home page are the pictures of various campaign signs that 't don't pass the legal muster. Around 9 am this morning Ms Paxton called us up and said take a reaaaaaaaaaaaaal close look at the Jim Paxton sign. Yep, in itsy bity letters is "paid for by the candidate". The homepage picture captions have since been changed. Thanks Ms P for correcting us.
  • March 26 am    First the important stuff. If you have a disability and are looking for a job, see the CLASSIFIED page now . WYAP is still looking for some seniors ( over 55) to work at the radio station. The part time jobs pay $5.15 per hour. Interested? Stop by the station between 3:30 and 7pm or call 587 8353
  • March 26 am  Yesterday's early am post on the formal complaint made by Earnie Sirk has fired the politicos up. Yesterday morning the calls started coming into the Board office, the High School and beyond. By mid morning the Charleston Daily Mail was interested and working the phone lines. We don't know if the Charleston Daily Mail will run with the story but the guess is, their Clay County news stands sales will soar this afternoon in anticipation.
  • March 26 am The story centers around  what we're best known for, politics! Sirk raises a safety concern in his complaint over students  carrying home Holcomb for Commission campaign posters and those pointed metal wire stakes used to support the signs on school buses. Of course, behind the scenes, comes the bigger question. Did Clay High teacher and County Commission candidate Brian Holcomb use students  to promote his efforts to win public office.  Keep in mind, anyone can file a complaint and a complaint is nothing like an indictment. Of course right now, that complaint must feel like a boat anchor around Brian's neck.
  • March 26 am One other note, the WV Sec of State's office no longer has any employees to go out and investigate complaints. Our Legislature done away with  Damon Sloan and crew about three years ago.
  • March 26 am  So what do all the great leaders of the world do when their confronted with adversity? Deny Deny Deny!!!!!!! Secrecy is their best ally.  As word spread of the formal complaint at the Sec of State's office ( Copy over on our ADVISORY page), can't you just see them making frantic phone calls....... Don't answer the phone!!!!............Don't tell them anything!!!!!!!!! Tell them to call Link! Sort of like a submarine commander: Dive !!! Dive !!! Dive !!!!
  • March 26 am   Can't you just hear Link on the phone with the Charleston reporter?  Nothing happened..... The kids are not wearing campaign buttons given to them by Mr. Holcomb....... Not one word of this is true...
  • March 26 am  This county can continue down it's own little road and maintain the Great Nation of Clay empire if and only if the powers that be can keep things quiet. If the Daily Mail picks up on the story, it will be quiet no more
  • March 26 am Clickers, the election is still 6 weeks away and this one is going to be a winner. This could match 14 years ago when a bunch of ballots were seen floating down the Elk on election night. Ask Gene King about that. In the not too distant past, why it took 9 hours for the Widen precinct to count their 50 votes and get the results  to the Courthouse? You might want to ask Elizabeth Sampson what happened to those 400+ Greenbrier County ballots in the basement of the Courthouse when she ran and lost her Senate bid.
  • March 26 am Yesterday at 1 the County Commission was to meet, finalize, and vote in next year's budget. Commissioner Bragg showed up early ( Yes , he showed up and early too!) for the meeting only to find none of his fellow Commissioners at the Courthouse. State Law calls for the CCC to vote in the new budget during a properly called and noticed meeting and for the 2004-2005 budget to be mailed to Charleston today!
  • March 26 am The frustrated Bragg left the Courthouse at 1:30 pm yesterday. No word on whether Sams and Triplett convened the meeting later yesterday afternoon.
  • March 26 am OK, time to lighten things up a bit. Here goes: A Psychology professor was giving a lecture on Bi-Polar Disorder. "Let us establish some parameters," said the professor. "Now then, Bennett, what is the opposite of joy?"  "Sadness," replied Bennett.   "And the opposite of depression, Ms. Buston?"   "Elation, sir."   "And you Thomas, how about the opposite of woe?" "I believe that would be giddy-up, sir."
  • March 25 am   Michael Butcher, see FUNERAL page
  • March 25 am   We've got some very interesting posts for today. Get your coffee cup.
  • March 25 am The first formal election 2004 complaint was filed yesterday with the Secretary of State's office by Earnie Sirk. According to the complaint, Clay High teacher and County Commission candidate Brian Holcomb is in the grease. The full complaint is posted over on the ADVISORY page this site. Go check it out and come back. We'll wait.
  • March 25 am  Are you back yet?
  • March 25 am   OK here we go. So how much does it take to get Sirk's 400 pound butt off his couch? Answer: about three minutes in the  school board office where Asst. Superintendent Larry Gillespie displayed less than interested concerns when the illegal politicking was revealed by Sirk. The steamed up Wide Glide took a bath ( that's two this week), put in his teeth and hand delivered his complaint in person to the SOS office in Charleston.
  • March 25 am   By mid morning, things were clicking at the high school as word of the complaint spread. You did what???? You gave them to the students???????? How many?? You had the students putting together the signs during school time????????? The defense posture was assumed. They knew they were in trouble!
  • March 25 am Joe Morris jumped Sirk's case yesterday. Morris felt that Sirk was behind the defacing of Morris for Sheriff signs in the Ivydale area as well as producing and distributing Morris for Sheriff buttons that included "Republican" on the campaign item. This time around Morris is registered as a Demorat. Sirk denied it all saying he was waaaaaaaaaay too fat and crippled to go up any hillside to rework signs.
  • March 25 am There are big time concerns with having two Paxtons running for Sheriff and on the ballot this May. Jim (James R) Paxton is the senior guy, once a deputy, grey hair and such, while James Paxton (as on the ballot)  is the younger candidate with little or no signs dotting the countryside.
  • March 25 am  On Dec 8th Deputy Kevin Delk issued two citations to Carolyn Rogers. One for not having a valid WV driver's license and the second for driving a vehicle without proper vehicle license plates. Rogers was driving her daughter's pick up with Virginia plates, registration and insurance. During that arrest  the 50 something Rogers was handcuffed and taken to Magistrate Court after refusing to sign the ticket. Her claim: since it wasn't her truck, it belongs to her daughter who lives in VA, there was not need to reregister it in WV.
  • March 25 am  While waiting for her day in court, on Jan 26, Deputy Robert Belt issued two more identical tickets. During that arrest, and according to Rogers, Belt was asked how many times are you going to write me a ticket? Response from the out of uniform Belt,  As many times as I want!
  • March 25 am Ms Rogers got her day in court late yesterday. With her attorney in tow, both driving a vehicle without proper license plate charges were dropped, tossed, gone. With Magistrate Boggs finished with the proceeding, Deputy Delk stuck his head in the courtroom and said something along the lines of: You need to tell your daughter she needs to have her license plate changed. Lawyer: She not going to be coming up here.. Rogers:  Kevin JUST LET IT GO!!!!!! Delk to attorney: I think I can make her do it. Attorney : I don't think so!
  • March 25 am All along Carolyn (Tootsie) Rogers has said the tickets were nothing more than police harassment and maintained her innocence. On Jan 26th just before 11am she asked the County Commission to investigate Deputy Delk on ethics charges. by 11:15 that same morning, Deputy Belt had issued that next set of tickets.
  • March 25 am  With Delk sounding like he fully intends to wrote her even more tickets on the same charge in the future, Rogers may have won the battle but not the war. Of course with layoffs coming July 1 and with Deputies Delk one of the low men on the totem pole, the problem may solve itself.
  • March 25 am We're just getting word on another election law charge and upcoming investigation. We'll keep you posted clickers as soon as it's official. We're only half way thru the season and there's sure to be more fun to be had. Just wait until the slates come out in mid April!
  • March 24 am We got a request from WYAP radio station at Two Run. WYAP is non profit that's hooked up with a government program that pays seniors over 55 years of age to work with the high school kids each afternoon.  If you need a  paying, part time job, WYAP has some openings. Stop by the station any afternoon from 3 to 7pm or call them 587-8353 during that same time period for more info. Currently two seniors are working and more are needed.
  • March 24 am It's easy being light hearted especially when we spend so much time making fun of our politicians. Here's a post that isn't so easy to tell
  • March 24 am  Monday evening the 20 something Michael Butcher overdosed on drugs and died. Butcher born in '78 was the fellow Tpr Bailey nabbed two Saturday's ago in front of Clay Lumber with a meth lab in the trunk of his car. He was set free on bond later that evening
  • March 24 am We're patching the story together and it's sketchy at best... Butcher and another young man were seen driving around the area most of Monday evening. Sources say Butcher OD'd sometime mid evening in the other person's car and was found back in his car by authorities by 11pm Monday night, dead.
  • March 24 am Law enforcement in the county will openly tell you, the drug culture is flourishing in Clayberry. During Monday's County Commission meeting as it was being made public that the Sheriff's office will have to cut back on manpower beginning July 1, officers made it clear to the mice up front, cut back on badges now, and the place will get worse and worse real quick!
  • March 24 am  Butcher went down a road many other youth travel. In Butcher's case, he never switched lanes and had spent much of his adult life spiraling out of control. Sadly we report one more failure to catch a problem before it self destructs.
  • March 24 am So are sitting around saying, I've got nothing to do. No reason for that clickers. Check out our EVENTS page for fun packed action like this Friday evening's Biddy Ball Basketball fun at the high school. Come out and see real action.
  • March 24 am Since it's opening, the Clay Nutrition Site at Two Run has been the burr under the saddle of the Clay Development Corp Senior Center on Main Street. In the latest edition of the Communicator, we have commentary from CDC on the Two Run facility. In an attempt to stir things up just a little .. click  REAL SENIOR CENTER to the recently redesigned Two Run  web site
  • March 24 am  Posted yesterday was the state code on candidates hanging signs, handing out brochures, putting ads in newspapers and on matchbooks without the mandatory disclaimer on paid for the ad. Look around the county and see how many of our wanna be public servants are obeying the law. Should be pretty scary for them since jail time is involved if you get caught!   Ahhhh, Alan, Clint, Chris, that law also applies to the printer that produces such materials.
  • March 23 am  In addition to the snow and cold cold temps, yesterday was a sad day in Clayberry. If you haven't read the March 22 postings from the County Commission meeting, you need to. Every department at the Courthouse was put on a spending freeze, over 20 phone lines cut off, employees will start paying PEIA  deductions, and departments were told, Get ready for the worst. Lay offs are coming
  • March 23 am No mention was made of the part time contract with Asst. Prosecutor Barry Keorber. There is little doubt that Keorber will be gone July 1 2004 as will long term, employees. If you think getting law enforcement is tough now, wait until July 1 2004. If you think too many cases are being dismissed now, wait until July!
  • March 23 am Also from yesterday's County Commission meeting... a group of Lizemorettes came with a complaint on the Ambulance Service from June 2003 where an already in route Jan Care  truck was turned back. The critical patient had to wait while Clay Ambulance made it way to the far end of the county and had to stop in route to find a paramedic. Now the Ambulance gang is suing the patient for $700 for the service.
  • March 23 am A couple weeks back during a Sheriff race rift, the call came for all Sheriff candidates to take a pee test. Roger Hunt and Dave Mullins immediately said, OK to the idea. Yesterday, Buckshot Butcher said that he had already taken a pee test in Jan 2004 and checked out clean. Next?
  • March 23 am Around the county are many signs without the state law mandated "paid for by the candidate" disclaimer line. Last week we pictured a campaign match book asking people to vote for RB, Gene, Kim and Rick. Nowhere on the book read, paid for by...
  • March 23 am Did you know the candidate and the printer can get in big trouble for no such disclaimer? True True True.    State Code 3-8-12 reads in part: a) No person may publish, issue or circulate, or cause to be published, issued or circulated, any anonymous letter, circular, placard, radio or television advertisement or other publication expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate.

    •   (b) No owner, publisher, editor or employee of a newspaper or other periodical may insert, either in its advertising or reading columns, any matter, paid for or to be paid for, which tends to influence the voting at any election, unless directly designating it as a paid advertisement and stating the name of the person authorizing its publication and the candidate in whose behalf it is published.
      (l) Any person violating any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars, or confined in a regional or county jail for not more than one year, or, in the discretion of the court, be subject to both fine and confinement.
  • March 23 am Yelp that's jail time! Wouldn't that be a hoot, see em all locked up for not following the rules?
  • March 23 am Not Bad Gifts at the top of this page has been redesigned to make shopping easier. Take a look by clicking at the top, this page
  • March 22 pm Those heading off to school and work this morning were greeted with slick roads. Cars went sliding left and right near the Hartland bridge  as motorists rounded the curve heading into the Town of Clay. Two fender benders for sure as snow and ice built up on that stretch of 2 lane. Higher elevations in the county received up to an inch of the white stuff.
  • March 22 pm  It's official clickers, County Commission voted on cut backs this morning to meet budget woes. This morning's cuts included cutting off half of the 45 telephone lines coming into the two Courthouses and ambulance service ( about $30 per month each) and to curtail all spending unless it's an emergency.  All employees will begin paying a portion of their hospital insurance coverage immediately. Up until this morning, the county paid the full PEIA coverage. With all three blind mice in attendance, the  motion was passed to hold on to some of this year's money to help out the new 2004-2005 budget year.
  • March 22 pm Although not voting on this morning, the  04 - 05 budget will be 19 1/2% lower! Long discussion on each department cutting employees beginning July 1st. It's anticipated each department will loose 1 to 2 employees or least cut them back to part time status. And Yes, that includes the Sheriff Department laying off Deputies.
  • March 22 pm   Green Shirts, Magistrate Boggs, Sheriff candidate James Paxton and others asked the Commission to keep Deputies on the job. That things are already bad enough with drugs and thievery without leaving the county with fewer cops on the beat.
  • March 22 pm How did this happen? Call it "Big Coal!" In 1999 Big Coal worked a bill thru the Legislature reducing tax assessments and that reduction is just now being felt. According to those in attendance at this morning's CCC meeting, another Big Coal bill made it thru the  Legislature (hidden with some other item) that will further reduce coal tax burden on seams of black gold under 30 inches. Translation: It's going to get worse. Bend over clickers and there's no Crisco this time!
  • March 22 am   Mr. L. Ralph Holcomb, 80 of Lizemores, WV, see FUNERAL page
  • March 22 am   Mr. Walter G. Williams, 66 of Clay see FUNERAL page
  • March 22 am This sure isn't the way to start Spring 2004!!!!!!!!!. Snow showers last night and temps predicted to be in the 20s tonight leave many wondering if Winter will ever end
  • March 22 am  The gravy train is finally over. After years of operating without a business plan or even an idea of what direction to go, the County Commission is broke
  • March 22 am This morning at 10 am, the County Commission is expected to vote in new cutbacks totaling 20%. The $300,000 reduction most likely will take effect immediately. From the fall out... expect layoffs in each department including the Sheriff's office.
  • March 22 am If you think law enforcement is skimpy now, wait till 2 Deputies are off the  payroll. The cuts do not affect the Health Dept. which has an $800,000 surplus.
  • March 22 am Before the Commission meeting, at 9:30 is a Small Cities Block Grant public hearing on project requests.
  • March 22 am We still call it the "new" Courthouse but the truth is, it's 25 years old and the roof's leaking. Plastic buckets are catching the water in the upstairs courtroom. With the existing roof containing asbestos, the replacement could be costly.
  • March 22 am  to  lighten things up a bit...    Upon hearing that her elderly grandfather had just passed away, Katie went straight to her grandparent's house to visit her 95-year-old grandmother and comfort her.  When she asked how her grandfather had died, her grandmother replied, "He had a heart attack while we were making love on Sunday morning."  Horrified, Katie told her grandmother that two people nearly 100 years old having sex  would surely be asking for trouble.

    •      "Oh, no, my dear," replied granny.  "Many years ago, realizing our advanced age, we figured out the best time to do it was when the church bells would start to ring.  It was just the right rhythm.  Nice and slow and even. Nothing too strenuous, simply in on the Ding and out on the Dong."
         She paused to wipe away a tear, and continued, "and if the d*** ice cream truck hadn't come along, he'd still be alive today.
  • March 21 am For the week that was, our weekend wrap up...
  • March 21 am Without a fight without even a good argument, our local School Board gave the thumbs up to closing down two community schools and consolidate into one new building on the old Dice Boggs property. Also last Monday night Clay County learned they will soon be the recipient of a new 15 acre lake. Finally, a place, a foundation to build an economic base for the struggling county
  • March 21 am 9 of 10 indictments were returned by the March Grand Jury this past week
  • March 21 am Families near the Amma State Road garage found out Thursday night that even tho they signed up for water service years and years ago, water ain't comin their way any time soon. Also, Thursday, the county found out that the $4 million dollar, 6 year old sewer plant was poorly operated and maintained sending huge "plums" of poop into the river and leaving the Town liable for such violations of Federal Clean Water rules.
  • March 21 am This past week, Town Mayor Jarrett along with Buckshot Butcher and Teddy Murphy cornered teenager Ryan Bird as he and Dennis Koch were attempting to steal yet another vehicle from Telford's Chevy parking lot. Koch got away.
  • March 21 am So is Town Cop Butcher resigned or not? Saturday, Butcher said, "I aint going to quit until they run me off or I get elected Sheriff!!!"
  • March 21 am Election BS heated up as various candidates had signs destroyed. Herschel Shamblin established a reward for information on such. Roger Hunt had 23 signs torn down.
  • March 21 am Here in Clayberry we hardly acknowledged that our country lost more young men and women in Dubbya's pathetic oil war. Sort of makes the rest of the week pale.
  • March 20 pm  Laurie Ann Laxton, 20, see FUNERAL page
  • March 20 pm Not a fancy bone in his body, Gary Williams was just the plain guy on the street.  Back a few years ago he ran for Sheriff. Other than that public exposure he worked and lived as most of us do, without much fanfare and often with a smile on his face. "Red" as many of us called him, went home from work at Clay Lumber to great stomach pain, nausea. Those problems intensified Thursday evening as he went to Braxton hospital and later the VA facility. Sadly we report Gary "Red" Williams died FRiday morning around 9 am. Funeral details as we get them.
  • March 20 pm The latest edition of the Communicator contains a lengthy rendition of the exchanges between on maternity leave Michelle Deyton and County Commissioner Mathew Bragg. We interviewed Deyton as well as talked to several at the Courthouse before printing the spicy item. The story has caught Mathew's attention.
  • March 20 pm Within a couple hours of the paper making the news stands, Bragg gave us a call and disputed nearly the entire incident. On the nosing into  Deyton's "dog" business, he was just trying to help out a neighbor. On the part about slamming the Courthouse door while peed off, that didn't happen. The part about threatening to "fire" Deyton, Bragg says he never said that but instead DID tell Commissioner Sams the part about going ahead and making budget cuts.
  • March 20 pm  Our response to Bragg: WHAT WE'RE YOU THINKING?????????? Who in their right mind wouldn't consider  that a threat of job loss???????????
  • March 20 pm Better get a copy of the paper ASAP. They're going fast!
  • March 20 pm We'll do the weekend update late late tonight.
  • March 20 am We got the Communicator out the door yesterday afternoon. 20 pages of great reading on the one and only Clay County WV. The lead story is the soon to be a reality, Bee Run Dam near Wallback.
  • March 20 am  We've got Senator Shirley Love's Legislative Update over on t he ADVISORY page as is Sen Randy White's latest installment.
  • March 20 am Friday afternoon Marine Honor Guards provided  services in Bomont for a Mr. Byron White. Sometimes, things don't go well. Before the last words were uttered, a fight broke out. Not just yelling and such but a down and dirty fist fight. Seems the family got into the battle over where the cremated remains would go.
  • March 20 am Mayor Jarrett had a busy Thursday night and Friday morning. Sometime around 3 am King Arthur Jarrett (as some call him) was up prowling the side streets looking for thugs involved in the rash of crime in the small municipality. With Jarrett were Buckshot Butcher and Teddy Murphy. It didn't take long
  • March 20 am Jarrett checked his own business, the historic Henry Clay Hotel for signs of forcible entry while Buckshot kept an eye on Telford's Chevy and Teddy stood guard over the Farm Store. Around 5 am someone tried to get into the Henry Clay Hotel. shortly thereafter Buckshot spied youthful Ryan Bird working to steal a vehicle behind Telford's. Bird was apprehended and booked while a chase sent a second youth, Dennis Koch, a running. Koch was not caught this time!
  • March 20 am By Friday afternoon Bird was back out on the streets having a big time.
  • March 19 am  Good morning clickers. You too RC and MW.
  • March 19 am It was a revealed during yesterday's Special Town Council meeting, our high tech poop factory is in trouble. DEP folks cited us for all kinds of violations including a 150 feet long plume of poop in the Elk. With the Log Factory only 6 years old, one would expect it to be in good shape. WRONG! Pumps are missing, things are rusted, the lift stations aren't being checked weekly and more. Recorder Betty Murphy said that they could be fined and Council along with Mayor Jarrett could end up in the slammer. Full details in this afternoon's Communicator.
  • March 19 am Things didn't smell so good during the Special Clay Roane PSD meeting last night either. After waiting for years on a water line extension and more recently being told that the bidding and construction could begin reaaaaaaaaaal soon. We heard differently last night. According to attorney Tom Whittier, the bidding alone could take several more months and no time table could be assured.
  • March 19 am The seven or so from the Amma section in attendance left none too happy. After paying water line extension tap fees years and years ago, they felt they would get water service. Have I said WRONG yet? The fees paid by the familes out near the state road garage can be returned and those folks are NOT included in the Roane County Extension.
  • March 19 am Remember last year when engineer Jim Hildruth was the fall guy and made it known that a rate increase may be needed before long? Hildruth was back and added a couple of cute commentaries. On the topic of Clayberry being the problem capitol of the world, Hildruth spoke on all the issues and hold ups in getting water projects started, "You don't see em anywhere else, anywhere else." As for our bassackwards approach to about everything we do, again Hildruth, "This county has approached things in a different way." The laughter came!
  • March 19 am Ever see a campaign headquarters for a Sheriff candidate in Clayberry. Next time your in town, check out the old post office building beside the Courthouse. Randy " Don't call me Poopy" Holcomb signs and materials galore.
  • March 19 am Not in recent memory have so many school board candidates put so much time and money into signs and campaigning than this year. That's about all but incumbent RB Legg. Haven't seen one stick of campaigning from him.
  • March 19 am County Commissioner Mathew Bragg put his foot, leg and about everything else in his mouth Wed afternoon as he threatened to fire long time County Clerk deputy Michelle Deyton.  Get this, Deyton is on maternity leave. Now that's the way to get votes in Clayberry. Pee off a recently depregnated lady and her entire family. Full details in today's Communicator. Head over to the news stands around 4:30 for a hot off the press copy of the only news source in Clayberry.
  • March 18 am  Jarvis, Drusila Helen, see FUNERAL page
  • March 18 am  White, Phillip Byron, see FUNERAL page
  • March 18 am Great Biggest 40th Wedding Anniversary wishes to  Lindy Myers for putting up with Paul all those years!
  • March 18 am Indictments are back from the Spring  Grand Jury. 10 presentations were made and 9 came back as true bills. Winners are: Glenn Tanner, Gary Rollins, Mark Stone, Dusty Pritt, Christopher Samples, Roger Dale Rogers, James Rogers II, Zane Boggs, and Melissa Drake. Arraignment for the March term before Judge Facemire will be this morning beginning at 9 am.
  • March 18 am  School Board candidate Earnie Wide Glide Sirk put one of his campaign signs up at Peyton Ramsey's place early in the week. The sign lasted just a few minutes before disappearing. With Clay Development Corp employee Brenda Baird in the neighborhood, Sirk commented, " If I knew Brenda wanted one of the signs, I would have given her one of her own!"
  • March 18 am Also in Election 2004 action, that little newspaper over in Clay started an uproar last week calling for Assessor candidate Teresa Lane to resign from her job for being insubordinate to her boss, Assessor Suzie Legg. One of Lane's buddies sent BOTH local papers a reply to those printed remarks. That reply in it's entirety can be found on our ADVISORY page.
  • March 18 am Also in Assessor race news, both the incumbent Suzie Legg and challenger Teresa Lane were at work Wednesday morning. Suzie and Teresa, only the two. The rest of the assessor office employees were off work for most of the day. Those around the Courthouse watched to see if any fur flew. As far as we can tell, it didn't.
  • March 18 am And what time is it? It's time for the thugs to steal another Clay County vehicle.  Over the last five weeks, pretty much like clockwork, teenage thugs have swiped a vehicle on Wed night. In addition to Wed nights', they went after Junior Holcomb's truck twice causing damage, Frances Sizemore's truck ,  Dave Derby was the target  last Saturday night. One car was burned out Leatherwood earlier this week and Tuesday morning a wrecked, out of state, vehicle was found out toward Chilton Nichol's place.   Opportunity clickers, Clayberry is wide open for the motivated
  • March 18 am Commissioner Mathew Bragg confirmed Wed morning that $50,000 had been secured from state house hoppers for the purchase of the old Filcon Field site near Ovapa.
  • March 18 am  We're typing on the Communicator for the 24 hours so posts to this site will be slim. If anything juicy happens, we'll of course post. Keep your fingers crossed, the paper should be on the news stands around 3 pm Friday.
  • March 18 am How about some good news for economic development for this county. We're getting a 15 acre lake on Summers Fork near Wallback. One person worked tirelessly for the economic boost, Fred Sampson. Full interview in this Friday's paper.
  • March 17 pm  Burly Bragg lives a couple miles below Ivydale right along Rt. 4 and on the banks of the Elk River. Bragg is peed. Here's the skinny...
  • March 17 pm This morning before 9 am he noticed three dogs eyeing a deer swimming across the river. First ne dog went in followed by another until all three were on top of the helpless deer. The dogs were successful in drowning the animal. It was then allowed to float on down the river without any attempt to to drag to the bank for breakfast.
  • March 17 pm Recognizing the dogs, Bragg called the Sheriff's office who  referred him to the DNR office at Wallback. No luck. He called a State Police number. After getting the run around, finally, a lady with the Clay Humane Society made some calls and basically Mr. Bragg was told: Unless you know the dog owner's name, address, etc., there is nothing that can be done.
  • March 17 pm Just another day in Clayberry.
  • March 17 am Happy Saint Pats Day to ya. With the moon dark, it's time to plant that tators! Spring is here. Sort of anyway. Maybe this will be our last snow of the season
  • March 17 am For much of WV where Demorats out number 'Publicans 4 to 1, the election is decided in May. Such may be the case this year too. From time of filing until the May Primary, wanta bees are expected to show up at "Meet the Candidates" dinners. For the most part, such gatherings  are nothing more than fundraisers for the host of the shindig. Such was the case again last night
  • March 17 am The top floor courtroom was packed with candidates and candidate families for the little ole blue headed lady's club auction. Each candidates brought something to be raffled off. At least in the Spring of Election year, we get something from our politicians, their money!
  • March 17 am With John Kerry in Charleston for a stump speech, last night may not have been the best time to have a local event. Every county candidate this year is a Demo except one. On second thought, since those same Demos supported Cecil Underwood and Dubbya last time, maybe it was proper for them to stay in Clayberry.
  • March 17 am Clay County Prosecutor Daniel Grindo was seen at the Kerry rally. A registered Demorat now, Grindo was a 'Publican until being appointed to the Prosecutor's slot last year.
  • March 17 am Monday night many locals were called up and invited to see JFK ( John Forbes Kerry). They were told to come early and pick up their tickets. Unfortunately, no tickets were available and many locals were peed!
  • March 17 am Grand Jury convened Tuesday in Clay. We'll post the results as soon as we can get our hands on them.
  • March 17 am Clay County PSD's Sam Taylor is on an ocean cruise this week. The PSD's Office Manager is on a leave of absence for two weeks. With both gone the laid off workers are back on the job.  WV PSC's Jim Weimer was seen in the county looking for a big time water leak in the Ivydale area. No word on if he was successful or not.
  • March 17 am Town of Clay residents are paying debt on the new state of the art sewer plant known locally as the Johnny Woooofter Log Factory. The regulators found several violations at the plant and cited the Town. Town Council will convene this Thursday at 4pm to discuss the violations and adopt a new budget. The meeting is open to the public
  • March 17 am  Thursday night at 7 Clay Roane PSD is holding a Special meeting with  project engineer Jim Hildruth and attorney Tom Whittier. Some folks in the Amma area want to know why they aren't included in the Amma/Left Hand water line extension project.
  • March 17 am Keep your powder dry and get those spuds in the ground.
  • March 16 pm  Play it again Sam could be the title of this unconfirmed report. Word is just hitting the streets of another bail out on the Filcon Field industrial site near Ovapa.
  • March 16 pm From what we're gathering, state dollars are coming into the county to regain control of the Filcon property from the Clay County Bank. The bank holds a $147,000 lien against the land and partially constructed building but is willing to return the taxpayer paid for ($90,000) land for just $50,000 plus overdue taxes, another $2000.
  • March 16 pm Money talks in Clayberry so watch for Sheriff candidate Mathew Bragg to lay claim to finding the funds for the repurchase. Story should break sometime later this week.
  • March 16 am  Hello Tuesday morning. What were you doing one year ago now? Watching Dubbya's war is the guess.  Now with hundreds dead and thousands wounded and marred for life, the oil war continues 366 days later. What countries and how many soldiers are helping W? Here's the latest list: United States: 130,000  Britain: 9,000  Italy: 3,000   Poland: 2,460    Ukraine: 1,600   Spain: 1,300   Netherlands: 1,100   Australia: 800 Romania: 700  Bulgaria: 480   Thailand: 440  Denmark: 420 Honduras: 368  El Salvador: 361 Dominican Republic: 302 Hungary: 300  Japan: 240 (rising to 550 by the end of March) Norway: 179 Mongolia: 160 Azerbaijan: 150 Portugal: 128 Latvia: 120 Lithuania: 118 Nicaragua: 113  Slovakia: 102 Czech Republic: 80 Philippines: 80 Albania: 70 Georgia:70  New Zealand: 61 Moldova: 50 Estonia: 31 Macedonia: 37 Kazakhstan: 25
  • March 16 am You keep hearing about "Al Jazeera'a" news coverage, here's a link to that web site and done up in English. Click THE OTHER SIDE for a looksee.
  • March 16 am The people in Spain spoke and voted for a change in direction. For the latest on the plans to pull out of Iraq, click FINALLY SOME BACKBONE
  • March 16 am Saturday afternoon Michael T Butcher was arrest in front of Clay Lumber Co. He  was charged with possession of Meth with intent to manufacture and deliver. He was released on a $25,000 bond.
  • March 16 am And we have some reaaaaaaaaal local news. Ever hear of a Master Land Use Committee? We've got one set up to provide local input into a county wide assessment for future land use in the county. The team is designating each area of the county for specific purposes after coal operations finish up. The meeting was just ho hum except for answers from Gary Patterson , President of Fola Coal. Are you sitting down?
  • March 16 am Last night Patterson said the 10 year stalled plan for Fola to build a dam and 15 acre lake will be DONE THIS YEAR!!!!!!!!!!! He said Fola has every intention to construct the $1m+ earthen dam  and the only thing holding it back is the OK on some state construction permits.
  • March 16 am How is it that Clayberry could get a recreational area in the county? Well it sure wasn't the CCC, nor CAEZ, nor the Business Development Authority! If the dam and lake actually gets built this year, it is 100% the efforts of one old guy that doesn't even like to fish, Fred Sampson. It was Sampson who took on the weighty task after the BDA showed little interest in it and even less interest in working to secure the facility for the county. Some in the county are already saying the complex near Wallback should be called Dam Sampson.
  • March 16 am For those that haven't seen Prosecutor candidate Barbara Schamberger campaigning this Spring, you should have seen her working the Town yesterday
  • March 16 am   Last night the School Board gave the nod for the new Ivy Fork ( or Valley Dale) Elem school to be built on the old Dice Boggs property behind the Big Otter Fire Dept. building.
  • March 16 am With the new location agreed on, that leaves both the Valley Fork AND the Ivydale communities without a local school to call their own. Instead of a close to home school, both communities will be sending their kids long distances on twisty hilly roads. Statistics show when a school is taken from the community, the community's interest in school activities go down the tubes and stays there. It was just 4 months ago that Gov. Bob Bob Boob Wise said that the days of consolidation are all but over. 'guess we now know what the "butt" was.
  • March 15 am Don't put away that salt and snow shovel. Take a look at the weather report over on our home page. Cold and snow flurries expected all week. Burrrrrrrrrrrrr
  • March 15 am Tonight the School Board meets in regular session at Clay Middle School. Even tho state law requires requires advance posting of the meeting agenda so the public can be fully informed, Link and Associates refuse to comply.
  • March 15 am We're well into Election 2004 and little has been seen or heard from Prosecutor candidate Barbara Harmon Schamberger. Some have written her off as electable. Might want to rethink that. Schamb said Saturday not to write her off , that she's just getting started on posters and such. She did attend a Meet the Candidates dinner last week and plans to do more as they get scheduled. With Schamb getting started and Jim Samples working the streets hard for office, we may have a race after all. Two other Prosecutor candidates, Wayne King and Barry Koerber have no signage in place nor have they attended candidate dinners and such.
  • March 15 am  We searched the Central Regional Jail site for a mug shot of Michael Butcher but with no luck. Butcher was arrested Saturday in front of Clay Lumber with a mobile meth lab in his trunk.
  • March 15 am Seven more American soldiers killedwith roadside bombs, click Pitiful Loss for details
  • March 15 am Think your son or daughter is free from being drafted? It may be coming. Click Puter Geeks Needed for more
  • March 15 am The FCC is ready willing and able to allow police to eaves drop on everything you look at and listen to while surfing the web. Click 1984 to see for yourself
  • March 15 am On the brighter side, a few states have decided some of the new terror snooping is too invasive and have opted out of the Fed program. Click Some Sense for Once for that report
  • March 15 am We'll keep you posted as the week moves along. Come back often and tell a friend.
  • March 14 pm Remember Denny Nerkiwietch? The guy who ran WV Emergency Support Network? Sure you do, this was the company that came in and ran the local ambulance service after the Ambulance Authority drove it in the ground.  His agency was later removed from control and Mitzie Adkins was installed as Director. Denny was the guy that was asked during a Jan 2002 County Commission meeting if ambulance performance reports would be provided the public, his response, " This is NOT a democracy!" Just got word, Denny got fired a few weeks back.
  • March 14 pm Here's our weekend wrap up for the week that was.....
  • March 14 pm Small town America paid little attention to the increased violence around the globe where America's quest to rule is often met with rocks, sticks and bombs where available. In Spain 200 were blasted into bits as those supportive of rebel Muslim beliefs showed their power. In Iraq 10 more Americans were killed as the W war for oil continued. Reports indicate that American trained Iraq policemen masterminded at least four of the killings.
  • March 14 pm Here locally, Sam Murphy turned himself in at the Magistrate office Monday morning charged with malicious assault. He was released on $25,000 bond minutes later.
  • March 14 pm  By mid week our Health Dept. Board voted to spend into the red so employees could have a pay raise. They also OKed a high dollar digital copier and telephone network from their $800,000 surplus account
  • March 14 pm Just 7 weeks into existence, Queen Shoals PSD received more formal complaints from irate water service customers.
  • March 14 pm A group of motivated locals met Thursday night and laid plans to clean up our local eyesore, the once beautiful Elk River.  Also on Thursday another truck was stolen from Telford's Chevy as a wave of thievery continued
  • March 14 pm Come back often, tell a friend, we update at least daily here at your only source of up to the minute news and views on Clayberry West Virginia
  • March 13 pm With gorgeous blue skies and sun galore, gardeners, home fixer uppers, and motorists had a great Saturday afternoon. Law enforcement had a great afternoon too.
  • March 13 pm Around 3:30pm as Michael Butcher was purchasing a gallon of acetone at Clay Lumber Co., Trooper ML Bailey walked in and asked the Ivydale resident if he had gotten his driver's license back. At first Butcher said Yes, but then he came clean, and said No.
  • March 13 pm In the trunk of Butcher's dark colored Plymouth Neon was found a mobile crank lab. Deputies Delk, Sizemore and Town Cop Buckshot Butcher aided in the arrest all wearing cute little purple rubber gloves.
  • March 13 pm Butcher wearing a toboggan and green T shirt, in handcuffs suggested that the reporter go back and get his camera and get a great big story too. He was not a happy camper!
  • March 13 pm With the goods all back in the trunk of the mobile lab (car), off to Central Regional Jail he shall go.  Now we give law H for the most part, but this time, one great big attaboy!!!!!!!!!!
  • March 13 am  Yesterday we showed a picture of a defaced Joe Morris for Sheriff sign near Ivydale. Someone nailed a Bragg for Sheriff sign over Joe's picture. Sometime Friday the Bragg propaganda was removed.
  • March 13 am Senator Love and White have sent their Legislative Update articles. Both are posted over on the ADVISORY page. Red hot news and found here FIRST
  • March 13 am In reference to the slam dunk provided Assessor candidate Teresa Lane in that little paper over in Clay, Veronica Butcher has penned a strong, did we say strong?, response. We'll get it posted sometime this weekend as as soon as we find a place to put it
  • March 13 am  Vicky Walker AKA Mrs. Randy Schoonover is running for House of Delegates this time around. Did you know Randy is running for office? Yelp: Delegate to Democratic National Convention -- Male -- 2nd  D  Randy Schoonover
  • March 13 am We keep wondering when we'll first see our JD Morris out of the slammer. Anyone can check his status by checking the Bureau of Prisons web site. Click WHERE'S JD ANYWAY. Once there type in Jimmy Morris to see his status.
  • March 13 am  To all the folks emailing in tips on our local thugs .. thanks again
  • March 13 am Looks like locals are stepping up the heat on water service in the county. From the WV Public Service Commission web site comes these  posts:  04-0323-PWD-PC QUEEN SHOALS PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT   FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING GOVERNOR'S EMERGENCY FUND FILED BY DISTRICT ----------------     04-0132-PWD-C        TAYLOR, CRYSTAL AND GARY, V. QUEEN SHOALS PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT   DATE OF ORDER:    03/09/04    COMMISSION ORDER REFERRING TO ALJ FOR DECISION BY SEPTEMBER 03, 2004; ETC -------------   04-0138-PWD-C IGO, ROBERT G., V. QUEEN SHOALS PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT   DATE OF ORDER:    03/09/04 COMMISSION ORDER REFERRING TO ALJ FOR DECISION BY SEPTEMBER 3, 2004; ETC  -------- 02-1768-PWD-C  MCLAUGHLIN, LARRY D., V. CLAY COUNTY PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT DATE OF ORDER:    03/09/04   COMMISSION ORDER REFERRING TO ALJ DIVISION FOR A DECISION BY AUGUST 19, 2004 ------ 03-1826-W-C CLAY COUNTY PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT V. CLAY MUNICIPAL WATERWORKS  DATE OF ORDER:    02/23/04   15 DAYS EXPIRED MARCH 9, 2004 ON RECOMMENDED DECISION - NO EXCEPTIONS
  • March 12 am  Emma Jean Vannoy, 77 see FUNERAL page
  • March 12 am James Carlos "Jim" Davis, 62, of Wallback, see FUNERAL page
  • March 12 am Come out tonight to the big time semi pro wrestling match over at the high school. All proceeds go to the Apple Festival. Details on the EVENTS page
  • March 12 am Our crime wave continued Wednesday night as a nice looking red Chevy pick up was stolen from Telford's Chevrolet in Main Street by thugs. Telford's having a harder time holding on to his inventory than a fighter and his teeth.
  • March 12 am For the flaming liberals clicker, Howard Stern speaks out on Dubbya's efforts to curtail free speech.  Click LET THE PUBLIC DECIDE WHAT TO WATCH
  • March 12 am  Last night 40 or so gathered in the Lion's Club Casino Hall on Main Street to figure out how to clean up 40+ miles of the Elk River including the nasty island under the Dundon bridge. HRDF has partnered with DNR, DEP, CAEZ, NAACP, Solid Waste and others ( just kidding about the NAACP) to work the magic in June 2004. Grants provide much of the needed $. Bunches of volunteers are also needed.  Want to help? Call 587-2027 or 587- 4389 to sign up.
  • March 12 am Now back to the real world, Election 2004. We've got 4 running for Prosecutor this time around. Keep in mind, the Republican party ( if they had any leadership in the county) and the Mountain Party can add candidates until Primary Day this May. Those four are Wayne King, Barry Keorber, Barbara Schamberger and Jim Samples. Of the four, only Samples has shown ANY interest in the race to date.  Samples has some signs scattered around the county, has attended at least three Meet the Candidates Dinners, handed out a few pens, shuck a few babies, and kissed a few hands so far.
  • March 12 am That Dobbins vs Procious PSD case before Magistrate King over Procious refusing to return a water tap fee has been delayed again. Seems the PSD's attorney will be out of town.
  • March 12 am Wednesday we posted a picture taken Monday of County Commissioner Bragg wearing a BRAGG FOR SHERIFF shirt during the County Commission meeting. We alluded to campaign material at the Courthouse as a no no. According to Commissioner Triplett , that ain't a no no until absentee balloting starts in a few weeks.
  • March 11 am We've been checking Wilson Funeral Home's web site for the Jim Davis obit but as of 9 am this morning, no post yet.
  • March 11 am Around 6:05 last night the call for law enforcement was heard over the scanner. Unit 2, Jeff Rider, responded to a woman in the Big Otter Go Mart parking lot creating a scene by harassing customers there.
  • March 11 am  For those wondering who the Roane County Commission appointed to fill the Roane Board seat on the Clay Roane PSD. The answer is no one!  Larry White resigned that post over 6 weeks ago mentioning he couldn't get along with other Boardsters and get his agenda moving along. In an agreement with Roane County, Clay County allows one Boardster to reside in our border county. According to Roane County newspaper reports, Roane County now wants two seats on the Clay Roane PSD Board of Directors.
  • March 11 am During the last Clay Roane meeting, 10 Amma area residents attended and asked why their area of the county was no longer being included in a proposed water line extension project. In response to those folks' question, the water provider is holding a special meeting next Thursday. That's NEXT Thursday clickers, not tonight.  Invited to the meeting are attorney Tom Whitttier and engineer Jim Hildruth.
  • March 11 am Dipping into their $800,000 surplus, the Health Dept. Board voted a 3% pay raise for employees. The Board met Tuesday evening at 7pm. After approving a nearly balanced budget for 2005, the Board went into the red for the raises,  went into debt for new $15,000 copier and further in red by increasing monthly expenses by leasing a new telephone system for almost $180 per month.
  • March 11 am  Explanations came from the office manager Linda Klotzbach on the need to buy the computer networked copier. According to Linda, the existing copier is over 6 years old and the new one could also replace all the little printers hooked up to staff computers. One big computer would be cheaper to operate she said.  Of course the question remains, when the one and only new copier breaks down, and there are no backup machine, what happens  to production and deadlines?
  • March 10 am Cold temps and show flurries continue. Bundle up clickers, it's cold out there
  • March 10 am Around 11:45 am yesterday, word came over the scanner of a fight in progress at the Senior Center building on Main Street.
  • March 10 am Clay County PSD Chair Keith Mr. happy King knows how to hold a public meeting. The PSD remains nearly broke ( only 807.00 to their name), 2 people are laid off from work, the water line extension projects remain on hold, and.... well you get the picture, lots going on and the monthly meeting lasted just 6 minutes. As far as fast meetings, that's a record.
  • March 10 am  Remember attorney Jim Lane from a couple years ago?  Lane is now working for Clay County PSD and doing title work on rights of way and easements.
  • March 10 am  We keep talking about the Sheriff's race and those candidates. We sure don't want to overlook the Assessor's race. Challenger Teresa Sams Lane has a chance at toppling incumbent Suzie Legg if she grows some backbone. For instance, Lane could mention the numerous under assessed homes in the county. During bankruptcy proceedings, we learned that attorney Wayne King's  $250,000 home is assessed at just $55,000.00. A couple years back we found out that Doc Bogg's home (sold to Telford) was assessed at less than $50,000 and sold for well over $300,000. The assessment is suppose to be 60% of the appraised value. Just think how much better off this county would be if the blue bloods had to pay taxes on what they're worth.
  • March 10 am With a little lookin', Lane could gather some steam if she really wanted to win.
  • March 10 am  Back in 1992, the powers that be wanted Gene King out of office. During that close election, King won out by just 5 votes, 913 to Paul Allen's 908. So how bitter was it? Allen called for a recount. During the recount, Gene King hired attorney Wayne King to stand in and object to about everything coming and  going.
  • March 10 am In the 1996 School Board election King went on to place first with 2008 votes followed by RB Legg with 1947 beans counted. Absolute new comer to politics Delbert Davis proved incumbents vulnerable with his respectable showing of 1597. Long time Boardster and thief JD Morris chose not to run in 1996 for fear of loosing the whole shebang.
  • March 10 am Felon JD Morris should be out of prison about now. The Judge ordered him to be behind bars for 18 months followed by probation for 5 years. Sentencing guidelines call for Mr. Sticky fingers to do 12 months behind bars and then 6 months in a halfway house. Welcome back JD.
  • March 9 am  Freda Delores Walker Pierson, 83, of Clay, see FUNERAL page
  • March 9 am  Today's Clay County PSD meeting has been rescheduled from 10 am to 2 pm.
  • March 9 am  chinese proverb: Man who scratch butt should not bite fingernails
  • March 9 am chinese proverb: Crowded elevator smells different to midget.
  • March 9 am Accused shooter Sam Murphy turned himself in at the Courthouse this morning at 9 am charged with malicious assault. Attorney Kevin Duffy was at his side. He was soon released on a $25,000 property bond. His arrest warrant was signed by Magistrate Boggs Saturday afternoon around 3 pm. According to Officer Baily's report, Murphy used a rifle on Tom Holcomb. Street sources say it was a MAC 50 assault style weapon and one shot was fired.
  • March 9 am As for the victim, Holcomb appears heading for a complete recovery.
  • March 9 am In yesterday's posting we mentioned Sheriff Fields and Gene King out campaigning for Scott Legg. Fields said that ain't the case, that he hasn't done much of his own campaigning so far.
  • March 9 am In the latest edition of the Communicator we commented about a secret illegal meeting hosted by the County Commission last week. Commissioner Sams said they don't do illegal secret stuff. 'said that court cases over the last 6 years prove that too! Of course, many say OJ should have been found guilty.
  • March 9 am  New this year to the election process are campaign web sites. School Board candidate Charlie Vance just updated his, click Vance for a look. And here's a school board candidate that's against school consolidation, click HERSCHEL SHAMBLIN for a peek
  • March 9 am For those wanting their water tap fee money returned to them, there's case before Magistrate King now. Dobbins vs Procious PSD has been rescheduled for March 26th.
  • March 9 am During the last CAEZ meeting, the Board voted NOT to partner with our Business Development Authority and buy the Filcon Field industrial site back from the bank. During that meeting, Director Sizemore said that an engineering report showed the Filcon building's floor was 2 foot under the flood plane. During yesterday's County Commission meeting, BDA Chair Paige Willis showed around that one page report Sizemore was referring to last week.  Seems to be some confusion here clickers. The report reads that the building is ABOVE the flood plane by 2 feet! 100 year flood elevation -843.00; building site elevation - 845.00. Richard J Prine signed the report. Full CAEZ coverage in the latest Communicator
  • March 9 am   chinese proverb: Man who breaks wind in church sits in own pew.
  • March 8 am Maybe winter isn't quite done with us yet. Snow squalls and drizzle rain/ice in the forecast for the next 48 hours. Be real careful out there
  • March 8 am Last night around 7:40 soon to be gone Town Cop Buckshot called a report of power lines on fire north of Spread Park at Miller Bottom. Lights blinked off and on a few times but little else as high winds visited Clayberry
  • March 8 am This morning at 10 the Clay County Commission meets in regular session. Other than new Deputy Chad Sizemore requesting a raise, the only other interested agenda item is discussion of modifying the upcoming Excess Levy call. Some are saying we're too poor to have another LEvy on the books. Calhoun is in worse shape than Clay and they just passed their Emergency Service Levy Saturday. Click FOR DETAILS for more
  • March 8 am Around 11 am this morning, the Commission will be auctioning off tires wore out politicians... I mean used office stuff from the Courthouse including computer gear. Last time some of the stuff went for a buck
  • March 8 am Ovapa rumors had it that Sheriff candidate Scott Legg had dropped out of the race. With Legg putting up plastic signs around the county Saturday, guess that rumor is shot down.
  • March 8 am    We've got some interesting stuff going on in Election 2004. Ever see any Gene King for School Board signs? King has traditionally been the top vote getter each time he runs and almost never bothers to do and hang signs. King himself was seen nailing up the signage Saturday. With four seats up this May, anything is possible.
  • March 8 am So why's King go the extra mile this time around. He and others may be worried. The coffee house crowd has had it for months that Sheriff Fields and Gene King cut a deal with Scott Legg. The way we've got it:  If School Boardster Scott would give up his Board seat from District B and let Gene King have it, then Gene and Harald would support Scott for Sheriff. No surprise there really, deals are made all the time.  There seems to be some complications...
  • March 8 am A couple of folks that emailed this site are peed because both King and Fields have been seen campaigning for Legg on company time. Could be the reason King is going the extra mile with signs?
  • March 7 am And for the week that was, Spring was in the air, flowers started to show as locals planted hardy onion sets and lettuce when the temps soared into the upper 60s. With the dirt turned over, it was all gardeners could NOT do, go ahead and plant the red pontiacs.  Patience all, Just another Week or so, remember last night was a full moon.
  • March 7 am Last week was important in Clayberry West Virginia not so much for what happened but for what we tried. Like....
  • March 7 am In only their second meeting since being reformed, Queen Shoals PSD raised eyebrows as the public found out: a daughter of a Board member was hired; a meter reader was hired, both without advertising the positions; QSPSD began to spend their $60,000 grant. Done with good intentions, but well, wrong. After the WVPSC heard about such, officially this came from the suits in Charleston:     04-0323-PWD-PC        QUEEN SHOALS PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT    NEW CASE: 03/04/04     EFFECT DATE: .     ORDER SHOULD BE ISSUED BY: .    PETITION FOR CONSENT AND APPROVAL TO ALLOW THE DISTRICT TO ACCEPT FUNDS FROM THE GOVERNOR'S EMERGENCY FUND TO ESTABLISH AN OFFICE, ETC.
  • March 7 am The ever growing controversy of an illegal background check provided a third contender Dave Mullins to say publicly, he would submit to a pee test anytime. Already on record as being in favor of such drug testing, that leaves Sheriff contender Mathew Bragg to step up to the plate.
  • March 7 am Last Tuesday during the Town Council meeting, it became public, volunteer Town Cop Buckshot Butcher had resigned with Mayor Jarrett saying he would provide police protection for the County's only municipality after March 16th. Later Tuesday during the CAEZ meeting, the grass roots agency voted overwhelmingly, NOT to support a $52,000 partnership to buy the old Filcon Field site with the Business Development Authority (BDA).
  • March 7 am And what makes Clayberry so special. Last Wednesday, Commissioners' Triplett and Sams hosted a most important county water consolidation meeting and did so without giving the public ( or Commissioner Bragg for that matter) any notice. The meeting planned days in advance was suppose to be kept quiet according to our sources. Is it any wonder the voters don't trust the folks at the helm
  • March 7 am After getting word of the CAEZ's intent to shy away from a BDA partnership to buy back the Filcon site from the Clayberry Bank, during the Thursday BDA meeting, the appointed ones were upset. The agency down the street which included 5 Clayonians on that Board, had given them a smack in the face. In response to feeling like the red headed step child, the BDA voted to ask the County Commission to designate them (BDA) as the lead economic development agency for the county which includes $30,000 annually from the state hoppers.
  • March 7 am Last Friday..... How much more timely could it have been  when tossed from Clay Development Corp (CDC) office Earnie Sirk sent out a plea to others concerned about the questionable senior service operation, to join him in a class action styled suit. Wide Glide's plan: To try and reign in the secret, private dealings of the  $1 1/2 million family run empire so long thought invincible.
  • March 7 am As the week ended, our crime wave continued when another act of violence was committed early Saturday morning as Tom Holcomb was gunned down in a trailer on Main Street. Sources close say the shooting was a crime of passion. By 3 am, Saturday morning,  a BOLO (Be On The Look Out) was issued for Sam Murphy. As of 5 pm Saturday, and according to investigating officer ML Bailey, Murphy had not been seen.
  • March 6 pm We're trying to put together what happened between 1 to 3 am this morning. Here's what we think we know as of 11 am this morning.
  • March 6 pm Around 1 am this morning Tom Holcomb was shot in the chest. Holcomb was in a trailer owned by a Nottingham subject and located just up river from the Health Dept. building where the ambulance service is housed. The call went out for help over 911. Green Shirt Officer Bailey asked who had been shot, it came back Tom Holcomb.
  • March 6 pm Bailey made it to the scene and over the radio asked for a camera. Over the scanner came word to Officer Bailey: several people at the "apartments" were hollering, screaming, and getting into their cars heading for Bailey's location.
  • March 6 pm While all this was going on, a call came that said a woman out Widen Road had been jerked from her vehicle and the man was seen dragging her into the woods. Another woman stopped to help and a man came after her. That second woman pulled out her gun as did the man and shots were fired. Apparently the passerby skid addled. A few minutes later came a call that the first woman was being chased by a man.
  • March 6pm Now keep in mind clickers this is the middle of the night and sounded pretty confusing. Keep that in mind..... Closer to 2 am a "BOLO" or Be On The Lookout was issued for a truck and Sam Murphy as the possible shooter. While on the radio, Bailey mentioned that his location had all the makings of being  a dangerous situation.
  • March 6 pm Later scanner traffic gave details on the Widen Road part of the night. The dispatcher was able to contact the  witness lady and that person spoke of a dark color full size Chevy truck. A red Toyota was also mixed in there somewhere. Bailey mentioned that the lady being jerked out the truck may be related to the Tom Holcomb shooting.
  • March 6pm As of early this morning, no one had seen Sam Murphy.
  • March 6pm  This stuff above is as clear as we can gather for now
  • March 6 pm So what was going on?  After walking the streets this morning and putting the stories together, here goes. Murphy's companion Jackie Ruth White told her husband that Tom had raped her. Having heard that and armed, those close by said Sam shot Holcomb as soon as he found him and then told Jackie, "He'll never do that again."
  • March 6 pm As we get the police report and details we'll amend an update on the truck out Widen Road, whether it was in anyway related to the shooting of Holcomb and the part about yelling and hollering at the "apartments".
  • March 6 pm  In any case, sure sounds like  Trooper First Class Marshall Bailey had his hands full last night and his years of police work kept a nasty situation from getting worse. Most in the county know, after midnight, there is no law enforcement on duty in Clayberry.
  • March 6 pm Of course, the Texas Rangers have a motto, One riot, One Ranger.
  • March 6 am Walter O. Taylor, 96, of Bickmore. see FUNERAL page
  • March 6 am The Communicator made it to the news stands on time yesterday. 20 pages of the best info and news on Clay County West Virginia including a pretty juicy article on Clay Development Corp (CDC) our own little arm of senior services and senior center controversy.
  • March 6 am We've also added Senator Shirley Love's latest Legislative Update report over on our ADVISORY page. To get it even quicker, WYAP-LP broadcasts the audio form each Friday afternoon over the internet airwaves.
  • March 6 am Thursday night our Business Development Authority met at the Courthouse. For the most part they spent the time bad mouthing the actions of the CAEZ who voted not to partner with the BDA and purchase the controversial Filcon Field site. To fight back, CAEZ will ask the County Commission to make the BDA the lead economic development agency for the county, a designation now held by the CAEZ. With such designation comes 30,000 state dollars for county improvements.
  • March 6 am and last night the wave of violence continued. Sometime around 1 am Tom Holcomb was shot in the chest in downtown Clay beside the Health Dept. building. We understand he was in surgery at 2:30am this morning. It is believed at this time the shooting was related to a domestic and the perpetrator remains at large.
  • March 5 am   Ida M. Reed Conley, 87, of Clay, see FUNERAL page
  • March 5 am   Rosa Rogers 92, see FUNERAL page
  • March 5 am OK clikers, we've got a missing dog, here's the scoop from our emailer:  LOST MALE BROWN AND WHITE JACK RUSELL  TERRIER. IN IVYDALE NEAR THE IVYDALE GRADE. ANSWERS TO THE NAME POPS. SMALL CHILD'S PET. MISSED BY LITTLE GIRL. IF YOU HAVE SEEN HIM OR HAVE ANY INFO PLEASE CALL MARIA THORNE 286-4154 OR EMAIL SALLIE25043@HOTMAIL.COM
  • March 5 am Queen Shoals PSD has only been reopened for about 2 days or so when complaints started pouring into the WV PSC. Like this one: JONES, MICHAEL LEE, V. QUEEN SHOALS PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT AND ROANE PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT   NEW CASE: 03/02/04     EFFECT DATE: .     ORDER SHOULD BE ISSUED BY: .  FORMAL COMPLAINT
  • March 5 am And this one: POLING, DELORES J., V. QUEEN SHOALS PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT  DATE OF ORDER:    03/02/04 COMMISSION ORDER EXTENDING ALJ DECISION DUE DATE TO SEPTEMBER 3, 2004; ETC.
  • March 5 am  If al goes well, The Communicator should be on the news stands around 4 pm today. 20 pages of the best in Clayberry news.
  • March 4 am  Now this is going to take awhile, so go get your coffee..... First the chit chat
  • March 4 am Tonight in Summersville, our Clay Lady Panthers take on Webster County in Regional B Ball Tournament action. Our home team is 32 minutes away from going to the states. Come out an support the Lady Panthers.
  • March 4 am We've added a bunch of new pictures on the PHOTO page under the heading of: Winter 2004; Kid Stuff, and Elected 2004. Enjoy
  • March 4 am  Most people in the county know sheriff candidate Randy Holcomb as Poopy Holcomb. A couple weeks back the Poopster emailed us and asked us to stop calling him Poopy and use his real name, Randy. Of course we thought, how the H is he going to get elected if he doesn't go by the name we know him by!!!
  • March 4 am With that being said, Tuesday afternoon, Poopy's... I mean Randy's  brother Tinker Holcomb was seen in Town hauling drinking water. He was wearing his usual ball cap, but on Tuesday, Tinker had a "Vote for Buckshot Butcher for Sheriff" button stuck on his cap.
  • March 4 am As for making some money: Is your puter all screwed up? Jason has a new button on our homepage and is offering a real deal to get you back up and running. With Election 2004 in progress, you sure don't want your puter to let you down now!  Hop's Auto ( button on homepage) is building a service center to do quality auto repairs. He's getting the building under roof now.
  • March 4 am Tonight at 5 our Business Development Authority meets in the Courthouse. With CAEZ bailing out of the partnership to buy back the Filcon Field site, this meeting might be a good one. At 7pm tonight, Clay Roane PSD meets in the CDC building on Main Street. Once again, secret time is planned. Since this is about  the umpteenth time for the closed door session, watch for action tonight.
  • March 4 am  See someone littering, tossing junk out the window?  The DNR Littering Hotline number is 1-800-322-5530. Ahhhhh.... tossing out politicians is not littering but rather urban renewal
  • March 4 am  Charleston Newspaper's have been reporting on the Senior Center fellow in Wyoming County that makes $325,000 per year at that non profit agency. Here, Clay Development Corp has made the news for a number of years both during meetings and in the court room. Complaint letters have been sent to those supposedly over them to no avail. In Dec, tossed from power Earnie Wide Glide Sirk won a court case where the Judge ordered him back on the CDC general membership committee.   Two weeks later, and despite what the judge ordered, another coup was performed and Sirk was tossed again. Orignially, Sirk was expelled after discovering corruption that resulted in one of the "TEAM FAMILY" members getting fired from the CDC.
  • March 4 am Private citizen Sirk has since hired an attorney at his own expense and is taking the family clan (CDC) back to court. That filing should take place next week. This time around, Sirk is bringing a class action style suit to the court. Sirk needs some help. Here's the plea: anyone  who was tossed from the CDC general membership roles by the clan, please call Earnie at 286-3312 NOW. To bust our own little bin of inequity, get involved, call Wide Glide. He's ugly as H but his false teeth keep him from biting much.
  • March 4 am  And now for what makes  and keeps Clayberry , Clayberry. Yesterday at 10, our County Commission hosted a meeting of all the local PSDs and all the  big wigs from Charleston. Commissioner Sams said they wanted to get the water projects moving again.  The suits spoke in happy tones. Sams spoke in happy tones. There was that warm and fuzzy feeling everywhere. For the most part, the suits are willing to let bygones be bygones and the locals leaders are more than willing to let that happen. It was as if the Commission had gotten their act together and Clay County was ready to move into the 20th century. Forget the 21st Century for now.
  • March 4 am WRONG!!!
  • March 4 am Yesterday's meeting was organized on Monday March 3rd. The PSD's were called and asked to attend. They were also told NOT to let the cat out of the bag! That they didn't want the public involved. Monday evening during the QSPSD meeting Chair Kearns slipped and asked that fat reporter if he had heard of the Wed meeting. The guys response was no.
  • March 4 am As late as Tuesday evening, while attending the CAEZ meeting, Commissioner Triplett never mentioned, never breathed a word of the secret meeting. Commissioner Triplett said he didn't even invite Commissioner Bragg! Others said that Bragg was intentionally left out of the loop. Of course Bragg has been out of the loop for 5 years!
  • March  4 am After the meeting, Triplett said it wasn't a meeting, that the CCC just hosted a "gathering". That there wasn't anything illegal about it! Of course Open meeting law tells a different story.
  • March 4 am  There certainly was a quorum of the Clay County Commission; they were certainly discussing items they will have to vote on down the road, there certainly was NO NO NO public notice given, and there wasn't an agenda posted. Raise your hand if you think this meeting passes the rotten fish test? Let's see now.... Nope not one hand up.  Is it any wonder that residents don't trust our elected leaders?
  • March 4 am So what problems can such breaches of the laws bring? Anyone wishing to challenge any future water project sure has a leg to stand on now.  And by the way Town of Clay residents, plans are now being laid to upgrade your already paid for water plant and that upgrade ($3 million +) will require a rate increase? And Yes,  King Arthur was in attendance of the meeting yesterday. Just when our Commission says they want to move forward, they take us back five steps. Is it any wonder we look worse than many third world countries?   Needless to say, this corruption of the law will make the front page of this Friday's Communicator.
  • March 4 am Are you still reading? Good, here's some more. We posted notes on Tuesday from Monday's Queen Shoals PSD (QSPSD) meeting two days ago. Seems the WV Public Service Commission gang read this site too and have reacted to some of the Board decisions. Our sources told us: QSPSD cannot give free water service to the local churches as they voted to do Monday night; They cannot hire the daughter (Sarah) of QSPSD Boardster Ann Anderson, there are WV PSC rules against such actions; There are real concerns over using Ann's living room as the PSD office; And And And, that $60,000 they got from Gov. Bob Bob Bob Wise.... they can't spend it as they see fit. That the WVPSC has to OK the $ and the WVPSC will tell them how and when they can spend it!
  • March 4 am As a note. We're typing away on this Friday's edition of the Communicator and we'll offer few posts (except Obits) until we get that thing typed, proofed and printed. Hope this morning's postings will hold you until Friday evening late.
  • March 4 am  One last note. We asked clickers to email what they thought about the idea of drug testing candidates for office, specifically Sheriff candidates. 100% of those responding commented that ALL candidates SHOULD be pee tested. 100%. Already Dave Mullins and Roger Hunt have said publicly, they will pee in the jar ( if it's not too far away that is) any day, any time. Well.... what about the rest of you?
  • March 4 am And this really is the last post until we get the paper out. Roger Hunt called for an investigation into the actions of another Sheriff candidate ( Bragg) who Hunt says pulled an illegal background check on himself and others. Hunt said he received a call from Braxton County and that county is doing the requested investigation. Wonder whose shorts are all bunched up now?
  • March 3 am Town Council met last night and ever so quietly, Mayor King Arthur Jarrett made it public, volunteer Town Cop Buckshot Butcher resigned from duty effective March 16th. King Arthur said he would serve as Town Cop after Buckshot leaves.
  • March 3 am Although Butcher agreed to be a volunteer ,  Council voted to pay off Butcher's $400 + water bill for services rendered. Jarrett said he had previously covered another water bill around $300 himself. Full details this Friday in the Communicator.
  • March 3 am  Will Filcon ever die? During last night's CAEZ meeting, the board voted NOT to partner with our Business Development Authority and buy the old Filcon Field industrial site for $52,000.00 The original plan (two months ago) called for the BDA and CAEZ to team up and purchase the site from the foreclosure grips of the Clay County Bank with CAEZ coughing up the $.
  • March 3 am How many times have you heard BDA Chair Paige Willis say the location of the partially completed Filcon building was out of the flood plane? Not so according to the most recent CAEZ engineering report given by CAEZ Director Jerry Sizemore last night. According to that report, the buildings floor is two feet BELOW the flood plane.
  • March 3 am One other note from the CAEZ gathering yesterday. That concrete and steel Filcon building will have to be torn down! Full details you know where, this Friday
  • March 3 am    Yesterday we asked our web site clickers to email over their answer to this question: With all the murky questionable controversy in this year's Sheriff's race, should Sheriff candidates be pee tested? The responses received have been overwhelmingly YES. Send in you opinion using the email link at the bottom of this page today. the more the merrier!
  • March 3 am This year's election is already different from all others. Have you noticed even the school board candidates are putting up yard signs? Take a look at our home page too. Internet advertising. Another first for this county!
  • March 3 am Remember Jason the computer repair guy who used to advertise on this site? He's back. His ad will show up in a day or two. For those needing puter repairs right away, here's what we've got from Jason: Is your computer running slow?  Has it lost it's get up go?

    • Get your system running at it's peak performance again! Have a technician get your system back on the right track. We will clean your registry, remove old programs that you no longer use, install your latest Windows updates and more for  only $45.  Call 548-5819 or 610-5127 now to set up your appointment.
  • March 2 am Remember the rules. This is fire season. No open burning before 4 pm daily.
  • March 2 am Clayberry went without phone service for most of Monday after the fiber optic main trunk line near Widen was severed. No one could dial in or out of the 587 exchange. Ditto for the 911 center in Nicholas County getting in touch with us via the phone. For those trying to listen to the county's internet radio station, WYAP-LP, it too was out of action since it uses a Frontier Telephone Company DSL service connection. One Mother working in Charleston called our office and wondered what happened to Clayberry. She couldn't reach anyone and wondered if the whole place blew up? Although that may be a good idea ( and start over), didn't happen, Clay County was just isolated from the rest of the world for several hours.
  • March 2 am Today at 4 Clay Town Council holds it's monthly meeting as well as CAEZ at 4 and then later the full Board meets at 6 pm. Don't miss the fun. It is your tax dollars after all.
  • March 2 am  Last night the newly formed Queen Shoals PSD met. We'll have the full report this Friday but briefly, QS  received their $60,000 grant from Bob Bob Bob Wise and are in the process of setting up their office in Boardster Ann Anderson's home where newly hired secretary Sarah Anderson ( that's Ann's daughter) will work for $8 per hour. When asked if the PSD bid the young Anderson's job or meter reader/maintenance man Dale Deems job, the answer from QSPSD Chair Kearns was No. Because the two are contract laborers, no bidding was necessary.
  • March 2 am When Clay Roane PSD took over the QS service area in Feb. 2003, one of the first items of business was to start charging the local churches for water service. That changed last night as the QS Board motioned and passed to give free water to the three local churches.
  • March 2 am And boy do we have something brewing in Election 2004. You know we have and investigation in progress over an illegal background check done  on Sheriff candidate Roger Hunt. Hunt claims fellow Sheriff candidate Mathew Bragg ( a Gassaway town cop) made the invasive background check on Hunt. Now how do we post this next part without getting our bejeebees sued off....
  • March 2 am  Bragg has said in public that when he went to  Hunt's home  to ask him to remove his name from the May ballot in Jan 2004, he smelled something.... it smelled like pot. Needless to say when Hunt got wind ( no pun intended please) of this, he went wild. Also at Hunt's home at the time was long time friend Jim Perdue.  With Perdue being a practicing Christian for a number of years, Perdue sure didn't appreciate the down in the mud scuttlebutt. About a week ago, Jim P said he sure didn't want his name involved with any of this and didn't even want involved with any of this election stuff BUT he wasn't about to put up with that kind of crap from Bragg.
  • March 2 am Both Perdue and Hunt have said they will stand for a drug test any time any day as long as Bragg takes one too !! Last night during the School Board meeting, Republican Sheriff candidate Dave Mullins said   "that if the public wanted it, he would be the first one to step in line to be drug tested, every week if they wanted."  He said we could quote him if we wanted.  Well   we just did too!
  • March 2 am   Why not drug test the whole lot of them clickers? Heck, to get a job at McDonalds or drive a garbage truck, you have to pee in a cup, why not the badges carrying guns? Send in your comments to the email address below.
  • March 2 am  Stay tuned clickers Election 2004 has all the markings of a great one!
  • March 1 am Maude Muller Burdette, 84, of Indore, see FUNERAL page
  • March 1 am  Looks like we've made it thru winter clickers. No snow in the forecast with moderate temps too.
  • March 1 am The first week of the month is always an action month as far as public meetings are concerned. Tonight is our School Board will meet in public beginning at 6. Newly reformed Queen Shoals PSD convenes at 6  in the gym at HE White Elem.
  • March 1 am Tuesday afternoon, Clay Town Council gathers at 4 (water plant office) as does the Eco/Dev committee of the Central Appalachia Empowerment Zone (CAEZ). The full CAEZ Board meets at 6 pm. Both to be held in their Main Street digs beside the Welfare office. More stuff as things get going.
  • March 1 am  We've now got American troops in harms way in Haiti with more arriving this week. In 91 we led an invasion, orchestrated a coup and installed our pick to run the struggling country. Seems the locals have been unhappy ever since. For complete run down click OVERTHROW.
  • March 1 am  And for those interested in Dubbya's plan to turn attention to gay marriages and away from the serious issues facing this country, click INSIGHT
  • March  1 am For those interested in this site, we had 673 visitors last Thursday including 75 brand new folks. Welcome aboard and thanks for stopping by. That's not a record but still up from our average count of 500 or so.  The record was set the day we broke the story of JD Morris pleading guilty to stealing your money. In a mere two hours, we counted 800 visitors.
  • March 1 am If you want your event posted on this site and this Friday's Communicator, email over your info soon.
  • March 1 am  For those didn't mark it as a favorite, here's the Clay County Humane Society web page once again. Click TAILS a WAGGIN'
  • March 1 am Notice the new advertisers over on our homepage? Niiiice!