May 2007News

 
  • May 31 pm From the email bag:  Mika & Savanna Cadle of Bomont wants to Wish Their Daddy Michael “David” Cadle of Procious A Very Special Happy Birthday for June 1, 2007 with Lots of Hugs and Kisses.
  • May 31 pm  Clay Roane PSD has a job opening for a maintenance person. Listing is now on the JOBS page.
  • May 31 pm A couple  weeks ago we noted the civil war over at the Newton Center. The war is between a new group of volunteers wanting to ramp up activities there and what's left of the long time in office Board. What's left is Juanita Linger who runs the show over there from her Treasurer's position.
  • May 31 pm We called her "tyrannical"  back then  and received her wrath via a telephone call right after the online post.
  • May 31 pm The newbees voted her out of office last month. They also asked her to return all records in her possession. She refuses and says the newbees aren't a part of the group, just outside troublemakers.
  • May 31 pm We have an update.
  • May 31 pm Roane County Magistrate Russell Goodwin had a sit down talk with both sides two days ago. From that hearing, Yep, Linger can be voted out, the newbees can take control as long as they go by the bylaws, and Yes Juanita, you have to give up the records, all of em.
  • May 31 pm The complete run down from the Roane Times/Record is over on our ADVISORY page.
  • May 31 pm Clay County is well known for bickering of non profits. We should remember well Magistrate Goodwin's words about adhering to the bylaws.
  • May 30 am Other than the usual trucks running off the road in town, no news to report
  • May 30 am For Clayberry merchants, the next couple days are the biggies. Government checks arrive.
  • May 30 am  With the beginning of another warm month, it's also yard sale time. Check out the EVENTS page for good deals
  • May 30 am  Check out the ADVISORY page for Apple Belle and Queen pageant info.
  • May 30 am  Pool Rule 1  Don't go swimming if you have diarrhea
  • May 30 am Pool Rule 2  If you swim, don't drink the water
  • May 29 am  This last week of the month is starting off slow. No public meetings to speak of.
  • May 29 am  Something happened this Memorial Day weekend. Over at Lake Sampson people fished and caught fish. Motorcyclists roared for three days. Campers camped. Canoes and kayaks were seen on the Elk River.
  • May 29 am You know where their money went?   It went to the Two Run area where restaurants were open, gas stations and even the hardware store were open for business.
  • May 29 am Not so in downtown Clay. With the exception of Rite Aid, the place was locked up tighter than a drum! All those out of towners drove thru but not one stopped in the downtown area. Few stopped.  One family put their noses up against the diner windows. Another rattled the doors of the Hotel.  All those tourism dollars and not one store owner benefited a penny.
  • May 29 am  There is hope.  The far end of town is decorated with flowers, benches, and flags. Looks nice. Commissioner Triplett, Clerk Connie Workman and others worked the weekend steam cleaning the Courthouse bricks, the front pavilion, and cleaned windows.
  • May 29 am The average tourist in West Virginia spends $80 per day. In Clay, only Two Run benefited.
  • May 26 pm   Angelo Ross “Tom” Thomas, see OBITUARY page
  • May 26 pm   Happy Birthday wishes extended to  Glen's one and only, Paul Myers
  • May 26 pm From the email bag: I would appreciate it if you could wish Allan Taylor of Newton a happy 52nd birthday from his wife, Patty, his son Ariel, daughter-in-law, Stacy, and his daughter, Rachel and her husband Jason. Wishing you many, many more!  All our love, your family.
  • May 27 pm Hey we've got one correction from Friday's Communicator. Clay McGhee called to say that he saw Drema Clifton riding in that pick em up truck on Mother's Day not driving it. We stand corrected. Our ears ain't what they used to be!
  • May 26 pm it's Memorial Day weekend clickers. We're taking a little break and no real weekend wrap up this time around. Just a few notes...
  • May 26 pm While we're here eating hot dogs and reunioning with family, keep in mind, 101 service men and women have been killed in Iraq so far this month. In April there were 104 killed.
  • May 26 pm We're averaging over 3 good Americans a day lost.
  • May 26 pm  Memorial Day is more than picnics. It's a  time for remembering.
  • May 26 pm  We have new job listings on the JOBS page. Over on the CLASSIFIEDS page is a cherry 1966 Mustang. Lot's of new stuff on the ADVISORY and EVENTS page too.
  • May 26 am  Community activist Jerry Stover needs some help. Jerry's working on a grant so the Clay Historical Society can record aging Clayonians. Senior citizen musicians, poets, story tellers, etc., historical stuff that may soon be gone. Stover says if people would email in comments, the chance of being funded would be increased. Here's the link to the grant maker's web site. Won't take but a minute or two. Thanks
  • May 26 am While you're there, the local radio station is trying for a grant as well. That grant if funded would cover the cost of a wheelchair ramp so  seniors could more easily get on stage and into the station. A nice word would be appreciated there as well.
  • May 26 am Weekend wrap up coming later Sunday.
  • May 25 LATE pm    Hollis India Hanson Fitzgerald, see OBITUARY page
  • May 25 LATE pm  The Communicator made it out the door around 3pm today. Nothing but the best in news and views on Clay County West Virginia.
  • May 25 LATE pm  AND AND AND it's now endorsed by County Commissioner Slinky. He said if you want entertained, the Communicator is the place. Pick up a copy today.
  • May 25 LATE pm  Sticky hot? The Clay County Pool opens Saturday.
  • May 24 pm This morning, Dewey Owsley made an appearance in Court where he pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and unlawfull assault in the murder of Thelma  Thomas on Dec 26th 2005. He's looking at 15 years or more. Full details Friday in Clay County's only source of news and views in Clay County West Virginia.
  • May 24 am Not so long ago people talked about gardens, the neighbors stray cat or was seen with whom. Not so now. It's the price of gas.  We understood gas went up after Katrina... or when there was pipeline problems. Back in 1973 Jimmy Carter raised gas prices as a way to deal with a non existent shortage. he said we would use less if the price went up to $1.20 per gallon. The price of crude oil  is down from a month ago. Gasoline is up and it's called corporate greed. What will it take before we stop taking it? $5 per gallon?
  • May 24 am Last night word spread thru Clay that gas was going up 25 cents a gallon. Here in the outback we went running to Go Mart happy to pay just $3.21 a gallon. Who would have ever thunk it.
  • May 24 am  As for our front page cat fight yesterday, Yes it was in front of the Lion's Club casino and no we haven't a clue of their names. No doubt they were fighting over a man.
  • May 24 am  Wednesday morning around 2:30 am thugs broke into Clay Middle School and the School Board office on Gump Street. Security cameras scared them out of the Middle School with nothing reported missing there. Not so at the Board office.
  • May 24 am Yesterday's Commission meeting was well attended. The Clay Humane Assoc. the Sheriff, the dog-less Clay McGhee, a lady from a PA based animal rescue group  "Animal Lifeline", and  a TV crew were in attendance. Dog Catcher Walter Stutler was not. Briefly:
  • May 24 am From now on strays and picked up animals were be held the state mandated time length and then carted over to Roane County to be put down and disposed of. That does two things. One, Walter will not longer have to find a place to dispose of the put down animals and, two, our Clay Humane Asso. will not handle the animals in their rescue efforts.
  • May 24 am  When Clay McGhee from Elkhurst Road, the guy that has the missing pit bull, started into his remarks, Commissioner what's his name cut him off. Just after McGhee got it out in the open that he knew Dremma Clifton swiped his animal... Slinky told him, that topic was none of the Commission's business. McGhee sat down.
  • May 24 am  The Roane County shelter has a crematorium. Prior to using Roane County, we sent our animals to Braxton County which does not have a shake and bake facility.
  • May 24 am This missing pit bull is getting more valuable by the day. The Humane Assoc. issued a $200 reward for his return.
  • May 24 am Now Mr. McGhee has issued a $500 reward for his safe return or info leading to the where abouts of the 9 month old, male, brindle beige colored, white on chest and paws, pit bull named Solomon.
  • May 24 am Denise Bash from that PA animal lifeline group offered to do a cost study on the actual $ spent on dogs in Clay County. The target group will be the first 50 dogs. It sounded like the CCC was interested in the offer.
  • May 24 am Maybe the biggy of the day was when Slinky endorsed the county's newspaper, The Communicator. That's what he did clickers! He actually advised people to read our near award winning newspaper, that it's very entertaining. He endorsed it!
  • May 24 am And all this time we thought he would never say anything good about the Communicator.
  • May 24 am Full details in Friday's paper!
  • May 24 am  We're in shut down mode until we get the Communicator out the door around 3pm Friday. No posts unless it's something dumb.
  • May 23 am   Hey! We did some correcting to the morning post around 7:30 this morning. Please reread for corrected names.
  • May 23 am  Happy Hump Day Wednesday morning.
  • May 23 am  Someone asked: When did the Town stop flouriding the wa wa. Answer from Terry Traub, just in the last few weeks.
  • May 23 am By the way, 37 year old Terry Traub has yet to be flashed. He doesn't care, young or old, someone give the guy a flash.
  • May 23 am Last County Commission meeting, the Clay Humane Assoc.  pointed a finger at  Dog Catcher Walter Stuttler as the bad guy responsible for tossing dead dogs over the hill side.
  • May 23 am Since then, the finger has been pointing at Clay Humane Assoc. member Drema Clifton as a dog snatcher. She says she didn't do it. Others say otherwise.
  • May 23 am This morning at 10, the  County Commission meets again. If you're going to attend just one public meeting this year, this might be it.  After the meeting, at noon, everyone's invited to stay for lunch. Maybe they'll have hot dogs.
  • May 23 am  Communicator comes out Friday around 3pm. Deadline for classifieds, events, divorce decrees, and such is Thursday morning. Email em in soon as possible please.
  • May 22 am  Eugene Parker, 65, see OBITUARY page
  • May 22 am  Last week we posted excerpts from the May 15th Supreme Court decision which overturned Gerald Thompson's guilty verdict. Judge Ric Facemire was admonished for being more of a Prosecutor than Judge during the trial two years ago. The Charleston Gazette picked up on the story yesterday and provided a more in depth front page story. The entire article is now posted over on our ADVISORY page.
  • May 22 am Full coverage will be provided this Friday in the Communicator.
  • May 21 pm  The Town of Clay is having an election for Mayor and Council persons June 12th.
  • May 21 pm  The last day to register to vote is Tuesday at 4pm. Don't complain if you don't vote!
  • May 21 pm First day of early voting is Wednesday May 23 from 8 to 4pm. Saturday voting is from 9 to 5pm. Don't take a chance on being sick or something, vote early and vote often.
  • May 21 pm During the Feb online fund drive we said we wanted to set up a web cam for Main Street. We now have our first attempt up and running. Go to our home page and at the very very bottom are two little 00's, click there for a look up Main Street..
  • May 21 am  Today's motion day in Circuit Court land. Action begins at 9 am
  • May 21 am Tonight the School Board meets at 6pm in the Standard Bryant Annex on Gump Street.
  • May 21 am  Agenda items include: Beth McVicker hired for Clay Middle; Sherry Ramsey heading over to Valley Dale, first grade; Shawna Taylor from 5th grade at HE White to 1st grade; Kara Stover and Cyrstal Samples hired as a sub teachers;  David Holcomb hired as a night watchman;   secret time for a CCHS student; Mr and Mrs George Wilkerson to appear before the Board; and, about anything else they can come up with.
  • May 21 am Wednesday morning the County Commission meets at 10am.
  • May 20 am  The Skate Park Committee meets this afternoon at 1:30 in the Greenlee Properties building on Main Street. The public is encouraged to attend especially anybody willing to roll up their sleeves and get to work.
  • May 20 am  The answer to our fourth online question/mystery: Last name. 'told you to get your head out of  gutter!
  • May 20 am Newsworthy was the week just past.
  • May 20 am Public outcry led to Paul Wolfowitz's ouster at the  World Bank for hiring his squeeze.  He was playing by his own rules. Hiring in Clayberry is a different critter all together. Cronyism is alive and well.
  • May 20 am  The most recent Communicator must have been a winner. Commissioner Fran King and her sister in law Joyce McLaughlin both opened a can of butt chewin over coverage in the Maysel Manor/Anderson Heights site manager hire. Our angle is and always has been, if it smells of rotten fish, in Clayberry, it is rotten fish!
  • May 20 am Seven days ago, Elkhurst Road resident Clay McGhee says a member of the Clay Humane Society stole his pit bull, Solomon. That member, Dream Clifton, says no way, she was nowhere near Elkhurst Road. McGhee says he has eyewitnesses. Clifton says her alibi is iron clad. Sheriff Holcomb says his investigation is continuing and has uncovered credible eyewitnesses vouching for McGhee. By mid week the Humane Society Chair Holly Cunningham issued a $200 reward for the return of  brindle colored Solomon. A report of a Solomon sighting was unfounded.
  • May 20 am  After years of hand slaps, Mikey Lanham was sentenced to nine more months in the slammer after violating terms of his parole time after time after time after ..... The citizenry can walk the streets of Clay a little safer now.
  • May 20 am  On the 15th, the WV Supreme Court tossed out the sentence of meth maker Gerald Thompson. The big robes said Judge Ric Facemire went way over the line during the trial with a "prosecutorial" line of 180 questions. Justice Starcher wrote: we observe from the record that during the testimony of Tpr Stevenson and after objection by the defendant's counsel, the court prompted the prosecuting attorney on several occasions as to how to successfully introduce evidence..... A criminal defendant is entitled to an impartial and neutral judge. In a criminal trial, when a judge's conduct in questioning witnesses or making comments evidenced a lack of impartiality and neutrality, or when a judge otherwise discloses that the judge has abandoned his role of impartiality and neutrality as imposed by the Sixth Amendment of the US Constitution, we will reverse and remand the case for a new trial.
  • May 20 am  On Oct 28 2005 Mr Thompson was sentenced to the pen for a period of not less than two years. Maybe Judge Facemire may have got his winky in the roller because newbee Prosecutor Samples was just learning court room ropes.
  • May 20 am After nine months of teaching the test, kids finished taking the WesTest. For all intent and purpose, the school is out for 2007. Here's an example.
  • May 20 am Inspite of it all, Clay County had three Golden Horseshoe winners: Carli Caldwell, Brandon Cole, and Leah Grose
  • May 20 am The coffee house crowd is openly wondering what went wrong with the almost built Valley Dale Elem? No money for a packaged poop factory? No room for the poop factory? They need another $1/2 million?  No easement for wa wa, power and telephone utilities? Going to Court to take more property. Sure looks like lack of oversight and planning by many. $8 million and counting.
  • May 20 am Not sure what was up Friday morning during the Dewey Owsley murder pretrial hearing, but Judge Jack Alsop ordered one no show Badge into custody, another was threatened with jail time, and even Prosecutor Samples was cautioned about stepping over the "common sense" line. The first guy that got the Judge's shorts all bunched up, Kevin Duffy for coming in 10 minutes late, emerged unscathed. It was fun to watch Duffy tippy toe into the court room knowing he was about to get chewed out.  A month ago, Duffy was taken into custody for showing up late. Most thought the same thing was going to happen again. It didn't.
  • May 20 am  People cut their grass. Kids raised $ at car washes. 1 inch apples appeared on trees. Cool temps nearly wiped out early tomato plantings. Rain came mid week helping the gardens grow.
  • May 20 am Spring time in the Appalachian Mountains of Clay County West Virginia. Wonderful to be alive!
  • May 19 am Let's see now.... Fran King went ballistic  on the ace cub reporter on Monday.... Joyce McLaughlin was so mad at him on  Tuesday, she tracked him down at the Courthouse and gave him H without even reading the Communicator!  Juanita Linger rounded out the week with less than encouraging words when she called the guy up over our web site posting on "tyrannical" dealings at the Newton Community Center. Did we mention she hadn't even read the web site postings? Nope,  someone snail mailed her a print out of the May 17th post.
  • May 19 am  Ms Linger agreed to a sit down interview next Wednesday. We'll get it in the next paper if Linger follows through.
  • May 19 am Got this email  late last night: The police served the treasurer [Juanita Linger] with papers and she is not allowed back on the property... Tim Jones.
  • May 19 am Ever a Green Shirt Get arrested?  Yesterday during the Dewey Owlsley (charged with the murder of Thelma Thomas) Judge Jack Alsop ordered Scott Wickline arrested and jailed until he makes a $25,000 bond. Wickline was a no show for the Friday morning hearing.
  • May 19 am  Ever see a Judge dress down a Green Shirt during a hearing? That happened yesterday as well. From the git go there appeared to be a rift between Owlsley's attorney  Keven "Bean Pole" Duffy and Sgt Casto, a Green Shirt Polygraph officer. Casto was dressed down by Alsop  including a promise of taking him into custody if he kept up his "aggressive" responses to Duffy's questions.
  • May 19 am  Ever hear of allowing someone being allowed to take a big snort of Jim Beam before taking a lie detector test? That's what happened! Judge Alsop will decide whether any of the polygraph results will be allowed during the trial later this month.
  • May 19 am To round it out, Prosecutor Jim Samples received a little of the benchly attitude adjustment as well. As Samples was offering a less than forthright response to a pretty straight forward question by the robe, you could see those frowny lines pop up on Alsop's forehead as our Prosecutor got in the grease.
  • May 19 am  Don't think someone pooped in the Judge's oatmeal Friday morning, think it all started when Kevin Duffy tippy toed into Court 10 minutes late and without an apology........ again.
  • May 19 am Gerald Thompson was found guilty of making meth a year ago.  During the trial, defense attorney Jerome Novobilski protested the Court's questioning practices, a juror's winks and nods at the Judge, and what constitutes a meth lab. Ric Facemire was the sitting Judge.
  • May 19 am Novo appealed the case to the WV Supreme Court. He won. The big robes tossed the entire case agreeing with many many of the concerns raised by Novo during the trial.
  • May 19 am  For online Sherlock Holmes, one last wholesome brain teaser..... The Pope has it but he does not use it.

  • Your father has it but your mother uses it.  Nuns do not need it. Arnold Schwarzenegger has a big one, Michael J. Fox's is quite small.    What is it? Get your mind out of the gutter and email your responses.
     
  • May 18 am Happy Friday morning.
  • May 18 am  You clickers are way too good for these online questions. Mystery 4 answer: scent
  • May 18 am Brenda Thomas lives at Maysel Manor. She's a senior citizen that often travels around to see her family. In April she worried about getting her bills paid on time while away from Clay. Needing someone else on her personal check book to write checks, Thomas thought her building manager, Sherry Brown would be a good trustworthy person for the assignment. That was April 5th. On May 11th, Ms Brown was fired from her job for having sticky fingers.
  • May 18 am By the 11th Brown has already written two $500 checks on Thomas' account. The checks were made out to Anderson Heights and cashed. Not for  electric, rent, water or what ever, cashed to go into Sherry's pocket.
  • May 18 am Upon returning from Ohio, Ms Thomas knew there was a problem and called Brown who confessed to writing the fraudulent checks. Brown promised to pay back the money the next day and then the next day and then.....
  • May 18 am  With the help of Sheriff Holcomb, other checks, unwritten checks, were retrieved from Brown's possession. That's every check except number 154.
  • May 18 am The weeks went by without Brown fulfilling her promise to repay the money. With the threat of a court case and the possible loss of probation considerations from earlier thievery convictions, Sherry Brown finally returned the $ Thursday. Check #154 remains out there somewhere.
  • May 18 am  Stealing is bad. Violating a long term trust is bad. Stealing from Brenda Thomas' widow's pension fund... you can't get any lower than that.
  • May 18 am  A better post coming after you recover from this one. Pitiful!
  • May 17 pm  Great big Happy Birthday Wishes extended to Helen Reed Hubbard who turns 84 years young today. Saaaaalute!
  • May 17 pm In the continuing saga of Where's the Dog...... Clay McGhee stopped in this morning with an update. McGhee said the guy that called him about his missing dog  being seen, didn't pan out. According to McGhee, the guy had actually spotted the dog last weekend BUT that was BEFORE the dog came up missing/stolen.
  • May 17 pm We posted an email from a Walker fellow this morning. See below. We asked McGhee about that guy's Ranger pick up. McGhee, said Yes, that guy has a red Ford Ranger, it had a trailer hooked up on the back, he had seen that guy last Sunday but NO that was not the vehicle that took his dog. Sheriff Holcomb confirmed this morning that McGhee had told him about the Walker vehicle during their conference.
  • May 17 pm McGhee said he doesn't want any trouble he just wants his pet back. If anybody sees the brindle colored Pit Bull, answers to Solomon, please call the Sheriff.
  • May 17 pm This morning little Mikey Lanham appeared before Magistrate King for violating parole. Lanham was found guilty last year of punching the ace cub reporter in the chops (April 6th). King sentenced him to a year in the slammer but reduced that to 3 months and the balance on probation. When Iron Mike beat up Johnny Bowman four weeks ago, those actions violated Lanham's parole.
  • May 17 pm During Court time Lanham all but said he should have been given an award instead of jail time for punching out Waddell.
  • May 17 pm Most in the county know Jack Coleman as the guy on top of Camp Creek Hill with all the junk laying around. In the last 10 years Coleman has been cited for many violations relating to the home junkery. This morning Mr Coleman was sentenced to 60 days in the slammer for open dump violations. 40 days of that sentence was suspended with probation for the balance.
  • May 17 am  Marjorie Mae Hickman, 78, of Clay, see OBITUARY page
  • May 17 am   WorkForce is once again updating the job listings including one today with immediate openings. See the JOBS button on the left.
  • May 17 am My lands do we have some updates.....
  • May 17 am Around 5:25 today, over the scanner came word that Clay McGhee wanted to talk to the Sheriff via cell phone. Word got to McGhee that his lost animal was seen in the Elkhurst neighborhood Wednesday afternoon.
  • May 17 am Later we talked to the Sheriff who said he hoped the guy got his pet back; the investigation was continuing, and if the witness panned out, he had every intention of arresting Dream Clifton. And, even if McGhee gets his dog back, the investigation would continue.
  • May 17 am Around 9:15 Tuesday night we received this most interesting email:   I just read the missing dog story on the clayberry.org website.  My name is Bryan Walker and my parents live at the head of Elkhurst Road.  I drive a Red Ford Ranger Pick up and was driving around Mr. McGhee’s house several times on Sunday evening/night.  My family was taking a floating trip and I parked my truck at the wide spot just above his house.  There were two dogs running loose up the road between the wide spot and his house.  One was a Rottweiller and one was a Pitt Bull.  After we took the float trip back down to the house, my brother and I went back up to pick up the truck.  He had a kayak and wanted to pick up a piece of pipe in the shoals behind McGhee’s house.  I was supposed to pick up my brother in the wide spot below McGhee’s house.  After my brother didn’t show, I drove back and forth between the two wide spots, stopping and looking over the river.  I saw the dogs above the upper wide spot in the woods; this was about 7 o’clock or later.  Eventually my brother decided the pipe was too big for the kayak and came out at the lower wide spot.  He said he talked to McGhee from the river; he was weed eating on his property.  I drive a Red Ford Ranger pickup and had my kayaking stuff in the bed.  I don’t know if he is confusing me with the person he thinks stole his dog or not, but him saying he saw a strange red ford stopping in wide spots around his house Sunday evening sure sounds a lot like me.

  •       I don’t know if anything in this email is useful information because I don’t know if the lady took the dogs or not, but the two dogs I saw were running loose on the hill above his house.  So I don’t know if the dogs ran off and he just saw my truck and thought I had stolen them, thinking I was someone else.    Oh well email me back if need be,  Bryan Walker
  • May 17 am    Well..... isn't that interesting.
  • May 17 am  When we talked to Clifton and to McGhee, both were absolutely convincing with their stories. Maybe the emailer is the answer.
  • May 17 am Clayberry doesn't have a lock on wild behavior. Over in Roane County, at Newton, the  Community Center is torn apart. There is an old Board of Directors  under the thumb of Juanita Linger (Treasurer). Linger has made our paper and site before over her tyrannical method of operating the place.  Another group of community members started going to the meetings and under scrutiny of the newbees, the old Board started crawdaddying ... resigning. That everybody but Ms Linger.
  • May 17 am During one secret Board meeting , those invited folks and the old Board got  into a power fight, not just any fight but one that included  a crutch over the head of one guy. Badges were called in once again.
  • May 17 am According to some of the newbee boardsters, they have followed the bylaw mandates to the letter in their attempts to get more responsible leadership for the community center. Tuesday night Juanita Linger was voted out as Treasurer. Didn't work. She doesn't recognize the newbees as anything more than troublesome pond scum. Sometime after the Tuesday meeting,  (old) Bd Prez Patty Taylor reportedly resigned from office.
  • May 17 am  A while back, door locks were changed. Wednesday morning  oldsters changed the locks again. The newbees are once again out in the cold so to speak
  • May 17 am  Does any of this Board crap sound familiar clickers? It should, been happening over here for years. Normally about here, the CDC comes to mind.
  • May 17 am  For now, the newbees know there is a big problem at Newton Community Center and are once again trying to come up with a way to restore the community to the Newton Community Center (AKA Three Forks Community building). Keep your scanner on clickers, this might get juicy real soon.    Over on the ADVISORY page is a recent email on the mess.
  • May 17 am Man Oh Man you clickers are good. Quick too!  The answer to Mystery #3, you got it, the shot his reflection in the mirror.
  • May 17 am Here's the last online question for you over achievers:    This is a five letter word. Begins with s ends in t.  After removing the first letter, the word is pronounced no different than when the letter was there. Put the first letter back in place and take away the second letter. Once again, the word is pronounced just the same. What is the word? Email your responses.
  • May 17 am Try that on for size!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • May 16 pm  Around 8:45 this morning Drema Clifton and attorney Barbara Schamberger were sitting at the new Courthouse. Schamberger had just come out of the Sheriff's office.
  • May 16 pm With the ears of Superman, Schamb told Clifton that the Sheriff had every intention of arresting her for dog nabbing Clay McGhee's dog Sunday evening. Based on what that ace cub reporter heard: the sheriff would not listen to other angles presented by Schamb, police line up up with pictures only and watching a video of McGhee from Monday.
  • May 16 pm As of noon, as far as we can tell, Ms Clifton has not arrested.
  • May 16 pm  In the latest edition of the Communicator came brief mention of a drug bust at Clay High last week. Turns out of the kids was  a 19 year old adult named Krisotpher Stewart. From that felony criminal complaint:   Stewart did have in his possession a crystal white substance in his right front pants pocket while attending classes at CCHS... the substance was field tested and was positive for meth. CCHS Asst Principal Haynie searched Stewart and had received info that Stewart had attempted to sell the meth to another student at CCHS. Haynie found the small plastic bag containing the crystal substance in the right front pants pocket of Stewart and held the substance in his possession until the Sheriff and Green Shirts McCord and Jordon arrived at the school
  • May 16 pm That crap is everywhere!!! Maybe next time we teach Entrepreneurship, we should remind them about being a legal business!
  • May 16 am Get your coffee cup
  • May 16 am  Hello Bill Morford good to hear from you.
  • May 16 am Monday we got yelled at from Fran King over a story in the latest Communicator on the Encore meeting a couple weeks ago.
  • May 16 am Also mentioned in that story is Joyce McLaughlin, the site manager at the public housing projects. Tuesday Joyce gave it out with both barrels. She said she was the most qualified person for the Encore job, she said she didn't know why Encore didn't advertise the job, Fran had nothing to do with her  getting the job, she said she wanted nothing to do with that ace cub reporter, nothing was true in the article, The Communicator is a big part of the problem in Clayberry today, and the messenger is what's the problem. She sounded pretty convincing until I asked her if she had read the article.
  • May 16 am With her answer , No, she had not read it but others had told her about it, the ace cub reporter walked off and quit wasting his time
  • May 16 am Bet Fran hadn't read the story either!
  • May 16 am That part about not passing the rotten fish test gets em everytime. Shame they go after the messenger instead of the message.
  • May 16 am  Of course nobody reads The Communicator! Those 1800 copies each edition must just get blown away or something.
  • May 16 am This missing dog story is gaining speed. Monday Drema and Holly spent a lot of time on the phone and emails explaining the missing pit bull  from Elkhurst. Both said the maroon Ford Ranger was nowhere near Elkhurst Sunday when the brindle colored  9 month old Pit Bull dog came up missing.  Both sounded very convincing. Holly Cunningham even issued a $200 reward for the missing canine.
  • May 16 am Tuesday afternoon Clay McGhee, the guy that owns the dog, picketed in front of Clifton home complete with a poster and an American flag. We had a chance to talk to him
  • May 16 am According to the 55 year old  McGhee, a red Ford extended cab Ranger pick em up truck with a "kennel" in the back was on Elkhurst on Sunday. He said he saw the truck pull unto his river side property and stop.  Since many vehicles pull off there for a number of reasons, he went about his business and turned away.   The guy's companion (witness) saw a lady grab the dog and put it in the cage in the back of the pick up. Clay says the woman that did that was Drema Clifton. He added he has other witnesses as well.
  • May 16 am  McGhee reported the incident to the Top Badge on Monday with a follow up visit on Tuesday where the companion signed a sworn statement on the dog napping. While on Main Street Monday, Mr McGhee sported a poster on his front and back that read that Ms Clifton stole his dog. As for the part about him going on her private homestead and taking pictures Monday afternoon, he said , nope, not him.
  • May 16 am  Word spread Tuesday afternoon that Drema Clifton was going to be arrested. Calls to the Magistrate offices mid afternoon Tuesday came up zip on an arrest warrant.
  • May 16 am Now you've got both sides to the story. Let's see what happens Wednesday.
  • May 16 am For all our little mystery partakers...... mystery number two answer, and a bunch of you got it right, frost forms on the inside of the window.
  • May 16 am  Among the various comments that were included, this one stands out: Mr. Fiend was guilty because frost (condensation) would not be on the outside of the window, but on the inside!    Of course, the ACLU would have defended the suspect because they know there was no heat in Clayberry, therefore, no chance of frost condensation on the inside.   Sheriff Fife would have used his sole bullet to shoot the window out and destroy evidence and any chance of an indictment.
  • May 16 am Very cute clicker!!!
  • May 16 am Let's try one more. Mystery #3:    A man walks into his bathroom and shoots himself right between the eyes using a real gun with real bullets. He walks out alive, with no blood anywhere. And no, he didn't miss and he wasn't Superman or any other caped crusader. How did he do this?

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  • May 15 am  Ellen L. Myers of Bomont , see OBITUARY page
  • May 15 am Clay Co PSD rescheduled their meeting for today at 5pm in their Main Street Clay office trailer.
  • May 15 am Not sure if a one day  not buying gas makes any difference, but ,   today's the national day of not buying fuel. If possible, leave the nozzle on the pump today. Here's a link on highest gas prices ever.
  • May 15 am In the latest edition of The Communicator comes:  Fran King took applications for the  site manager position (25 hours per week at $10 per hour). The job opening was not advertised nor was the new maintenance man slot.  She set in on at least part of the interviews. At least one of the manager applicants  was a career business man having managed/operated /owned  a $2 million a year business in Clay. Instead of hiring him, Fran King’s sister in law,  Joyce McLaughlin, a nurse, was hired. In the entire county of 10,500 people, her sister in law was best qualified. When asked about the nepotism, King responded with, Encore did the hiring.

  • Here in Clayberry, we know better. Sister in law hired this Spring, daughter hired last Spring, and her boyfriend hired as OES Director the year before. There seems to be a pattern  here and it doesn't pass the rotten fish test. Such inside dealings shed light on what's been wrong with Clay for  150 some years. When the Feds say we aren’t capable of managing ourselves, they’re right.....
  • May 15 am   Fran is peed big time. She said hiring an ex sister in law is different than hiring a sister in law. She also said she didn't do the hiring.
  • May 15 am Of course that's what we said in the newspaper. We stand by our story. Even the look of impropriety MUST be avoided.
  • May 15 am  Commissioner King added there's a lot of nepotism in the county of little. We agree. Fran's post (we think) is over on the blogs now under anonymous.
  • May 15 am   A Dunbar fellow named Clay McGhee went snooping around the Gary and Drema Clifton home Monday in search of his dog which came up missing Sunday. He wouldn't take no for an answer and came back later in the day taking pictures of the private home. Drema Clifton is part of the Clay County Humane Assoc as is Holly Cunningham. Both say they know nothing about the wayward animal. Both appeared during the last CCC meeting and reports instances of euphanized animals being tossed over the hillside recently.
  • May 15 am  Holly Cunningham emailed (hcunningham20032003@yahoo.com)  this over last night:  I am offering a $200 Cash Reward to the person out at Twistabout/Elkhurst that picked up or finds a 9 month tan colored male pit pull that was came up missing on May 13, 2007 around 7:00 pm. That belongs to this Mr. Clay McGee.
  • May 15 am   We did an online mystery question Monday. About everybody got it right. There isn't mail service on Sundays. The maid did it.
  • May 15 am Alright you snoops, here's one that may be a little tougher....
  • May 15 am    Old Mr. Tidy was found dead in his study by Mr. Fiend. Mr. Fiend recounted his dismal discovery to the police "I was walking by Mr. Tidy's house when I thought I would just pop in for a visit. I noticed his study light was on and I decided to peek in from the outside to see if he was in there. There was frost on the window, so I had to wipe it away to see inside. That is when I saw his body. So I kicked in the front door to confirm my suspicions of foul play. I called the police immediately afterward."   The officer immediately arrested Mr. Fiend for the murder of Mr. Tidy.  How did he know Mr. Fiend was lying?
  • May 15 am Email your answers while you're at home saving gas.  Sunday night within minutes of posting the Monday mystery, we had correct answers. Bet not this time.
  • May 14 am Tuesday is the big, don't buy gas day around the country. Won't help clickers if you go out and pump gas today. Call in sick or something. But don't buy gas!
  • May 14 am After 9 months of prepping, this is the week students take the WestTest. It has no benefit to the kids, just the administration and another round of pats on the backs..
  • May 14 am Belated from the email bag:  I want to wish my sister  Kathy Pritt  a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!
  • May 14 pm  Here's a nice one too:  Happy Mothers' Day to the greatest mom  in the world...Lydia Starcher Watson. Also Happy Birthday on May 19th.
  • May 14 pm  Lets try an online mystery, here's all you get to know:  A man was found murdered on Sunday morning.  His wife immediately called the police. The police questioned the wife and staff and got these alibis: The Wife said she was sleeping. The Cook was cooking breakfast. The Gardener was picking vegetables. The Maid was getting the mail. The Butler was cleaning the closet. The police instantly arrested the murderer. Who did it and how did they know?
  • May 14 am Email your answer today. Answer tonight. Think Think Think, the answer is right there.
  • May 14 am      Apple Computer announced today that it has developed a computer chip that can store and play high fidelity music in women's breast implants.  The implant will cost $499 or $599 depending on speaker size.   This is considered to be a major breakthrough because women have always complained about men staring at their breasts and not listening to them.
  • May 13 pm  Mother's Day is the biggest anti war celebration the world has ever known.  Formed after the Civil War by wives and Mothers with a mission statement to end wars and stupid slaughter of good men, Happy Mother's Day.
  • May 13 pm While our soldiers drop quicker than a prom dress, the Iraq Parliament decided to take a two month vacation. Guess there's nothing pressing that can't wait.
  • May 13 pm On Friday the new Iraq government decided something our Texas Shrub refuses to do. They established a schedule to force the occupying American troops off their land. Come on Dubbya, now it's your turn!
  • May 13 pm   There have been 3,658 coalition deaths -- 3,385 Americans, two Australians, 148 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, six Danes, two Dutch, two Estonians, one Fijian, one Hungarian, 32 Italians, one Kazakh, three Latvian, 19 Poles, two Romanians, five Salvadoran, four Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, two Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the war in Iraq as of May 11, 2007, according to a CNN count.
  • May 13 pm As the week opened, a band of volunteers held the HE White Elem Ramp Feed. Never under estimate the results of hard working volunteers.
  • May 13 pm  Poor Terry Traub just can't get a break. One of the few that have never been "flashed", we put out the call for someone to cure the flash challenged virgin, other than one guy, Mr Traub remains flashless.
  • May 13 pm   Mid week a handful of folks listened as a new Citizen' Corp organization meeting met the Clay Firehouse. What they heard was music to their ears. If you join up with the program, Homeland Security $$$$ and lots of it, can be had.
  • May 13 pm Wednesday morning's CCC meeting revealed piles of euphanized dogs strewn on back roads. The Humane Assoc. pointed the finger at our county Dog Warden. After the meeting, Walter Stuttler said no me buddy, I had a deal with DOH for them to cover up the carcasses.
  • May 13 pm  Friday's Communicator brought to light why we can't trust local government nor can expect a rosy future for Clayberry. Backdoor hirings of family continues to be the norm instead of best qualified candidates. Some things never change in Clay. Dirty government smells bad.
  • May 13 pm With beautiful sun from wall to wall, Saturday morning small fries took to the ball fields and continued their quest for a home run. In the afternoon, the BC&G RR held a big sing at the JG Bradley Campground. With the sub floor in place at the Welcome Center and campers already renting spaces, chalk up another success. Each day the naysayers spiel on "it ain't going to EVER happen" becomes more BS.
  • May 13 pm Good!
  • May 10 LATE pm  Barbara Schamberger lives on Main Street across from the Welfare office. She found a Jack Russell terrier  near Clay Elem. Yours missing? See Barbara
  • May 10 LATE pm 24 pages of what makes Clayberry so special, that's what Clay County's only source of news and views is all about. That's The Communicator now available in five counties and by prescription. Our lead article covers the very troubling disposal habit of pets in the county, a pretty complete Police Blotter story plus a chatter second to none. 70 cents and worth every penny..
  • May 10 Late pm   Better post coming early Saturday
  • May 10 Late pm Too seepy now.
  • May 10 pm  Tonight at 7pm the Clay Roane PSD meets at the Courthouse in the County Commission room. Nice soft pews and potential for great entertainment value. Free too!
  • May 10 pm We're in shut down mode as we type our little fingers off working on Friday's Communicator. No updates until we get the County's newspaper to bed.
  • May 10 pm   During yesterday's County Commission the County Humane Assoc. provided pictures of many euthanized animals tossed over the hillside. They pointed the finger at our Dog Warden. We asked Walter Stuttler about the incident. Mr Stuttler said Yes, but, he had a deal with the DOH where they were suppose to cover up the carcasses.
  • May 10 pm So what happened at the High School Wednesday?
  • May 10 pm  Happy 69th birthday to Dawn Mullins
  • May 10 pm  From the email bag:  I would like to wish Rekai  Dennis a HAPPY 19TH BIRTHDAY Love Mom Jeremy, Dustin
  • May 10 pm Happened to Danny Sizemore during the last Apple Festival. Been happening to the construction workers at the Dundon Bridge Ski Slope. Ain't happening to town service man Terry Traub
  • May 10 pm  37 year old Terry is a long time municipal worker that has never been "flashed". He said he feels left out. Ladies this is call to action. Terry says he doesn't care if they're young or old, he just wants to be flashed. Can some of you step up to the plate and give the poor guy a flash!
  • May 10 pm  Mr Traub is not a rocket scientist and asks, before flashing, yell at him or honk the horn or something to get his attention. He doesn't want to miss his first ever flashing.
  • May 10 am Who says there isn't important stuff on this site!
  • May 9 pm  From the email bag    HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY JADEN EMILEE-BROOK STARCHER WE LOVE YOU MOM, DAD, NICK, COURTNEY, & POPPY
  • May 9 am  Zena Marie Cogar, 91, of Leatherwood,  see OBITUARY page
  • May 9 am  Camp Creek mountain was all aglow late Tuesday afternoon at Pat Schoonover's Salvage yard. TV-3 news reported 50 cars on fire and fears of the nearby woods going up in smoke. Four fire departments responded to the hot hot fire.
  • May 9 am County Commission meets this morning at 10 am.
  • May 9 am We're getting ready for a new Communicator this Friday. If you haven't picked up the current edition. you aught ta. Next one builds on it.
  • May 9 am  Email your classifieds, meeting notices, yard sales, etc ASAP. Deadline for this edition is Thursday at noon.
  • May 8 am  Mary Jane Morris Dickey, 92, see OBITUARY page
  • May 8 am From the email bag:  WE WOULD LIKE TO WISH SPC JUSTIN VAUGHAN A HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY. WE LOVE YOU MOM, DAD & MATTHEW

  • May 8 am Not really sure what a Citizen's Corp Council is but they're meeting tonight at the Clay Firehouse at 6pm.   One fellow said it's an organizational meeting for several volunteer groups interesting in helping emergency service workers during times of need. Might be a good meeting.
  • May 8 am  No Clay County PSD meeting today. Rescheduled for next Tuesday.
  • May 8 am Noticed lots of folks in the Clay PSD office last night. Naaaaaaa, couldn't have been a meeting.
  • May 8 am County Commission meets Wednesday morning at 10 am.
  • May 8 am Last night the School Board met at CCHS. Open Meeting Law requires an Agenda be posted at the normal meeting house ( School Board office) and the new place (CCHS). We never did see an Agenda posted at the Board office.
  • May 8 am  Several times we've mentioned that you aught not do stuff like show up late for a Court date, smart off a Judge and such. Here's a new one.
  • March 8 am Richard Young is a nice lookin young man that got slapped with a Felony last Nov. 15 2006.. Judge Facemire gave the kid a break with sentencing to the Anthony Correctional Center for Youthful Offenders. Compared to hard jail time, the Anthony Center is the place to be. The Court told Young to "self report" to Anthony.
  • March 8 am Just one problem, Young decided not to report to custody and instead went out did some more bad stuff, this time in Kanawha County. After getting caught down there last week, he appeared before Judge Facemire Monday afternoon.
  • March 8 am The kid was already in deep stuff for not reporting but when he fibbed  to the robed one, that was it. Young said all charges against him in Kanawha County had been dismissed. One quick phone call revealed, instead of the charges being dismissed, the guy was indicted!
  • March 8 am Judge Facemire sentenced Mr. Young to the max allowed by law.   In addition to showing up late and not peeing off the Judge with a smart mouth, add fibbing as another Big No No.
  • May 7 am  Sometime after midnight Sunday the Clay County School web site posted tonight's meeting agenda. Big long 37 point rascal including voting a new $82,000 salary for the Somber Super. The meeting begins at 6pm at the High School. Here's the link to their site to find out the scoop.
  • May 6 pm  Roger Eudell Harper, Jr., 44, see OBITUARY page
  • May 6 pm  Between eating ramps and stinking the place up between naps, no time for a full wrap up this week.
  • May 6pm Those that emailed. Saturday's home page picture was of a green snake coming out of a Main Street Clay sewer cap. Don't get your shorts all bunched up, it was a plastic snake. Sure looked real !
  • May 6 pm  With Washington unwilling to stop the war, Roadside bombs killed eight American soldiers in separate attacks Sunday in Diyala province and Baghdad, and a car bomb claimed 30 more lives in a wholesale food market in a part of the Iraqi capital where sectarian tensions are on the rise.
  • May 6 pm  Just two weeks ago, the U.S. average for a gallon of gas was $2.87, but the Lundberg Survey of 7,000 stations nationwide on Friday showed an increase of about 19.5 cents to $3.07. That's up 88.4 cents since Jan. 19
  • May 6 pm There have been 3,633 coalition deaths -- 3,361 Americans, two Australians, 147 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, six Danes, two Dutch, two Estonians, one Fijian, one Hungarian, 32 Italians, one Kazakh, three Latvian, 19 Poles, two Romanians, five Salvadoran, four Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, two Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the war in Iraq as of May 4, 2007, according to a CNN count.
  • May 6 pm  This past week CAEZ Director Lupardus told the BDA of a plan to clean up downtown Clay with a steam washer and such. The response was about all negative.  Naaaaaaaaaaa, Clay doesn't need to look a  little better.
  • May 6 pm Last week the Clay Housing Authority, Encore Management, and the USDA chose to meet in secret and keep the public out of public housing needs.  Going secret without just cause or reason is the norm. Such action breeds contempt and distrust. Such is the case in Clayberry where the people that own those apartment buildings, us, don't even know how much is in the janitor fund. The meeting was a bust for the people of the county.
  • May 6 pm Saturday afternoon a high school teen organized a Teen Awareness Day at Clay County Park. The Skate Park folks held competitions and lots of teens showed and participated. Inspite of storming skies, volunteers proved once again what it takes to grow our 342 square miles, and it ain't more government!
  • May 6 pm Sunday afternoon the HE WHite Elem School Ramp Feed brought out people from as far away as Florida and Canton Ohio. The food was great and aplenty. For their weeks of hard work the parents, grand parents and community made a bunch of $ for the kids. The school that  was closed 'cause nobody wanted it, continues to flourish.
  • May 6 pm The School Board is suppose to meet the first and third Monday of each month. Although promised, as of Sunday night at midnight, there is no link to the meeting agenda on the School system's web site. It's a blank. For that matter, the site says the next meeting of the Board will be Jan 22 2007.
  • May 6 pm  Check back often  this site is updated regularly.
  • May 6 Instead of posting the weekend wrap up, Everybody is down at HE White eating stinky ramps. Yum Yum.  Wrap up coming thia evening.
  • May 5 am   Blanche Rogers Shamblin, 85, see OBITUARY page
  • May 5 am  Virginia Ruth Samples,  see OBITUARY page
  • May 5 am People are already talking about dirt track racing at O'Brion International Raceway Park. Click the link and then go to the bottom of that page to see the 2007 schedule.
  • May 5 am From the email bag but belated:  I want to wish my beautiful daughter, Brandi Banach, a very Happy Brithday today, May4th.  You are 17 but will always be my little girl.  Love Dad
  • May 4 am Clay County is a bargain hunters dream this weekend. Yard Sales around every corner. Check out the EVENTS page for the skinny.
  • May 4 am  Beginning at 11 am Saturday the Skate Park folks are hosting fun time at Clay County Park. Good food too. See Events page.
  • May 4 am  The biggy for the weekend is the HE WHite Elem School Ramp Feed. Without a doubt some of the best tasting ramps to be had anywhere! You know where to look for details
  • May 4 am  Little excitement from last night's BDA meeting other than Chair Leonard Williams resigning. Not sure if that means he's quitting the group or just resigning the Chairmanship spot. Ditto for BDA treasurer Jerry Nelson. Both will serve one more meeting.
  • May 4 am As for building a building at the old Filcon site... the grass is growing quite nicely.
  • May 4 am Williams has resigned at least two others times over the last 12 months. This time, it might really happen.
  • May 4 am  After simmering a few hours, here's a little more Thursday's meeting at Maysel Manor where the Clay Housing Authority, Encore Management and the USDA met to try to solve the many problems unearthed recently.
  • May 4 am There was NO meeting notice posted on the meeting room door. The secret time was simply a way to meet and the leave the public out of a public meeting. After listening thru the broken window, there was nothing said that qualified for a legal secret time. They know it, Prosecutor Jim Samples and the Clay Housing authority know it. Such locked door sessions are a sham. Such actions are the reason few trust our government.
  • May 4 am  After the dust settled little to nothing has improved. Encore Management  has yet to make public, the financial records. The people that own the apartment complex, us, are still without answers on how much is left on the construction loan, the occupancy rate, who's paying rent and who isn't. Encore has yet to provide monthly financials to the Housing Authority. Truth is, Encore has yet to be told, you are working for us and not the other way around.
  • May 4 am The people that are charged with making sure the place is run right, the USDA, were at the meeting not to get things straightened up, but rather, to get things settled down, to try and get below the radar. Instead of saying, lets get this cleared up, their attitude was: Play nice and lets start over. Dismal performance will continue until the USDA cleans its own house, figures out why they failed so miserably, and starts a new.
  • May 4 am Wouldn't it had made sense for Encore to have actually toured High Street Apartments while in the County. They didn't.
  • May 4 am   How bad is it with Encore managing the public housing projects? We're in default on the loan. Of all the apartments Encore manages, Maysel and High street are the only two they don't own. Makes you sort of wonder..... if the Feds auction off our units.... wonder wonder just who would buy them? Lets think for a minute.
  • Maysel 4 am Thursday's gathering was not a new beginning but rather just another chargeable expense and time spent without ANY progress made. Pitiful!
  • May 3 pm Get a call just before noon. A lady fund 4 black and white puppies on Dobbins speck Mountain along the road. Anybody lose em? Can anybody help her out? Call 286-2921 Ask for Christy
  • May 3 pm This morning's Housing Authority meeting with Encore and the USDA was more behind closed door than out in the public.
  • May 3 pm Fortunately, everything they were talking about could be heard thru two large broken windows. Nothing in Open Meeting Laws says what's said behind closed doors has to be kept hush hush. As a matter of fact, according to Attorney General opinions, minutes SHOULD be kept during secret time.
  • May 3 pm They asked all to go outside. We did. Just beside the broken windows!
  • May 3 pm  Once during the secret time (11:10am) Boardster Jay Carper asked to go back into open session. They didn't. Fran asked to go public shortly thereafter. They didn't.
  • May 3 pm From the public session:  There is agreement that Encore and the Feds have done a crappy job managing our two Public Housing projects; it's time to start anew with a new plan; and, with the Federal loan in default... did you hear that!.. default, the USDA mandated a new Work Out plan to avoid any further proceedings.
  • May 3 pm We'll get to the details of the meeting later but, one more quickie... Doug Pauley owns Encore Management. He was in attendance this morning. During public time  he nor his staff answered hardly any questions. When the workers tried to explain something, Shhhhhhhhhh, don't say anything.  Even stuff like, are dollar bills legal tender in this county. Twice he told his people, to pipe down and don't answer anything until they could seek legal counsel.
  • May 3 pm Is the sky blue? Don't answer that
  • May 3 pm  Is that your name? Don't answer that!
  • May 3 pm Keep in mind, it was Encore that requested the Housing Authority to have an attorney present.
  • May 3 am We've got two interesting meetings today. At 10 am the Clay Housing Authority will meet with the USDA and Encore Management Co at Maysel Manor at 10 am. Bring your own lawn chair. Other than a couch in the Community room, it's empty. This afternoon at 5pm the Business Development Authority convenes in the County Commission at the Courthouse.
  • May 3 am  Lets see now.... to fire em up....
  • May 3 am  A while back that ace cub reporter got the BDA all torqued up when he mentioned the BDA's Filcon site would be perfect for a worm farm. With grass now 18 inches tall on the site, maybe jobs could be created by baling the stuff.
  • May 3 am  This mornings Clay Housing meeting has all the markings of being a dandy. Each party has shown a knack for doing little and coming alive only when public pressure is brought.
  • May 3 am  Our southern border colony Clendenin has been in a rile since Bob Ore took office. Last year the small hamlet made above the fold news when an out of control Clendenin Badge decided to arrest a guy late at night. Such late night actions ensure the guy would spend the night in the slammer. Ore told Officer Burkehammer to back off. The Badge was later fired. Lawsuits came and went with Ore coming out on top each time.
  • May 3 am The guy that was going to be arrested that night..... all charges against him were recently dropped in Kanawha County Magistrate land!
  • May 3 am While some sit on their thunbs and complain about Clayberry having so little, the BC&G RR Co Op came a step closer to having their campground Welcome Center funded. The CAEZ voted to provide the $$$$ for roof trusses and metal roofing.
  • May 3 am  Another first:  And now, notice of public camping in the County of Clay. See ADVSORY page
  • May 3 am   I pledge allegiance to the flag of the Corporate States of America and to the Republicans for which it stands, one nation, under debt, easily divisible, with liberty and justice for oil.
  • May 2 am  Norva Kenneth Robinson Jr., 59, of Widen, see OBITUARY page
  • May 2 am There a new reward offered over on the ADVISORY page
  • May 2 am The VFW has erected a flag drop off box near the Memorial at the Old Courthouse. Don't throw it in the trash. Let the VFW properly dispose of worn, torn, American Flags.
  • May 2 am  Scheduled for Thursday morning, 10 am, at Maysel Manor, Clay Housing Authority will be meeting with Encore Management and the USDA. It's a public meeting too. Ever since Encore's Wanda Vickers personally removed most of the chairs and tables in the community room, the place is almost empty, better bring your own lawn chair.
  • May  2 am Anderson Heights public housing project is suppose to have a reserve account set up, a rainy day account,  just in case something bad happens. In reality, that reserve account is in the red, $43,700.  Thursday morning's meeting might be the keeper of the week!
  • May 2 am For Clay to ever grow, at least some of the things recommended by last weekend's Community Design Team suggested.
  • May 2 am One of the teamsters walked up and down Main Street from the Hotel to Dundon bridge in search of a late night candy bar. One suggestion made was to have stores open late enough for the working public and tourists to buy from. By five o'clock weekdays and by noon on Saturdays, you can't buy squat in downtown Clay. Might as well break the news now, businesses will have to be open on Sunday's too. They can't spend their money if stores aren't open.
  • May 2 am  From last night's CAEZ meeting..... Chris Butler from Fola Coal made his 23 mile road to Summersville proposal to the Board. Met with great approval, the folks voted in favor of the long shot idea. Mention was made that some local businesses being already against the idea. The fear is the new road would have negative impact on existing businesses.
  • May 2 am That's absolutely right. For those unwilling to grow, add products, change hours, they're dead in the water. Actually, they're already dead in the water. Have been for some time too
  • May 2 am Take for instance all the motorcyclists and the dozens on bikes this past weekend. Who got the business? The place that was open, Go Mart.
  • May 2 am  There was a log factory blow out at the CAEZ office Monday morning. Town maintenance crews were working to unclog a sewer line behind the office when all of a sudden, nasty stuff started blowin up thru the jon and outside along the back wall. The brown stuff went everywhere. All along, some have said that place was full of it, now we can prove it.
  • May 2 am    On the first day of school, the children brought gifts for their teacher.    The florist's son brought the teacher a bouquet of flowers.  The candy-store owner's daughter brought a pretty box of candy.  Then the liquor-store owner's son brought up a big, heavy box.  The teacher lifted it up and noticed that it was leaking a little bit. She touched a drop of the liquid with her fingers and tasted it. "Is it wine?" "Nope" the boy replied.  She tasted another drop and asked, "Champagne?" "Nope" said the little boy.....  "It's a puppy!"
  • May 1 pm Government decisions  are to be done in public. That's why we have Open meeting laws. Just because we elected em, it's still our government with many rights to know what's going on... or at least that's what the law says.
  • May 1 pm We received a rumor this morning that said the School Board met in special session Monday afternoon and voted in a new high dollar salary for the Superintendent. Such contract votes are not stuff for special meetings but rather, run of the mill business and have to voted on at regular meetings.
  • May 1 pm  Such back room meetings have in the past been true. Not so this time according to the Somber Super
  • May 1 pm The Super said today the meeting was held but the only business was approving the budget and approve bids.
  • May 1 pm Our blood pressure has since gone back to normal

  • May 1 pm Our latest edition of The Communicator makes mention of Tommy Young Jr and Jeremy Salisbury in the grease, socked with Grand Larceny charges. Mr Young called us up today and said hold it.... the "slant" ain't right, that Salisbury just named him and there ain't no truth to it.. He said he would be glad to sit down with us and explain the other side.  We plan to do just that. Look for a follow up in the next Communicator.