Developer seeks funds for Lavalette housing project
By JON ATWOOD
Staff Writer
Developer Scott Hutchison (left) requested loan money from the Wayne County Commission (commissioners Charles Sammons and Bob Pasley are pictured right) for a housing project he is currently building in Lavalette. Hutchison said he wants to add Section 8 housing in an area on Route 75. WCN photo by Jon Atwood
WAYNE - Discussion over a HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) application to build Section 8 housing in Lavalette turned into an intense debate over the role of the Wayne County Housing Authority (WCHA) over all Wayne County Housing projects.
Representatives of Wayne County Habitat for Humanity complained during the Wayne County Commission’s Thursday meeting that the commission automatically asking for input from the WCHA is a conflict of interest and unfair to competitors for housing projects, of which Habitat is one.
“To weight any preference toward the Wayne County Housing Authority to me is not fair, because we’ve been here, we’ve been hitting the ground running, we’ve been putting people in homes, and we’ve been doing it through blood, sweat and tears,” Joyce Clark of Habitat for Humanity said.
However, commissioner Charles Sammons said he wants to get input from the WCHA because, he said, it was created in the county for the purpose of consulting over housing projects.
“We’re the ones that make the final decision,” Sammons said. “We need to know what projects are planned, whether it’s Habitat, whether it be project from the Housing Authority or whether it be an independent.
“That’s the purpose of the Housing Authority, to be involved in housing.” More on the font page.. For more on this story and many others, subscribe to the WCN or the WCN e-paper today!
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Fort Gay passes chemical protection ordinance to safeguard water supply
By JON ATWOOD
Staff Writer
Fort Gay Mayor David Thompson (left) speaks during a Fort Gay Town Council meeting. Also pictured is council member Larry Britt. WCN photo by Jon Atwood
FORT GAY – The Town of Fort Gay has passed an ordinance meant to enhance chemical protection of the town’s water supply.
The ordinance, which was passed this week during the Fort Gay Town Council meeting, will require businesses to install backflow preventers, which prevent dirty water from flowing back from a residence or place of business into the town’s water supply.
Customers, after an inspection to determine if a backflow preventer is necessary to prevent dirty water from re-entering the system, will have to install a preventer within 90 days at their own expense or else lose water service, according to the ordinance.
“It’s a cross-connection prevention program, something that prevents contaminants from getting into the water system,” Mayor David Thompson said. “Garages, saw mills and places like that using chemicals and different things, working with chemicals, keeps water from getting back into water system.”
As written in the ordinance, the purpose of the action is to “protect the water system,” “promote the elimination and/or control of cross-connections and backflow condition,” and “provide for the maintenance of a continuing program of cross-connection and backflow prevention.” More on the font page.. For more on this story and many others, subscribe to the WCN or the WCN e-paper today!
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Two arrested by WCSD; hit and run investigated
By BRIAN SIZEMORE
Staff Writer
WAYNE – A Fort Gay woman was arrested Wednesday evening on a felony warrant for child neglect creating a risk of injury.
Bobbie Lou Short, 38, was arrested on Feb. 3 at the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department on a felony warrant for child neglect creating a risk of injury. Short was taken into custody by Cpl. J. Ward.
• David Lee Thompson, 42, of Millersburg, Ohio, was arrested on warrants for two counts of delivery of a controlled substance on Monday, Feb. 1. Thompson was arrested by Dep. C.L. Hunt after he turned himself in at the Wayne County Courthouse.
Thompson’s arrest booking states he came to the WCSD to obtain a photo identification card. Hunt said a criminal background check revealed Thompson had two active warrants for his arrest. More on the font page.. For more on this story and many others, subscribe to the WCN or the WCN e-paper today!
Wayne County 4-H to host Global Education Workshops
By BRIAN SIZEMORE
Staff Writer
WAYNE – The Wayne County 4-H Program will host a series of workshops that will highlight Ireland and other overseas countries at the Wayne Public Library beginning on Tuesday, Feb. 16.
Julie Tritz, extension agent at the West Virginia University Extension Office in Wayne, said the focus of the workshops is to share stories from her personal experiences while travelling abroad. Tritz said she’s been fortunate enough to travel outside of the United States and visit such countries as Ireland, Morocco, Slovakia and Central Asia.
“I want to share some of my stories and some of the customs and cultures of some of the countries I’ve visited,” Tritz said. “I want to share my experiences with others because I’ve been fortunate to have had these experiences.”
The workshop will highlight the country of Ireland for the first four sessions and then focus will turn to the North African country of Morocco, Tritz said.
Tritz said the workshops will be held at the Wayne Public Library every other Tuesday through May and are fee and open to the public.
For more information, contact Tritz at (304) 272-6839 or email at julie.tritz@mail.wvu.edu.
