| By Alvin Engelke
 By Alvin Engelke
alvinengelke@hotmail.com
Sierra Starcher and Dakota Monypenny provided special singing at the Burning Springs M. E. church.
The Annamoriah Cowpoke is visiting relatives in the area and getting ready to harvest some trophy bucks. He said he was working as a diesel mechanic in Raleigh, North Carolina and making $27/hour, which, as he noted, "ain't bad". Those who object to making W. Va. more business friendly always say that wages are low in the Carolinas and real progress here would hurt workers and cut wages. The tooth fairy will be along too.
Junior Ferrell, Brandon Ferrell and "Punkin" Harris were among those calling on Mr. & Mrs. Carl Ferrell and family.
Both Helen and Jackie Nutter broke their arms.
Nancy Hall is scheduled to go back and take more chemotherapy treatments.
Mr. & Mrs. Joe Cunningham and Hallie Cunningham were among those calling on Paul Lee at the Minnie Hamilton extended care unit.
Rev. & Mrs. S. E. Cooper, Jr. were attending to business in Elizabeth & Parkersburg.
Carol D. Bacorn passed away in Parkersburg after a long illness caused by complications of diabetes. A daughter of Roscoe & Inda Hopkins she was a granddaughter of Tom Alec Hopkins, the man who gathered up the logs that got away from the boom. Many local residents will remember her aunt Mabel Merrill and family.
Local roads have been hot as a significant portion of Ohio and other states that have come in to harvest venison. Sam the game warden has been busy especially on Ground Hog and other popular poaching sites. He had to wrestle one gentleman to the ground on Saturday. Of course schools are closed, men have taken their vacation from work and some employers even give the first day of season as a paid holiday.
In addition to proposed massive tax increases, the ruling oligarchy down at the Mouth of the Elk River has planned a special legislative session to give big raises to the needy who "slave away" down under the golden dome (which, by the way, seems to be undergoing repair). The story goes that it looks bad that some of the public servants have to get by on less than six figures (at least in what one knows about). It puts one in mind of Slick when he was the guv down in the Ozarks and spent $600,000/year on a $35,000 salary.
Speaking of that family, her royal thighness is now selling T-shirts that are a knock off of the pictures of the late Cuban communist terrorist Che Guevara. No doubt there is a not so subtle message there. She was also a friend of the late billionaire terrorist Yassar Arafat who, apparently, came down with a "bad disease".
Speaking of terrorists, it appears that the U. S. Military has eliminated a significant number of bad ones in Iraq recently. Those who have been to paradigm training know that one always wants to have a win/win situation. When our guys bring their body temperatures to ambient, one no longer has to worry about them bringing a Russian suitcase bomb to America and they get to go to paradise to frolic with the 72 virgins (or so they believe). Only those who live in a pre 9/11 world don't get the picture.
Many read about Mr. Graham the senior citizen director down in Wyoming County who pulled down a "paltry" 400 big ones to take food to the needy elderly, etc. He is the one who has his own private state senator (who is paid $25,000 for part time work). After some exposure his official salary was supposed to have been cut. However, the other day a local resident discovered that he makes a cut on chore worker services provided in Creston. His business is based in Itman and it is amazing how far some folks reach goes. The state's allocation of certificates of need allows for some to do exceedingly well. Perhaps that is why the status quo is maintained by the oligarchy and their supporters.
M. C. Pursley was attending to business in Creston. Also attending to business in Creston recently were Glenn and Rodney Campbell.
Chris Hopkins' widow Gladys who is 82 and lives in Wichita Falls Texas, remembered visiting when her husband's family lived in Creston. She has been working on family history.
The price of local crude oil rose to $45/bbl while the price paid for gas by Columbia Natural Resources was $3.35/MCF regardless of heat value.
Tammy and Denver McFarland have set a big trapping business with a live trap approach. Those who have problems with 'possums and 'coons could give 'em a call and they will catch your critters and turn them loose in the yards of PETA members so they can enjoy the animals. However, at last report they weren't into removing pizen snakes, great big cats and problem bears turned out locally by the DNR.
Donna Sue Ferrell has been having chariot trouble and Carl Ferrell has been looking for another freezer. He was calling on Jimmy Schrader. | 
