| By Alvin Engelke
Lela White who has been on the sick list for some time underwent bypass surgery in Charleston. She has been for years the chief financial officer for Family Development Corp. which runs the head start program.
Ray Cunningham is a patient in a Parkersburg hospital. He has been having health problems. Alice Cunningham took his wife Hallie to her doctor's appointment and Joe stayed with his dad. Alice didn't get back quick enough and the water blocked off the road leaving father and son on their own. Sonja Artibese came to visit from New Orleans but she could not get in to visit either.
Rev. Juanita Lockhart filled her regular appointment at the Burning Springs M. E. church. Rev. Carlos Nutter is scheduled for next Sunday with communion.
The news this week has been high water and flooding. While upriver towns had homes and businesses flooded the only structures that got wet locally were some camps.
However, travel was restricted in several instances. The road on both sides of the West Fork was closed and the road leading from Creston to Ground Hog via Bingmans and Boggs was also under water. The new bridge at the mouth of Little Creek was completely under water and so it went. Access to Grantsville was via Mt. Zion, Joker & Hur. Later W. Va. 5 closed off at Burning Springs and Sanoma was blocked. Those who had to go to some destinations had to make detailed plans with alternate routes.
Up on Right Reedy the cattle were looking for high places on Tuesday and some round bales had to be moved locally before they started their trip to the Gulf of Mexico. Certainly, this is the year to feed cattle on hill tops.
Jane and Nancy Engelke attended a Miss Ohio USA pageant in Portsmouth, Ohio, Saturday evening.
Local roadways have been crowed with chariots with Buckeye licenses, four wheelers and motorcycles. One might assume that they were running up and down the roads to get the deer used to the noise so when the mounted hunters went in the woods Monday morning the deer would not be alarmed at the noise.
Some of the fellers from the Heavy Hauling Trucking Co. got caught by the men who try to keep them from destroying all the highways. At first they thought they could beat the rap but they ended up copping guilty pleas in Magistrate Robinson's court.
Wirt County's most famous soldier continues to make the news. People magazine, one of the tabloid types sold at supermarkets, had a story and noted that she was obtaining therapy at a hospital in Parkersburg, Virginia. While some local residents have ancestors who visited Parkersburg Virginia, no one now living likely ever talked with them. It seems that the elite media does not intend to give one iota of credit to West Virginia when there is a positive story.
Bill McFee gave a detailed report at the Farm Bureau meeting concerning the programs for tracking beef cattle. Shirley Doty fetched some fine cake which helped the discussion along.
Hastings Station remains down which means that most local natural gas is still shut in although it was learned that gas from wells belonging to Dominion is feeding at a high rate since the line pressure is down because all other wells are closed in. Dominion noted that some gas may be allowed to bypass the stripping plant starting on Nov. 25. Earlier some wells had been turned in to Equitable but they were ordered shut back in as there seems to be a colored water contest between the two corporate giants. There was no new report on the Cabot project although high water interfered with many "well laid plans".
Carl Greathouse and his professional truck driving friend Tim Johns of Ohio were visiting friends and family at Camp Paul Bunyan over in the Annamoriah section. With the rain and all Mr. Johns had to borrow a farmer's pickup to get up to camp (those city slicker cars just don't get it) and back out. On one trip he had to back down the driveway but missed the road and hit the hill breaking out a taillight. At that point he allowed as how the easy going fellow who loaned him the truck would be "less than happy" so he tried to find a tail light. Calls were made to all the local outlets and our man was resigned to going all the way to Morgantown for a replacement. However, a friend came to the rescue and fetched him down a new one from Champion, Ohio. The truck is fixed and the farmer is happy.
Some additional stone was delivered at the Creston Community Building for the parking lot.
Not so long back there was a lot of noise for "campaign finance reform" a federal law that would "take the big money men" out of politics. Now George Soros, an apparently naturalized citizen with insider trading convictions decided to give $15 million to defeat the president. Neither Sen. McCaniac nor Sen. Finegold have said a peep and the folks at Common Cause, etc. are likewise keeping mum. Turns out that Mr. Soros gave a mere $18 million to the "good government" groups which, apparently, bought silence. Soros stated also that he would pledge all his $7 billion if he was guaranteed a different president.
Matthew Copen was among those calling at the Carl Ferrell residence.
The price of local Pennsylvania grade crude oil fell to $28.25/bbl.
Calhoun County Commissioner Bob Weaver was attending to business in Creston and viewing the sights. Wirt County Commissioner was sawing some lumber for S. M. van Clief.
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