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7.
7.
(Continuing the Hinton Daily News & The Weekend Leader)
• Festival
Volume 89 No. 19
Hinton, West Virginia Tuesday Sept. 4, 1990
25 Cents
m
m
IL
By Fred Long
The Summers County Jail, sub-
Ject of a contempt of court suit flied
in F©~teral U. S. District Court in
Beckley, "will stay open," County
Prosecutor Joe Aucremanne an-
nounced Friday afternoon. ~Neither
the County Commission nor the
Sheriffhave been found in contempt
of COUrt."
According to Aucremanne after
three days of negotiations with
Charleston attorney Dan Hedges,
Who filed the suit for former inmates
Bobby Catron and Juan Williams,
an out of court agreement was
reached early Friday morning.
"Hedges is no longer asking for the
Closure of the jail," Aucremanne
said.
County Sheriff Tom Briers and
members of the County Commission
have =promised to do everything they
can to abide by the original court
order," Aucremanne explained.
In 1986 U. S. District Judge Eliza-
Final
• By Fred Long
t, Summers County inflated it spe-
cial education enrollment by 41 stu-
dents and must return almost
$100,000 to the State, a final report
from the West Virginia Department
of Education says.
Special Education enrollment
within the school system has been
under investigation since November
of last year and, although the school
"! system has admitted to =a discre-
pancy of 18 students through hu-
man error," School Superintendent
Jim Tassos said he did not believe
his~mffsubmitted ainaccurate data"
~v~ , ~mld appeal the state's find-
ir~,,s.
"I haven't had time to look over
tke final report yet," Board Presi-
dent Bill Dillon said, "but I believe
we will ask for a hearing on this with
the State Department."
The school system has 30 days to
file a request for ahearing before the
State Department takes action to
recover the funds, although the
]~earing may be held eeveral months
Iatsr, Tassos mid.
According to the final report the
ichool system "falsely reported" the
tOtal number ofspecal education
students over a five year period which
~esulted in an overpayment of state
tnoney totaling $91,041.97 and
$5,753 in federal funds. A prelimi-
nary report i~usd four months ago
claimed an overpayment of
$96,715.09 in state money and $5~43
federal.
Receives Grant
beth V. Hailanan issued a court order
in response to federal complaints
against the County over conditions
in the jail. The court order gave the
county until July 1,1990 to bring the
jail up to =constitutional and statu-
tory mandates," but an inspection in
late July revealed that most of the
conditions still existed.
Aucremanne said the county
began taking corrective action fol-
lowing the inspection.
~-ledges recognized the good faith
efforts by the Sheriff and County
Commission who have admitted that
they have been slack and,that they
are aware that they should abide by
the federal and state laws regarding
the County Jail."
Hedges filed the suit late last
month naming 30 reasons why he
believed the jail should be closed,
among them: Inadequate staffing,
lack of medical care and overcrowd-
ing.
~Ve will reduce the jail popula-
tion to a maximum of 15," Aucre-
According to the report the State
Department =shall compute the
amount of state and federal aid'paid
to the school system due to "inaccu-
rate~ reporting "buring the 1985
through 1990 school years and shall
withhold such funds on a prorated
basis."
The investigation began follow-
ing a request from the Secretary of
State's office and a fact-finding team
was set to prove or disprove the
alleged violations.
=I don't believe the state cut us
By Fred Long
County taxpayers can kiss $400
good-bye after a ridiculous special
call meetingofthe Summers County
Board of Education Thursday night.
The meeting was called by three
of the five board members for the
purpose of re-appointing board
member Dr. Bill Mathews to mere.
bars}tip on a =Committee of 55,"
manna said. Staffing, he said, will
be "increased to two correctional
officers on duty at all times, which
could be supplemented by law en-
forcement deputies.
All the other complaints, Aucre-
manna said, could be corrected in a
matter of days. =It is a shame that
they didn't start doing something
before now."
Aucremanne said Hedges had
asked the court to order a monitor to
supervise all corrective measures
involving the jail; however, ~my
argument was successful on that
point and the jail will not be under a
court monitor. That would have
been very expensive for this county.~
County Commissioner Lonnie
Mullins said he is "relieved that a
decision" was reached that would
give them more time to resolve the
problem.
"The difficult problem we face now
is finding the money to do every-
thing. At least now the pressure is
off," he said.
any slack at all," Tassos said Thurs-
day night. "The State Department
takes ell the time they want to and
they give us 30 days,~ he complained.
~rom now on I'm going to call the
State Department in here each and
every year as long as I'm Superin-
tendent and have them investigate
our enrollment records," Tassoe sai d,
~and I'm going to call for them to
investigate every county in the State.
If they are going to investigate us
they should investigate all 55 coun-
ties."
S
Over 4.5 million people will see Summers County
when a segment of the new popular TV program
"Going Our Way" airs on The Nashville Network
this broadcast season. The travelogue, staring
the world famous country music entertainer Jim
Ed Brown and his wife Becky, w~ll air on the
second or third Saturday in Nove@d>er at 1 pro,
said Gary LaBella, Vice President of Public Rela-
top administrators, if not the top
administrator in the State," had
accepted a job as principal of a Chris-
tian school in another county and
that his letter of resignation called
for an effective date of Sept. 28. "I
have it in the folder for the next stranger to this area. Becky has
meeting," he told them, "and was never been here before so this is all
going to bring it up at that time/ new to her, but I remember how
A motion to approve the resigna- beautiful it is here in Summers
New River with Richard Cantrell, owner of Can-
trell Canoes & Rafts, and the photo above shows
the camera man, third from the left, taping the
event. Both Becky and Jim Ed Brown said they
really enjoyed the ride, "I've had a lot of fun in my
life," Jim Ed Brown said, "and I've done a lot of
things, but Pve never had an experience Hke this
before. I had a great time and the folks here are
tiom,, ~o~ C, ou~y ~--segmont,o taped ~greakpeople...TJtiAis a heaugiful placeand
Wednesday morning, features a ride down the I'm happy that I can help show it to the world."
By Fred Long camera man, sound man and equip- ago but he didn't think he would
Summers County's recreational meat. Brown and his wife rode in a ever fbrget that.
opportunities will be seen nation- raftwithHintonMayorJamesLeslie, The 30 minute program will air
wide over cable TV when The Nash- Jr. and his wife, Carla; Leonardeighttimesthisseasonandissched-
villeNetwork(TNN)featuresaseg- Anderson(Democraticcandidatefbr uled fbr its first broadcast on the
ment on Southern West Virginia in State Senate) and his wife Wilmasecond or third Saturday and the
November. " and Cantrell, their guide, following Thursday in November at
Jim Ed Brown, a classic country No one fell out of the raft but 1 pm, said Gary LaBetla, vice presi-
singerandalivinglegendintheeyes when the ride was over everyone dent of Public Relations for Recrea-
of his fans, along his wife Becky, was soaking wet from a water battle tion Vehicle Industry Association,
starsofTNN'snewtravelogueseries started by Leonard Anderson and program sponsor. "This show is
=Going Our Wa~' visited Summers Threase Lilly with the Southern WV brand new," he said. "This is the
County tourist attractions, on Tue. Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Ifirst time we have ever done any-
and Wed., at Pipestem State Park, didn't know we were going to do thing in West Virginia. We want to
experiencedthethrillofwhitewater that," Jim Ed Brown said after it showpeopleallthewonderfulthings
rafting on the New River here, and was over. "I don't know if we won or they can do in Recreation Vehicles
toured Lost World Caverns in Le- lost but I think we won." Brown said and all the wonderful places where
wisburg, he had trouble keeping up with people can go. Ithinkthisisgoingto
=This is grsat fun," Brown said of things that happen over five years be asuper show."
his visit here. ~'ou know I was here
several years ago for the West Vir-
ginia Water Festival, so I'm not a
accepting the resignation of Larry tion passed on a split vote. Bud County. Fmgladwepickedthisarea
Deeds, former director of curricu.
lum, and talk about pladngan assis-
tant principal back at the Hinton
High School. All of it could have
been done at the next regular meet-
ing on Sept. 13.
Board President Bill Dillon placed
Deeds' resignation on the agenda,
he said, because School Superinten-
dent Jim Tass~ had informed him
earlier that the item would be com.
ing before them.
Taesos, calling Deeds =one of the
Governor (]agmn Capertson awards a $70,428 grant to the
+ Region I Piamflng and Development Council Representing
the Region ]~ Council ate., from left to right, James A. Leslie, Jr,
Council ~raon, and Norman Kirkham, Executive Diree.
tor. The Council ~ M~Dowell, Meteor, Monroe, P~._leigh,
t
• Summm's~, msd Wyoming ~unties.
Shanks voted "no" saying this type to do this show. You know, I have
of business should be done during a never been on the New River but
regular meeting. John Lilly ab- they tell me its one of the oldest
stained and members Mathews, riversintheworld. Idon'tknowwhy
Dillon and Charles Neely voted to they don't call it Old River," he said
accept the resignation =effective jokingly.
Sept. 28.~ Awhite water raft ride with Rich-
Several minutes were devoted to ard Cantrell's rafting service, Can-
discussing the possibility of placing trell Canoes & Rafts, had been sched-
someone in the former assistant ulod for Wed. morning and at the
principalpmitionattheHintonHigh beginning Becky was a little appre-
School. Most of it spent with hensive about the ride. "We have
Mathews belittling Tasses claiming never done this before," Becky said.
thathisrecommondationtotransfer =I'm a little nervous about it but Iql
former assistant principal Mike do anythingonce.-
Allen into a teaching position jeop. "I thinkitisgoingtobe great fun,"
ardized North Central accreditation Jim Ed Brown said. "Becky and I are
and as Superintendent he didn't always looking for new and exiting
know North Central requirements. : things to do. That's the fun part of
"I'm as concerned about North doing this type of program. We are
Central accreditation as you are,~ able to travel together, across the
Tassm told him. =I was in favor of country, and discover all the oppor-
keeping an assistant principal at tunities we have in the U.S.A. Tobe
the high school." able to experience what people can
Tassos said if the School Beard dowhentheycommunewithnature.
had approved his recommendatiorm Andbeingable towork with Becky~is
for transfer the assistant superin, fantastic."
tendent would have become the high Brown and hie crew were prepar-
school pri~pal and Bill Fox, who ingfora six-mile rafting trip on the
was named principal but withdrew, 'New River from a point on the river-
would have been named the auis- bank, across from Hinton below the
tans principal. New River bridge, to Brooks Falls.
Taasm said for the umpteenth Andy Canaday, marketing director
time that State law mandated the and guide for Rivers, Inc. was ex-
jobcuts, adding that between North plaShing to the group of about 30
Central policies and state law, he what iff you fell out ofthe raft. The
was going to follow state law. last'what if'was a joke stating that
He also pointed out that during ifyou fell outofthe raft and couldn't
Jim Ed Brown and his wife Becky a few minutes before stepping in
theraft for their first white water adventure. Neither of them had
ever been white waterrafting in their Hfe and both said they were
looking forward to the ride. "I'm ready to go," Brown said, Sand no
body is going to take this life jacket off of me."
an earlier meeting the Board re- getbackintheywouldjustleaveyou
jected a grievance filed by Allen for fish bait. "I'm a little concerned Country music favorite Jim Ed Brown andhis wife Beckyaceepts
trying to regain the job. "If you give about that last what if," Jim Ed the Key to the City from Hinton Mayor James A~ Leslie, Jr. and ~s
it to anyone it will have to be him; Brownyelledoutfromthesidelines. wife Carla after enjoying an exciting white water raft ride down
Tassos told them. Everyone jumped in one of four theNewRiverwednesdaymorrAng. Ijust have one que~on, Jim
The Board took no action and the rafts that would take the group to Ed Brown asked after Mayor LesIie handed kim the key' "Willhie
meeting adjeurned, the falls, a fifth raft carried the open the doors to the county jail~