After tabling a number of items and acknowledging the WVU Budget and DEP permits, the McDowell County Commission dealt with a number of agenda items during a regularly scheduled meeting, Wednesday, March 11.
A group of residents self-dubbed “Residents of Panther for Better Public Service” appeared before the Commission to protest losing WVVA from their channel line up in mid-February.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Lettie Cline said that Panther residents began phoning JetBroadband immediately after losing WVVA and received a variety of “excuses” why the channel was no longer available in their area. Dissatisfied with the response they received, Cline said she called the PSC and was advised to contact the McDowell County Commission because “they have jurisdiction.”
Cline questioned why Panther residents pay $1.25 per month more for service and presented a petition from residents requesting that WVVA be returned to the channel line up.
Jet Broadband General Manager Anthony Barlage explained that other channels in Panther are received by satellite. In regard to WVVA, he stated, “We don’t see signals from that area, but we have no intention to deny folks service.”
Barlage said the WVVA went off the air the night of February 17 when analog was turned off and everything went digital.
“All other channels are recovered by satellite. Panther is not the only community with the problem,” Barlage said.
“The price has gone up, buy there has been no improvement of services,” Cline countered.
Stressing that he has been in negotiations with WVVA officials, Barlage added, “There’s no power going to the mountain right now. Our intention is to provide service.”
Asked to provide an approximate timeline for the resolution of the problem by Commissioner Lambert, Barlage agreed to try to have an answer by the next County Commission meeting on March 25.
Commissioner Bailey reminded Barlage, “It’s imperative that we get that service because our school communicates with people in Panther that way. The area has been ignored too long. We really want that service.”
Iaeger Mayor Jim Stafford sought input from the Commission regarding the annexation of the Iaeger City limits all the way to the Dollar Store. “I’ve been trying to get it for three years,” Stafford said.
Jimmy Legato, who resides in the area of the proposed annexation, objected, “Some of us are afraid it’s a major annexation and have concerns about it. I hate to oppose it, but if you’ll put it on hold a little longer, I’ll talk to the bank…If it’s a major annexation, it’s against the Constitution of West Virginia.”
Under advice of Counselor Kendrick King, the Commission set a hearing date on the issue April 8, 4 p.m. at the County Commission.
In an effort to maintain a safe working environment, the Commission reviewed the county’s drug-free workplace policy.
Commission President Judy Cortellesi noted that Raleigh County recently passed mandatory, random drug testing for all employees and that perhaps the county should review the current policy and consider doing the same.
Cortellesi added that “Drugs are a disease and we should be trying to help those people. If they can be helped, we need to help them,” she said. Cortellesi said she had spoken with Day Report Executive Director Georgia West to assess what kind of drug treatment and education the program could provide to county residents.
County Clerk Don Hicks noted that he has no objection to mandatory testing but added, “We need input from elected officials or it will be worthless.”
Commissioner Bailey said “it all goes back to “accountability.” Bailey said that a recent newspaper article revealed that a number of jobs in McDowell County are unfilled because the applicants continue to fail the required drug test.
In providing a report on the McDowell County Day Report Program, West said in 2008 97 participants utilized the McDowell Day Report, with the total savings to the county from all facets of the program being $294,306.50.
West added that 160 participants used the McDowell Home Incarceration Program for the same period, for a total savings to the county of $415,0447.32.
Kevin Wade appeared before the Commission alleging that Dog Warden Tommy Cox illegally confiscated a dog in Wilcoe and that the owner of the dog wanted it back.
Cox, however, objected, stressing that the dog was “decrepit”, malnourished, was full of parasites, had feces hanging from it and was not long for this world. Cox said a Mercer County resident took pity on the animal, adopted it and took it to the vet. The animal is now doing much better so Cox said there is “no way” he would return the dog to the original owners. He stated that the state code gives him the legal power to confiscate such animals.
Cox said that he recently received another complaint about the same people who originally owned the dog he confiscated. Their other dog, he related, has a chain imbedded in its neck.
Commissioner Cortellesi instructed Cox to provide Wade a copy of the state code that shows that the Dog Warden has the right to confiscate abused animals and for the record to read that section of code into the minutes of the next Commission meeting.
Emphasizing that she would not “second guess” the dog warden, Cortellesi commended Cox for saving the animal.

Bailey, a principal at Iaeger Elementary, noted, “people must learn to be responsible pet owners.” Children at Iaeger Elementary, he said, have collected thousands of pounds of pet food for the Humane Society.
Speaking of another kind of accountability, Commissioner Cortellesi instructed County Administrator Jennifer Wimmer to confiscate all county credit cards, with the exception of the Sheriff’s Office gas card. The caredit cards, she said, are to be placed under lock and key in Wimmer’s office. No reimbursements of any kind will be made to employees without a receipt.
“It’s not our money. It’s county money, but we’re responsible for it,” Cortellesi said
“All we’re asking for is accountability,” Bailey added.
Chief Field Deputy Mark Shelton presented new deputies, Anthony Epperson and Eric Atwell to the Commission, in the absence of Sheriff Danny Mitchell. Shelton shared that Deputy James Muncy has also been reinstated.
Following the introductions, Commissioner Bailey related his desire to meet with the Sheriff’s Department to find a way to create around-the-clock police protection for local citizens.
“People are fed up,” he said. “When I ran for office, the lack of emergency services and 24/7 police protection were the main gripes.”
Shelton responded that the Sheriff’s Office would meet with Bailey as soon as Bailey set it up.
In other matters:
• Upon the availability of funds, the Commission approved payment of $97,898.55 in bills from the General County, Coal Fund and Correctional Facility
• Officially made former Summer Worker Kristen Shupe assistant county purchasing agent
• With Commissioner Lambert voting no, hired Frances Hale to be the new county purchasing director
•Approved minutes of the February 25 meeting
•Approved and signed Indian Ridge HUD Project and
•Approved and signed grant application and resolution for Mountain Music Festival.
Tabled items included, tax exonerations, request for cleaning supplies from SWA, pro rating of Commissioner Bailey’s back pay, pending Judge Saddler’s ruling next Wednesday; discussion of SWA Board by Kevin Wade, funding for the Berwind Lake Association, property leasing for Beulah Compton and Carol Chafins, funding for teletype training for 911 employees and request for Welch Little League funding until Counselor King researches the legality of it.
Other tabled items included a donation request by the Citizens for Coal, Inc., the salary proposal for special Counselor Kendrick King and the request for a contribution from the City of Princeton Fire Department.
The request for $2000 in funding for Hilltop Lights, made by Commissioner Lambert, died for the lack of a second.

MAKING THEIR CASE - Panther residents appeared before the McDowell County Commission Wednesday to complain that they no longer receive channel WVVA in their area. JetBroadband General Manager Anthony W. Barlage is pictured here discussing the problem, as Panther residents Lettie Cline, Cathy Lockhart and Kenny Coleman look on. (Photo by Cathy Patton)