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Monday, February 11, 2013
My mother's old teacher...
Many are the tales my mother told me about her grade school teacher, Newman Fertig. Mom would be almost 84 years old if she were still living. Imagine my surprise to see this legend of a school teacher still living.
The High Price of Stupidity...
It has been said that you can't fix stupid. Some time ago Norman Alderman's speeding ticket was dismissed because the cop didn't show up. A few weeks later he gets the local judge to appoint Charles Beard from Greenbrier County "for the purpose of signing a warrant." Magistrate Beard did so and Norman Alderman was arrested on the streets of Marlinton. It was an arrest that was intended to teach Alderman a lesson. Chris Cole and Troy McCoy parked the cruiser right in front of the Times office so that their photographer could get some great pictures. He did (see Pocahontas Times article).
But they weren't counting on the fat man to fall out of the cruiser. He asked them to uncuff him long enough to let him get into the cruiser. They would not! He tried to get in and fell out onto the concret injuring his elbow. 911 was called and he was transported to PMH for evaluation. (CRI ,ete.) By the time they had finished evaluating him they had run up a $500 bill with the ambulance service and almost $9,000 for the emergency room.
There would have been no injury and no hospital visit if Officer Cole and McCoy would have merely had a letter sent to Alderman via the mail for $0.45. Instead they ended up with a nearly $10,000 bill. Some people say that revenge is sweet but now a days it is very expensive. Sure they made a scene but they have takend $2,500 out of the county's tax coffers, money that could have been put to much better use such as buying more stars for General Jonese's uniform collar.
I told the nurse to send the bill to David Jonese. The insurance company sent it to the County Commission.
But they weren't counting on the fat man to fall out of the cruiser. He asked them to uncuff him long enough to let him get into the cruiser. They would not! He tried to get in and fell out onto the concret injuring his elbow. 911 was called and he was transported to PMH for evaluation. (CRI ,ete.) By the time they had finished evaluating him they had run up a $500 bill with the ambulance service and almost $9,000 for the emergency room.
There would have been no injury and no hospital visit if Officer Cole and McCoy would have merely had a letter sent to Alderman via the mail for $0.45. Instead they ended up with a nearly $10,000 bill. Some people say that revenge is sweet but now a days it is very expensive. Sure they made a scene but they have takend $2,500 out of the county's tax coffers, money that could have been put to much better use such as buying more stars for General Jonese's uniform collar.
I told the nurse to send the bill to David Jonese. The insurance company sent it to the County Commission.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Don't Be Too Sorry If You didn't lease your gas and oil
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 04, 2013
Big story on N.D. oil boom has lesson for reporters
"It’s hard to think of what oil hasn’t done to life in the small communities of western North Dakota, good and bad," Chip Brown writes in The New York Times Magazine. "It has minted millionaires, paid off mortgages, created businesses; it has raised rents, stressed roads, vexed planners and overwhelmed schools; it has polluted streams, spoiled fields and boosted crime." (NYT photo by Alec Soth, Magnum)
Brown's long story is a broad, deep look at what happens to a rural area where the economy was based on production agriculture but is now based on energy production. He starts with a look back at a glimpse of the boom's harbingers, the geologists and leasing agents "whose job was to dig through courthouse books for the often-tangled history of mineral title and surface rights. . . . Because the courthouse didn’t open until 7:30, the landmen would leave their briefcases outside the entrance, on the steps, in the order they arrived." (Read more)
The lesson of this story for journalists is to be alert for harbingers. When it comes to oil and natural gas, too many landowners have signed up for a poor deal because they didn't know how much demand there was for their mineral rights. Their news media should be telling them.
Brown's long story is a broad, deep look at what happens to a rural area where the economy was based on production agriculture but is now based on energy production. He starts with a look back at a glimpse of the boom's harbingers, the geologists and leasing agents "whose job was to dig through courthouse books for the often-tangled history of mineral title and surface rights. . . . Because the courthouse didn’t open until 7:30, the landmen would leave their briefcases outside the entrance, on the steps, in the order they arrived." (Read more)
The lesson of this story for journalists is to be alert for harbingers. When it comes to oil and natural gas, too many landowners have signed up for a poor deal because they didn't know how much demand there was for their mineral rights. Their news media should be telling them.
Written by Al Cross Posted at 2/04/2013 03:38:00 PM
Suit for Improper Pensions
Former city attorney files motion to disqualify judge in lawsuit
CHARLESTON – Nitro’s former city attorney, Richie Robb, has filed a motion for disqualification against Kanawha Circuit Judge Charles E. King in a lawsuit filed against the City of Nitro and two city officials regarding public records.
Robb filed the motion for disqualification on Dec. 18, claiming Fire Marshal/Code Official Ron King, Mayor David A. Casebolt and the City of Nitro have been treated differently with respect to filing, scheduling and hearing of the parties’ respective dispositive motions in the case.
The lawsuit involves Richard A. Nease and Lorinda J. Nease, who own an auto body repair shop in Nitro.
The Neases claim they made a request through counsel directly to Ron King for public records, according to a complaint filed Aug. 24 in Kanawha Circuit Court, but they never received the records, despite multiple attempts.
Robb says he is involved as a plaintiff in a case that is pending appeal to the West Virginia Supreme Court against the West Virginia Consolidated Public Retirement Board that says Charles King and Judge Alfred Ferguson are improperly drawing a pension in addition to their salaries.
On Jan. 22, Robb filed a motion for continuance of disqualification proceedings, claiming that, the pending motion was related to him in his capacity as counsel for the defendants and, as he was being replaced as city attorney, the status of his counsel in the case had yet to be determined.
The Neases are being represented by James A. Dodrill. Robb is also the former mayor of South Charleston.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 12-C-1716
Sunday, February 3, 2013
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About Me
- Norman Alderman
- A local archivist who specializes in all things Pocahontas County
