Rev. Kevin Gillespie filled his regular appointment at the Burning Springs M. E. Church.
The Creston Community Building Christmas Party will be at 2 P. M. Saturday, December 16 at the community building. All are invited. One should bewith Rosie, Barb or Kathleen about what covered dish items to bring so there aren’t ten containers of baked beans and no mashed potatoes. The Creston Community Building business meeting will be December 5 at the Community Building at 6 P. M.
Esmeralda deVries who has been “vacationing” at the WVU hospital in Morgantown is now doing much better reflecting the skill of modern medical folks and the power of prayer.
Some local folks motored to Grantsville Saturday to hear Kevin Wease’s band, Triple Threat, at the Tribe.
The district bridge crew was working again on repairs of the W. Va. 5 bridge in Creston. Apparently the state is waiting for funding to replace the structure. Those who truck across the span and have looked up under the edifice have genuine concern.
Meanwhile the Highway Department has announced that it is now time to cut trees and treetops along state highways “to protect them from water”. Of course, the real reason is to give out lucrative contracts to out of state entities who, perhaps, might “reward” certain folks. Naturally there is no proven science for this but we are supposed to be too dumb to ask questions. Now, of course, all the road problems have been fixed, right? Apparently there was not time nor money to repair/fix the poorly prepared patches on I-77 south between Ripley & Fairplains, some of which are now kicking out. Has the big culvert on Wirt County CR 34/3 been replaced? Is the hill on Roane County CR 9/3 still impassable to FWD vehicles? Has the bridge on Ritchie County CR 15/9 been fixed? At one time there was really no warning that the bridge was out. Has the culvert that fell over the hill on Calhoun County CR 12/3 as one goes down off Mt. Beaulah been pulled back up in the road? It is obvious that “there is no money” in routine maintenance but special contracts are lucrative and are to be defended even when chopping down trees that belong to others.
The PSC [Public Service Commission] is said to be considering rate increases for the firms that provide residential gas service. Mountaineer gas retail goes for $13 while the Henry Hub price is now $2.79. Local producers who sell on the DTI system (Dominion) are lucky to get 60 cents. The low price, especially in the Appalachian Basin is a matter of concern even to the bigger boys and the consensus “among the experts” is that low gas prices, wholesale, will continue until at least 2025. A number of W. Va. producers are getting bills from the pipeline companies for the cost of the natural gas that was ‘given’ to them. Perhaps the PSC lives in a different world and has been reading about natural gas prices in Europe. Diversified said that they hedge 80% of their gas but such obviously is not reflected in royalties, severance taxes or county ad valorem taxes.
First Energy, the local electric company, is once again asking for a 13.7% rate increase. Seems that some auditors feel that the $64 million bribe to Ohio officials, the federal fines of $230 million, all the legal and tax costs really shouldn’t be used as valid costs of the utility and that West Virginia, Mayland & Pennsylvania customers should not have to pay higher rates to “make the company well”. Some Ohio elected officials are now doing time and the deal then [over nuclear power plants in Ohio] involved the Pleasants County power plant now operated by a non electric company. It was stated this way, “First Energy wrongly charged for bribes, lobbying, sponsorships, donations and other inappropriate expenses”. Jeffrey Longsgtreth was instrumental in all this & he was/is involved also in W. Va. politics. He & his group put over $600,000 in W. Va. elections. He & associates are involved with Larry Puccio, Joe Manchin’s boyhood buddy and lobbyist for both the Manchin & Jim Justice interests. As they say, “It’s a small world.”
Steve Loudin was calling at the Creston Space Dock. He has some chariot problems. Jack, a resident there got a new collar & leash for Christmas.
Donnie Nutter, Barb Wright, Kathleen Cervone and some other Creston residents had Sunday dinner at Shade Tree where they feasted on fried chicken, hamburgers and other tasty foods that the world’s ruling elite want to not allow the peasants to enjoy. Presently the elites are now all off to the United Arab Emirates for a “global warming ” conference. King Charles, who avoided a snow storm in his country, stressed that matters were urgent and action was needed now. Of course his royal jet perhaps ran on pixie dust and thus helped the environment. It is said that in UAE the police drive sports cars as oil has made them so rich. In ratings of places world wide to drill the Emirates rate #4 while West Virginia rates #5.
Wilma and some other Mowrey family members are still recovering from the Wuhan Kung Flu virus.
J. P. Marks was calling on Mr. & Mrs. A. C. Marks & son.
Some folks from up in the panhandle are going to Richmond to argue in front of the U. S. 4th Circuit over the SB 694 that the out of state gas companies had the legislature pass for them. This takes private property for the benefit of others with almost no recourse. Farm Bureau and other groups were told to “support the bill or else”. Now that they bought the bill it is being used. One Doddridge County mineral owner was notified he was being force pooled and he had never been contacted about a lease. In a case pending later this month the CSX Railroad, the W. Va. DOH, the Catholic church, the Lutheran church, HG Energy, CNX Gas Company and the present owner of Wheeling Steel are being taken by SWN. Newspapers in the presently active counties are full of legal ads advising of the “now said legal” takings. West Virginia has world class minerals but laws like these make sure that W. Va. never received the benefits from the developments thereof. In January folks can file to take out those who sold out West Virginia in the primary election. Sen. president Baldy Blair has opposition and there are more who need to be removed before they do more damage.
It was learned that the best wells in the nation now are wells operated by Encino & Enron(EOG) in the oil phase of the Utica in Ohio. Some of these wells have laterals 20,000 feet long. The Utica underlies Calhoun & Wirt Counties and is 1,100 feet thick. Maps show the Creston area to be in the area that would produce dry gas.
The price of local Pennsylvania grade crude dipped to $73.07/bbl. with condensate fetching just $55.07/bbl. Marcellus & Utica light brought $64.07 and medium $73.07/bbl.
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