The Creston Community Building baked steak dinner was a success and all commented on just how good all the items were. One fellow brought his potatoes [that were cooked but not mashed] and dropped them in the kitchen. Barb had to go home and make more. Rosie & others brought tasty desserts. The even went on even though there was no power in Creston until about 3 P. M. A portable generator was called in to assist.
Early Saturday morning the power for Creston, Brooksville & other upstream residents went out when a tree took down the power lines and, it seems, the power company was in no real hurry to fix matters.
Jim Gibson, age 77. Of Bradenton Florida died August 7. He was a son of Lewis & Geraldine Boggs Gibson. Not so long back he sold his property in Creston.
It was reported that there will be a lunar eclipse Thursday night. The area continues to have storms & rain. Perhaps it will be clear Thursday night
The Grim reunion will be September 12 at the Creston Community Building. Vance Grim who lives at the nursing home in Elizabeth recently celebrated his 95th birthday.
The little coal baronet who presently plays U. S. Senator did a victory lap when the $500 million came from New York to keep the folks from Omni from taking the Greenbrier. However, it seems that did not resolve his default on a $52 million (counting interest & penalties) COVID 19 pandemic relief loan. And still there are those in politics who want to run him for governor in 2028.
The state road has one of their new Chinese Communist end loaders in Creston. One might ask why the W. Va. Dept. of Transportation, Division of Highways would fund the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army? One conclusion would be that “money talks” and it is all green. The Calhoun crew was working up on the Richardsonville Road and on Saturday it was reported that the Wirt County crew was up Ann’s Run where there was a tree hanging over the roadway.
The Roane road crew put a new top on the Spring Creek road from the John Boggs Road to the mouth of Litle Spring Creek or where one turns up to go to the Peter Cave. There has been no berm material added yet.
It would appear that the DSA folks who are just communists, have pretty much taken over the Democrat party. Some of them call for violent revolution and even the “peaceful” ones despise our Declaration of Independence and the Constitution because the documents protect the citizens from the government.
Farm use reports are due August 31.
The furor continues about the power company wanting to string high tension lines across the state to supply the data centers in Louden County Virginia where there are many already. Because of the centers and the windfall in taxes Louden County is flush while most West Virginia counties are desperate. From a family history perspective it is worth noting that in 1815, William Rodman Hopkins, a veteran of the War of 1812 sold his farm in Louden County and moved to Monongalia County. He has numerous descendants in various local counties.
There had been a big push for data centers in Pennsylvania but Gov. Shapiro, perhaps on instruction from his bosses in Peking put the kibosh on matters. After all he would like to be president and he needs backers. Perhaps now West Virginia can get its act together. Along those lines OpenAI signed a 20 year contract for a 10 gigawatt facility at Piketon Ohio. Down at the mouth of Katy’s Run there is ample space for a data center campus along with a gas fired power plant that can be fed by Marcellus & Utica wells drilled in part from well pads on the property.
EQT is to provide the natural gas for a 2.1 megawatt power plant in Doddridge County.
One of the biggest export items for the nation has been LNG (liquified natural gas) which is the result of hydraulic fracturing of the shales, locally the Marcellus & Utica. Those who follow such matters have reported that by 2035 (in 9 years) the exports will be 35bcf (billion cubic feet)/day. The Columbia/TransCanada line that crosses W. Va. 5 between Creston & Burning Springs moves 2 bcf/day. This increase will necessitate the price of natural gas to go to $5 an d lots more drilling both in the Appalachian basin and in the western shales.
Hope Gas has asked for a big rate increase to pay for the “high” prices the firm says they must pay for natural gas. Now Mountaineer Gas is also asking for an increase. While the NYMEX price of natural gas is $2.78/MMBTU the Appalachian price is just $1.77 which means local producers get all of $1.22 for their “high priced gas”. 20 years ago $6 was fairly routine and sometimes it was higher.
The price of local Pennsylvania grade crude oil is $85.06/bbl. With condensate fetching $68.06/bbl. And Marcellus & Utica light bringing $75.06/bbl.
