Rev. Kevin Gillespie’s wife brought the message at the Burning Springs M. E. Church since he was diagnosed with walking pneumonia.
The Creston Community Christmas Party will be held Saturday, December 21 at the building. Candy is still needed and the women need to know what covered dish one is bringing so that there are not 10 baked beans and no mashed potatoes. Contact Barb, Wilma, Kathleen, Rosie or Betty [who is housebound with a broken knee].
A while back Chris Stutler & family were spending time at their camper on the Petty place and their canine learned all about skunks and that they should be avoided at all costs. Well, Mr. Polecat decided that he needed to raid Barb’s chicken house. He did kill one hen but then got in a trap — a fatal move.
Local residents were among those getting letters advising them that the gas lines from which they purchased gas to heat their homes are going to be abandoned and that the company, Hope Gas (or in some instances Diversified Energy), would convert the home to either propane or electric heat. All this is part of a proposal before the PSC (Public Service Commission) to allow the big boys to cease providing natural gas service to 600 customers in several counties. On Friday one fellow went to the PSC office to see the maps to see just what was really involved with the proposal. He was told that the maps were confidential and he could not look at them. It is nice to know that the PSC which is supposed to look after the interests of the state’s citizens do not let the taxpayers see what they are doing for the utilities so actually the PSC works for those they “regulate”. It was learned that about 1,000 miles of gathering lines are proposed for abandonment and these have been owned by the utilities for decades or, in some instances, for a century. The story is the “EPA is on them about methane leaks” and the poor darlings can’t afford to fix the leaks. It would appear that the plan is to abandon the old Hope (DTI) gathering system, the old EQT gathering system and perhaps the Columbia (TCO) gathering system. This, of course, would leave most independent oil & gas companies who operate “legacy” wells with no way to market the natural gas that they produce even though most of the gas is the valuable “wet” gas rich in ethane, propane, the butanes, natural gasolene, etc. The PSC said that the companies should hold meetings in areas that are to be impacted by the plan. A meeting was held in Wood County and there are meetings in Weston & Clarksburg. However, on Tuesday, December 10 at 5 P. M. There will be a meeting at the Hope office in Grantsville. This is the big building at the south end of the bridge in Grantsville as one turns to go over the Pine Creek hill. At least some producers have not been notified of the abandonment of the gas lines that are being discussed. Hope Gas told some Calhoun folks that they don’t own gas wells and that they are not in the pipeline business. It was noted that the “old” Hope Gas Company was based in Clarksburg and now the “new” Hope Gas Company is headquartered in Morgantown. Of course the meeting is in the “old” Hope office in Grantsville. It is clear that part of the intent is to put small oil & gas producers out of business.
At the same time Rusty Hutson Jr.’s Diversified Energy announced that the company plans to sell 40 bcf (billion cubic feet) of natural gas as LNG to the foreign market where the price is best. His company checks are now mailed without detail which creates problems, especially when one must file reports & pay royalties.
The state has made it clear that the emphasis is on the production of Utica & Marcellus gas and others are “just a bother”. Studies of production reports make it obvious that the volumes turned in sometimes are “questionable” at best. The state does not check the meters [unlike oil & gas states] so reporting is “voluntary”. The state tax revenue shortfall for October was a catalyst for folks to check these meters as royalties, county & state severance taxes are all impacted — now, no one would cheat. The “powers that be” have now made it clear that these meters are not to be checked for accuracy “because we can’t find anybody to do it — we can’t get people to be state police, they get $17/hour to flip burgers.” Translation is “We are bought & paid for and we do not represent the citizens of West Virginia.” Of course the “meter readers/ checkers” could be paid six figure salaries and the state would have much more in revenue.
The story now is that Broadway Joe is going to be “el presidente” up at WVU which has all sorts of problems. Now a football professor was “let go” and the taxpayers are on the hook for $6 million to help him through his “declining years”. Huge sums have been spent taking over health care facilities state wide [and out of state] &, it is said, enrollment is down.
It was reported that the W. Va. Supreme Court in a ruling in a class action suit against Antero that the company cannot deduct costs from leases that do not specifically allow for costs to be deducted from royalties which historically were free and clear of all costs. Now the W. Va. State Tax Department charges mineral owners for taxes on the gross income even though the net may be far less. Since this is a boon for the companies there is no move to correct the problem. Sorry taxpayers we don’t answer to you.
The senile one pardoned his bag man son for all crimes committed during an 11 year span related to the family business. Now there is talk of preemptive pardons for Adam “Pencil Neck” Schiff, Liz Cheney, Dr. Fauci and Gen. “Willy Nilly” Milley. Now there are all sorts of wonderful new things previously unheard of or thought about. As they say, “We live in interesting times.”
Several Wirt & Calhoun folks attended the Farm Bureau & Forestry meeting with legislators at the Wood County 4-H building.
The Creston area had more light snow and icy roads although on Sunday there was a warming.
The price for local Pennsylvania grade crude was $67.30/bbl. With condensate, formerly called Appalachian light sweet fetched $49.30/bbl. And Marcellus & Utica light was $56.30/bbl. The price on the DTI system for natural gas was just over $3, less, of course, the transportation charge.
One Reply to “Creston News Week of December 9th”
Comments are closed.