PRESTON COUNTY COMMISSION

PRESTON COUNTY COMMISSION

Kingwood, West Virginia

April 3, 2008 Contact: Dave Price, 329.1805

Immediate Release Duane Hamilton, 329.1855

SITES BEING CONSIDERE D FOR NEW OEM/911 CENTER

Kingwood, WV - The Preston County Commission is committed to updating and enhancing the Office of Emergency Management/911 Center. County Commissioners Dave Price, Vicki Cole and Craig Jennings said there is no question that the current location of the county Office of Emergency Management, which is the basement of the jail building, does not meet today’s needs let alone future needs. Also they said the 911 center is crammed into a “living room” size space that has no more opportunity for future growth. “Homeland Security has changed many things and one of those is additional security needs for OEM/911 centers”, said OEM/911 Director Duane Hamilton. County Commissioners and OEM/911 Director Hamilton will be collecting information from architectural firm Mills Group of Morgantown and a structural engineer concerning two potential sites for a new facility. The sites under consideration include a parcel on the County Farm and the area adjacent to the Jail building.

Hamilton prefers the site on the county farm for several reasons. “Most important is the fact that the site is out of the congested downtown area”, said Hamilton . He said it is not common practice to build OEM/911 Centers in a congested downtown area. Hamilton went on to say that if the new facility is built on the county farm the tower at the jail building could be removed reducing the county’s liability. According to Hamilton if the site adjacent to the jail building is used, the construction will take in some of the parking lot which will eliminate needed parking spaces. Also Hamilton said the jail building site does not have room for a needed storage facility to house the OEM auxiliary equipment. The site next to the jail will require that the new structure be engineered to withstand the tower striking the building, which would add additional cost to the project. The county farm site does not pose any of those problems, Hamilton said.

Commissioners will be considering all information provided by the architect, Hamilton and the structural engineer before a final decision on the location of a new facility will be made.

Funding for the new center regardless of its location comes from cell phones fees and 911 fees along with some county funds for the OEM component of the facility. No additional taxes will be needed, Hamilton said.

March 24, 2008 Contact: Dave Price - (304) 329-1805

New County Budget Beefs Up Law Enforcement in Preston County

Kingwood, West Virginia – The Preston County Commission is committed to beefing up law enforcement in Preston County . On Monday March 24, 2008, Preston County Commissioners Dave Price, Vicki Cole and Craig Jennings tentatively approved a $5,787,822.00 budget that includes funding for two additional county deputies; money for an additional bailiff for the county court system; additional money for the Prosecuting Attorneys Office to allow the part-time assistant prosecutor’s position to become a full-time job. Prosecuting Attorney Melvin Snyder III said the majority of crimes in the Preston County directly or indirectly involve drugs. “Additional funding for my office will allow me to get more directly involved in the prosecution of drug cases”, said Snyder. Commissioners and Sheriff Ron Crites agreed that additional funding for personnel will make it possible to have a deputy stationed at Preston High School . “When the High School is in session it is the second largest community in the County”, said Commissioner Jennings. “It isn’t unusual for our office to receive a call a day from Preston High officials concerning some type of incident that occurs at the school”, said Sheriff Crites. Also to help the protection effort, the Commission earmarked funds in the budget to give a donation to each of the organized Neighborhood Watch groups in the county to obtain signage. “The funding for law enforcement is in direct response to pleas from the public who are asking for more protection”, said Commissioner Price.

The 2008-2009 county budget also will provide funding for; additional help in the Circuit Clerk’s office, the County Clerk’s office and the Assessor’s office; money for a Litter Control Officer; funding for raises for county employees; allocations for the Community Corrections Program and records management; funding for a Victim Advocate; money to help the Preston County Economic Development Authority, the Preston County Chamber of Commerce, Decker’s Creek and the Family Resource Network. “This budget provides more services and more security for our citizens and does not raise the levy rate and we are proud of that”, said Commissioner Cole

Contact:

Amy Saunders 304-558-2021

For Release March 5, 2007

Attorney General Darrell McGraw Awards Funding Statewide
to Day Report Centers and Community Correction Programs
from the Purdue Pharma Settlement Funds

Charleston - Attorney General Darrell McGraw today announced the distribution of fifty-thousand dollars to the Preston County Commission for the operation of the Preston County Community Corrections Program to combat substance abuse. This money comes from the third installment in the ten-million dollar settlement with Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of the drug Oxycontin.

Day report centers and community correction programs have been successfully used to save taxpayer dollars and to effectively treat substance abusers. They offer an array of treatment programs giving abusers the necessary guidance, structure and support to complete rehabilitation and re-enter society able to stand on their own two feet.

"The programs offered through the Day Report Centers and Community Correction Programs include individual counseling, group counseling, gambling abuse assessment, drug and alcohol education, drug testing, parenting education and basic adult education, and job placement. These programs address the specific needs of each individual client referred to the facility," McGraw stated.

"Public service projects like day report centers and community correction programs give non-violent offenders, the opportunity to rehabilitate their lives and cuts the escalating cost to counties for the regional jails," said McGraw.

Purdue Pharma settlement agreed to pay West Virginia ten-million dollars over four years. The bulk of the money including the one-million dollars from this year's distribution has been used to operate the Day Report Centers and help communities fight the scourge of drug abuse that wrecks a community. This funding will serve more than twenty counties across West Virginia.

The county commissions receiving funding for their day report centers and community correction programs are: Barbour, Cabell, Fayette, Harrison, Kanawha, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mineral, Monongalia, Ohio (serving, Ohio, Marshall and Hancock Counties), Preston, Putnam, Randolph, The Redeem Foundation, Upshur (serving, Upshur and Lewis Counties), Wood and Wyoming.

NEWS RELEASE - Commissioner Wolfe farewell letter

For Release: December 20, 2006

Contact: Jennifer Bonnette, (304) 329-1805

To: Citizens of Preston County

From: L. Darwin Wolfe

I want to thank the citizens of Preston County for the opportunity to work for and serve you for nearly all of the last half century. At times the pathway has been rough but the entire journey has been worthwhile and fulfilling. My life goal has been to leave things better than they were when I came. I think I have fulfilled that goal.

Probably the most rewarding portion of my career was working as personnel director for the Preston County Schools. During the last of the 70’s and 80’s I recruited many personnel who had a very positive effect on the school system. Prior to that I enjoyed working with students and personnel.

Accomplishments on the Commission were through a cooperative effort of the commission and other agencies. I was just one cog in the wheel.

During my tenure we made several improvements.

1. Established a sound 911 system while holding the fee at its original rate as promised

2. Established a dog pound and employed a full-time dog warden.

3. Sold the Kinney Shoe building to the bronze plant, which secured its location in Kingwood and resulted in doubling its employees.

4. Cooperated with the EDA in establishing an industrial park at Hazelton, which resulted in a number of jobs with a potential of several more in the very near future.

5. Cooperated with the Bureau of Prisons in getting the prison located in Hazelton, which resulted in several hundred jobs.

6. Cooperated with the PSD’s in securing funds for several hundred miles of new water lines in the county. We know we need more money.

7. Our office served as a conduit for funds from other sources that made possible money for many community projects.

8. Through good money management we made over $800,000. worth of improvements to the courthouse without outside funds and without raising taxes – heating system and replaced stone.

9. With the help of a loan the purchase of the WesBanco building for office space which will result in a savings of at least $72,000 per year in rent payments.

10. Saved over $500,000 and along with $100,000 from Congressman Mollohan toward renovations on the bank building without raising taxes. I failed to reach my goal of fully occupying the building before my term expired.

11. We purchased the old shoe shop renovated it, turned it into a new extension office and made a public meeting room which resulted the elimination of rental payments of many organizations.

12. Employed a grant writer, Jennifer Funk , who has completed grants, which have brought over a million in funding to the commission and county organizations.

13. Employed a computer support technician, William “Biff” Armstrong, to keep our computers operating. This has resulted in major maintenance savings.

14. In an effort to reduce Regional Jail cost we established the Community Corrections Program. Community service in being used as an alternative to jail time for non-violent offenders.

15. In an effort to conserve our valuable farmland the Farmland Protection Program was established.

16. With the assistance of the state we converted to an electronic voting system.

I realize things are not as good as they should be. Jobs are scarce in the middle and southern portions of the county. It is almost impossible to get businesses to locate away from the interstate. County government has nothing to do with roads.

The need for water in sections of the county is great. Several projects are being worked on but it is a slow process.

We tried but failed to get major junk depositories removed from the county.

I extend best wishes to the new commission.

May God bless each of you and Preston County .

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