Oct 27, 2012 4 min read

A look at some of the headlines gracing the pages of the Observer-Reporter and Waynesburg Republican this week in Greene County history:

DEP suspects gas well in fire, contamination GARARDS FORT – Natural gas that apparently leaked into a Cumberland Township family’s water supply ignited Sunday evening and forced the family out of their homes. Timmy Howard was smoking a cigarette outside his parents’ home on Kurans Road, and when he casually flicked the butt over his family’s open water well, flames shot from the pit. Timmy Howard and his father, Ben, were able to snuff the fire by stuffing jackets and other items into the pit. The men have since been staying at a Waynesburg hotel, and the drilling company has agreed to foot the bill. Timmy Howard lives in a trailer next door to his parents’ house. n Meeting on zoning proposal draws 60 JEFFERSON – Some may consider zoning laws to be too restrictive, but representatives of the Jefferson-Morgan Council of Governments tried to make sure their proposed zoning ordinance was as permissive as possible. More than 60 residents discussed the ordinance with government leaders and planners at a zoning meeting Thursday at Jefferson American Legion. It was the third public meeting on the matter, and the COG will hold at least one more before it begins the approval process, probably in spring or summer 2008.

County may appeal decision on value of Hatfield plant WAYNESBURG – Greene County will most likely appeal an Oct. 18 Greene County Court decision drastically reducing the taxable value of Allegheny Energy Supply Co.’s Hatfield Power Station. “We’re respectful of the judge’s opinion, but we do disagree with it and are willing to play out the facts in another court,” Greene County Commissioner Farley Toothman said Tuesday. “It would be unfair for us not to consider trying to pursue a higher value (for the plant), knowing the market value of other power plants in Pennsylvania and the value of other real estate in Greene County,” he said. n Tests confirm viral disease killed deer from area WAYNESBURG – Test results released Friday on one of the more than 70 sick or dead deer found in Greene and Washington counties last month prove that a hemorrhagic disease, which is normally found in warmer climates, has spread to Pennsylvania. According to the test results, a deer found dead in Franklin Township died of epizootic hemorrhagic disease. This marks the first time the disease has been confirmed in the state. “We are relatively certain that they also died of (the disease), which was recently confirmed across the state border in West Virginia,” said Calvin DuBrock, director of the state’s Bureau of Wildlife Management.

LTV shutting down Nemacolin Mine WAYNESBURG – LTV Steel Corp. announced it will permanently close the Nemacolin Mine, but held off saying the same fate is in store for its Clyde Mine. “We have concluded that the potential buyer for Nemacolin has not come through,” said LTV spokesman Jim Butler. “It was our intention to sell the mine; really its has just come to the point where we can’t continue to wait.” n Fire destroys tire shop in county CARMICHAELS – Seven volunteer fire companies fought a fire which destroyed a two-year-old building housing Morgan’s West Penn Tire Service on Route 21 near Hatfield Ferry Power Station in Cumberland Township. Carmichaels and Cumberland Township Fire Chief William Groves estimated the loss at $300,000. The cause of the fire is not known and the state police fire marshal will be called to investigate.

Commissioners’ pay increase gets approval Greene County commissioners had their pay upped from $8,750 a year to $9,350 under terms of legislation now signed into law by the governor. In actuality, the boost for the local county commissioners is not limited to Greene County alone – it applies to commissioners of all sixth class counties such as Greene County. Other row officers are not affected by the pay increase