Jan 10, 2014 6 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:

Food bank sees more need

WAYNESBURG – The weakening economy during the past year has resulted in an increase in the number of people who need the assistance of Greene County’s Corner Cupboard Food Bank.

“We’re up at least 20 percent from last year in the number of people we serve,” food bank director Jan Caldwell said. “The numbers have steadily increased since June.”

The food bank assisted 2,934 households through its 14 food pantries during the last quarter of 2008. The figure for the same period a year earlier was 2,579.

“Holiday times are always our highest peaks, but this year I don’t look for the numbers to go down because of economic conditions, job reductions, et cetera,” she said.

Caldwell said the food bank has begun to serve more people who recently lost their jobs as well as those whose incomes are low and who have been impacted by higher food prices and higher fuel costs.

It also has received calls from people who recently have returned to the county.

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Levy on businesses

stirs landlords’ ire

WAYNESBURG – Borough council may clarify its business privilege tax law after several landlords complained that the tax has been unfairly levied.

Gary Klinefelter has owned rental property in the borough for 33 years and he only heard about the tax last year, when borough officials asked him to pay $127 for the license and tax.

“If you want to start to impose this tax, the right way to do it is to first advertise it and notify property owners who are affected,” Klinefelter told council members at their meeting Monday. He was among several property owners who attended the meeting.

Farley Toothman, borough solicitor, said the town could do a better job of defining a commercial enterprise and outlining who should have to pay the tax. He asked council to schedule a workshop before the next regular meeting to discuss those details. Council could possibly change the law with an amendment to the existing ordinance.

Most people in jail

got there driving drunk

WAYNESBURG – Drunk driving was the most common reason Greene Countians spent nights behind bars last year, according to a statistical report released Wednesday.

The good news is the number of driving under the influence offenses were “way down compared to last year,” said Harry Gillispie, warden at the county jail. Ninety inmates were in the lockup on drunk driving charges last year, compared to 123 alleged drunk drivers in 2002. DUI has consistently been the most popular offense for county inmates.

The county jailed 795 people in 2003 and released 775. Most were men, with 628 males compared to 167 females. The average age of an inmate was 32, and 41 percent of the inmates were high school drop outs who did not obtain a General Education Development diploma.

Only about 60 percent of the 795 prisoners in Greene County committed their alleged crimes in the county. The local lockup housed 312 inmates from out of the county in 2003.

Judging from the prison’s revenue, which came from other counties, Greene County jail housed a much higher number of inmates from outside the area in 2003. Greene County collected $383,520 to house other county’s prisoners, compared to $173,440 in 2002.

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County to take control of Carmichaels waterfall

WAYNESBURG – Amid overgrown brush and tombstones, beauty can be found in an unlikely place at Laurel Point Falls Park in Cumberland Township.

Greene County officials said Thursday that the Muddy Creek waterfall has the potential to be a beautiful park. Now, they will have the chance to tap its potential since Association for Restoration and Cultural Heritage, the nonprofit organization that used to own it, agreed to give the six-acre parcel to the county. Commissioners signed off on the paperwork at their regular meeting Thursday.

“It’s a nice little thing to add to our parks system,” J. Allen Blaker, director of recreation, said about the falls that are located near Laurel Point Cemetery.

ARCH obtained the parcel in 1998 through a donation from Consolidation Coal Co. Members of the group tried to care for it, but over the years membership dwindled, and the organization recently decided to disband, according the Ruth Enci of ARCH.

“I think Ruth Enci and those ladies did a great thing, but they just had a hard time getting money to do anything with the park,” said Chief Clerk Gene Lee.

People have been using the falls as a retreat for hundreds of years.

“Tribes of Native Americans used to use this as a sort of Motel 6,” said Blaker.

Laurel Point Falls Park will have to be placed on the county’s property insurance policy, but Lee said the falls shouldn’t have an extensive impact on the premium costs.

County employees get

no extra pay for new duties

WAYNESBURG – Greene County employees who have been assigned new duties under a reorganization of central administration functions will receive no additional pay for carrying out those duties.

Following a salary board meeting, the commissioners announced that all six employees involved have agreed to assume their new responsibilities without a salary increase.

The realignment is designed to increase efficiency and provide more accountability in central administration.

They include the appointment of Pauline Crumrine, who has been secretary in the planning office, to the new post of central purchasing administrator.

Also, Chief Clerk Herbert Cox was assigned to serve as Health and Human Service grant coordinator; Connie Rush, secretary in the commissioners’ office, was named county personnel director; Billie Shultz, also a secretary, was named assistant chief clerk; and Leroy Hickman and Rose Rankin were name co-supervisors of the new building and grounds maintenance department.

Graysville school bids

to be opened last of February

Bids for the new elementary school at Graysville will probably be opened the latter part of February, according to a report presented at a meeting of the West Greene School Board.

The elementary school, designed for 600 students in grades one through six, will be built along Route 21, just west of Graysville. Estimated cost of the project is $1,277,490. The school is to be ready for occupancy by fall 1970.