Looking Back
A look at some of the headlines gracing the pages of the Observer-Reporter and Waynesburg Republican this week in Greene County history:
Swine flu reported
in Carmichaels district
CARMICHAELS – There has been an unconfirmed report of a student in Carmichaels Area School District contracting the H1N1 flu, according to District Superintendent Craig Baily.
Students attending an after-school activity not affiliated with the district were sent home early Monday evening and parents were alerted that a participant had been diagnosed with the illness.
Parents were urged by those in charge to take extra precautions with hand washing and to keep an eye on their children for the next several days for any symptoms of the flu.
“I have been in touch with the health department almost daily about what we can do to be as preventative as possible,” Baily said. “Education is the key. We have had some nonconfirmed cases of the swine flu reported to us, but until we hear it from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) or from a doctor it is still unconfirmed.”
Baily said the district did not experience an unusual number of absences and, in fact, is seeing the opposite.
“Actually, we have a higher number of students in attendance. We are telling the students that if they are sick to stay home. All of the precautions are in place,” he said. “We have hand sanitizers outside of every classroom and we are telling the students that they have to go wash their hands after the third time of using it.”
The hand sanitizer is ineffective after the third usage and one must wash their hands before using it again, according to information Baily received from the CDC.
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Oprah surprises former
county woman
Former Greene County resident Dayna Baker awoke in the wee hours of the morning a few weeks ago expecting to deal with yet another household emergency. Instead, a film crew from the “Oprah Winfrey Show” and interior designer Nate Berkus surprised her in her kitchen.
“I got up, walked out and there’s Oprah’s film crew right there. I had no makeup on, no bra. It was not the way I wanted to meet a hottie designer,” Baker said of the very attractive “Oprah Show” guest design expert.
The show surprised Baker for an episode concerning overworked moms that is supposed to air Monday on WTAE. Baker and friends were filmed in various locations in Greene and Washington counties as they enjoyed a “mommy break,” complete with shopping, manicures and time at the pool. While Baker was enjoying her day, Berkus carted her kids to their various activities while redesigning the closets in her house.
“He basically took my list of daily things to do and he had to do them to make my life easier for the day,” Baker said. “It was just an awesome, awesome experience.”
Baker and her husband have three children and live in Wheeling, W.Va., but Baker grew up in the Waynesburg area.
The show “surprised her in Wheeling and we took her to some of her old favorite places in Greene County,” said her twin sister, Dawn Haywood.
Many of Baker’s days are spent driving her two older children to school, her 8-year-old son to hockey games, her 10-year-old daughter to cheerleading practice, as well as attending various choir functions, guitar lessons, etc. All the while, Baker cares for her 2-year-old son.
“It’s hectic,” she said.
Possible fire idles
Cumberland Mine
A possible fire in a sealed-off underground section of Foundation Coal Co.’s Cumberland Mine near Kirby forced the mining company to suspend operations for two days.
The company was continuing to investigate the incident, while production resumed with the 3 p.m. shift Monday.
The mine was evacuated Saturday evening as a precaution after smoke was detected at a bore hole the company has been using to pump slurry into a previously mined underground section, company spokeswoman Cindy Bailey said.
The area from which the smoke originated is sealed off from the mine’s active workings. The incident had no impact on areas now being mined, Bailey said.
The 50 miners who were working underground were evacuated from the mine as a precaution shortly after the smoke was detected about 7 p.m. The smoke is believed to have been caused by “combustion activity,” though the exact nature is unknown, Bailey said.
The company continues to monitor the temperature and various gases coming from the bore hole.
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Mayor pleased with
‘unbelievable’ response
WAYNESBURG – Nearly four weeks after the remnants of Hurricane Ivan left much of Waynesburg’s South Side under water, the weather tragedy remained a large part of the discussion at Monday’s borough council meeting.
Borough officials thanked many people and agencies for their help during the flooding on Sept. 17. Mayor Blair Zimmerman thanked Todd Ealy and several other men who used a boat to help rescue a family who were surrounded by water in their home.
Zimmerman urged people to patronize the businesses on the south side, where the flooding was the worst.
“Those businesses could really use your help, so if you need anything, I would urge everyone to first try to buy from those folks before you head out of town,” he said.
Zimmerman added that he was heartened by the spirit of the flood victims as well as the generosity of volunteers from Waynesburg/Franklin Township Fire Department, Salvation Army, Waynesburg Central High School, Waynesburg College and other organizations.
Officials says area mine
set to close in March
Gateway Coal Co. announced that it intends to close its Gateway Mine at Ruff Creek by the end of March, terminating the jobs of more than 300 workers.
United Mine Workers officials responded by saying they will do whatever they can to keep the mine opened.
The company made its decision to end operations at the mine, based on market for steam coal, which generates electricity of the quality mined at Gateway, said Ginger Shearburn, spokesman for Maxus Energy Inc., a Dallas, Texas-based oil and gas exploration company that is parent company to Gateway Coal.
Swimming pool to be
ready by Oct. 22
Present plans call for the swimming pool at Waynesburg Central High School to be available for use by Oct. 22.
Howard Craft, Central Greene School District business manager, said the pool has been filled with water and super-hyperchlorinated. Sediment is now being vacuumed out and the process is under way to bring the water and room temperature up to 72 degrees.