Huntington West Virginia Blog - Huntington WV

Leah Hickman

stephanie@sheck.com (Huntington West Virginia) — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 08:39:32 -0500

Leah Hickman's body has been found and removed from the scene of the murder crime on eighth avenue in Huntington West Virginia.

Her employer, Dress Barn on Merritt's Creek has closed for Weekend in memorial to the murdered co-worker Leah Hickman. Our entire community has been shocked by this crime and we as a city want the criminals who are responsible for this hideous crime to be brought to justice rapidly.

In retrospect Leah Hickman was the kind of young woman one would like to have for a daughter. She had a job in a dress shop and was going to school to improve herself. She was not known for any vices. Our community in Huntington WV is saddened by the fact that she is gone and hope the police do a good job of capturing the animal who killed her. I wish to express my condolences to her family and heartfelt sympathies to her friends and associates.

The local police are being tight lipped about the nature of the investigation. This is understandable under the grim circumstances.

Stephanie Heck

Huntington WV

Tom McCallister running for mayor

stephanie@sheck.com (Huntington West Virginia) — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 23:01:58 -0400

I understand that Tom McCallister is running for Mayor in next years Huntington WV municipal election. Tom McCallister once did a good job with trying to save the Olympic pool in the past; it's just that the money was not there.

Tom McCallister would be a good recreational manager for a youth facility. If a kid got too obnoxious, Tom McCallister could tell the kid that he was "violating the charter and the law" and boot the brat out until he straightened up. Obnoxious teenagers deserve a scolding lecture from Tom McCallister. However Tom McCallister gets himself in severe hot water for viperously scolding adults like they were teenagers with disciplinary issues.

Tom McCallister can quote chapter and verse of the regulation broken to justify his position.

Tom McCallister comes across as "my way or no way" and obnoxious teenagers need that authoritarian guidance, but full-grown adults do not. Adults need common courtesy and basic respect more than conformist regimentation from someone with the inflexible attitude and tight rule set of a drill sergeant.

However if a job becomes available to manage a dozen rowdy teenagers, Tom McCallister is the man for the job. But he is not the man to manage city council.

Candidate Tom McCallister has a regimented "by the book" mindset IMHO..

He needs a very tight set of strict rules to uphold to be happy. He finds contentment in advocating strict conformity for the sake of strict conformity. That attitude is good in a jail guard, or in an attorney, or in the military but not in civil politics. Adults base politics on elective choice rather than legalism that stifles the potential for progress.

Tom McCallister seems to be addicted to city council meetings and is constantly lecturing and scolding city council to conform to this or that legalistic standard. After twenty years of city council meetings, Tom McCallister can quote the city charter and many obscure ordinances from memory, in much the same way as a 20-year prison inmate can quote the 1000 rules of the prison.

It is my opinion that those who are fixated on legalistic hyper conformity to "the rules and regulations" (or charter) seem to have a form of co-dependency with the rule making regulatory authority. Some people have dependency issues with authoritarian persons and some with institutional authority.

To make a case in point... This institutional codependency is often seen in career military men who do not adjust well to civilian life due to a co-dependent relationship with the ultra authoritarian military institution. It is also seen in some career criminals who have no idea how to function outside of a highly regulated prison institutional environment.

Ultra conformist mindsets thrive on a multitude of rules and in extreme cases have committed thousands of rules to memory. Hyper conformity is dependent on the status quo for a standard to conform to. When the rules and enforcement become integral to the identity, a public perception of the “enforcer” tends to be negative. It has gone far beyond being just a political activism. Tom McCallister has developed a public identity of holding councils feet to the fire to keep them on their toes.

Many see no need for a self-appointed political rules cop that has not been elected and therefore to seek election is an attempt to legitimate his self-appointment by seeking the voter’s approval knowing fully well he will not be elected. Until the election is lost, he is for the moment legitimate in his position by virtue of simply being a candidate.

Those with an enforcer type hyper conformist mentality are often too concerned with regulating the precise dimensions of the box, to ever comprehend what it is like to think outside the box.

The Mayors job in the future requires creative innovative thinking beyond the proverbial box, and although I believe that Tom McCallister sincerely cares about Huntington, he is too old school "by the book" and inflexible to write a innovative new chapter in Huntington's history at the helm of city government.

I do not think Tom McCallister is a bad person but I do not believe that he is the man for the job of Mayor. Huntington needs adaptive innovation and improvisation, and not regimentation by the enforcers of the status quo that no longer serves the needs of a rapidly evolving and increasingly diverse community.

Huntington WV votes down LGBT inclusion

stephanie@sheck.com (Huntington West Virginia) — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 18:40:15 -0400

Huntington WV votes down LGBT inclusion

Once again Huntington has chosen the path of self righteous retro mediocrity. Last week the Huntington city council voted down an amendment to the Huntington Human rights ordinence that would have outlawed discrimination in housing and employment based on sexual orientation. These small minded George Wallace impersonators on the city council are fully aware that large corporations will not do business in locales that do not protect ALL minority employees. As I stated in a previous article, I believe this to be a matter of economics rather than morality.

Boyd and Putnam Counties are growing like wildfire and Wayne and Lawrence counties have had some modest growth. The economic reality is that there is a ring of golden progress all around Huntington WV. All of the major Merchants are in the east end of Cabell County because they want nothing to do with Huntington's long history of extreme hostility toward progress.

Progress is based on an open door policy and not a small minded policy of retro mediocrity.

This city needs new leadership and we need to dispose of all of the policical retreads tht are currently incumbant, if we are ever going to achieve progress. The fact that it took 30 years to develop the superblock shows the city is hostile to progress.

Did I expect the city to vote down LGBT inclusion. Yes I did. Why? Because it is typical of the mindsets that opposed desegregation 40 years ago in Huntington. See...nothing has really changed....and that old school southern bigotry is alive and well in Huntington West Virginia.

The city of Huntington may well not make it till the next election because the potential for bankruptcy is a very real one.

Huntington WV ponders sexual orientation protection for LGBT

stephanie@sheck.com (Huntington West Virginia) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 19:23:49 -0400

Dear readers:

It is my understanding that the city of Huntington West Virginia is contemplating the amendment of the city human rights ordinance to include sexual orientation as a protected class. It is my understanding that the Huntington West Virginia Human Relations commission will meet at Huntington city hall to discuss this on the 13th of this month. This follows on the tail of the city of Charleston West Virginia amending its ordinance to include sexual orientation in the Charleston West Virginia Ordinance

How can we expect progressive technology jobs to come to Huntington West Virginia with all the benefits that it entails, if we are not willing to adopt progressive laws that deal with modern reality. The leadership in Charleston West Virginia is smart enough to understand that this sexual orientation issue is not a matter of morality but rather a matter of economics. The LGBT community has a lot of money and clout. There is political warfare between the left and the right in this country. I see it in context of an up and down vertical economic model rather than a left and right horizontal model of moral perspectives and sentiments.

Political Reality: There are gay people and members of the LGBT community in high positions in every large corp in the country who do not want anything to do with any local jurisdiction that does not think them worthy of equality under law. Consequently any corporation seeking to locate jobs in such a jurisdiction, would meet with extreme internal opposition from its gay management employees and gay stockholders. Many large fortune 500 corps have LGBT members on the board of directors who would be opposed to locating jobs here. There is an economic penalty to be paid by any jurisdiction practicing a regressive mindset against a group that has the economic and political clout to retaliate by sending business elsewhere.

The religious fundamentalists have a large number of activists to oppose LGBT equality, however the gay community has its share of radicals too. Some of the most radical gay people are those locals living in fear in the closet. These people express their sentiments with their dollars.

Case in Point: Remember what happened in the 80's, when Anita Bryant spread homophobic hate and the devastating impact that it had on the Florida citrus industry? The gay community nationwide boycotted the entire state of Florida. The case of Anita Bryant is extreme, but what it proves is that there is an economic penalty imposed on any jurisdiction that is perceived to be hateful to those of LGBT orientation. What was once seen as a sexual minority has now evolved into a "political camp" with its educated and influential members exercising influence over large amounts of assets and potential jobs that are needed in this locality.

Anita Bryant's tirade was 25 years ago and the national LGBT community is now VERY much more economically empowered and influential than they were at that time. I am tired of my hometown of Huntington West Virginia paying the economic penalty for outdated mentality and regressive mindsets. All are welcome and all are equal in humanity in the real America beyond our municipal borders.

Many of those potential investors out there who could potentially help to revive Huntington's economy are actually are members of the LGBT community. That is why this alleged recent homophobic hate crime in Milton West Virginia is scary from an economic perspective as well as a criminal one.

The first rule of economics is: Thou shalt not scare or provoke the potential investor. Nor shall you deny his equality or offend his boyfriend.

The second rule of economics is: Money s green and people are not with the exception of days when Marshall University has a football game. Therefore a persons race, sex, or religion and sexual orientation are irrelevant to the color of their money.

Due to the fact that the LGBT community travels on vacation 230% more than their hetero counterparts (more disposable income due to fewer children). The travel industry is well aware of the economic factors that I speak of. Those people and their money will not go where they are not equally protected and economic hostility is demonstrated by small minds between the ears of small minded short sighted leaders.

As I said my perspective is one of economics and allegiance to the constitution. I absolutely believe in equality under the rule of law for all Americans as a matter of patriotism. It is my desire to uphold the full measure of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. One is obligated to support the full constitution of the United States in its entirety or reject it entirely as a measure of patriotism. It is an all or nothing proposition.

A policy of LGBT exclusion is tantamount to a regressive policy of economic isolation in a city where the LGBT community is not protected. It seems that the "White Only" signs of forty years ago have given way to "Straight Only" signs in this town. This merely tells outsiders that we believe ourselves to be a superior caste in what is in essence a classless society by constitutional mandate.

Stephanie Heck of Huntington West virginia

Clarance Thomas comes to Huntington WV

stephanie@sheck.com (Huntington West Virginia) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 07:22:41 -0400

The Marshall University Parthenon has reported that Justice Clarance Thomas's speech at the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center included the following statement.

("All you need to be an expert on the Supreme Court are a couple of drinks and a mouth" }

As a West Virginia Democrat, I believe there is no doubt that Justice Thomas missed a golden opportunity to have a few drinks before opening his ponderous big mouth! Thomas said this to the sparse audience Monday evening at an AARP meeting in the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center. )

The Judicial arrogance of Justice Thomas to make a remark of that nature shows just how arrogant and out of touch with the American people that he really has become. The founding fathers of this country intended the constitution to be understood by the common people and the founders did not did not restrict the knowledge of the law to judicial oracles like Thomas.

Justice Thomas spoke to the AARP in Huntington WV on Sept 10, 2007. I am appalled that AARP would invite him here. Clarance Thomas is such a right wing extremist, and I had no idea that AARP endorsed that far right wing agenda. I remember when the AARP was all about the retirees.

Police Raid on Sixth Avenue in Huntngton WV

stephanie@sheck.com (Huntington West Virginia) — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 21:16:32 -0400

Today I have been informed by a local business owner that a police raid in the area of sixth avenue and fouth street last night put about 15 suspects behind bars for various activities related to drugs and prostitution in that area of Huntington. I am grateful that a force of state county and local police did the job. Good riddence dopeheads.

Prostitution in Huntington WV

stephanie@sheck.com (Huntington West Virginia) — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 08:09:26 -0400

I have noticed that there is far more prostitution in Huntington WV than there used to be. Some feel prostitution should be legalized and taxed. I am opposed to legalization for the purposes of preventing the spread of disease. There is no 100 percent reliable method to screen out infected prostitutes. Prostitution is not a victimless crime as some suppose. Every day some innocent woman learns she has been infected with venereal disease because her husband has been fooling around with a practitioner of prostitution. Legalization means the state would assume liability for treating those infected.

In reality prostitution takes many forms. Every well established Lobbyist has a couple of cute curvy "executive assistants" or "interns" to assist them "persuade" legislators and others in the power structure. This happens in Charleston West Virginia as well as in Washington DC. Monica Lewinsky was just another "political intern" in Washington. However most people in Huntington would call her a whore.

Many college athletic recruiters have a few cute college girls on the staff to give prospective recruits a "tour of the campus". It happens all the time.

What we need to do is send Huntington's hookers to Charleston where they will all be working as "political consultants" and "political relations specialists" within a month.

Judge Dan O'hanlon throws out Parking ordinance

stephanie@sheck.com (Huntington West Virginia) — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 09:07:12 -0400

Well it finally happened folks. Judge Dan O'hanlon of the Cabell County West Virginia Circuit Court has declared sections of the Huntington West Virginia parking ordinance that is enforced by the infamous Huntington West Virginia Meter Maids to be contrary to West Virginia state law. In short Judge Dan Ohanlon has thrown the municipal ordinance out and it is up to Huntington city Council to decide what to do next. The Huntington West Virginia Municipal Parking Board (HMPB) is in charge of parking meters and parking tickets in Huntington.
What really bothers me about all of this is that Scott McClure who is the longtime attorney for the City of Huntington assured city council that the ordinance was in compliance with West Virginia state law when it was first passed. Someone did not do their homework and now the city of Huntngton is losing lawsuits as a result. Huntington West Virginia deserves competent legal representation. If Scott McClure is not going to do his research and homework before an ordinance is passed, the defective ordinance will be corrected by the circuit court at the cities expense. In short having a bad lawyer is expensive. The city of Huntington West Virginia needs to retain a better attorney. The city has lost a large number of lawsuits in recent years because of the current city attorney.
There has been a wide public sentiment in recent years that the Hntington West Virginia city meter maids were exceeding their statutory authority by writing tickets that were most properly done by a trained police officer. Judge Dan O'hanlon of the Cabell County Circuit Court has merely confirmed in his legal jurisprudence what many Huntington West Virginia residents already suspected. That the meter maids and the parking board are in need of a shorter leash to conform to the West Virginia state law.

Blacklist of habitual drunkards

stephanie@sheck.com (Huntington West Virginia) — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 14:23:49 -0400

It seems a blcklist has been circulated by Mayor David Felinton's office to downtown Huntington West Virginia establishments that sell alcohol, demanding that the Huntington merchants to refrain from selling alcohol to 19 ";habitual drunkards" who are pictured in the document.
What happens if one of those ";habitual drunkards" in Huntington goes to the ACLU and claims they are being harassed by the city for the symptoms of a disease.. and the term "habitual drunkard" is a synonym for alcoholism. It seems the city is doing its best to provoke litigation. At one time the term ";habitual drunkard" was a medical diagnosis. The term ";habitual drunkard" is a term taken from the old mental hygiene law. At one time it was legal to commit a drunk to the state hospital just to get them sobered up. The diagnostic term ";habitual drunkard" is no longer in use by modern legal or medical professionals in west Virginia and this has been the case since the 1960's as it has been replaced by the diagnostic term "chronic alcoholism". An outdated diagnostic label is none the less a diagnostic label and the city is not qualified to diagnose anyone, much less maintain a medical blacklist. Diagnostic labels are best left to the medical professionals at the health department.
The reason that the detox unit at the state hospital does not publish pictures or list names of those drunks in the rehab unit is because HIPAA medical privacy rights are applicable to substance abusers.
The city currently maintains a blacklist of alleged ";habitual drunkards" in much the same way as Senator McCarthy maintained a list of alleged communists. I believe the harm caused by blacklisting drunks does more to harm our city than any nuisance the drunks can possibly create. Drunks are merely obnoxious in downtown Huntington West Virginia but they pose no serious threat once you get past the smell.
It seems kind of heartless to me. If these people really are the ";habitual drunkards" that Dr. David Felinton has diagnosed them to be, then our alleged Mayor should instruct the city attorney to obtain a court order to commit the alleged drunks to a detox facility. I believe that ain't going to happen, because that requires far more compassion that has ever existed in city hall.
The problem is not the homeless or the prostitutes. The problem in this town is the blasted dope dealers. Get rid of the dope dealers and the peripheral crime associated with addiction will dry up with the dope supply.
It seems that city hall desires to give the apperance that the towns problems are being fixed by a series of kneejerk reactions that are in reality a superficial political show.

Riverfront Park tent city

stephanie@sheck.com (Huntington West Virginia) — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 15:02:05 -0400

What really bothers me about the situation of the homeless people at the Riverfront Park tent city is that the city of Huntington gets money from U.s. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Huntington housing authority to deal with homelessness. Mayor David Felinton is well aware of this, and this is common knowledge.If the city of Huntington and Mayor David Felinton treat the homeless people in the Riverfront Park tent city as lawless trespassers, HUD may well exercise the right to demand a return of the money given to the City of Huntington housing authority to deal with the homeless problem. There are numerous strings attached to federal money and if you get the federal money, you better use it for its intended purpose or be prepared to give the money back. That's a big chunk of change that could well come out of the city general fund. For Mayor David Felinton to have the police summarily evict the indigent squatters from the Riverfront Park tent city as the Mayor proposes to do is not a good strategy.
Mayor David Felinton is fully aware that many of the people in the Riverfront Park tent city are legally disabled with mental and physical impairments. Some are homeless veterans.
Mayor David Felinton is well aware that this summary eviction could well result in a massive lawsuit against the city of Huntington from homeless advocacy groups and civil liberties groups..
This summary eviction strategy that Mayor David Felinton has concocted proves that the Huntington Housing authority is not up to doing the job that they have been funded and chartered to do.
The Huntington Housing Authority is totally dysfunctional and ineffective under the Leadership of Mayor David Felinton or they would be doing the job of dealing with the homeless situation and not the police.
Mayor David Felinton has not even bothered to get a court order to justify the eviction of the homeless people from the Riverfront Park tent city and thus cover the city backside against potential litigation.
It seems to me that the philosophy of "act first and think Later" rules the day at Huntngton City Hall.Felinton Poll

Champion Industries buying Herald Dispatch Newspaper

stephanie@sheck.com (Huntington West Virginia) — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 19:24:41 -0400

Champion Industries buying Herald Dispatch Newspaper in Huntington West Virginia.

Marshall Reynolds of Huntington West Virginia is the chairman and CEO of Champion Industries Inc. It is my understanding that Champion industries is not owned by Marshall Reynolds, but he does have quite a few shares of its stock. Lets just say that the gentleman is not poor.

Marshall Reynolds has put the money on the line as CEO of Champion Industries of Huntington WV to make Huntington a better place. I very much congratulate him for his economic leadership. Marshall Reynolds has invested in Huntington because he loves Huntington and wants to make Huntington a better place for his children and grandchildren, just like the rest of us do. Marshall Reynolds has a stake in many of the local Businesses in the Huntington West Virginia area and he is instrumental in several local business ventures besides Champion Industries.

Marshall Reynolds does not need the hassle of running a newspaper. However he and his professional printing associates at Champion Industries are quite well qualified to run the printing plant to print the newspaper cheaper and better than anyone else, and therein lies the potential for a good profit. Marshall Reynolds and Champion Industries know how to make a dollar in Huntington. I very strongly suggest that the local Huntington naysayers get out of his way and let Marshall Reynolds do what he doe best.

The newspaper business is a natural investment for a professional printer like Marshall Reynolds. Local control of a newspaper is a ticket to economic growth and positive change when well done. If Marshall Reynolds is half as successful in the Newspaper business as he has been in other business ventures, Huntington West Virgnia will have a great newspaper as a result of increased local influance over the editorial priorities of the newspaper. I very much look forward to see what Marshall Reynolds and the other local business professionals who are involved with champion Industries intend to do with the Herald Dispatch Newspaper. Change is in the works.

Stephanie Heck

Marshall University and Mayor David Felinton

stephanie@sheck.com (Huntington West Virginia) — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 14:47:56 -0400

I am aware of the dispute between Marshall University and Mayor David Felinton in Huntington West Virginia, over a small piece of alley property that Marshall University desires to use to fuel an expansion project.

In the real world far beyond Huntington, disputes between the states largest cities ( Huntington ) and state entities like the Board of Regents ( Marshall University ), are very commonly settled by a negotiated discussion between the Mayor of the city and the Governor of the state.

The mechanics of how those negotiations would work are outlined below.

1. The city attorney and the attorney for the University would first have a meeting to discuss the legal position of both parties and attempt to find common ground.

2. If the city attorney was satisfied and accord was reached... all would be well.

3. If the city attorney was unhappy with the results, then he could make his position known to the attorney general who is the states chief lawyer.

4. If that did not work, the the mayor and governor could try to negotiate a solution within the executive branch as an alternative to going to court and seeking adjudication before the judicial branch.

End outline.

If I would have been in Mayor David Felinton's position, I would have told the governor that I would give the alley to Marshall University... if the governor would sign an order to increase the number of state troopers assigned to Cabell County. It's called a political trade off.

This in retrospect would have made Felinton look very tough on criminals, and pro University to boot. A Win-Win situation that could potentially result in re-election. However a golden opportunity was blown by Mayor Felinton. More state troopers in Cabell County and Huntington WV would have put the fear of hell in local dope dealers.

I understand why the mayor wants to be a good steward of the public assets. However the public safety is a public asset too. The public assets are not just limited to monetary tangibles. The Mayor seems to limit his perception of the public assets to money only. Our mayor in Huntington is only 32 years old and a more mature man would see things differently.

Huntington seems to prefer entertaining public political squabbles, to the finer points of hardball politics that can potentially yield dividends to both sides of a dispute.

That's sad.

In the mean time... here in chromatic hell, the budget is still red ink, the bridge on 8th street is still pepto bismol pink, the cities reputation has a black eye, and everyone in city hall is still too yellow to take a stand, and this gives the red faced irate populace a case of the blues.

Stephanie Heck
Huntington West Virginia

Wrought Iron Fence Factory

stephanie@sheck.com (Huntington West Virginia) — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 20:58:54 -0500

I have noticed a lot of high quality security fencing and wrought iron fence going up around Huntington WV in the last 2 years. I think it has a lot to do with crime increases due to the fact that there are too many crackheads running loose. I recently discovered that there is a wrought iron fence and wrought iron gates factory right here in Huntington WV. I am pleasantly surprised to know that some degree of manufacturing still goes on in Huntington in spite of the long term economic troubles. The business I am speaking of is Mountain State Metal Works at 625 8th. Avenue that is owned by Carrie and Doug Wallace. www.wviron.com . One of the purposes of this blog is to promote local businesses.

Marshall University Student Database Hacked?

stephanie@sheck.com (Huntington West Virginia) — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 07:27:06 -0500

According to the Parthenon Student Newspaper at Marshall University, the student body database has been hacked and 901 accounts compromised and the information was used to alter the electronic voting in the student body election. This is why they are re-doing the student election with paper ballots now.

The student body database at Marshall is a system called MyMU. They have kept a lid on this for 2 weeks. Take a look
Rise Above Voter Fraud Is anything on that network secure? The local media needs to look into this because it appears that the holders of those compromised accounts need to be notified so that they can take steps to defend themselves from identity theft. Stephanie Heck

Emmons Aparment Buildng Fire

stephanie@sheck.com (Huntington West Virginia) — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 17:35:18 -0500

The Emmons apartment building in Huntington WV Burned last night. Three fireman were injured in the fire and seven people are confirmed dead. I will post more as more information becomes available. As of 6 PM Monday, 2 more victims bodies have been found in the Emmons Apartment Building as the result of the fire.

One of the victims was a boy under ten years old. Three of the victims were teenage siblings. One more was a senior citizen. The remainder of the victims of the Emmons Apartment Building Fire are not yet identified.

Stephanie Heck