What’s Happening

Free Friday Cancellations
There will be no Free Friday at the First United Methodist Church in Parsons in November or December. The next scheduled Free Friday is January 31, 2025.

Annual Free Thanksgiving Dinner

The Annual Free Thanksgiving dinner will be from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 28 at the Parsons Senior Center. Eat-in, pickup or delivery will be available, everyone welcome. For additional information please contact Carroll Precht at 304-478-4018 to pre-order deliveries.

CLOTHING GIVEAWAY

There will be a free clothing giveaway from 1 – 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 30 at the Southern Baptist Church in Rowlesburg. Please come and help yourself.

Democratic Executive Committee

The Tucker County Democratic Executive Committee will hold its regular 4th Qtr. Meeting on Monday, Dec. 16 at 6 p.m. via zoom. Text 304-642-5659 for more information. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89258358772?pwd=rcittDuaREj8nFMK 3m94KAxES3EzcA.1

Friends of Cortland Acres

There will be a meeting of the Friends of Cortland Acres Monday,Dec. 2 in the Gathering Room at Cortland Acres at 1p.m. For more information, call Marie Grafton, Activities Director, at 304-463-4181 Ext 218.

11-12-2024 to 11-19-2024

Temperature

Max 68° F

Min 21° F

Precipitation

Week 0.87”

November 1.91”

2024 43.67”

Monongahela National Forest Terminates Forest Wide Fire Restriction

ELKINS W.Va., November 19, 2024 – Effective immediately, fire restrictions previously issued for Monongahela National Forest have been terminated.

Building, maintaining, attending, or using a wood or charcoal fire or campfire is now permitted on all National Forest lands, roads, and trails within the confines of the exterior boundary of Monongahela National Forest.

The purpose of the previous fire restriction was to protect public health and safety and natural resources by prohibiting recreational fires during periods of high fire danger. Due to recent rainfall, this closure order has been lifted. However, campfire safety is always important. If lighting a campfire, remember these important tips:

Never build a campfire under trees or overhanging branches.
Clear a 10-foot area of pine needles & grass.
Keep plenty of water on hand and have a shovel handy.
Keep all campfires small.
Never leave a campfire unattended.
Be sure your campfire is ‘dead out’!
Check for fire restrictions.

Learn more at: https://smokeybear.com/en/prevention-how-tos/campfire-safety.

Gov. Justice announces return of buck firearms season and Big Buck Photo Contest

Eligible hunters can win prizes for submitting photos of 2024 buck harvests

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gov. Jim Justice and the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) today announced the return of the buck firearms season and Big Buck Photo Contest.
West Virginia’s buck firearms season opens Nov. 25 and the Big Buck Photo Contest will start Nov. 26. Hunters are invited to submit a photo with a buck they harvested during a 2024 hunting season along with a short account of their hunt for a chance to win prizes. Photos must be submitted by Jan. 10 for hunters to be eligible for a prize drawing.
“As a lifelong hunter, nothing thrills me more than the return of West Virginia’s buck firearms season and enjoying our state’s incredible deer hunting opportunities every year,” said Gov. Justice. “I want to encourage everyone to buy their license and stamps, join the thousands of hunters who have participated in this exciting contest and help show the world why West Virginia is one of the best places to hunt.”
The Big Buck Photo Contest is open to West Virginia residents and nonresidents and includes a youth division for hunters 17 and younger and an adult division for hunters 18 and older. Participants must hold a valid 2024 West Virginia hunting license and provide the 13-digit WVDNR-issued game check number for their buck. Consent for the release and use of submitted photos is implied upon entry. Detailed rules and entry forms are available at WVdnr.gov/photocontest.
Big Buck Photo Contest prizes include:

Resident Adult Division (1 Winner): One (1) free resident lifetime West Virginia hunting license, one (1) two-night stay in a Cabwaylingo State Forest cabin and one (1) two-night stay in a Seneca State Forest cabin.
Resident Youth Division (5 Winners): One (1) Cabela’s prize package.
Non-Resident Adult Division (5 Winners): One (1) Cabela’s prize package, one (1) two-night cabin stay at North Bend State Park cabin and one (1) two-night cabin stay at Twin Falls Resort.
Non-Resident Youth Division (5 Winners): One (1) Cabela’s prize package.

After the contest closes on Jan. 10, 2025 a random drawing will be used to select finalists from each division and entries will be judged on photo composition, antler size, antler points and the quality of the hunt narrative. Winners will be announced in January 2025.
WVDNR Encourages Hunters to Get Ready for Buck Firearms Season
West Virginia’s buck firearms season opens Nov. 25 and runs through Dec. 8 in all counties except Logan, McDowell, Mingo and Wyoming, which are closed to firearms deer hunting. Hunters may harvest one buck on their base license during the season. Those who want to harvest one additional buck must purchase a RG/RRG stamp before the season starts. West Virginia hunting licenses and stamps are available to purchase at WVhunt.com.
All youth and adult hunters are required to check their game on their own account and must wear at least 400 square inches of blaze orange when hunting in a county or area with an open deer firearms season. For more information about deer hunting, hunters are encouraged to review the West Virginia Hunting Regulations Summary at WVdnr.gov/hunting-regulations.

WVDNR seeks art for West Virginia Wildlife Calendar Contest

Artists have until Feb. 19, 2025 to submit wildlife paintings

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.VA. — Artists who want a chance to have their wildlife paintings featured in the 2026 edition of the West Virginia Wildlife Calendar have until Feb. 19, 2025 to send their artwork to the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.
Each year, the WVDNR selects 12 paintings for its award-winning calendar based on overall composition, quality and anatomical and contextual accuracy. All artists, especially those from West Virginia, are encouraged to submit their work. A $200 prize is awarded for each chosen painting. The artist whose artwork is selected for the cover receives an additional $500.
“This calendar not only celebrates the beauty of West Virginia’s wildlife but also showcases the artistic creativity that makes our state so special,” said WVDNR Director Brett McMillion. “As we begin work on the 2026 calendar, we want to encourage all artists to submit their work for a chance to be part of a cherished publication that is enjoyed by thousands of people across the country every year.”
Wildlife Calendar Art Submission Guidelines
Art must be original color paintings on canvas or another flat surface and must depict native game and fish species or other wildlife found in West Virginia, such as snakes, frogs, turtles, salamanders, bats, songbirds, small mammals and nongame fish. Photographs and paintings with wildlife not found in West Virginia will not be considered. Paintings depicting hunting or fishing activities may be submitted.
The calendar is horizontal and art should be at least 14.5 inches wide by 11.5 inches high. Artists who want to send art should mail a high-resolution copy to the following address:
WV Division of Natural Resources
Wildlife Calendar Art
P.O. Box 67
Elkins, WV, 26241
Artists may send multiple paintings and artwork not chosen in previous years may be resubmitted. Digital copies of paintings of at least 300dpi may be emailed to Sanya.D.George@wv.gov. For more information about submitting art for the West Virginia Wildlife Calendar or to purchase the 2025 edition while supplies last, visit WVdnr.gov/wildlife-calendar.

DoHS Extends Application Period for Low Income Energy Assistance Program

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS), Bureau for Family Assistance (BFA) has extended the application period for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) by two weeks. Applications will now be accepted through December 13, 2024. This federally-funded program provides financial assistance to eligible households to help cover the cost of home heating.
LIEAP eligibility is determined by household income, size, and responsibility for paying heating costs. For fiscal year 2025, households with incomes up to 60% of the state median income, for household sizes up to seven members, may qualify. For larger households, income eligibility increases to 150% of the federal poverty level. Applicants must meet all program criteria to qualify.
Applications have been mailed to residents who are most vulnerable, including those who received LIEAP benefits last season. Residents can also access applications in the following ways:

Online: Visit wvpath.wv.gov to download and complete an application.
In Person: Applications are available at local DoHS county offices, community action agencies, or senior centers operated by Area Agencies on Aging.

Completed applications must be submitted to the local DoHS office in the applicant’s county by December 13, 2024, or postmarked by this date. A list of local offices is available here or by calling (304) 356-4619.
Applicants are reminded to submit their forms only to the local DoHS county office. Sending applications to other offices or utility companies will result in processing delays.
For additional questions regarding LIEAP and program requirements, contact the Office of Constituent Services’ Client Services Unit by calling 1-800-642-8589 or emailing OSAClientServices@wv.gov.

TREASURER MOORE REMINDS UNCLAIMED PROPERTY RECIPIENTS TO DEPOSIT ‘WEST VIRGINIA CASH NOW’ CHECKS

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – State Treasurer Riley Moore announced today there is still a high percentage of West Virginia Cash Now checks that have not been cashed, according to his Office’s Unclaimed Property Division.

“The rate of cashing these West Virginia Cash Now checks have slowed in recent weeks, and my Office wants to ensure rightful owners receive their unclaimed property funds in a timely manner,” Treasurer Moore said. “I want to encourage recipients to deposit their checks before the checks stale date in mid-March 2025.”

As of Wednesday, Nov. 20, about 60 percent of the nearly $2.9 million in West Virginia Cash Now checks have been deposited since the checks were mailed to the 2,357 recipients back in September.

According to the Office’s Unclaimed Property Division, 1,413 checks totaling more than $1.6 million have been cashed so far. There are 936 checks totaling more than $1.1 million that remain outstanding.

The West Virginia Cash Now program launched in 2022 as a new, automated system for sending unclaimed property it its rightful owners – without the need for those individuals to file paperwork with the State Treasurer’s Office.

The program, which was established from House Bill 4511 as an unclaimed property modernization bill proposed by Treasurer Moore, allows the Office’s Unclaimed Property Division to quickly issue checks to residents who have addresses and contact information that are readily verifiable in legal databases.

The Treasurer’s Office mailed letters to this year’s program recipients in July to notify them that they should be receiving a check through the program. The checks were received in the fall.

Now in its third year, the West Virginia Cash Now program has helped the Office return roughly $7 million worth of unclaimed property to West Virginia citizens.

“The West Virginia Cash Now program allows our citizens to be reunited with their missing money automatically – no paperwork required,” Treasurer Moore said. “This is their money and it’s their right to cash that check.”

The Cash Now program applies to one of the most common types of claims including individual property owners with claim amounts ranging from $500 to less than $5,000. The program does not apply to all claims. Businesses, government entities, estate claims and securities are not covered by the program because additional documentation is required to verify the owner. Individuals with claims of $5,000 or more will also still have to file paperwork with the Treasurer’s Office to receive their claim.

More information about the West Virginia Cash Now program is available at the Unclaimed Property Division’s website: www.WVUnclaimedProperty.gov. Information on the Cash Now program is available by clicking on the “WV Cash Now” tab at the top of the page.

Recipients can call (800) 642-8687 or email WVCashNow@wvsto.gov if they have questions.

The State Treasurer’s Office currently has about $473 million worth of listings in its database.

To learn more about the unclaimed property program and to search its database, visit www.WVUnclaimedProperty.gov.

What is Unclaimed Property?

Unclaimed property can include financial accounts or items of value in which the owner has not initiated any activity for one year or longer. Common examples include unpaid life insurance benefits, forgotten bank accounts and unused rebate cards. (While the title includes the word “property,” it does not however include real estate.)

West Virginia’s unclaimed property laws protect the public by ensuring money and property owed to them is returned to them, rather than remaining permanently with financial institutions, business associations, governments and other entities. The Treasurer seeks to reunite the unclaimed property, including uncashed paychecks, stocks, or safe deposit box contents, with its owner.

Nationwide, nearly 33 million people in the United States – one in every 10 – are estimated to have unclaimed property available for them to claim.

How Can I Find Unclaimed Property in My Name?

West Virginians searching for lost financial assets can go to www.WVUnclaimedProperty.gov. In addition to finding property, the website will also help you track a claim.

A demonstration of how to use the Unclaimed Property search site is available on the Treasury’s YouTube page, at: https://youtu.be/K09yQ7YNKlE.

To search for lost financial assets outside West Virginia, visit www.MissingMoney.com.

Correction:

Kathleen Phillips, 6h grade at Tucker Valley Elementary Middle School was omitted from the first nine weeks honor roll for 6th grade. We regret this error.

What’s Happening

Momma Said 11-27-24

This Week in West Virginia History

This Week in West Virginia History

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