Charleston Gazette

Aarp to Offer Free Tax Aid at Various Sites

For many West Virginians who dread tax season, help is on the way. Since 1968, the national AARP Tax-Aide program has enlisted volunteers to help prepare local, state and federal tax returns for low- and middle-income Americans, with special attention to people ages 60 and older.

Kanawha Reading Assessment Tests Scored Using Palm Pilots

Last week, students at J.E. Robins Elementary School in Charleston took a test that could help ensure their success in school not only now, but far down the road. The test is part of a reading assessment program, called DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills), that was created by researchers at the University of Oregon.

Ukv January Blood Drives Underway: ; Red Cross Says Supplies Are Low

cthomas@cnpapers.com 304-348-1232 The local chapter of the American Red Cross will conduct blood drives in three sections of the Upper Kanawha Valley during the remainder of January, beginning today at its Kanawha City base of operations.

State Hunters Harvest 136,289 Deer in 2006

Preliminary data complied from game checking tags indicate hunters in West Virginia harvested a total of 136,289 white-tailed deer during the combined 2006 deer hunting seasons, according to Frank Jezioro, director of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. The total deer harvest in 2006 was slightly higher than the 135,361 deer taken in 2005. A total of 66,103 bucks, 37,841 antlerless season deer (including 1,375 harvested in the youth/ Class Q season), 24,752 archery deer and 7,593...

February Is Vocal Valentine Season: ; Kanawha Kordsmen and Sweet Adelines to Offer Their Own Versions of Singing Telegrams

bcalwell@cnpapers.com 348-5188 As Valentine's Day approaches, the pressure is on to hit a home run in the romance department.

Clubs & Organizations

MILITARY RETIREES The next quarterly meeting of the West Virginia Military Retirees Association will begin at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26, at the 130th Airlift Wing dining facility in Charleston. The guest speaker will be Col. Tim Frye, commander of the 130th Airlift Wing. Retirees from all branches of service are invited to attend. Reservations are required; call Ginny Moles at 776-6556 or 389- 9093. VFW CONFERENCE The Veterans of Foreign Wars, State of West Virginia, and its Ladies Auxiliary wil...

Area Students Attain Degrees From Wvu in December

More than 1,000 students completed their degree requirements from West Virginia University in December. New graduates and their families celebrated their academic achievements at the Dec. 10 Commencement at the WVU Coliseum. The ceremony included an inspirational speech by Judge Irene Berger, a WVU alumna and judge for the 13th Judicial Circuit in Kanawha County.

Touch of Life: ; Physician Fatigue Studies Prompt Concern

I had never heard of one Dr. Maurice A. Ramirez until I read one of his newspaper columns a few weeks ago. He's a good-looking chap, from his newspaper photo.

Wvu Industries of the Future-West Virginia Day Tuesday at Capitol

Leaders of industry, academia and government will convene in Charleston Tuesday, Jan. 23, for the 2007 Industries of the Future- West Virginia Day at the State Capitol and West Virginia Technology Association's Technology Summit. IOF-WV, a joint program of the West Virginia Development Office and the West Virginia University National Research Center for Coal and Energy, works with West Virginia's traditional industries to increase energy efficiency, reduce waste and improve productivity in en...

Kanawha Trail Club Calendar

The Kanawha Trail Club has scheduled the following hikes and other activities through the end of February: Sunday, Jan. 28, 1:30 p.m.: Wallace-Hartman Park (Charleston area). Limited parking. Moderate hike with some steep hills. Approximately four miles. Leader: Roger Goad

Wvu Luncheon, Fanfare Come to Charleston Wednesday

West Virginia University will be welcomed by a sold-out crowd of alumni and friends as part of the 11th Annual Capital Classic luncheon Wednesday, Jan. 24, prior to the WVU-Marshall basketball games. The event, hosted by the WVU Alumni Association, is scheduled for 11:45 a.m. at the Charleston Embassy Suites.

Church & Religious Group Activities

FELLOWSHIP DINNER St. John's United Methodist Church in Rand hosts a fellowship dinner on the last Thursday of each month. The next dinner will be held on Jan. 25. For more information, contact Don Hedrick at 925- 1620 or Shirley Conley at 925-5557.

Bulletin Board

DRIVER SAFETY CLASS AARP is hosting a driver safety class from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 22-23 at Edgewood Summit on Baker Lane, near Cato Park, in Charleston. This is an eight-hour classroom refresher course designed for drivers 50 and older. Pre-registration is required, as class size is limited. There are no examinations or driving tests, but completion of the course may qualify participants to a multi-year discount on their automotive insurance. Check with your agent. The fee f...

Search for Mountaineer Mascot Underway

West Virginia University students will soon have the opportunity to trade in their jeans and T-shirts for buckskins as they battle each other for the title of Mountaineer mascot. Applications are now available and being accepted on the Morgantown campus for the 2007-08 school term.

Adopt a Pet: ; Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association Shelter:

Meet Roxie (ref. 8769), a 3-month-old, female, mixed-breed dog, and JJ (ref. 660) a 3-year-old male cat. Roxie is partially housebroken, and she gets along well with other animals and with children. JJ is a "sweet and loving cat," according to animal shelter officials.

Chief Logan Lodge Begins Dinner Theater

Simon Starkweather. It's not a familiar name in southern West Virginia, but it may become infamous on Jan. 27. That's when Chief Logan Lodge, Hotel and Conference Center in Logan County has scheduled a murder mystery dinner theater, and Simon Starkweather is a guest.

Neighbors

Joseph Hurley, a student at Pratt Elementary School, placed second in the 14th Annual Project on Racism Essay Contest for the K- 2 grades category. The contest was sponsored by the 2007 West Virginia Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission.