Encouraging news on prisons, but more work ahead
Apr. 18—When is the last time the state had good news coming out of its state prisons?
Thumbs up to the work being done at the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation for reducing its reliance on the National Guard to keep order in its prisons. On Monday, legislators were told that the jail system soon will no longer need staffing support from the West Virginia National Guard.
In January, 413 members of the Guard were pulling duty in prisons. More recently, the number had dropped to 80, according to Pat Mirandy, chief of staff for the state Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, who delivered his report to members of the Legislative Oversight Committee on Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority.
Mirandy gave credit to a robust and aggressive recruitment effort that has led to the hiring of 291 correctional officers and 49 non-uniformed personnel. Part of that effort included pay hikes from the Legislature and promoting the message of a career at job fairs around the state.
Still, no resting on laurels, here, as there remain 429 correctional vacancies and 414 total vacancies.
But clearly, the situation has turned and is headed in the right direction. By mid-May, as few as five Guard members will be on staff at the jails, assigned to administrative paperwork to write — we hope — the final chapter on the Guard's time in our prisons.
The state's jails have had problems with understaffing and overcrowding for years, sadly posting some of the highest mortality rates in the country. Now, how do correction officials prevent such a need from ever arising again? We would like to hear about that at Mirandy's next appearance before the legislative committee. — By J. Damon Cain, Editor of The Register-Herald
----Thumbs up to Arnold and Kathy Simonse, of Pineville, who were recently recognized with a surprise retirement luncheon for 25 years of community service in Wyoming County.
After the last of their five children left for college in 1999, the pair pulled up stakes, relocating from a Washington, D.C., suburb to Wyoming County. He was the director of a non-profit, and she was a music teacher.
After relocating, the couple helped with the food bank in Mullens, which they were soon managing.
He also served as director of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Pineville, which provides myriad services to families in need. With a doctorate in social work, he also taught at Mountain State University for several years until it closed.
Kathy, a retired music teacher, returned to teaching music in several elementary schools in the county as a volunteer. She refused to take any pay for sharing her love of music.
The two will also receive certificates of recognition from the West Virginia Senate and House of Delegates.
----Thumbs up to Country Road Garden Club and West Virginia Garden Club State Convention participants who are helping to bring life back to the Old Mill Village mini park.
After 40 years, the trees and shrubs had become overgrown and could not be saved.
Club members tore out the overgrown trees, creating a clean slate.
With dwindling membership and remaining members getting up in age, the club needed help getting the park back to its former beauty.
The West Virginia Garden Club State Convention, taking place at The Resort at Glade Springs this weekend, stepped in to provide assistance.
"Every year we have a convention somewhere in the state," explained Rhonda Kinder, a member of the Country Road Garden Club. "And this year it just happened to be at Glade Springs, and it just happened that they were looking for a project within a garden club that needed help — it was a gift straight from heaven!"
The plants were purchased with donations from Old Mill Village residents, and 14 volunteers from the convention will be planting the new trees and flowers along with eight club members Saturday.
"Our little club has purchased the shrubs, we have a new landscape design and the state president arranged to have members from all over the state that are attending the convention, that are going to come to the mini park and help us put those shrubs in and some flowers. So we're starting over after 40 years, renewing our mini park."
By Mary Catherine Brooks
of The Wyoming County Report
for The Register-Herald
