Using a backdrop of new construction in Victoria, Finance Minister Mike de Jong and Premier Christy Clark announce a new property transfer tax on foreign buyers that took effect this week.
The lights came back on in the B.C. legislature last week to reveal the government’s sudden decision to impose a 15 per cent tax on foreign property purchases in Metro Vancouver.
This came after months of government refusal to intervene in a heated urban market in ways that might devalue properties for people whose homes represent a large chunk of their life savings.
It remains to be seen whether this large wrench applied to the problem will cool the market, or trigger declining property values as similar efforts have done in other major cities. The extent of the ripple effect on B.C. communities outside Metro Vancouver is also something that will be closely watched.
Premier Christy Clark and Finance Minister Mike de Jong announced the tax with a week’s notice, leaving realtors and developers scrambling to close deals before thousands more in property transfer tax was imposed on foreign buyers.
This dramatic intervention was based on less than five weeks of information on the nationality of buyers. Early results showed foreign buyers represented five per cent of Metro Vancouver real estate sales. Another two weeks of data showed a spike to nearly 10 per cent, and suddenly the big wrench came out.
Housing Minister Rich Coleman acknowledged that the surprise tax left the real estate industry “taken aback and a bit grumpy.” They worried foreign buyers might back out of deals after sellers have bought another home. They also fear that the tax might pop the real estate bubble, causing a rapid reversal of the long sellers’ market that has taken on a life and a psychology of its own.
One thing is certain. The province’s windfall from the property transfer tax can only grow even further as foreign buyers pay up.
The size of this windfall was shown in the government’s audited public accounts for the 2015-16 fiscal year, which de Jong released just days before announcing the new real estate tax.
The property transfer tax has been a cash cow for the province since Bill Vander Zalm introduced it in the 1980s, and by 2015-16 it had reached about $1.5 billion. For comparison purposes, that’s almost twice as much as total provincial revenue from the forest industry.
The current B.C. budget had forecast that property transfer tax revenues would decline this year and next year. The public accounts showed that for 2015-16, the government took in $468 million more than expected, meaning real estate accounted for most of the provincial surplus.
How much more is raked in by the new transfer tax on foreign buyers remains to be seen, but it will be substantial. And Coleman allows that he has been developing “a really cool plan” to use that money to improve the housing situation for lower-income people.
A couple of weeks ago I described the clamour of urban protesters demanding that governments build thousands of units of social housing. Coleman has long rejected the idea of social housing projects that create clusters of poverty, and he assured me last week that isn’t going to change.
B.C. has 20,000 low-income households getting a rent subsidy today, and Coleman suggested that will be increasing. He’ll be announcing new measures in September to stimulate construction of new rental housing.
It remains to be seen how that will work as well. But it gives the B.C. government lots more money to spend in an election year.
This is the latest of a string of Clark’s election-year fixes. I’ll look at some others in a future column.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca Twitter: @tomfletcherbc

BC VIEWS: Real estate tax increases windfall


Finance Minister Mike de Jong found an extra half billion from property transfer tax last year, with much more to come


Known infections of chronic wasting disease in deer and other wildlife as of 2014.
Provincial wildlife officials are concerned that a disease killing deer and elk on the prairies could soon spread into B.C.
Chronic wasting disease, a degenerative nervous system condition similar to so-called mad cow disease, has been discovered in an animal 30 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.
That's the furthest west – by about 100 kilometres – that biologists have detected the deadly disease and the discovery intensifies concerns that infected deer may make their way to B.C.
No infected animals have been found yet in B.C. but wildlife health staff are stepping up monitoring efforts in the Peace and Kootenay regions, where deer are most at-risk.
Hunters are being asked to help by donating deer, elk and moose heads for analysis. Drop-off locations are listed at www.stopchronicwastingdisease.ca.
Anyone who encounters a sick or dead deer is urged to report it to B.C.'s wildlife health program by emailing wildlifehealth@gov.bc.ca.
Although chronic wasting disease is similar to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, Alberta's agriculture and forestry ministry says there's no evidence it can infect humans, but notes the World Health Organization advises against allowing any meat source possibly infected by prions into the human food system.
It's thought to be unlikely that the disease could spread to domestic cattle or bison.
Outbreaks on game farms typically result in quarantines and culls.
Transmission is through saliva, urine and feces and is thought to be more likely to occur where elk and deer are crowded or congregate at man-made feed and water stations, according to the Alberta ministry.
Most of the Canadian cases have been in Saskatchewan.

B.C. wary of deadly deer disease in Alberta


Chronic wasting disease is similar to mad cow disease but infects and kills deer, elk and moose


Eileen Zheng donated a kidney to her mother Wei and is encouraging other people to register as organ donors.
When Eileen Zheng wanted to donate one of her kidneys to her mother, family members were at first concerned about the effect of the procedure on both of them.
But five weeks after the surgery, Wei Zheng was recovering from polycystic kidney disease after seven years on kidney dialysis, and Eileen was logging up to 65 km a day on her bicycle. And a year later, Eileen is preparing to ride across Canada to encourage more people to support organ transplants.
"I want to raise awareness, so more people are willing to register after seeing that I'm healthy after donating an organ," Eileen said at a ceremony at the B.C. legislature to launch the bid Monday. "We're hoping to raise at least 1,000 more organ donors compared to last year, and around $75,000 for the Canadian Transplant Association, for the life-saving work they do."
She has three and a half months to make the journey, starting with a Terry Fox-inspired dip of her bike wheel in the Pacific before heading east towards St. Johns, Newfoundland. Eileen's ride is called Gift From Within has a website where people can link to organ donor registration sites in each province, and her route stops and updates will be posted.
There are more than 45,000 people currently waiting for organ donations across Canada. B.C. residents can check their registration status or sign up to become a donor here.

Cross-Canada ride to encourage organ donation


Gift From Within aims to register 1,000 more registered donors and raise money for the Canadian Transplant Association


A routine check-up at the hospital has turned into a nightmare for a Prince Rupert woman.
A month-and-a-half after having an endoscopy to inspect her nose and throat, Joan Dudoward received a letter from Northern Health stating that the endoscope used at the Prince Rupert Regional Hospital was not cleaned properly.
From April until the end of June 2016, the endoscope, which is a flexible tube with a light and a camera used in nonsurgical procedures, was being cleaned with the wrong cleaning solution to disinfect the equipment. There were 104 patients affected and Dudoward was one of them.
“I was majorly stressed out,” she said in an exclusive interview with the Northern View. “I'm a cancer survivor. I try to keep my health up for my mom, I'm a caregiver for a 95-year-old woman.”
Dudoward had gone to the Prince Rupert hospital for an endoscopy on June 29 at 3:30 p.m. after complaining to her physician about reoccurring plugged ears and a sore throat. She received the letter from Northern Health on Aug.24, which stated the error did not impact the diagnostic outcome of the tests and the process error has been corrected.
The letter also states that the BC Centre for Disease Control has been consulted and “the risk of a patient being exposed to a virus as a result of this process error is extremely low.” The contact number for the director of acute care services is offered in case she has any other questions or concerns. Dudoward has many.
She called to find out why the instrument wasn't cleaned, what had happened and how many people had gone through the procedure before and after her. “She said she's not permitted to tell me anything about this,” was the response Dudoward said she received.
The vice-president of medicine for the Northern Health authority, Dr. Ronald Chapman, was quick to respond to media inquiries and stressed the importance of transparency. He said, based on previous experience, once they realized the mistake had occurred they consulted the BC Centre for Disease Control as well as the Northern Health infectious disease specialist in Prince George.
“The risk for the patient is extremely low. We're not concerned that it will at all have any negative impact on their health,” Dr. Chapman said. He added that it's Northern Health's policy to make patients aware even if the risk to them is low. “We believe it's important to be open with those patients and to be fairly transparent so at least they are aware of the mistake. In this case, we don't recommend any particular follow up or tests for the patients.”
This type of process error has happened before, Dr. Chapman confirmed. Not with the same scope, but he said there are many different endoscopes used and each are made by different manufacturers that have various recommendations on how to clean the equipment.
“The health sector is run by human beings and it's fairly complex. If mistakes do happen what we encourage our staff to do is to make management aware so they can learn from that experience,” he said. “I'm happy to say where those mistakes have happened in our environment, a process has been put in place and we haven't had any repetitions after some of those learning experiences.”
For the 104 patients that were affected by this incident, Dr. Chapman said their general practitioners have been notified and if they have any questions they can speak to them and the infectious disease specialist. They can also contact Northern Health's Patient Care Quality Officeto register a complaint.
For Dudoward, who had a bone marrow transplant in 2011 to battle leukemia, she is concerned and has already scheduled a meeting with her physician in early September.
“I'm thinking that my body is not going to be able to fight off infection like I was able to before the cancer because chemo takes a lot out of your body so this is like a bomb exploding in my life,” she said.

VIDEO: Prince Rupert woman treated with unclean medical equipment, Northern Health, B.C. Centre for Disease Control confirms more than a hundred affected


Two months after having an endoscopy Joan Dudoward received a letter telling her that the endoscope used was not cleaned properly.


TORONTO – Fans of the Tragically Hip across the country will be able to watch or listen to the band's final concert on its upcoming tour, in what the CBC describes as a "national celebration" of the iconic Canadian group.
The public broadcaster will carry the Hip's hometown show in Kingston, Ont., live on its television, radio and online platforms on Aug. 20 starting at 8:30 p.m. ET.
CBC announced the plan as the band released its 14th studio album, "Man Machine Poem," on Friday.
"The Tragically Hip is a band that has had a lasting influence and impact on this country and they are beloved," said Jennifer Dettman, CBC's executive director of unscripted content.
"We want to make sure that all Canadians had access to this concert on whatever platform they should desire. We're really putting on what we call a national celebration for this band."
The tour is expected to be the final one for the band, following the recent shocking revelation that lead singer Gord Downie is battling incurable brain cancer.
Internal discussions about the possibility of carrying the Kingston concert began after the tour was first announced, Dettman said, but conversations started in earnest with the Hip's team after seeing tens of thousands of signatures for a petition asking for a broadcast of the show.
Dettman said the CBC also hopes to have more special coverage of the band in the lead-up to the concert.
"I think it really will be a very big cultural moment for us," she said.
"The band has had such an incredible impact and influence on Canada. They sing about our country and they tell our stories and they make great music.... I think we really want this concert to be this wonderful, national celebration where we pull the country together, and we really just all enjoy, watch, listen to the Tragically Hip."
On Friday morning, a handful of people lined up outside HMV's flagship store in downtown Toronto to be among the first to purchase the Hip's new album.
Longtime fan James Cashman said he made an hour-long trip from the city's east-end suburbs to get the disc.
"It's going to be their last one and the poor guy is sick, you know. It's really sad," said Cashman, a 64-year-old retired funeral assistant.
Cashman said he was glad to hear the band's Kingston show would be broadcast on television, noting he couldn't afford concert tickets.
"The tickets were gone so quickly, this resale thing, it's not good. They should just put out two tickets per person, you know. Then everybody has a chance."
Demand for concert tickets was overwhelming, with all 15 shows across Canada selling out almost instantly. Ticketmaster told The Canadian Press that roughly 1.3 million fans tried to buy tickets during the public sale but only several hundred thousand seats were available.
Earlier this week, a new batch of tickets went on sale after the band tweaked its stage design to accommodate more fans, but those seats also sold out immediately.
Fans have been fuming about the exorbitant mark-ups on tickets being sold on secondary websites like StubHub and classified sites like Craigslist and Kijiji.
Members of the Hip also seemed to be displeased with how ticket sales went.
Guitarist Rob Baker responded to a fan on Twitter, saying that they were "sad and concerned" about the sellout.
"We make every effort to make sure it is fair” much beyond our control," he tweeted. "We want fans rather than the connected."
CBC said the concert in Kingston will be carried on CBC Television, CBC Radio One, CBC Radio 2, its YouTube channels, and cbcmusic.ca.
The tour will launch July 22 in Victoria.
– With files from Canadian Press reporter Cassandra Szklarski.
Follow @lauren_larose on Twitter.
Lauren La Rose, The Canadian Press

CBC to broadcast final concert of the Tragically Hip


'A national celebration': CBC to air finale of Tragically Hip's tour in hometown


OTTAWA – Contract talks continue between Canada Post and its largest union, but neither side is hinting as to whether any progress has been made.
A federally appointed mediator has been meeting with the two sides since Friday to try to reach a deal.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers says if there is no deal by midnight, it would begin job action on Monday by having its members refusing to work overtime on a rotating basis, starting in Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
CUPW served 72 hour strike notice Thursday night, accusing Canada Post of forcing a labour disruption by refusing to bargain in good faith.
The two sides have been deadlocked for months on the issues of pay scales for rural letter carriers and proposed changes to pensions for future employees.
A CUPW news release says the initial job action will cause little disruption to Canada Post customers and that its members will still be delivering mail every day.
The Canadian Press

Postal workers union give details of job action if no deal is reached Sunday


Talks continue, with rotating overtime ban set to begin Monday if no agreement by midnight Sunday


Re: Tree spikers cling to Lelu Island (B.C. Views, July 20).
Tom Fletcher seems to believe protecting salmon is not only bad, but dishonest. He suggests it’s an effort to cover up an international plot to kill B.C.’s oil and gas opportunities and Alberta’s oilsands.
His column falsely asserts that, along with other groups, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has “poured money into anti-LNG campaigns in B.C., as they funded opposition to oilsands development before them. Indeed, the record suggests the long project to establish what environmental front groups named the Great Bear Rainforest was a strategy to stop hydrocarbon exports from western Canada, even as U.S. sources ramped up production.”
The foundation’s Wild Salmon Ecosystems Initiative supports groups working to ensure that all factors – social, environmental and economic – are fairly respected in development decisions. It does not fund efforts to stop oil and gas development.
Salmon support a huge economy that provides jobs, social and cultural benefits. And, in British Columbia, unlike many other parts of North America, we still have a chance to keep most salmon watersheds intact. This is why the foundation supports the efforts of communities to protect these fish. This means ensuring that scientific evidence is fully addressed in project development, including siting decisions.
We are proud supporters of the Great Bear Rainforest, not because we are “anti” anything else, but because this is a unique region. Like the Amazon and the Great Barrier Reef, it is recognized by experts around the globe as one of the planet’s most important and unique natural wonders.
It is a region that deserved to be protected on its own merits – a fact so clear that federal, provincial and First Nation governments came together with industry and environmental groups to ensure it would be. To portray this impressive collaboration as an anti-oil and gas does a disservice to the broad array of Canadians and First Nations that prioritized its preservation.
The Moore Foundation supported this as part of our commitment to assist groups that seek to protect wild salmon habitats along the West Coast. People, issues, organizations and funds cross the Canada-U.S. border all the time. There isn’t anything unusual about Canadian environmental groups requesting and receiving donations from international foundations that share the same environmental goals.
Ivan Thompson, B.C. Program Officer, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Vancouver

LETTER: U.S. foundations protecting salmon


Representative of Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation says it doesn't support efforts to stop oil and gas development


Wood products exports from Canada to Asia were down 18 per cent in the first six months of 2016, with the biggest decline being softwood lumber from B.C. to China, according to the Seattle-based Wood Resources International.
Lumber sales to China are on pace to drop by 50 per cent this year compared to 2014, as B.C. lumber producers direct their sales to a healthy U.S. lumber market, according to customs data tracked for the Wood Resources Quarterly (www.woodprices.com).
The latest edition notes that by value, 75 per cent of B.C.'s exports to Asia in 2015 and 2016 are in the form of lumber, while 77 per cent of exports from Washington and Oregon are logs.
Asian demand reached a record high in 2013, with China passing Japan as the largest importer of North American wood products in 2011. The B.C. and federal governments promote wood construction in China and Japan, and B.C.'s forest minister is required to conduct an annual trade mission to China, Japan and other Asian countries.
The shift in demand provides extra urgency for talks to renew the Canada-U.S. softwood lumber agreement that expired last year. B.C. sales are booming without the export cap that both Ottawa and Washington have agreed will be required.

Lumber exports shift to U.S. as China sales slump


Asian demand for B.C. wood products peaked in 2013, analyst says China sales on pace for 50 per cent drop


Cameras were the focus as 70 photographers from across B.C., including Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Kelowna and Nelson, competed in the fourth annual Next Generation BC Amateur Photographer of the Year Contest at the recent Abbotsford International Airshow.
Sponsored by London Drugs and Black Press Media, the contest took place Aug. 12-14, as participants captured their best air, crowd, static, and wildcard shots.
Photographers experienced close-up action at the airshow including Friday's twilight show, and earned the "hot-side" tour at the airshow where they shot exclusive aircraft including the F-35, CF-18, FA-18, Breitling Jet Team, the Snowbirds and more for a chance to win the title of B.C.'s next Amateur Photographer title.
Awarding categories also include The Best in-air photograph ($750 grand prize), The Best ground/static scene photograph ($500 prize),The Best crowd scene photograph ($250 prize ), The Best video submission ($500 prize) all courtesy of London Drugs and honorary acknowledgement for Best Wildcard entry.
For the People's Choice Award Winner, the time has arrived for the public to vote on their favourite photo and be entered for a chance to win BC Lions game tickets.
For voting and contest information, click here.

Voting open for People's Choice Amateur Photography Competition


Photographers from across the province competed in amateur competition


Revelstoke dam on the Columbia River is due to have a sixth water turbine added, but Site C is BC Hydro's priority today.
BC Hydro is going ahead with its planned four per cent rate increase this year and deferring more debt to future years as it revises its electricity demand forecast downward.
The provincially-owned utility has not asked for an increase in its government-imposed rate plan despite a revised demand forecast with $3.5 billion less revenue over the next 10 years. BC Hydro has filed a three-year plan with the B.C. Utilities Commission that would increase rates four, 3.5 and three per cent in the next three years. The four per cent increase is already showing up on customer bills as an interim increase.
With the Site C dam on the Peace River and other upgrades amounting to $2 billion a year, the plan includes additional deferred debt until 2023, when Site C is due to be completed. BC Hydro CEO Jessica McDonald said the long-term nature of capital projects means its capital cost savings don't start until the next decade.
BC Hydro has also cut some of its familiar Power Smart activities, such as the fridge buy-back plan and incentives for energy efficient light bulbs.
McDonald said BC Hydro is seeing lower revenues due to two warm winters and downturns in mining and forest products. It still projects growing overall demand as population and economic growth continue.
NDP energy critic Adrian Dix said the new deferred debt represents roughly $500 for each of BC Hydro's two million customers, and it is a political move to get the B.C. Liberal government past next year's election.
The 10-year rates plan imposed by Energy Minister Bill Bennett in 2013 overstated demand to justify the construction of Site C, and translates to a 28 per cent rate increase. It allows the utilities commission to regain control over approving customer rates by 2020, after five years of political direction.
Dix said with the new demand forecast and commodity prices expected to remain low, BC Hydro should have added a sixth turbine to its Revelstoke dam for $450 million before embarking on the $9 billion Site C project.


Four per cent rate hike already in effect, more to come as BC Hydro looks for savings to offset slow industrial demand


Toronto MP Carolyn Bennett is sworn in as Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, November 2015.
The federal government’s National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls is preparing to get underway in September.
With five commissioners led by B.C. judge Marion Buller and a budget that has swelled by a third to $54 million before it even starts, this inquiry has one big advantage over all the previous studies of Canada’s intractable problems of poverty and violence in aboriginal communities.
In this case, the politicians all agree what the outcome is going to be. They’ve been saying so for months, since the Justin Trudeau government got elected on this and other passionate, if questionable, promises.
Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, a member of the We Wai Kai Nation on the B.C. coast, a former Crown prosecutor and chair of the B.C. Treaty Commission, announced the terms of reference last week. She stressed that the inquiry will not attempt to retry cold cases, but to examine the “root causes” of the high numbers of missing and murdered women.
Next up was Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett, who has no doubt at all what those “root causes” are: racism, sexism and the lingering effects of colonialism. Bennett has been meeting steadily with grieving families since being appointed, and now accepts that racist, indifferent cops are the main “root cause.”
Bennett explained this conclusion from New York in April, while attending a “Women of the World” summit. It’s an “uneven application of justice,” she told The Globe and Mail, a phrase we’ll hear again and again.
“You end up with people who have been told it’s an overdose, or a suicide or an accident,” Bennett said.
RCMP have reported close to 1,200 unsolved cases of murdered or missing indigenous women since 1980, a figure that Bennett scoffs at. What’s her evidence? She’s talked to families, and knows it’s “way more” than that.
One of the previous inquiries was by a United Nations official, James Anaya, in 2014. He noted the alarming statistics of education outcome and violent offences against women, and referred to 660 cases documented by the Native Women’s Association of Canada. He also described being besieged by demands for a national inquiry, as he went through the stacks of studies that have already been done.
“Since 1996,” Anaya wrote in his UN report, “there have been at least 29 official inquiries and reports dealing with aspects of this issue, which have resulted in over 500 recommendations for action.”
As the latest inquiry was being launched, Perry Bellegarde, the current Assembly of First Nations national chief, recited Bennett’s speaking points about the conclusions it will reach.
Bellegarde told CTV the problem is vastly under-reported because “…oh, it’s an accidental death. Oh, it’s a suicide.” Then he called for more money for housing and other programs via the failed Indian Act system.
There are several glaring factors that apparently will not be discussed, because they fall outside the politically correct boundaries of this pre-determined narrative.
One is the even more alarming number of aboriginal men and boys who are victims of violent crime.
Another is the rate of domestic abuse reported by indigenous women, which Statistics Canada estimated this year at about 10 per cent of their population. That’s three times the national average, but it was not mentioned amid the demands for justice at the inquiry.
Another key issue that is forbidden from discussion is the social and economic viability of remote communities. Some of them haven’t been able to maintain clean water and safe housing, much less education and employment, despite billions in spending every year.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca Twitter: @tomfletcherbc

BC VIEWS: Missing women inquiry pre-determined


Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett's position boils down to blaming racist, indifferent cops


Guns seized from visitors entering Canada at the Huntington-Abbotsford border crossing, 2014.
Canadian Border Services Agency has seen a 116 per cent increase in the number of firearms seized in the Pacific Region in the first half of 2016.
With a 10 per cent increase also recorded in the Prairie region, the CBSA is working with U.S. officials on a firearms awareness campaign to remind Americans about restrictions on bringing guns into Canada.
"Attempting to smuggle firearms across the border can result in immediate forfeiture, hefty fines and even significant jail time," said Kim Scoville, CBSA's regional director general for the Prairie region.
Visitors entering the border inspection line should declare any firearms at their first opportunity. Border services officers will take possession of the weapon if it is declared, but the visitor has the option of shipping it back under CBSA supervision or surrendering it without prosecution.
The RCMP has procedures for visitors bringing firearms into Canada


Guns intercepted at Pacific region border crossings up 116 per cent compared to this time last year


B.C.'s Civil Resolution Tribunal has begun taking "early intake" applications for strata property disputes.
Canada's first online tribunal is not yet fully operational, and is testing its application process. The tribunal has 18 lawyers and mediation experts who will adjudicate strata property and small claims disputes without going to court.
Legislation to create the tribunal was passed in the spring of 2015. Justice Minister Suzanne Anton said at the time that the tribunal and its early resolution process "will help to resolve disputes faster and with more lasting outcomes, while saving people time and money."
The tribunal is expecting a large spike of strata-related claims as it starts up, and warns that it could take several months to resolve claims as it continues to add staff and develop its technology.
The tribunal has a guide to its service on its website. The application begins with a "solutions explorer" where people describe the nature of their dispute and then receive detailed information about their options under B.C. law.
The first suggestion is to use form letters to contact the other party in the dispute directly, to see if it can be settled without a formal application to the tribunal.
[See video introduction below.]
Most strata claims have a two-year limitation period, after which they can't be taken to the tribunal or to court. If an early intake application is accepted, it may stop the countdown and allow the case to be prepared for when tribunal members begin hearing cases.
If applicants are accepted and then change their minds and want to go to court instead, approval of the tribunal is required.


Early intake of strata property dispute resolution applications begins for Canada's first online tribunal


Almost a year after B.C. farm weddings were banned due to a crackdown on agricultural land use rules, the B.C. government has clarified what commercial activities are allowed on farmland.
Farmers can host up to 10 commercial weddings, concerts or non-agricultural events per year without a permit from the Agricultural Land Commission. Farmers can take payment to host a wedding or other event as long as no more than 150 guests attend and a list of conditions are met, according to regulations that took effect Tuesday.
To qualify, event hosts must provide all parking on the farm rather than along roads, with no permanent parking lots or structures, and the event must end in less than 24 hours. For more than 10 events a year or exceeding 150 guests, properties with farm tax status must apply to the ALC for a permit.
The new regulation also clarifies ALC policies to allow, with no permit, farm tours and demonstrations, hayrides, corn mazes, pumpkin patch tours, harvest and Christmas fairs and special occasion events to promote farm products.
Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick said the regulation requiring farms to generate at least 50 per cent of its revenue from farm products is also scrapped, after consultation in the past year suggested the new rules instead.
The crackdown on farm weddings came last fall, when the ALC issued stop-work orders to B.C. farms including the Fraser Valley, Kelowna and Vancouver Island.
The restriction came after the province expanded farm uses to allow breweries and distilleries to operate on protected farmland with the same rules used to permit wineries. The rules allowed for processing of farm crops into products such as juice or jam for commercial sale.


No permit required for weddings, festivals on farms if fewer than 150 people attend, says Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick


The latest changes to B.C. mine regulations bring the province closer to its goal of preventing another tailings pond failure, says an independent expert who investigated the 2014 dam breach at Mt. Polley Mine.
Dirk van Zyl, professor of mining and the environment at the University of B.C. and one of three outside reviewers of the Mt. Polley failure, said the changes to B.C.'s Mining Code meet the recommendations made by engineers who examined the failure.
"These changes put B.C. in a leadership position and clearly set the groundwork for a more comprehensive approach to consistent tailings management in the province," van Zyl said in a statement Wednesday. "It is another step towards the overall goal of moving to zero tailings storage facility failures."
Energy and Mines Minister Bill Bennett said the changes to construction, water management and inspection can't be expected to prevent every small release of water from a mine tailings pond in heavy rainfall. But he is confident the new regime will prevent major failures, even when unknown factors such as the weak layer under the Mt. Polley dam exist.
"Now we are prescribing a factor of safety that I think will account for the things you don't know," Bennett said.
Al Hoffman, B.C.'s Chief Inspector of Mines, said the new code has specific requirements for inside "beaches" to reduce pressure on the base of a tailings dam, the height of water allowed, the number of motion detectors on the dam and the frequency of inspections.
The new code requires every existing B.C. mine with a tailings pond to have an independent tailings review board in place by the end of 2016, with annual reports to be posted online.
That falls short of a recent recommendation by B.C. Auditor General Carol Bellringer that mine oversight should be independent of the ministry that issues permits and promotes mining investment. Bennett said he remains convinced that the technical nature of permits with hundreds of conditions makes the people who issue them the best qualified to enforce them.
NDP energy and mines critic Norm Macdonald said Mt. Polley was required to have supporting beaches and went for years without them, and also reported its water levels incorrectly before the dam failure. New rules will only make a difference if they are enforced, Macdonald said.
The Mt. Polley independent report concluded that a a layer of glacial till material at the base of the dam near Williams Lake wasn't understood in enough detail when the dam was designed and built in 1997. Later raising of the dam to hold more water and tailings put pressure on the base layer and led to the failure.
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service continues its investigation of the Mt. Polley incident, and has authority to recommend charges for the environmental damage done by the failure.
The Mt. Polley dam has been repaired by owner Imperial Metals and the mine reopened, with work continuing to rebuild Hazeltine Creek and the shore of Quesnel Lake where a torrent of water and tailings poured down on Aug. 4, 2014.

New rules in effect for mine tailings ponds


Permits will specify dam construction, water level, motion detection and independent review, Mines Minister Bill Bennett says


B.C. has 300 seniors' care facilities, and residents and their loved ones are to be surveyed on conditions.
More than 250 volunteers have signed up to compile a survey of seniors in residential care, and B.C.'s Seniors Advocate is looking for more.
The 27,000 seniors living in 300 residential care facilities around the province are being asked about their experience with care home staff, the quality of food, privacy, medications and other conditions.
It's the first comprehensive survey done in B.C., to measure resident satisfaction and provide a "roadmap" for improvements, said Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie.
Interviews will be conducted in person by trained volunteers, and a matching mail-out survey will be sent to each resident's most frequent visitor.
The project is seeking volunteers with a range of professional backgrounds, ages and ethnicities. To apply as a volunteer, visit www.surveybcseniors.org or call the Office of the Seniors Advocate at 1-877-952-3181.


Volunteers to ask seniors about staff, food, privacy, medications and other conditions in residential care


The union representing most workers at Canada Post has issued a 72-hour notice of job action as it tries to bargain a collective agreement with the Crown corporation.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers says the notice spells out what actions it is planning, but stops short of a full-blown walkout.
CUPW national president Mike Palecek says Canada Post forced the labour disruption by refusing to accept a request from the federal labour minister to continue negotiations with the help of a special mediator.
But a spokesman for the agency says that's not the case.
The union's strike mandate was set to expire at midnight.
The two sides have been in negotiations for more than nine months but are far apart on key issues including pay equity for rural carriers and proposed changes to the Canada Post pension plan.
The Canadian Press

Postal union issues strike notice after it says Canada Post refused special mediator


Notice means delivery could be cancelled as early as Monday


Students return to public school next week, with changes to curriculum and some provincial exams.
Students are returning to class next week in most of B.C.'s public schools, with enrolment expected to be up province-wide for the second year running.
Education Minister Mike Bernier says early forecasts show about 529,000 students, an increase of 2,900 from last year. But that increase is centred on fast-growing school districts, while many rural areas continue to struggle with declining student numbers.
Among changes that parents and students will see this year is a new curriculum in place up to Grade 9, with a test year for changes in the senior grades. Bernier said the new emphasis on collaboration and communication skills does not mean a watering down of the basic skills, and is designed to improve students' ability to work at modern jobs.
Report cards are to continue this school year, but the ministry is reviewing its system with an eye to providing more frequent updates. Parents are being consulted on the changes, Bernier said.
Foundation Skills Assessment tests in grades four and seven are also continuing after years of protests from teacher unions, but that program is also being examined for possible changes. FSA tests will be "enhanced" but not eliminated, Bernier said.
Provincial exams continue for graduates in math and English, but science and social studies will now be assessed at a classroom level rather than school-wide tests, Bernier said.
The ministry provided a series of top-ups to education funding this year, for bus service and to keep selected rural schools from closing. Applications are still being taken for a transportation fund until Sept. 30, requiring districts to drop across-the-board school bus fees to qualify.
Districts may still charge transportation fees for international students or those from outside a school catchment area.
NDP leader John Horgan highlighted the crowding in Surrey school district, where 7,000 students remain in portables despite an expansion program. The NDP says the B.C. government's claim of record per-student funding ignores a reduction of education funding as a share of the provincial economy.
"Since 2001, the B.C. Liberals have dragged public education funding in this province from the second best in Canada to the second worst," Horgan said.

B.C. school enrolment up for second year


Some urban districts struggle with overcrowding, special funds for declining rural schools, bus service to take effect


ICBC wants to increase basic auto insurance rates by 4.9 per cent – the fifth straight annual increase – as it continues to grapple with rising numbers of crashes, claims and dramatically increasing costs.
The typical driver will pay $3.50 a month or $42 a year more for basic insurance if the hike is approved.
But the corporation is also raising optional rates by 2.8 per cent so the average customer who buys both basic and optional insurance with ICBC will see their insurance bill rise $5 a month, or $60 a year.
ICBC CEO Mark Blucher said the basic rate hike would have been much worse – 15.5 per cent translating into a $130 annual premium increase – had the province not approved another major transfer of $472 million from the optional to the basic side of operations.
A compounding factor has been the long decline of interest rates, which result in less investment income revenue to ICBC.
"These external pressures have really created a perfect storm and it's a really significant challenge for the organization," Blucher said in an interview Thursday.
ICBC had raised rates 5.5 per cent a year ago, and the province's rate smoothing policy requires the annual change be within 1.5 per cent of the previous year's increase.
The number of crashes has climbed 15 per cent in two years and damage claims are up 11 per cent.
Vehicles are increasingly reliant on technology and expensive materials that have become more costly in recent years as the loonie sagged against the U.S. dollar.
Despite much safer vehicles, injury claims have soared to $2.4 billion, up 60 per cent from $1.5 billion in 2008.
"We've seen no evidence that these strong trends are abating," Blucher said. "In fact, if anything, they're continuing to escalate going forward."
Blucher also noted there are more cars on the road in B.C. today – 3.1 million up from 2.8 million in 2011 – and people are driving more because of cheaper gas, contributing to more accidents, particularly in densifying urban areas.
And he pointed to personal injury lawyers as an aggravating cause of ICBC's spiralling claims costs.
"B.C. is the only province in Canada where you can sue another motorist for even a minor traffic accident," Blucher said, noting an increase in lawyer-represented claims and advertising by injury law firms.
Internal operating costs have been cut by $186 million a year, and ICBC is counting on more savings ahead, through its modernization program, by more aggressively combatting insurance fraud and from a hoped-for drop in distracted driving as motorists respond to stiffer penalties.
But transfers from the optional side to bolster the basic side will likely be needed for the foreseeable future, Blucher said, because basic premiums can't keep up with rising costs.
In a surprise move, the B.C. government will this year forgo extracting its usual $160-million annual dividend from ICBC's optional side into general revenue.
"Forgoing the dividend this particular year is one strategy amongst a litany of others we're employing to get that basic trate increase down," Transportation Minister Todd Stone said.
Stone said the $514 million the province has transferred out of ICBC in dividends since 2012 is small compared to the $1.4 billion over the same period that has been shifted from the competitive optional side to basic to apply downward pressure on basic rates.
The minister would not say if the government would permanently give up the ICBC dividend.
Adrian DIx, the NDP critic for ICBC, said the dividends to government have exceeded $1.2 billion since 2010 and predicted they'll resume after next year's election because the BC Liberals are "addicted" to using ICBC as a "profit centre."
Dix said the reliance on shifting huge amounts of capital from optional to basic raises troubling questions.
"Next year they've got to find that $472 million," Dix said. "What they've done is create a disaster at ICBC and their only hope is to deceive the voters until after the election."
He said ICBC's new move to hire more claims staff underscores problems with completing the computer modernization that was supposed to make operations more efficient.
"The transformation project has taken longer than World War 2 and is not close to finished."
ICBC's basic rates rose 11.2 per cent in 2012 and at least five per cent every year since.
The new rate hike is subject to B.C. Utilities Commission approval.
ICBC Rate Pressure Charts

ICBC seeks 4.9 per cent basic rate hike as crashes, costs climb


$60 a year increase for most drivers once optional auto insurance increase is included


Stephen Colbert records an episode of his U.S. comedy show from Vancouver during the 2010 Olympics, expressing amazement about the lack of igloos in February. Expo 86 and the Olympics were designed to put Vancouver on the world map, and it seems to have worked.
With a bit of grumbling behind the scenes, our 85 MLAs have trekked back to Victoria this week to deal with an emergency summer legislature sitting.
The stated purpose of this brief session is to comply with a demand from Vancouver city council for the ability to impose additional property tax on vacant residential properties.
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, a former NDP MLA who likes to direct provincial affairs when he isn’t issuing instructions to Ottawa on pipeline policy, should be careful what he wishes for. B.C. Finance Minister Mike de Jong was happy to drop this hot potato in his lap, and now Vancouver city hall can try to determine who’s vacationing for a few months and who’s holding an investment property while living somewhere else.
When NDP leader John Horgan began calling for a “speculation tax” of 1.5 per cent on “offshore” investments, de Jong cited a Vancouver survey that showed the number of vacant properties in the city was declining, even as prices were climbing rapidly.
Horgan argues that Metro Vancouver is in the grip of a housing “bubble” that must be caused by foreign money.
“If wages have been stagnant for a decade, which they have, where is the revenue coming from to inflate these prices?” Horgan said last week. “It’s coming from somewhere else. And that’s not sustainable over the long term.”
Another point likely to be made repeatedly this week is that the province stopped collecting citizenship and residency data on real estate purchases back in the late 1990s. De Jong changed that this spring and with great fanfare rolled out the first three weeks of sales data from June.
They showed that only three per cent of purchases of B.C. residential real estate were from foreign buyers, mostly from China. They were concentrated in Metro Vancouver, and accounted for about five per cent of the total value, which suggests they were for higher-end properties.
This was assailed from all sides. Not a big enough sample size, doesn’t prove anything, etc.
(De Jong abruptly announced on Monday that they were imposing a 15 per cent additional property transfer tax on foreign buyers. On Tuesday he released another few weeks of foreign buyer data.)
We have one of those situations I call coffee shop consensus. Everybody “knows” it’s Chinese money pouring into B.C., and that many homes are being left empty, even if the actual evidence doesn’t show that.
Seattle has a similar problem with real estate in choice locations, by the way. Down there, the coffee shop consensus seems to be that it’s those darn San Francisco and Silicon Valley grillionaires who are driving up prices beyond the reach of working folks.
Blaming foreigners is a great narrative. We saw the same thing with B.C. campgrounds. Utter nonsense, but it has “truthiness,” as U.S. comedian Stephen Colbert says. Truthiness comes from the gut, not the brain.
In a recent radio interview with CKNW’s combative talk show host John McComb, de Jong put forward another theory. He mentioned that the aim of hosting Expo 86 and the 2010 Winter Olympics was to put Vancouver on the global map, and it seems to have worked.
Whistler has worked as a world destination too, as galling as it may be to those who insist these were all costly failures.
The real estate boom has had ripple effects in Victoria and other urban centres, with bidding wars for choice homes.
And it’s beginning to reverse a long trend of depopulation from small communities and rural areas, as people are forced to look for something they can afford.
And it’s produced an urban building boom, including the rental market. There are worse problems to have.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca Twitter: @tomfletcherbc

BC VIEWS: Housing ‘crisis’ decades in the making


Expo 86, and later the Vancouver Olympics, were designed to put B.C. and Vancouver on the world map


B.C. Day, on Monday, Aug. 1, is an opportunity to celebrate this spectacular province. See how well you know British Columbia.

B.C. DAY TRIVIA QUIZ: How much do you know about British Columbia?


Courses offer loaner equipment and training in casting and proper fish handling.
Children aged five to 15 can take advantage of fishing instruction sessions being held around the province by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C. this summer.
The Learn to Fish program has been running since 2006. It provides loaned fishing gear as well as instruction on how to cast and retrieve, identify different fish species, handle fish properly and fish ethically within the regulations.
Locations and registration information for Learn to Fish courses is available here.
The Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C. is financed by revenue from B.C. fishing licence sales.
A sample of the instruction videos available on the society website:

Free fishing lessons for kids [with video]


Learn to Fish program offers instruction and loaner equipment to help children aged 5 to 15 catch a trout


Prospective Pokemon trainers can officially download the mobile gaming sensation Pokemon Go in Canada as of Sunday afternoon.
The augmented-reality game launched in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Japan earlier this month.
But before Sunday, Canadians had to find workarounds to play the game north of the 49th parallel.
The game sends players into the real world to search for the mythical digital pocket monsters known as Pokemon, who appear onscreen when users hold up their smartphones in various locations at various times of the day.
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Canadian gamers embrace Pokemon Go
On Sunday afternoon, it was announced on the app's Twitter page that the game is available for download in Canada on Android and iOS devices.
But the app's servers overloaded in the hour after the announcement, and wannabe players had to wait a little longer before they could register an account.
The Canadian Press

Pokemon Go officially launches in Canada, virtual reality game crashes app's servers


Game that gets users out in real life with smartphones had required Canadians to find workarounds before Sunday


LOGAN, Ohio — A total of 15 strokes kept GAHS out of first place on Thursday.
The Gallia Academy girls golf team claimed second out of four teams in a match at Hocking Hills Golf Club, which was hosted by Logan.
Westfall — a 2015 district qualifier — was first place in Thursday’s match with a team total of 229. Gallia Academy’s 244 placed the Blue Angels second, while the host Lady Chieftains were next with a 251. Vinton County rounded out the four-team field with a 293. Due to darkness, each team only had four golfers finish the round.
GAHS senior Kimberly Edelmann led the Blue Angels with a 55, followed by Molly Fitzwater with a 57 and Carley Johnson with a 65. Gallia Academy senior Breanna Justice rounded out the Blue and White total with a 67.
Blue Angels Katie Fraley and Sydney Crothers were among those whose rounds were cut short by darkness.
Medalist for the match was Westfall’s Ella Seeley, who carded a 49.
GAHS returns to the course on Monday at Cliffside Golf Course, where the Blue Angels host Eastern, which was also a 2015 district qualifier.
Alex Hawley can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2100.

Blue Angels finish second to Westfall in quad-match


RAVENSWOOD, W.Va. — Better late than never.
Colton Arrington’s 90-yard interception return for a touchdown with 2:05 left in regulation ultimately allowed visiting Wahama to secure a come-from-behind 26-14 victory over Ravenswood Friday night in a Week 1 non-conference matchup in Jackson County.
The White Falcons (1-0) trailed 7-0 at halftime, but the Red and White responded with consecutive third quarter scores to claim their first lead of the night at 14-7 with 6:32 left in the period.
The Red Devils (0-1), however, responded with a touchdown of their own less than a minute later — making it a 14-all contest headed into the finale.
Wyatt Edwards scored on an eight-yard run with 9:23 left in regulation to give WHS a permanent lead of 20-14, but Ravenswood made a late drive that seemed to make that advantage look very slim.
Alex Casto hauled in a 55-yard pass from Max Hilton with under three minutes remaining, giving the hosts possession at the Wahama 25-yard line.
On the ensuing play, an errant Hilton pass made its way to Arrington at the 10-yard line — and Arrington rumbled 90 yards to paydirt to wrap up the 12-point triumph.
Casto opened the scoring at the 1:32 mark of the first quarter following a three-yard run, which allowed RHS to take a 7-0 advantage.
Arrington tied the game in the third quarter by hauling in a seven-yard pass from Brady Bumgarner at the 9:20 mark, then Bumgarner added a five-yard run with 6:32 left for a 14-7 Wahama cushion.
Hilton knotted the score up at 14 following a 57-yard scamper with 5:56 remaining in the third period.
Edwards led the Wahama rushing attack with 138 yards on 29 carries, while Arrington chipped in 89 yards on 13 attempts. Bryton Grate was 1-of-3 passing for 15 yards, while Arrington led the wideouts with two catches for 22 yards.
Casto paced RHS with 77 rushing yards on nine totes and Hilton added 51 yards on four carries. Hilton also finished the night 2-of-9 passing for 63 yards, which included a pair of picks. Casto led Ravenswood with one catch for 55 yards.
The White Falcons have now won two straight season openers and nine of their last 10 Week 1 contests overall.
Wahama returns to action Friday when it travels to Waterford for a TVC Hocking matchup at 7:30 p.m.
Bryan Walters can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2101.


POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — The 15th annual Mothman Festival is less than a month away and organizers are expecting a record crowd.
“We typically see 5,000 people (at the festival), this year we’re looking at 8,000 to 9,000,” Denny Bellamy, director of the Mason County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, said.
Bellamy said this growth could be attributed to several things, including this year being the 50th anniversary of the reported sightings of Mothman in Mason County, W.Va. This is also the 15th year of the festival, which only continues to grow in size, reputation and attractions. Bellamy added, there are already 13,000 people interested in visiting the festival, according to its Facebook page. He explained, if even half of those arrive in Point Pleasant, it could be a “situation” in terms of where to park them all.
Finding available parking has always been an issue at the festival and this year, as previously reported, the City of Point Pleasant has agreed to park cars at Krodel Park for a $5 fee and offer a free tram ride between the park and the festival.
“People need to prepare for the crowd that’s coming,” Bellamy said, pointing out that’s not a bad thing considering the money these visitors spend in Mason County, as well as adjacent counties which benefit from booked hotels. In Point Pleasant, the Lowe Hotel is booked a year in advance for the festival.
Bellamy said the festival is also physically expanding in downtown Point Pleasant, having vendors and displays in a larger area which will include from the State Theater at 6th Street to the Point Pleasant River Museum and Learning Center on 1st Street.
“We want the festival to stretch from one end (of Main Street) to the other, not just be contained to one area,” Bellamy said when talking about the congestion that happens on 4th Street near the Mothman statue when the crowd picks up.
The festival, which is known for adding those special attractions each year, will be hosting the cast of “Mountain Monsters” for a fan meet and greet on Saturday, Sept. 17. “Mountain Monsters” is a documentary television series on Destination America. It premiered June 22, 2013, and began its fourth season on Jan. 23, 2016.
Also, each year the festival welcomes more and more of those into “cosplay” which are fans dressed as their favorite characters. Returning this year are the Men in Black as well as the Ghostbusters and more. New this year, in terms of “cosplay” will be fans dressed as characters from the hit television show, “Supernatural,” along with a Chevy Impala that looks like the one on the show. Often found wandering the streets during the festival are Captain America, characters from Star Wars and the elusive Bigfoot. In fact, vendors and speakers enthralled with Sasquatch have been growing at the festival, along with those interested in the paranormal.
Speakers on a variety of topics will also be at the State Theater; the Mothman hayrides will return to the West Virginia State Farm Museum; the TNT bus tours will return as well; an eclectic offering of merchandise and food vendors will be lining the streets again; bands have been booked at Riverfront Park; the Mothman 5K Run/Walk will be back, as will Hillbilly Zip Line, inflatables for kids, tram ride tours and horse and carriage rides.
Also, Mothman will be available for selfies for the entire weekend and local attractions like the World’s Only Mothman Museum, the river museum, the U.S. Navy Poster Museum, as well as local downtown merchants, will be open for business.
A more complete guide on the festival, which takes place Sept. 17-18, will appear in an upcoming edition of the Point Pleasant Register.
More information about the festival can be found on Facebook and at www.mothmanfestival.com. Admission is free.
The 15th annual Mothman Festival returns to Point Pleasant, W.Va., on Sept. 17-18. A record crowd is expected at this year’s festival, which also celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Mothman sightings in Mason County. Pictured is a scene from last year’s festival. http://mydailysentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_8.31-PPR-Mothman.jpg The 15th annual Mothman Festival returns to Point Pleasant, W.Va., on Sept. 17-18. A record crowd is expected at this year’s festival, which also celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Mothman sightings in Mason County. Pictured is a scene from last year’s festival.
Preparing for record number of visitors to this year’s festival
By Beth Sergent bsergent@civitasmedia.com
Reach Beth Sergent at bsergent@civitasmedia.com or on Twitter @BSergentWrites.
Reach Beth Sergent at bsergent@civitasmedia.com or on Twitter @BSergentWrites.

The Mothman crowd: Preparing for record number of visitors to this year’s festival


Point Pleasant Big Blacks at Lincoln County Panthers
Last meeting between the teams: August 28, 2015. Point Pleasant won 62-7 in Point Pleasant
Current head-to-head streak: Point Pleasant has won 3 straight.
Five things to note:
1. Point Pleasant holds a state-best 33-game regular season winning streak, having not lost in the regular season since October 5, 2012. That loss came on the road, at Oak Hill by a 34-14 final.
2. The Big Blacks’ last trip to Hamlin resulted in a 54-0 PPHS victory. That is one of 13 shutout victories the Point Pleasant defense has posted in Dave Darst’s tenure.
3. Point Pleasant is a 10-10 in its last 20 season openers, but has won five consecutive.
4. A total of 63 players will suit up for the Big Blacks this fall, 37 of which are varsity returnees.
5. Road, sweet road. The Big Blacks have won 17 consecutive regular season contests away from Ohio Valley Bank Track and Field.
Wahama White Falcons at Ravenswood Red Devils
Last meeting between the teams: August 28, 2015. Wahama won 42-0 in Mason.
Current head-to-head streak: Wahama has won 1 straight.
Five things to note:
1. Wahama’s last trip to Ravenswood was August 29, 2014. The Red Devils claimed a 27-6 win in that game and handed WHS its first season opening loss since 2006.
2. The White Falcons have won 11 of its last 20 season openers, including eight of its last nine.
3. Since joining the TVC Hocking prior to the 2010 season, Wahama is 9-3 in non-league regular season play.
4. Both teams are coming off of their worst seasons in the last decade, as Ravenswood was 1-9 last fall, and Wahama was 4-6.
5. The Red Devils have 35 players on the 2016 roster including five seniors, 10 juniors, seven sophomores and 13 freshmen. The White Falcons have 27 players on this fall’s roster, including two seniors, 10 juniors, 11 sophomores and four freshmen. A total of 18 of Wahama’s players are returning from last year.
Hannan Wildcats at Montcalm Generals
Last meeting between the teams: August 28, 2015. Montcalm won 50-12 in Ashton.
Current head-to-head streak: Montcalm has won 8 straight.
Five things to note:
1. The Wildcats are hoping to start the season with a victory for the first time since 1999. Hannan is just 2-19 in its last 21 season openers.
2. Hannan last defeated the Generals on October 26, 2007, by a 12-6 final in Ashton. Since then MHS has outscored the Wildcats by a 276-to-63 count.
3. Including a 2-0 forfeit loss in 2014, Hannan has been shutout in three of the last eight meetings with MHS.
4. Montcalm has 39 players on its 2016 roster, compared to Hannan, which has 21 players. Of Hannan’s 21 players, 10 are returnees from last season.
5. Hannan’s last trip to Purdich Field resulted in a 69-14 MHS victory. HHS hasn’t won at Montcalm since November 9, 1996, when the Wildcats claimed a 30-0 triumph.
Wahama running back Dalton Kearns (23) looks for a block from Colton Arrington (28) during the White Falcons’ 46-14 loss to visiting Trimble on October 2, 2015. http://mydailysentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_8.26-WAH-D.Kearns.jpg Wahama running back Dalton Kearns (23) looks for a block from Colton Arrington (28) during the White Falcons’ 46-14 loss to visiting Trimble on October 2, 2015. Alex Hawley/OVP Sports

Mason County teams open season on the road


For most folks, the demise of the blogging website Gawker meant only Terry Gene Bollea won his lawsuit and millions of dollars in a judgement.
Hulk Hogan, Bollea’s stage name, sued the website for $115 million — another $25 million in punitive damages was added later — because of a sex tape Gawker posted on its site. The decision came down on the side of privacy verses free speech.
The judgement was enough to bankrupt and end Gawker’s run. Set up in 2003 as a blogging site, Gawker exemplified much of what we see and read across the internet. The internet offers a certain free rein, wide open and lots of anonymity. There’s very little filter for some folks, particularly when it comes to posting on the internet, including commenting under a fictitious name as some are wont to do.
There wasn’t anything anonymous about Gawker. Its founder and editors were readily identifiable and fairly well known. What Gawker and those who post anonymously fail to take into consideration is what free speech really means.
A.J. Liebling in a 1960 issue of “New Yorker” magazine article titled “The Wayward Press: Do You Belong in Journalism?” said, “Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one.”
In that day and time, the “press” largely consisted of newspaper, television station or radio station. What the internet has done is deliver a “press” to anyone who has access to a computer or smartphone.
And while most people like to talk about freedom of the press, journalists who practice their craft usually remember what goes along with that First Amendment right-responsibility.
Jeff Jarvis, professor of journalism at City University of New York, spoke about responsibility in a piece about the lawsuit fallout. The Ohio Newspaper Association shared his comments with its members last week.
Writing to former Gawker Media owner Nick Denton and his editors, Jarvis said, “… freedom of speech does not mean that you have to publish everything you could publish. Freedom of speech also protects the right and necessity to edit responsibly.”
A lot of people talk about the power of the press, and while that power does exist, few people recognize the responsibility that goes along with that power. Anyone that writes, posts or edits content on the internet needs to remember the responsibility. Gawker did not recognize, or at least did not exercise, its responsibility.
Exercise of responsibility is the niche media organizations bring to internet content. It’s not uncommon to hear of rumors circulating through the area. In the news business, we hear rumors all the time. The difference is the internet and social media provide anyone the opportunity to put those rumors out for all to read.
Sometimes rumors turn out to be true. More often than not, they’re just that — rumors. Journalists practice restraint, most of the time, and exercise responsibility to run rumors to the ground before making them public. That’s the value journalists and journalism bring to the internet whether dealing with national or local rumors.


HUNTINGTON, W. Va. — It might have been a slow start on Monday night, but for the Ohio Valley Christian School volleyball team — it was the finish that mattered most.
After being blitzed by host Covenant Christian 25-6 in the opening game, the visiting Lady Defenders captured the final three sets — 27-25, 25-10 and 25-20 — to remain perfect for the season.
The Lady Defenders are now 4-0, as they also swept the Lady Eagles as part of a triangular match to open the year.
This time, OVCS’ Katie Westfall racked up 29 service points, including a hefty dozen aces.
Katie Bradley added 14 points and Cori Hutchison 11, including a pair of aces by Hutchison.
Marcie Kessinger and Emily Childers chipped in with nine points apiece, as Destiny Gray garnered six.
Of the team’s 24 kills, Westfall with 10 and Bradley with seven were the Defenders’ top attackers.
Bradley set for 44 assists, while Childers chalked up 37 to go along with four kills.
Hutchison had a pair of blocks while Bradley boasted one.
Ohio Valley Christian School returns home on Thursday night, as it hosts Wahama in what will be the White Falcons’ second match of the year.
Paul Boggs can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2106


WELLSTON, Ohio — Amid unreal heat, and temperatures topping out in the mid-90s, the Meigs High School cross country teams finished in the top half of the team standings at Saturday’s Wellston Golden Rocket Cross Country Invitational at Wellston High School.
The Lady Marauders were among nine squads that amassed team scores — and finished fourth thanks to placing their top five runners in the top 45, along with winning the sixth-score tiebreaker against Alexander.
The Meigs boys were sixth out of a dozen clubs, but were only five points from finishing fourth — as their top seven runners all placed in the top 50.
The Southern Lady Tornadoes with four runners and the South Gallia Lady Rebels with two also participated at Wellston, as did Southern’s boys with three runners and South Gallia with two.
At least five runners must compete — and finish the race — in order for a school to post a team score.
A total of seven runners is the maximum number scored.
The Lady Marauders and Alexander actually scored 117 points, but Meigs finished fourth and Alexander fifth based on the sixth-score tiebreaker.
Athens easily captured the team championship, scoring 29 points by placing five runners in the top-12 — and all seven scores in the top 18.
Chillicothe, paced by individual race winner Laikin Tarlton in 21 minutes and 23 seconds, was the runner-up with 63 points — followed by Vinton County with 79.
Jackson was sixth with 164 points, followed by Federal Hocking (203), Huntington (213) and Portsmouth Clay (216).
For the Meigs girls, junior Caitlyn Rest finished 16th in 24 minutes and seven seconds, while sophomore Taylor Swartz was 19th in 24:36.
Fellow sophomore Marissa Noble was 27th in 25 minutes and two seconds, while senior Gracie Hoffman finished 34th in 26:08.
Ariann Sizemore mustered the fifth score for the Lady Marauders by placing 45th in 27:20, while sophomore Kacie Ballard’s 29:18 was good enough for 59th — and for the tiebreaker against the Spartans.
Madison Cremeans was the seventh score for Meigs, placing 72nd in 31:21.
Not scoring points for the Marauders but also completing the race were freshman Katilyn Brinker (84th in 32:59) and junior Carmen Doherty (91st in 35:32).
All four of Southern’s girls placed between 41st and 55th — with all four finishing in under 29 minutes.
The two freshmen — Sydney Roush (26:49) and Baylee Wolfe (27:36) — finished 41st and 46th respectively, while the two sophomores — Mallory Johnson (28:02) and Madison Lisle (28:49) — finished 52nd and 56th.
South Gallia sophomore Jessica Luther placed 21st in 24 minutes and 44 seconds, while senior teammate Autumn Norris was 73rd in 31:25.
There were 101 runners in the girls high school race.
On the boys side, the Marauders were sixth with 136 points, trailing fourth-place Chillicothe by only four points (132) and fifth-place Huntington by three (133).
Athens easily captured the team championship, amounting 35 points by placing four runners in the top eight and five in the top-17.
Alexander was the runner-up with 93 points, as Trimble took third with 115.
South Webster was seventh with 180 points, followed by Jackson (203), Pike Eastern (205), Federal Hocking (247), Oak Hill (271) and Wheelersburg (282).
The Marauders were paced by senior James Parsons, who placed 13th in 19 minutes and 40 seconds.
Cole Betzing was only 30 seconds behind in 22nd (20:10), while Landon Davis was 36th (21:02), Eli Leigh was 40th (21:09) and Dillon Mahr was 44th (21:27).
Andrew Monroe (47th in 21:28) and Nate Hoover (50th in 21:44) were the other two Meigs scores.
The four non-counting scores for the Marauders were Colton Heater (64th in 23:20), Jake Roush (66th in 23:40), Cole Hoffman (92nd in 26:40) and Brady Smith (106th in 29:16).
Southern junior Larry Dunn led the Tornadoes, crossing the line in 11th in 19 minutes and 38 seconds.
Fellow junior Connor Wolfe was 25th for Southern in 20:30, while senior Lucas Hunter finished 49th in 21:43.
South Gallia’s two runners were sophomores Tristan Janey (78th in 24:30) and Gavin Bevan (89th in 25:53).
Evan Leist of Pike Eastern — in 17 minutes and 28 seconds — was the individual race winner, as 118 runners competed in the boys high school race.
Paul Boggs can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2106


HUNTINGTON, W. Va. — The Point Pleasant High School cross country squads competed on Saturday at the Huntington Hilltop Invitational meet, as the Black Knights sported five girls runners and seven boys runners.
The Black Knight boys had 468 points, while the Lady Knights notched 272.
For the boys, sophomore Luke Wilson led the way with a 19th-place finish, completing the 5K course in 20 minutes and 13 seconds.
Chase Lowery, a freshman, was the next Black Knight runner to cross — placing 60th in 23:35.
The remainder of the Point Pleasant boys finished from 85th thru 105th, as there 105 runners in the boys high school race.
A pair of freshmen — Isaac Daniels and Ethan Scott — crossed the line back-to-back in 85th and 86th-place.
Daniels ran a time of 28:06, followed by Scott who completed the race in 28:27.
Wyatt Dean was 90th in 29:48, Tanner Durst was 93rd in 30 minutes and 15 seconds, and senior Byron Fisher finished 105th in one second shy of 40 minutes.
For the girls, sophomore Allison Henderson had a 31st-place finish for Point Pleasant, completing the course in 26 minutes and 36 seconds.
The remaining runners for the Lady Knights all finished from 66th thru 75th — as there were 83 total runners in the girls high school race.
Karson Bonecutter was 66th in 30:57, Cierra Beatty was 70th in 32:14, Tanner King was 73rd in 33:46, and Tayllor King was 75th in 34:09.
Cabell-Midland swept the team championships with 29 points for the boys and 48 for the girls.
Parkersburg was the runner-up in both — with 43 points for the boys and 54 for the gals.
Jacob Birurakis of George Washington was the individual race winner for the boys in 17 minutes and 43 seconds, while Gretchen Mills captured the girls race with a time of 21:18.
Paul Boggs can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2106

Black Knights compete at Huntington Invite


BEVERLY, Ohio — The young South Gallia High School golf team posted its first victory of the season on Thursday, as it competed in another Tri-Valley Conference Hocking Division match.
The Rebels, in a tri-match with Waterford and Trimble at Lakeside Golf Club in Beverly, topped Trimble while losing to Waterford.
The Rebels and Tomcats had four players competing apiece, as South Gallia shot a team total of 228 while Trimble tallied a 252.
That head-to-head contest is considered non-league, as — under league rules — those two schools were not competing against each other on one or the other’s home course.
Waterford, which was the host school and was competing against both, ran away with the win by firing a 180.
The Wildcats are the defending division champion, as their only loss this season was non-league against Southern in a TVC-Hocking tri-match at Wahama.
South Gallia was led by junior Curtis Hanner firing a 43, as Bryce Nolan and MacKenzie Martin each shot 60.
Amaya Howell had 65 for the other Rebel score.
Trimble’s four scores were Nathan Riley with a 55, Jason Benner with a 62, Zack Bragg with a 65 and Aeden Bailes with a 70.
All four of Waterford’s counting cards were 51 or better, as Wes Jenkins captured match medalist honors with a 39.
Travis Pottmeyer and Evan Seevers shot 44 and 46 respectively, while Isaac Wagner was the fourth counting score with a 51.
The Wildcats’ non-counting cards were Jared Miller with a 58 and Matt Semon with a 59.
The Rebels return to the road, and return to TVC-Hocking Division action, on Monday against Eastern and Wahama.
Tee-off time is set for 4:30 p.m. — at Riverside Golf Course in Mason with Wahama as the host.
Paul Boggs can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2106

Rebels’ golf tops Trimble, loses to Wildcats


RIO GRANDE, Ohio — The University of Rio Grande scored a pair of goals 77 seconds apart inside the opening 10 minutes and never looked back, posting a 3-1 win over Indiana Wesleyan University on Saturday night in non-conference men’s soccer action at a humid Evan E. Davis Field.
The top-ranked RedStorm, who were playing their home opener, improved to 3-0 with the victory.
The Wildcats, who are ranked No. 9 in the NAIA coaches poll and who were the second of Rio’s four national tournament victims en route to its championship last season, slipped to 1-1 with the loss.
Rio Grande set the tone early when sophomore Harry Reilly scored off of an assist by junior Joao Paulo Antonio just 7:45 into the match, before senior Pau Delgado Rodriguez made it 2-0 just 77 seconds later when he found the back of the net on the rebound of a missed shot by senior teammate Willian Paulino.
IWU sliced the deficit in half with just over 10-and-a-half minutes remaining in the opening stanza when Jacob Singer scored off the rebound of Evan Young’s miss — and that’s how things stayed until just under 16 minutes through the second half.
Antonio scored off of a feed from junior Jorge Guinovart with 29:05 remaining to set the final score.
Sophomore Ben Martinez recorded three saves in goal for Rio Grande, which outshot its guest, 15-10.
Lucas Fancello had four saves in a losing cause for the Wildcats.
Rio Grande returns to action next weekend at the Savannah College of Art and Design Invitational in Hardeeville, S.C.
The RedStorm will face host SCAD Savannah on Friday, Sept. 2, at 7 p.m. and will face Southeastern (Fla.) on Sunday, Sept. 4, at 1 p.m.


PICKERINGTON, Ohio — You might as well start your season off against top competition.
The Gallia Academy and River Valley cross country teams both opened their 2016 campaigns on Saturday among some of the top teams in the state, at the Pickerington North Cross Country Classic.
In the boys’ Bengal Division — which featured 260 individuals and 21 teams — Gahanna Lincoln won the team crown with a score of 63, followed by Mount Gilead with an 87 and Marysville with a 137. River Valley took seventh with a score of 189, while Gallia Academy was 10th with a 267.
The boys’ race was won by Cole Lovett of Carollton with a 16:46.03, while Michael Hardesty of River View was second with a 17:03.91.
River Valley was led by Nathaniel Abbott, who was 21st with a time of 18:27.65. Garrett Young was next for the Raiders, placing 29th with a time of 18:47.69. Finishing 39th overall was River Valley’s Chance Gillman (19:16.51), while George Rickett (19:45.07) and Kyle Coen (19:59.01) rounded out the RVHS total, finishing 56th and 58th respectively.
The potential tie-breaking scores for the Silver and Black came from Cole Franklin (21:01.53) and Austin Livingston (21:07.13), who finished 98th and 103rd respectively.
GAHS junior Kyle Greenlee led the Blue Devils, and all local boys runners, with a 16th place finish and a time of 18:09.69. Next for the Blue Devils was Caleb Greenlee, who was 25th overall with a time of 18:30.99. Gallia Academy’s third score came from Devon Barnes, who finished 73rd with a time of 20:09.95.
Ezra Blain (21:02.83) and Kobe Cochran (21:10.07) rounded out the GAHS boys score, placing 100th and 108th respectively. Cade Mason (21:42.66) finished 130th and Grant Smith (21:49.51) was 133rd as Gallia Academy’s potential tie-breaking scores.
In the girls’ Bengal Division — which featured 302 individuals and 23 teams — Thomas Worthington took the team title with a score of 25, followed by Marysville with an 85 and Mount Gilead with a 135. The Blue Angels were 11th overall with a 317, while River Valley was 15th with a 454.
TWHS senior Christina Nash won the girls race with a time of 20:03.29, just .26 seconds ahead of runner-up Maddie Dunlap, who is a senior from Carrollton.
Gallia Academy’s Mary Watts led the Blue Angels and all local girls with a time of 21:51.77, good enough for a 16th place finish. Mesa Polcyn was next for GAHS, placing 18th with a time of 21:57.42. In their first-ever varsity meets, GAHS freshmen Brook Johnson (24:25.92) and Abby Johnson (24:38.21) finished 82nd and 88th respectively.
Abby Cremeans (29:38.18) rounded out the Gallia Academy team total with a 212th place finish. Sabrina Manygoats (30:21.59) and Caitlyn Caldwell (30:57.86) finished 227th and 232nd as the Blue Angels’ potential tie-breaking scores.
The Lady Raiders’ best finisher was 41st place Kenzie Baker, who turned in a time of 23:08.67 to kick off her junior season. Beth Gillman claimed 120th with a time of 25:50.27 for RVHS, while Kaylee Gillman was 123rd with a time of 26:07.95. Josie Jones (27:35.62) and Julia Nutter (28:45.97) rounded out the Lady Raiders total, finishing 160th and 188th respectively.
The potential tie-breaking scores for RVHS came from Sophie Branham (28:52.29) and Natosha Rankin (28:53.67), who finished back-to-back at 191 and 192.
River Valley will run again on Saturday at Vinton County, while Gallia Academy’s next meet will be at home on September 6.
Alex Hawley can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2100.

GAHS, RVHS runners open season at Pickerington North


GALLIPOLIS, Ohio — A home opener to remember.
In a back-and-forth match the Ohio Valley Christian volleyball team claimed a 3-2 victory over Wood County Christian on Friday night in Gallipolis, in the first home game for the Lady Defenders in 2016.
In the opening game, OVCS (3-0) fell behind by four points early, but ended the game with a 13-4 run to claim a 25-21 victory.
It was the Lady Defenders who charged out to the four-point lead at 9-5 in the second game, but Wood County Christian bounced back to take a 15-12 lead. Ohio Valley Christian tied the game at 15, but surrendered six straight points to the Lady Wildcats. OVCS battled back to within three, but fell to WCCS by a 25-20 count in the second game.
Ohio Valley Christian took an early 6-3 lead in the second game, but surrendered four straight points and the lead. The Wood County Christian lead was short-lived, however, as the Lady Defenders took the advantage back at 8-7. OVCS never relinquished that lead and eventually won the third game by a 25-18 margin.
The Lady Wildcats evened the match at 2-2 after a 25-19 win in the fourth game, which WCCS never trailed in.
The Lady Defenders scored the first four points of the fifth and deciding game, and they never looked back, rolling to a 15-10 victory.
Cori Hutchison led the OVCS service attack with 16 points, including four aces. Emily Childers marked 12 service points five aces, Katie Bradley added 11 points with two aces, while Katie Westfall and Marcie Kessinger had seven points each, including three aces by Westfall and one by Kessinger. Destiny Gray and Makala Sizemore rounded out the OVCS service attack with three and two points respectively.
At the net, Ohio Valley Christian was led by Bradley with 11 kills and one block, and Westfall with 10 kills and five blocks. Hutchison had three kills and two blocks, Childers added one kill, while Gray and Sizemore each had one block.
The Blue and Gold will return to action on Monday, when they visit Covenant Christian. OVCS defeated CCS 2-0 in a tri-match earlier this season.
Alex Hawley can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2100.

Lady Defenders outlast Wood County Christian


POMEROY, Ohio — Bolstered by having the top two finishers, the Eastern Lady Eagles edged the Meigs Lady Marauders in a girls golf match on Thursday.
In a close contest at the Meigs County Golf Course, and on a hot and humid afternoon, the Lady Eagles clipped the Marauders by 10 strokes — 197-207.
The Meigs and Eastern junior varsity boys teams also competed on Thursday, as Meigs shot a 221 while Eastern only had three players.
For the girls, Eastern’s Kylee Tolliver took match medalist honors with an eight-over-par 42, while teammate Kate Hawk had a 47 to claim medalist runner-up.
Kate Edwards added a 52, while Sarah Bunce shot a 56 for the other two counting cards.
The non-counting score for the Lady Eagles was Ashley Tolliver with a 60.
The Lady Marauders’ top-two scores were Kendra Robie with a 48 and Mersadies Markins with a 49.
The other counting scores for Meigs were Mikayla Ratcliffe with a 54 and Shalynn Mitchell with a 56.
Lydia Edwards with a 60 and Caroline Roush with a 64 rounded out the Maroon and Gold.
For the Marauders’ JV boys, seven players participated with the top four scores counting towards their team total.
The four counting cards all shot in the 50s — Theo McElroy with a 52, Brayden Ervin with a 55, Brody Reynolds with a 56 and Dawson Justice with a 58.
Brody Dellavalle with a 61, Gus Kennedy with a 62 and Caleb Stanley with a 63 were the three non-counting scores.
Eastern’s scores were Nathan Hensley with a 52, Garrett Rees with a 63 and Breyden Bush with a 68.
Paul Boggs can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2106


BIDWELL, Ohio — This time, the Lady Raiders were on the right end of a four-set affair against a TVC-Hocking squad.
That’s because the River Valley High School volleyball team captured a four-set victory on Thursday night, defeating visiting Belpre by counts of 25-13, 25-18, 16-25 and 25-22.
The win was the Raiders’ first of the season, as River Valley had lost two road tilts at two Tri-Valley Conference Hocking Division clubs — at Eastern on Monday and Federal Hocking on Wednesday.
Both of those contests were also decided in four sets, as River Valley is a member of the TVC-Ohio.
Against Belpre, the Lady Raiders racked up 28 kills and 28 assists, with a serving percentage of 90-percent.
They also served up 11 aces, along with collecting 26 digs and five-and-a-half blocks.
Carly Gilmore garnered good all-around efforts with 11 kills, three blocks, eight digs and a pair of aces.
Jaden Neal notched seven kills for River Valley, while Rachael Horner and Emily Adkins added three apiece.
The team’s two setters — Angel Toler (13) and Isabella Mershon (11) — combined for all but four of the club’s assists.
Toler tallied five of the 11 aces as well, while Mershon — like Gilmore — mustered two.
Toler trailed Gilmore in digs by two (six).
The Lady Raiders return to the road, and return to non-league action, against another TVC-Hocking team in Southern on Monday.
Paul Boggs can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2106


RIO GRANDE, Ohio — Visiting Marietta College scored goals late in the first half and early in the second stanza — and went on to outlast the University of Rio Grande 2-0 on Sunday afternoon in non-conference women’s soccer action at steamy Evan E. Davis Field.
Marietta, a NCAA Division III school located about an hour north of Rio Grande, designated the contest as an exhibition game — prior to its regular season opener at Washington and Jefferson College next Thursday.
The RedStorm, who were playing their second game in four days, slipped to 0-1-1 with the loss.
The Pioneers finished with a 16-9 edge in shots overall, including a 10-4 advantage in shots on goal.
Marietta got what proved to be the only goal it would need with 2:31 remaining in the first half when Sophia Moise gained control of a ball misplayed by the Rio defense deep in the RedStorm’s defensive end — and pushed a shot past Rio freshman goalkeeper Andrea Vera.
The lead grew to 2-0 just over six-and-a-half minutes into the second half, when the Pioneers’ Brittany Palm caught Vera off her line and lofted a shot over her head and into the back of the net.
Rio’s best scoring opportunity of the day came on a penalty kick by sophomore Rachel Haddad — of Gallipolis — with 7:59 left in the contest, but the shot ricocheted off the crossbar.
Vera finished with eight saves in a losing cause for the RedStorm.
Rebecca Tenney recorded four stops in the win for Marietta.
Rio Grande returns to action next weekend with a pair of games in Montreat, N.C., taking on Montreat College on Saturday night and Truett-McConnell (Ga.) on Monday afternoon.


WV flood victims fundraising scramble at Riverside
MASON, W.Va. — A golf scramble to benefit flood victims of recent flooding in West Virginia will be held by the Upper Mason Cooperative Parish UM Churches.
The outing will be held on Thursday, September 15, at Riverside Golf Course in Mason County. Tee time is scheduled for 10 a.m.
Entry fee is $60 per player ($240 team), which includes a free mulligan, and cash prizes will be awarded to the top three teams.
Additionally, there will be skill prizes of closest to the pin on par 3s, and longest put made on the 18th hole.
Local churches and businesses may sponsor tee boxes at $100 apiece — with all proceeds going to help flood victims.
Food and beverages will be provided by local churches throughout the day.
Checks or donations should be made out to: The Upper Mason Cooperative Parish Golf Outing
For more information, contact Rev. Rex A. Young at (304) 593-4169 or Pastor John Bumgarner at either (304) 674-0597 or (304) 675-6937. You may also contact Riverside Golf Course at (304) 773-5354.


JACKSON, Ohio — More of the same from the Marauders.
The Meigs golf team clinched its third consecutive league victory during the third Tri-Valley Conference Ohio Division match of the season Monday night at Franklin Valley Golf Course in Jackson County.
The Marauders improved their season record to a perfect 18-0 in league play as the Maroon and Gold posted a winning tally of 193. Alexander was the runner-up with a 203, with Athens (206), defending champion Vinton County (215) and Wellston (221) rounding out the remaining team scores.
Both Nelsonville-York and River Valley did not have enough individual golfers to record a team score.
For the second time in three matches, Meigs junior Levi Chapman earned medalist honors after firing an eight over par round of 42. MHS senior Chase Whitlatch and Preston Hayes of Athens shared runner-up honors after posting identical scores of 46.
Wyatt Nicholson followed both Chapman and Whitlatch for Meigs with an effort of 47, while Bryce Swatzel rounded out the winning tally with an effort of 58.
Theo McElroy and Bobby Musser also had respective rounds of 63 and 68 for the Marauders, while Brayden Ervin shot a 57 for MHS as part of an exhibition round.
Grant Gilmore led the Raiders with a 50, while Aaron Burke shot a 54 and Gabe Gilmore carded a 70.
Alexander was led by Taylor Boggs with a 48 and Andrew Vogt added a 51, while Nate Hanning and Casey McDonald completed the Spartans’ tally with matching efforts of 52.
Drew Zorn followed Hayes for Athens with a 50, while Ryan Sheehan and Owen Campitelli rounded out the Bulldog tally with respective rounds of 54 and 56.
Cameron Hamon and Adam Clary paced host VCHS with matching efforts of 48, followed by Noah Waddell with a 51 and Zane Walker with a 68.
Josh Lung led the Golden Rockets with a 53 and Austin Wilkett was next with a 54. Timmy Stanley and Hunter Cardwell completed the WHS total with respective rounds of 55 and 59.
Ben Johnson led NYHS with a 62, followed by Casey Davis with a 63 and Tanner Smith with a 68.
With three of the seven league matches completed, Meigs currently owns a four-win lead in the standings. Athens is currently second with a 14-4 mark, while Alexander (11-7) is one win ahead of the Vikings (10-8) for third place.
Wellston is fifth with a 7-11 mark, while NYHS (2-16) and RVHS (0-18) round out the bottom two spots.
The fourth TVC Ohio match of the season will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 7, at the Meigs County Golf Course in Pomeroy. The Marauders will be the host school of the event, which starts at 4:30 p.m.
Bryan Walters can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2101.


RAVENSWOOD, W.Va. — The first major chip has fallen in the Tri-Valley Conference Hocking Division golf race.
The Eastern golf team won key TVC Hocking match over host Southern on Thursday night at Greenhills Country Club, moving the Eagles league record to 4-0 on the season, while handing the Tornadoes their first loss in five matches.
Just two strokes gave the Eagles a victory over the Purple and Gold, as Eastern’s four scores in the play six, count four format equaled 200. Not all was lost for SHS, however, as the Tornadoes’ 202 bettered visiting Miller by 36 strokes.
The match medalist, firing a 41, was Eastern’s John Little, who is the lone senior on the 2016 EHS boys team. Ryan Harbour was next for the Eagles with a 48, followed by Kaleb Honaker with a 55. John Harris rounded out the EHS total with a 56, while Garrett Chalfont’s 63 and Nick Durst’s 67 did not count toward the EHS total.
SHS junior Jonah Hoback led the host Tornadoes with a 48, followed by Jarrett Hupp and Tanner Thorla, who each shot 51. Ryan Acree’s 52 rounded out Southern’s team total. Also playing, but not counting toward the SHS total were Jensen Anderson and Eli Hunter, who shot 54 and 56 respectively.
Miller was led by Hunter Dutiel with a 52 and Blaine Needham with a 58. Trey Hettich was next for the Falcons with a 60, followed by Logan Dishow with a 68 and Brody Dutiel with a 69.
Southern pay a visit to the Eagles at the Meigs County Golf Course on September 8. SHS will visit Miller and Trimble at Forest Hills Golf Course on the following Thursday, September 15.
Eastern has already defeated Miller once in league play, on August 15, in Meigs County. EHS will visit the Falcons on September 19.
The Eagles will return to the course on Monday, when they visit Wahama at Riverside Golf Club.
The Tornadoes are done with league play in the month of August, but will return on September 1, when both South Gallia and defending TVC Hocking champion Waterford visit Greenhills.
Alex Hawley can be reached at 740-446-2343, ext. 2100.