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


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


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.


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


The B.C. government's plan B for income assistance cheques and other time-sensitive documents could be re-activated as the long-running Canada Post labour dispute reaches another deadline.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is in a legal position to strike as of Monday, but postponed threatened rotating strike action after weekend talks with a federal mediator. Its initial action would be an overtime ban rather than a full-scale walkout that would disrupt mail delivery.
Canada Post served lockout notice in July, with the two sides far apart on issues including pension changes for future employees and pay for rural carriers.
Income assistance, rent subsidy and other B.C. government payments are not affected if they are direct deposit. For mailed cheques and information, updates on possible postal strike effects to the Ministry of Social Development will be available as necessary at this website or at 1-866-866-0800.
Phone and online contacts are set up for questions about affected provincial departments:
• Ministry of Advanced Education and StudentAidBC online here.
• Ministry of Children and Family Development 1-877-387-7027
• Medical Services Plan payments online here or 1-877-405-4909
• ICBC inquiries 1-800-663-3051
• Family Maintenance and Enforcement program 604-660-2528
• Public Guardian and Trustee online here or 604-660-4444
• Vital Statistics 1-888-876-1633
• WorkSafe BC online here or 1-888-967-5377

B.C. prepares for possible postal disruption


Province has alternatives if Canada Post employees begin strike action


VANCOUVER – It took 100-year-old Indian runner Man Kaur almost a minute and a half to complete the 100-metre race, but she never broke her stride.
And when she finally crossed the finish line at the Americas Masters Games in Vancouver, her competitors – many of them two decades younger – were there to cheer her on.
Her son and fellow athletes say Kaur's energy and drive to compete has become an inspiration to participants in the unique international event for athletes over 30.
Kaur began running at age 93 at the suggestion of her son, 78-year-old Gurdev Singh, who also competes in the Masters Games and says he knew she could become a star in her age category.
She has won more than 20 medals, including snatching three golds this week as she is the only competitor in the category for women over 100.
If you're wondering whether she holds the elusive secret to a long life, Kaur says unfortunately it's what you might expect – a good diet and lots of exercise.
The Canadian Press

VIDEO: 100-year-old woman from India runs 100-metre at masters games in Vancouver


Centenarian Mana Kaur, who started running at age 93, crosses 100-metre finish line in Americas Masters Games


Two men and a mining company in receivership have been charged with 18 pollution infractions related to their shut-down gold mine on an island near Prince Rupert.
Benjamin Mossman and Dirk Meckert are scheduled to appear in Prince Rupert provincial court Sept. 7. Also charged is Banks Island Gold Ltd., which went into receivership after being shut down last year for provincial permit violations.
The Yellow Giant mine was ordered shut down by the Ministry of Environment in July 2015 after a tailings spill was reported on a tip. There is one charge of failing to report a spill of a polluting substance, and the other 17 charges are for failing to comply with permits.
North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice raised the issue in the legislature this spring, after receiving a letter from the Gitxaala First Nation referring to two separate tailings spills. Rice said the ministry did not inspect the operation for 15 months, until receiving a complaint.
NDP mining critic Norm Macdonald told the legislature a worker at the mine "became fed up, put his job on the line, sent the ministry and me a tip and pictures that documented what was going on there."
Energy and Mines Minister Bill Bennett said the mine was shut down when the situation was brought to its attention. The mine's 90 employees lost their jobs.
The province has a $420,000 security bond from the mining company, to provide ongoing monitoring. In March the mines ministry and Banks Island Gold removed explosives from the mine site and in May ministry technical staff assessed the hazardous materials on site.
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service, which recommended the charges, would not comment on the current condition of the Banks Island site, because it is evidence for the prosecution.

Banks Island miners face 18 pollution charges


Gold mine near Prince Rupert shut down last summer for permit violations, owners charged for failing to report spill


RCMP have released these pictures of the Good Samaritan and his truck taken at the scene of the Aug. 14 Hwy. 1 crash that injured an officer.
If your name is Earl and you are the man who pulled over his semi to help an injured RCMP officer, the police would like to talk to you.
The man with the truck is one of two Good Samaritans who stopped to provide assistance the morning of Sunday, Aug. 14 when an RCMP vehicle was rear-ended at the scene of a rollover accident in the westbound lane of Highway 1, near the 232 Street overpass in Langley.
"Earl" may have important information about the collision or its aftermath, RCMP said.
RCMP released photos of Earl and what is believed to be his truck, a greyish-blue Volvo tractor trailer, hauling a white 53’ refrigerated. There is a silver logo on the tractor’s door.
Earl has a tattoo on his right forearm.
The second witness was an Asian man in his 50’s. He is described as short, wearing a white button down shirt and tan pants.
He was driving a model year 2000 or newer tan or gold sedan in good condition .
Police believe the second witness was traveling behind the grey pick-up truck that collided with the police vehicle.
Anyone with any information on these individuals is asked to contact Sgt. Patrick Davies at 604-539-2730.

If this is you, please call police about Langley crash


RCMP release photo of Good Samaritan who stopped to help injured officer


The B.C. government has approved a master development plan for a new year-round ski resort in the Cariboo Mountains west of Valemount.
Valemount Glacier Destination Resort is a $175 million project led by Oberto Oberti, who designed the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort near Golden and the controversial Jumbo Glacier Resort proposal west of Invermere.
The Valemount plan includes lifts and gondolas that would carry skiers and sight-seers to the summits of Mount Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Mount Arthur Meighen. Its vertical drop of 2,050 metres would be higher than Whistler-Blackcomb and the largest in North America.
"There are very few places in the world, and none in North America, where you go and ride a lift to the very top and the glacier is below you," said Jill Bodkin, a director of the company.
Valemount is a remote community of about 1,000 residents near the Alberta border east of Prince George. The region is west of Jasper National Park, which attracts visitors from around the world.
On the project's website, Oberti says people will travel to Switzerland for this kind of mountain resort experience, so a three-hour drive from Prince George isn't an obstacle to success.
Valemount Mayor Jeanette Townsend called the master plan approval "exciting news." She said the community attracts visitors who stay there to avoid the expensive accommodation in Jasper and the resort will take it to the next level.
Chief Nathan Matthew of the Simpcw First Nation said his community has been involved since the beginning, and he sees the project as an important economic development for the northern part of Simpcw's traditional territory.

B.C. approves Valemount glacier resort plan


Designer of Kicking Horse and Jumbo resorts gets approval to proceed with $175 million project east of Prince George


Modified versions of the 1969 Camaro SS and other popular vehicles will soon be eligible for B.C. collector plates, allowing occasional use for parades and car shows.
The B.C. government is expanding its collector vehicle licence system to include eligible modified cars made between 1958 and 1974, to capture the popular "muscle car" era of the 1960s.
The ICBC collector plate program gives car enthusiasts a lower-cost licence plate that allows occasional use for parades and classic car shows. ICBC plans to take applications starting in 2017 for eligible modified vehicles up to 1974, and replica cars resembling North American production cars from 1942 and earlier.
With strict rules that the cars must be in "collectible condition," changes will take in modified popular cars from the Dodge Duster to the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang, as well as replicas of the popular Ford "deuce coupe" from the 1930s.
Premier Christy Clark announced a break for older cars this spring, allowing vehicles from 1940 or earlier and their replicas to run without fenders or mud flaps when the highway is dry and paved.
Transportation Minister Todd Stone said the collector car industry is significant for B.C., with registered collector vehicles having doubled to 26,000 in the past 10 years.
"We want to see this specialty vehicle program remain viable, preserve vehicle history and evolve with the times," Stone said. "That's why we are opening up the opportunity to owners of specialty cars within the 'muscle car' era."
Currently, the standard collector plate is available to cars 25 years or older, as well as discontinued or limited production vehicles 15 years or older. It requires a stock engine with no performance enhancements, no rust, dents or "significant wear and tear" of the interior.
Modified vehicles from 1958 or older are currently eligible for collector plates, if they retain the shell of the original body but have parts replaced or modified in the chassis, engine, suspension, steering or brakes.
Owners have to apply for a collector or modified collector plate, with purchase and parts bills, photos and inspection reports.
Applications for collector and modified collector programs are available on ICBC's website, www.icbc.com, and can be dropped off at Autoplan brokers.

Collector program expanding to 'muscle cars'


Collector plates will be available next year for modified as well as stock cars made between 1958 and 1974


Premier Christy Clark and Environment Minister Mary Polak plug in an electric car at an announcement of the government's latest climate change plan in Richmond Aug. 19.
A B.C. Liberal operative was out with the online spin hours before Premier Christy Clark confirmed the much-leaked news in a Friday afternoon announcement at an obscure location in Richmond.
The, er, freeze is continuing for B.C.’s ground-breaking, world-saving carbon tax, which hasn’t changed since before Clark was elected in 2013.
The spin was Olympic-themed, with a picture labeled to show B.C. as a swimmer far out in the lead in the pool, to symbolize that it’s the other provinces that need to catch up in the race to save the planet.
Clark has been saying that for years, and there is merit to it. Even without a tax on “process emissions” such as from cement kilns, B.C.’s carbon tax encourages imports of non-taxed cement from the U.S. and China.
Alberta business professor Andrew Leach, who advised the Stephen Harper and then Rachel Notley governments on greenhouse gas policies, summed up the problem this way.
“Until the rest of the world has policies that impose similar cost, you’re not actually reducing emissions to the extent you think,” Leach said. “You’re just displacing the emissions and the economic activity to other jurisdictions.”
Alberta is moving to join B.C. with a modest carbon tax, but the NDP government plans to spend the proceeds rather than return them in income tax as B.C. has done. And Washington state and most of the rest of the world have no carbon tax as such, so their businesses benefit from B.C.’s “climate leadership.”
B.C.’s foreign-funded eco-radical community was, needless to say, appalled. The Pembina Institute’s Matt Horne and career protesters Tzeporah Berman and Merran Smith were named to the premier’s advisory committee last year, along with business, academic and aboriginal representatives.
They concluded that increases to B.C.’s broad-based tax on carbon fuels should resume its upward march in 2018.
Other committee members, including the mayors of Surrey, Comox and Burns Lake, were not heard from. Public discussion on this issue is now reduced to a staged conflict between those who demand a holy war on deadly carbon dioxide “pollution,” and those who don’t care if their grandchildren perish in a hell-fire of fossil fuel use.
We’ve just come off another El Nino year, like the hot year of 1998. Regular readers will recall the last time I discussed this topic was this spring, where I questioned the premier’s dire warnings of another horrendous forest fire season.
What followed has been one of the slowest forest fire seasons in the last decade, although dry conditions have finally emerged this month. Climate predictions, like next week’s weather forecast, are less than consistent.
I am regularly sent messages calling me a “climate change denier,” the nonsense term that continues to be used by federal Environment Minister Catharine McKenna among many others. I know of no one who denies that climate is always changing, at times dramatically.
If you wish to believe that paying an extra seven cents a litre for gasoline in B.C. is helping to slow the very gradual increase in temperatures we’re seeing in the northern hemisphere, you are free to do so.
You may even be persuaded to take a government subsidy and buy an expensive, short-range electric car. Me, I’m off to Prince Rupert and Revelstoke pretty soon, so I’ll stick with my little four-cylinder gas sipper for now.
Hydro-powered B.C. represents a small fraction of the less than two per cent Canada contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions. We’re not the problem, and no, the world is not looking to us for guidance.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca Twitter: @tomfletcherbc


Premier Christy Clark isn't going into next year's election with a promise to jack up Canada's only significant carbon tax


TORONTO – Few Canadian television events qualify as a momentous occasion for the nation, but Saturday's Tragically Hip concert promises to be special.
It seems like much of the country will be tuned into CBC's live broadcast of "The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration" from Kingston, Ont., when factoring in home screenings and community viewing parties.
Yet how many people will watch is anybody's guess at this point.
"This is an unprecedented event for us," said Jennifer Dettman, CBC's executive director of unscripted content.
The sentiment is true on many levels, she adds.
The last stop on the Hip's "Man Machine Poem" tour is widely expected to be their final performance, as lead singer Gord Downie is facing terminal brain cancer. After tickets to the tour sold out within minutes, fans launched a campaign urging the CBC to carry the band's Kingston show as a live TV event.
Dettman wouldn't speak to the contract negotiations that led to the Hip agreeing to the broadcast.
"CBC made both a competitive and financially responsible offer to acquire the broadcast rights, and we're thrilled to be able to offer this national celebration to as many Canadians as possible," she said.
The concert won't just be on the main CBC network, it will also be broadcast through various other platforms such as CBC Radio One, the CBC website and its YouTube and Facebook channels.
With so many viewing options, that will make it tough to capture how many eyes and ears are focused on the Hip this Saturday.
That's where ratings agency Numeris comes in. The Toronto-based company tracks viewership figures by using meters and viewing diaries prepared by a panel of Canadians representative of the population.
Their data shows that most huge audience draws are typically live programming, led by major sporting events.
The Super Bowl is the biggest TV event nearly every year â€” drawing about six million to eight million viewers in recent years â€” while a handful of other annual celebrations like the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes and Grammys are perennial favourites too.
The gold medal game of the men's hockey tournament at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics is considered to be the most-watched broadcast ever in Canada. It drew 16.6 million viewers, according to data from Numeris, about double the number of people who tune into most Super Bowls.
Those kinds of numbers will be hard to beat, even for a rock band with as much Canadian clout as the Hip.
Numeris spokesman Tom Jenks wouldn't guess how many viewers will tune into the CBC broadcast, but acknowledges it'll probably be a pretty big number.
The agency said it will be counting every public screening â€” from restaurants to movie theatres to community viewing parties â€” and each person streaming the concert on their phone. Viewers who playback the show on their DVRs within seven days will also be included in the final numbers.
"Our system captures all viewing," Jenks said.
Potentially driving those numbers higher is the decision make the Hip's concert a one-time broadcast, with no encore presentation and no availability on on-demand platforms.
"Our goal was to bring the experience of this live concert to Canadians in that moment," Dettman said.
"I'm sure the band will figure out what they will want to do with the concert afterwards."
She said the goal is to give all Canadians the same "crescendo" feeling that will ripple through the arena in Kingston.
"Our goal is to bring the experience ... to as many Canadians as we can," she said.
"The idea that we're all together experiencing this moment at the same time is really special."
Follow @dfriend on Twitter.
David Friend, The Canadian Press

Televised Tragically Hip show an 'unprecedented event:' CBC


Whether it's home screenings or community viewing parties, much of Canada will be tuning in for iconic rock band's final bow


B.C. has spent $103 million fighting wildfires across the province since the fire season began April 1.
Information officer Claire Allen of the BC Wildfire Service says that is less than half the amount spent in B.C. over the same period last year.
She says $232 million was spent battling 1,772 fires between April and the end of August in 2015, while just 936 blazes have scorched about 990 square kilometres of B.C. woodland this year.
That compares to the nearly 3,000 square kilometres of bush burned across B.C. in 2015.
This year's fire season began early and aggressively with several huge wildfires in northeastern B.C.
But Allen says cooler weather in late June and throughout July dampened the fire danger, and a recent heat wave is also expected to be checked by lower temperatures this weekend.
"That's going to bring showers beginning in the northern portions of B.C. and coming into the southern half by the end of the weekend," she says.
"That's going to bring variable amounts of precipitation, cloudier skies, cooler temperatures, higher levels of humidity and all those things work together to reduce the fire danger rating across the province."
Sixty wildfires are currently burning in B.C., with eight new fires in the last 24 hours, most of those in the Coastal Fire Centre, where the fire danger rating is ranked high to extreme.
(CHNL)
The Canadian Press

B.C. wildfire costs top $100M, but still less than in 2015


Forest fires tore through northeastern B.C., but then cooler weather took over June into July.


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


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


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


CENTENARY, Ohio — This time, the Blue Devils couldn’t stage a comeback bid against a former Southeastern Ohio Athletic League foe.
That’s because, on Tuesday night, the host Gallia Academy High School soccer squad fell behind against undefeated Athens in the first half — and was unable to mount a rally effort in the second.
The Bulldogs built a pair of early three-goal leads — and eventually defeated the Blue Devils 6-2 in a non-league tilt at Gallia Academy High School’s Lester Field.
The contest marked the home opener for the Blue Devils, which dropped their season opener at Alexander by a count of 4-3.
Athens improved to 4-0 with the win — as all of the scoring on Tuesday took place in the opening half.
Both Alexander and Athens are associate members of the lameduck SEOAL in boys soccer, as Gallia Academy opted out of the league in favor of the expanded Ohio Valley Conference.
Against Alexander, and in similar fashion, the Blue Devils fell behind 3-0 and 4-1 — before losing 4-3 and despite some missed opportunities to tie the match in the final 20 minutes.
Against Athens, Gallia Academy once again got behind 3-0 and 4-1, but the closest it came this time was a 4-2 deficit — before the Bulldogs scored twice within a minute.
Like the Blue Devils did against the Spartans, they quickly fell behind 3-0.
Athens senior striker Taylor Scott scored twice in the opening nine minutes and 19 seconds — including off an assist by Nick Bohuslawsky only three minutes and 13 seconds in.
At the 27:12 mark, Justin Goetz scored the first of his two goals off an assist by Jefferson Berryman, then recorded his second marker with 22-and-a-half minutes left — off an assist by Jack Sweeney.
In between, and sandwiched around, Goetz’s goals were Gallia Academy’s two goals by senior forward Isaiah Lester.
Lester scored with 25 minutes left and again with 17:51 to play, as Pedro Carraschal and Madi Oiler assisted.
But Scott scored again after an Athens corner kick with three minutes left, followed by an own goal only 58 seconds later.
Scott’s hat trick of tallies was three of Athens’ 23 total shots, compared to only 10 for the Blue Devils.
Lester — who now has all five of Gallia Academy’s goals this season — shot six times, as the hosts only had one corner kick.
After Athens’ opening two goals, the Blue Devil coaching staff switched goalkeepers for a while, replacing starter Andrew Toler with Ben Rutherford.
Toler returned in net in the second half, and was credited with seven saves while Rutherford finished with three.
The Blue Devils do return home, and open OVC action, tonight (Thursday, Sept. 1) against Chesapeake.
Paul Boggs can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2106
Gallia Academy senior co-captain Colton Fallon (10) makes a play for possession during the Blue Devils’ non-league soccer match against Athens on Tuesday night at Lester Field. http://mydailytribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_8.30-GA-Fallon.jpg Gallia Academy senior co-captain Colton Fallon (10) makes a play for possession during the Blue Devils’ non-league soccer match against Athens on Tuesday night at Lester Field. Paul Boggs/OVP Sports


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


MERCERVILLE, Ohio — South Gallia did dig deep to rally from a late third-set deficit to take a two-games-to-one lead.
However, the visiting Symmes Valley Vikings dug deeper to charge back for the match win.
Unfortunately for the Rebels, they couldn’t put the Vikings away with that 2-1 sets advantage — and the Vikings stormed back to win in five games on Monday night inside a sweltering South Gallia High School gymnasium.
The Rebels lost 25-22, 6-25, 28-26, 18-25 and 8-15, as the non-league contest marked their 2016 volleyball season opener.
Symmes Valley, a member of the Southern Ohio Conference Division I, is 2-1 on the year.
The young Rebels, after a dismal second set in which they only scored six points, staved off a pair of set points (25-24 and 26-25) by the Vikings to rally for the third-game win (28-26).
But a potential clinching game four got away from them, as the Vikings broke a 16-16 tie to score six straight service points — part of nine of the last 11 to force the decisive fifth game.
And, in that fifth set, South Gallia led early at 4-2 and 5-4, but four straight Viking points put Symmes Valley on top for good — as the guests punctuated the triumph by scoring the final six.
Simply put, too many mistakes did the Lady Rebels in — primarily attack and service errors.
Especially in games four and five.
“We’re a young team and we missed 17 serves and 36 hits. We have to focus on getting our hits in and our serves in,” said first-year head coach Sarah Wright. “We got down on ourselves when we had some mistakes and that cost us. I made some rotational errors, which I plan to fix. We’re going to work on things tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday in practice and be ready to compete on Thursday.”
As for Monday, the Rebels rallied from an 18-14 deficit in the opening game to forge a 19-19 tie, as they then broke ties at 21-21 and 22-22 by scoring the final five points.
Olivia Hornsby had a pair of aces, sandwiched around a kill by Taylor Burnette to end the first game.
After leading 2-0 in game two on back-to-back Burnette aces, the Rebels scored just four more points the remainder of the set.
But the Rebels returned from their second-set sleepwalk with an awakening in the third, leading the game until the Vikings went ahead 21-18 — before scoring four consecutive points to regain the cushion at 22-21.
South Gallia did have the Vikings at set point 24-22, but a Rebel attack error — along with back-to-back service aces by Symmes Valley’s Hannah Gates — put the Vikings back in front 25-24.
An exchange of attack errors made it 26-25, as Rachal Colburn collected a thunderous kill for the Rebels to tie it once again at 26-26.
Erin Evans ended the third, and pushed the Rebels ahead two games to one, with a jumping tip kill.
However, with the tilt tied 16-16 in game four, South Gallia gave away too many serves and scoring opportunities on errors — amassing only 10 points the rest of the way.
Hornsby had 13 service points to pace the Rebels, as Evans added eight along with seven assists and five kills.
The sophomore middle hitter Colburn amounted a team-high six kills and two blocks, as Burnette served up a team-high four aces.
Burnette was also an excellent 12-of-13 serving for 92-percent, and 50-of-60 passing for 83-percent.
Gates garnered 22 points with seven aces for the Vikings, while Cierra Ross set for 24 assists.
Taylor Webb with 13 kills and Kinley Patterson with a dozen led the Lawrence Countians in kills.
Webb also registered four blocks.
The Rebels return home, and open Tri-Valley Conference Hocking Division action, against Federal Hocking on Thursday.
Paul Boggs can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2106
South Gallia’s Rachal Colburn goes up for a block over Symmes Valley’s Kinsey Kazee (11) during Monday night’s non-league volleyball match at South Gallia High School. http://mydailytribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_8.29-SG-Colburn.jpg South Gallia’s Rachal Colburn goes up for a block over Symmes Valley’s Kinsey Kazee (11) during Monday night’s non-league volleyball match at South Gallia High School. Paul Boggs/OVP Sports


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.


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.


Friday’s announcement of jobs cuts at Gallipolis Development Center was bad news. There’s no other way to describe it.
It is sometimes easy to see what’s not going well in our communities while failing to realize that there are still a lot of things going right.
Just as the wide band of water running through our part of the world winds slowly, so too does progress in our rural communities. And, just like the Ohio River eventually arrives at its juncture with the Mississippi River, progress in our communities achieves its destination, too.
The river slowly (most of the time) winds its way along and that’s the way progress seems to be taking place in the Ohio Valley. But make no mistake — progress is taking place.
Gallipolis just broke ground on a $1 million-plus project to improve its riverfront by adding an amphitheater and improving access for boaters. It’s also worth noting that a Meigs County contractor, Pullins Excavation Inc., was engaged to do ground-prep work on the project.
Gallipolis City Park, located adjacent to the river where the amphitheater is being built, already gets a lot of use. However, in case city leaders need any ideas, they only need to look to their neighbors across the river in Point Pleasant or up the river to Pomeroy. Both of these communities already do a good job utilizing riverfront space developed years ago. This addition to the city’s riverfront will go a long way toward providing even more opportunity for visitors to come to town.
Also soon to open in the City of the Gauls is a new wellness — don’t call it a fitness — center. The Holzer Therapy & Wellness Center is located at 735 Second Ave. in the former Johnson Grocery Store. The project will approach $2 million once completely finished. This major undertaking is a collaboration of Holzer Heritage Foundation, Holzer Health System, outside donations from individuals and companies, and the Eastman family that donated the building.
This week, Nidec Corp. announced its $3.2 million expansion and investment in Middleport’s Imperial Electric plant. That expansion added 18 new jobs to the local economy. It came about as a result of cooperation between local officials working with state officials and private industry.
Nidec Corp.’s decision to expand in Middleport says a lot about the local workforce as well. It’s very likely Nidec had other options, but chose Middleport. Local leaders and residents have a lot to feel good about following this announcement.
Point Pleasant has embarked on an effort to do something about older buildings in town that are an eyesore, unsafe and probably used for illegal activity. Four such structures have come down in the last four months.
Mayor Brian Billings noted, “It’s a slow process.” True, mayor, but it’s a process moving in the right direction. Kudos to city leaders for leading from the front on this initiative. Judging from discussions during recent council meetings, the city isn’t finished with its cleanup efforts yet.
To continue the analogy a little further, the Ohio River is persistent and it keeps moving along. So too, will efforts to improve life in our communities along the river’s banks.


MARIETTA, Ohio — The Eastern girls cross country team placed second out of 11 teams in its season opener Saturday during the 2016 Elizabeth S. Broughton Memorial Invitational held at the Broughton Nature Area in Washington County.
The Lady Eagles had four of the top 20 individual efforts in the 118-competitor girls event, which allowed the Green and White to finish the day with a team tally of 59 points.
Lancaster won the girls title with 44 points, while Woodrow Wilson (82), Caldwell (97) and Warren (123) rounded out the three through five spots.
Jessica Cook paced Eastern with a third place effort of 21:12.0, followed by Ally Durst in fifth with a 22:30.1. Taylor Parker also finished in the top-10 with an eighth place time of 22:46.9.
Laura Pullins was 18th overall with a mark of 23:22.4 and Kaitlyn Hawk rounded out the team tally by finishing 35th with a time of 24:49.8.
Rhiannon Morris was 37th with a time of 24:55.6 and Lexa Hayes was 56th with a mark of 27:11.0.
Mary Kate McElroy of Fort Frye won the girls race with a time of 20:36.0. Elise Johnson of Lancaster was the overall runner-up with a mark of 20:54.0.
On the boys side of the event, Eastern had only three runners compete and did not have enough participants to net a team score. Woodrow Wilson won the 14-team boys title with a tally of 54 points, while Marietta (86) and Caldwell (102) rounded out the top three spots.
Colton Reynolds paced the Eagles with a 28th place effort of 19:30.7, followed by Matt Clingenpeel in 58th place with a time of 21:26.9. Eion Marcinko was also 87th out of 156 runners with a time of 23:07.8.
Chris Barbera of Woodrow Wilson won the boys race with a time of 16:52.0. Justin Anderson of Fort Frye was the overall runner-up with a mark of 17:14.2.
Complete results of the 2016 Elizabeth S. Broughton Memorial CC Invitational are available on the web at baumspage.com
Bryan Walters can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2101.


BIDWELL, Ohio — On a scorcher of an opener, new River Valley starting quarterback Patrick Brown had the hot hand.
That’s because Brown, engineering the Raiders’ up-tempo fast-paced offense as the graduated Dayton Hardway’s replacement, threw for a hefty 303 yards and four touchdowns in River Valley’s 51-27 rout of the visiting Eastern Eagles on Friday night at a steambathed River Valley High School.
The contest marked the 2016 football season opener for both teams, as the Raiders registered their third consecutive lid-lifting victory over the Eagles.
In fact, Eastern remains winless in season openers since 2004.
Last season, River Valley blanked Eastern 57-0 in Meigs County — and appeared, early on, on its way to doing that once again.
The Raiders raced out to a 27-0 lead with eight minutes and 15 seconds left in the second quarter, and opened up a 37-6 advantage at the 3:46 mark before halftime.
Finally, with 7:25 remaining in the third quarter, Chris Parsons’ six-yard touchdown run made it 51-13 — as a pair of Jett Facemyer touchdown passes in the final 15:49 made the score much more respectable for Eastern.
The Raiders needed only a minute and 47 seconds into the third period to enforce the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s running-clock rule, when Jacob Campbell picked off Facemyer on the third play of the half — and returned the interception 55 yards for a touchdown.
But Brown’s four first-half touchdown tosses, and 278 yards through the air in the opening 24 minutes, allowed the Raiders to set the tone.
River Valley, after graduating 15 seniors from last season’s first-ever state playoff squad, is reloading under sixth-year head coach Jerrod Sparling.
Sparling said that although there is plenty of work yet to be done, it was a fast start — especially offensively — for his Raiders.
“For the most part, we’re a veteran football team, and I was really on these guys in practice this week to start fast tonight,” said Sparling. “It was a point of emphasis. Tonight was the fastest I think we have ever played on offense, and that’s a good thing. I’m really proud of the kids and their effort, but we have a long way to go before we are finished product. However, I think our guys handled our business pretty well. I thought playmakers made big plays and our quarterback played very, very well. He had a really good start taking over.”
Exactly what did Brown do for the Raiders?
They scored 37 first-half points, totaled all (377) but 34 yards and nine of their 46 plays from scrimmage in the first two quarters, and rushed for 65 yards on 20 carries.
Brown completed his opening 10 pass attempts, finishing the first half 12-of-17 with 278 yards.
“That’s not a bad start taking over,” said Sparling of his junior signal-caller, with a smile.
His only attempt in the second half was River Valley’s first play — a 25-yard completion to Layne Fitch to set up Parsons’ touchdown run at the 7:25 mark.
The Raiders wasted little time taking it right to the Eagles’ defense, receiving the opening kickoff and marching nine plays and 54 yards.
Brown completed three passes of six yards or more on the drive to Tre Craycraft, as Jacob Campbell carried five times — — including a walk-in three-yard touchdown run only two minutes and 48 seconds in.
Campbell finished with a team-high 40 yards on 11 carries.
After Eastern opened by driving 32 yards and nine plays prior to punting, Brown connected with Craycraft again — only two plays later at the 4:44 mark.
Craycraft crossed over the middle and made an in-stride reception, stiff-armed an Eastern defender, then outmaneuvered Eagle defenders along the sideline in dashing to the end zone.
The pitch-and-catch went for 60 yards, as Devin McDonald made the first of his five extra-point kicks — in addition to his 24-yard field goal that put the Raiders up 37-6.
“We came in and got shell-shocked,” said Eastern coach Pat Newland. “We were back on our heels and not playing football. We didn’t quit, but they (Raiders) continued to make plays because they are a good team. But when they make a big play, we can’t be like ‘oh my gosh we have to watch out for this and that.’ We have to read our keys and play fast right with them. We played real slow at first. We were playing open zones and not finding the receivers in those zones. We had a couple of blown coverages like we were lost in no man’s land.”
Craycraft caught eight passes for 175 yards, as Jacob Dovenbarger made two receptions for 66 yards — both touchdowns.
Sparling spoke highly of his wide receivers’ play.
“Our wideouts made plays. I can’t think of a wideout that didn’t make a play at one point in time tonight,” he said. “When you have that and you have momentum, that’s good.”
The other wideout which was involved was Jarrett McCarley, who capped the Raiders’ next scoring drive with a minute-and-a-half left in the opening period.
After Eastern endured a three-and-out possession, River Valley drove 58 yards in five plays — capped by Brown completing a deep pass to McCarley towards the corner of the end zone.
McCarley made the reception just inside the 5-yard-line, turned his shoulders to the outside once contacted, and stretched towards the goal-line for the 22-yard score.
McDonald made the extra point for the 20-0 lead, as the Eagles then ran five plays before punting once again.
The Raiders’ two second-stanza scores were a pair of touchdown completions from Brown to a downfield Dovenbarger — with the second coming off a flea-flicker from 48 yards away.
McDonald made both extra points, extending the River Valley cushion to 37-6 with six minutes remaining in the half.
Both teams finished with 18 first downs, although Eastern was forced to throw once trailing by 31 points.
The Eagles only rushed for 104 yards on 23 attempts, but Facemyer threw for 254 yards — and a pair of touchdowns in the final 15:49.
He completed 19-of-29, and rushed for two second-quarter TDs, making it 27-6 and 37-13.
Facemyer also rushed for game-highs in carries (13) and yards (63), but his final pass of the first half and his opening attempt of the second sealed the deal.
On the first half’s final play, Dustin Barber picked off Facemyer in the end zone, before Campbell came up with the pick-six to enforce the running clock.
Jeremiah Martindale made seven receptions for 102 yards, while Blaise Facemeyer caught eight aerials for 61.
“We are proud of our kids for not quitting after getting down early like that,” said Newland.
Blaise Facemyer caught a 12-yarder and Martindale a nine-yarder for Eastern’s second-half scores.
“Give credit to Eastern. They fought back in a couple of circumstances and had a bounce go one way or the other and they are back in the game. Their kids played hard,” said Sparling. “But we were able to do some things up front and be aggressive there and on the perimeter defensively. When you are playing bump-and run or man coverage, sometimes they (opponent) are going to win. We made a couple of mistakes here and there and we weren’t crisp all the time, but overall I thought we still had a good effort on that side of the football.”
As for Eastern’s defense, Newland admits it needs work, as the Eagles host Miller on Friday night (Sept. 2) for their home and Tri-Valley Conference Hocking Division openers.
“We have to be able to switch up and know exactly what the coverages are every time we line up and play aggressively,” he said. “We can’t play passive or indecisive.”
Playing aggressive, and fast, is what propelled the Raiders to another season-opening triumph.
River Valley visits arch-rival Gallia Academy on Saturday night (Sept. 3) for its next game — the second annual Ohio Valley Bank Community Bowl.
“We have a lot of older players on this team that are hungry to make their own mark on this program and carve their own legacy,” said Sparling. “I’m excited about this group and this coaching staff, and tonight was a good start for what we want to ultimately accomplish.”
Paul Boggs can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2106
River Valley’s Tre Craycraft (42) avoids the tackle of Eastern’s Jeremiah Martindale during Friday night’s season-opening football game at River Valley High School. http://mydailytribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_8.26-RV-EHS-Craycraft.jpg River Valley’s Tre Craycraft (42) avoids the tackle of Eastern’s Jeremiah Martindale during Friday night’s season-opening football game at River Valley High School. Paul Boggs/OVP Sports


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. — 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


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.


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


West Virginia
Braxton County 36, Lincoln 27
Buffalo 45, Parkersburg Catholic 18
Cameron 54, Hundred 0
Clay-Battelle 36, Valley Fayette 7
East Fairmont 38, Liberty Harrison 26
East Hardy 42, Page County, Va. 6
Fairmont Senior 49, Robert C. Byrd 12
Fayetteville 28, Clay County 0
Gilmer County 55, Beallsville, Ohio 0
Grafton 23, Philip Barbour 0
Graham, Va. 59, Bluefield 54
Herbert Hoover 14, Scott 7
Huntington 49, Brooke 6
Hurricane 28, Winfield 15
Independence 49, Midland Trail 7
James Monroe 34, Greenbrier East 6
Johnson Central, Ky. 23, Capital 6
Keyser 67, Petersburg 15
Martinsburg 56, Eastern, D.C. 14
Millbrook, Va. 42, Jefferson 20
Mingo Central 58, Wyoming East 13
Montcalm 20, Hannan 14
Moorefield 25, Frankfort 14
Morgantown 59, Anacostia, D.C. 0
Mount View 42, River View 6
Musselman 54, Spring Mills 7
Nicholas County 22, Greenbrier West 0
Nitro 9, Poca 6
North Marion 42, Elkins 21
Parkersburg 24, St. Albans 7
Pendleton County 48, Notre Dame 20
Pocahontas County 7, Tucker County 0
Point Pleasant 44, Lincoln County 6
Preston 26, Hampshire 21
Princeton 46, Shady Spring 21
Ripley 14, Parkersburg South 7
Riverside 19, Woodrow Wilson 14
Roane County 42, S. Point, Ohio 22
Shadyside, Ohio 41, Magnolia 14
Sherman 25, Tug Valley 20
Sissonville 22, Chapmanville 15
South Harrison 42, Doddridge County 0
Spring Valley 55, Cabell Midland 26
St. Marys 42, Ritchie County 8
Summers County 47, PikeView 6
Tolsia 26, Wayne 8
University 41, John Marshall 14
Valley Wetzel 44, Tygarts Valley 34
Van 20, Meadow Bridge 6
Wahama 26, Ravenswood 14
Webster County 12, Richwood 6
Weir 41, Oak Glen 0
Westside 44, Liberty Raleigh 0
Wheeling Park 41, Perry Traditional Academy, Pa. 20
Williamstown 25, Tyler Consolidated 14
Willow Wood Symmes Valley, Ohio 32, Paden City 0
Wirt County 33, Calhoun County 6
Ohio
Ada 38, McGuffey Upper Scioto Valley 6
Akr. Coventry 39, Can. South 13
Akr. Ellet 21, Akr. Springfield 14
Akr. Hoban 42, Can. McKinley 14
Akr. SVSM 46, Akr. Firestone 6
Alliance Marlington 35, Poland Seminary 21
Andover Pymatuning Valley 22, Mineral Ridge 18
Anna 28, Arlington 0
Archbold 17, Hicksville 7
Ashland Crestview 27, Galion Northmor 6
Ashtabula Lakeside 26, Ashtabula Edgewood 6
Ashville Teays Valley 31, Williamsport Westfall 24
Athens 41, Vincent Warren 0
Attica Seneca E. 54, Greenwich S. Cent. 20
Avon 21, Strongsville 14
Avon Lake 23, Elyria 21
Baltimore Liberty Union 53, Caldwell 6
Barberton 34, Norton 6
Barnesville 40, Newcomerstown 6
Bascom Hopewell-Loudon 163, Tiffin Calvert 35
Batavia 26, Lees Creek E. Clinton 21
Beaver Eastern 64, Millersport 6
Bedford 68, Berea-Midpark 34
Bellevue 38, Huron 3
Bellville Clear Fork 42, Fredericktown 7
Belmont Union Local 48, Woodsfield Monroe Cent. 8
Beverly Ft. Frye 35, Belpre 0
Bidwell River Valley 51, Reedsville Eastern 27
Bloom-Carroll 31, Sparta Highland 21
Bluffton 27, Cory-Rawson 0
Bowling Green 34, Rossford 25
Brecksville-Broadview Hts. 36, Parma Padua 34
Brunswick 17, Medina Highland 14
Bryan 28, Van Wert 19
Bucyrus Wynford 41, Findlay Liberty-Benton 14
Burton Berkshire 33, Painesville Harvey 6
Byesville Meadowbrook 47, New Concord John Glenn 40
Cadiz Harrison Cent. 52, Uhrichsville Claymont 41
Caledonia River Valley 48, Upper Sandusky 12
Cambridge 26, Wintersville Indian Creek 19
Can. Glenoak 42, Woodside, Va. 17
Canal Fulton Northwest 28, Lodi Cloverleaf 14
Canal Winchester 24, Thomas Worthington 21
Canfield S. Range 24, McDonald 14
Cardington-Lincoln 49, Worthington Christian 13
Carrollton 26, St. Clairsville 7
Centerburg 31, Utica 19
Chagrin Falls Kenston 21, Amherst Steele 17
Chardon 28, Chesterland W. Geauga 0
Chesapeake 40, Oak Hill 14
Chillicothe Huntington 35, Sugar Grove Berne Union 28
Cin. Aiken 56, Bishop Brossart, Ky. 14
Cin. Country Day 19, Bethel-Tate 13
Cin. Hillcrest 41, Cin. College Prep. 21
Cin. Hills Christian Academy 41, Jamestown Greeneview 22
Cin. Mt. Healthy 18, Batavia Amelia 0
Circleville Logan Elm 26, Chillicothe Zane Trace 24
Cle. St. Ignatius 45, Parma Normandy 0
Clyde 49, Tiffin Columbian 0
Coldwater 58, Kenton 39
Cols. Africentric 32, Ansonia 26
Cols. Beechcroft 13, Akr. Buchtel 7
Cols. Bexley 41, Canal Winchester Harvest Prep 20
Cols. Briggs 27, Cols. Linden McKinley 6
Cols. DeSales 28, Lancaster 7
Cols. Franklin Hts. 26, Cols. Eastmoor 20
Cols. Grandview Hts. 40, Cols. Centennial 0
Cols. Northland 38, Cols. Independence 24
Cols. South 41, Cols. East 8
Cols. Upper Arlington 26, Cols. St. Charles 14
Cols. Walnut Ridge 8, Cols. Watterson 3
Cols. West 42, Cols. Mifflin 41
Cols. Whetstone 9, Pataskala Watkins Memorial 6
Columbia Station Columbia 29, Independence 21
Columbiana 63, Berlin Center Western Reserve 52
Columbiana Crestview 55, Cle. Collinwood 14
Columbus Grove 35, Pandora-Gilboa 29, OT
Convoy Crestview 40, Rockford Parkway 27
Copley 35, Twinsburg 28
Cortland Lakeview 24, Campbell Memorial 21
Coshocton 38, Navarre Fairless 0
Creston Norwayne 45, Akr. Manchester 14
Cuyahoga Falls 13, Kent Roosevelt 0
Cuyahoga Hts. 35, LaGrange Keystone 13
Danville 27, Howard E. Knox 0
Day. Carroll 34, Riverside Stebbins 21
Defiance Ayersville 59, Edon 6
Delaware Hayes 20, Delaware Buckeye Valley 13
Delta 53, Tol. Christian 0
Dover 45, Cle. Cent. Cath. 12
Dresden Tri-Valley 27, Cols. Marion-Franklin 7
Dublin Jerome 58, Logan 0
Dublin Scioto 24, Westerville S. 15
E. Palestine 37, Salem 35
East Carter, Ky. 33, W. Union 0
Edgerton 46, W. Unity Hilltop 6
Elyria Cath. 44, Sheffield Brookside 0
Erie McDowell, Pa. 31, Warren Howland 10
Fairfield Christian 28, St. Bernard-Elmwood Place 6
Findlay 31, Whitehouse Anthony Wayne 0
Franklin Furnace Green 50, Manchester 22
Ft. Recovery 21, Sidney Lehman 20
Gahanna Cols. Academy 62, Grove City Christian 0
Gahanna Lincoln 39, Westerville Cent. 10
Galion 49, Bucyrus 7
Garfield Hts. Trinity 24, Gates Mills Hawken 6
Garrettsville Garfield 56, Middlefield Cardinal 32
Geneva 16, Madison 15
Genoa Area 52, Tol. Scott 12
Gibsonburg 64, Bloomdale Elmwood 26
Gilmer County, W.Va. 55, Beallsville 0
Grafton Midview 29, Lorain 26
Greenfield McClain 34, Frankfort Adena 21
Hamler Patrick Henry 34, Spencerville 7
Hanoverton United 38, Malvern 20
Haviland Wayne Trace 28, Paulding 23
Heath 63, Warsaw River View 0
Hebron Lakewood 20, Amanda-Clearcreek 19
Hilliard Bradley 65, Cle. JFK 0
Hilliard Davidson 26, Grove City 10
Holland Springfield 51, Fremont Ross 32
Hubbard 20, Bay Village Bay 0
Hudson 17, Austintown Fitch 7
Ironton Rock Hill 33, Minford 14
Jeromesville Hillsdale 53, Ashland Mapleton 7
Johnstown-Monroe 29, Chillicothe 12
Kansas Lakota 37, Arcadia 7
Kings Mills Kings 35, Lebanon 7
Kirtland 31, Chagrin Falls 7
Lakeside Danbury 37, Vanlue 0
Lawrenceburg, Ind. 37, N. Bend (Cleves) Taylor 3
Leavittsburg LaBrae 35, Conneaut 17
Leipsic 43, Dola Hardin Northern 14
Lewis Center Olentangy 31, Hilliard Darby 10
Lewistown Indian Lake 49, N. Lewisburg Triad 0
Lexington 24, Ontario 6
Liberty Center 14, Defiance Tinora 10
Lima Bath 28, Delphos St. John’s 27
Lima Perry 42, Antwerp 34
Lima Sr. 24, Middletown 17
Lisbon Beaver 36, Akr. North 0
London Madison Plains 44, Cedarville 0
Louisville 21, Canfield 17
Louisville Aquinas 35, Alliance 14
Lucas 49, E. Can. 27
Macedonia Nordonia 38, Mayfield 37
Magnolia Sandy Valley 35, Gnadenhutten Indian Valley 28, OT
Mansfield Sr. 35, Sunbury Big Walnut 7
Mantua Crestwood 39, Beloit W. Branch 26
Maple Hts. 49, Cle. John Adams 6
Marietta 51, McConnelsville Morgan 48
Marion Pleasant 42, Cin. Shroder 0
Martins Ferry 74, Rayland Buckeye 0
Massillon Jackson 36, Akr. East 13
Massillon Perry 24, Vandalia Butler 14
Massillon Tuslaw 16, Smithville 15
Maumee 20, Tol. Bowsher 14, 2OT
McArthur Vinton County 34, Chillicothe Unioto 7
McComb 45, Carey 0
Mechanicsburg 49, W. Jefferson 18
Medina 55, Lakewood 0
Mentor 57, Massillon Washington 31
Miamisburg 44, W. Carrollton 0
Milan Edison 50, Oberlin Firelands 17
Millbury Lake 26, Montpelier 20
Minster 26, Ft. Loramie 20
Mogadore Field 34, Minerva 0
Monroeville 47, Crestline 13
Mt. Blanchard Riverdale 23, Waynesfield-Goshen 6
Mt. Vernon 22, Marion Harding 20
N. Baltimore 40, Holgate 6
N. Can. Hoover 24, Lyndhurst Brush 20
N. Jackson Jackson-Milton 35, Southington Chalker 0
N. Robinson Col. Crawford 46, Mt. Gilead 26
N. Royalton 38, N. Ridgeville 20
New Lexington 24, Lancaster Fairfield Union 6
New Middletown Spring. 31, Brookfield 27
New Philadelphia 14, Can. Cent. Cath. 6
Newark 41, Zanesville 0
Newport, Ky. 16, Cin. Finneytown 14
Northwood 42, Elmore Woodmore 28
Oak Harbor 42, Fostoria 14
Oberlin 26, New London 22
Olmsted Falls 33, Parma 18
Orange 21, Cle. Hay 14
Orwell Grand Valley 19, Jefferson Area 7
Ottawa-Glandorf 38, Mississauga North Prep, Ontario 13
Pataskala Licking Hts. 31, Galloway Westland 0
Pemberville Eastwood 21, Tol. Start 15
Peninsula Woodridge 56, Cuyahoga Falls CVCA 14
Perry 35, Painesville Riverside 28
Perrysburg 47, Oregon Clay 7
Philo 44, Zanesville W. Muskingum 7
Pickerington N. 41, Grove City Cent. Crossing 13
Plain City Jonathan Alder 35, Marysville 14
Plymouth 39, New Washington Buckeye Cent. 19
Pomeroy Meigs 42, Gallipolis Gallia 7
Portsmouth Sciotoville 49, Crown City S. Gallia 16
Portsmouth W. 26, Proctorville Fairland 20
Racine Southern 21, Portsmouth Notre Dame 14
Reigning Sports Academy 56, Fostoria St. Wendelin 12
Reynoldsburg 35, New Albany 28
Richfield Revere 34, Medina Buckeye 28
Richmond Edison 29, E. Liverpool 14
Richwood N. Union 49, Marion Elgin 15
Rittman 47, Richmond Hts. 8
Roane County, W.Va. 42, S. Point 22
Rocky River 53, Fairview 13
Rootstown 28, Newton Falls 7
S. Charleston SE 48, Spring. NW 12
Salineville Southern 33, Bridgeport 22
Sarahsville Shenandoah 42, New Matamoras Frontier 0
Sebring McKinley 24, Windham 20
Shadyside 41, Magnolia, W.Va. 14
Sherwood Fairview 21, Wauseon 15
Solon 36, Aurora 6
Southeastern 48, McDermott Scioto NW 12
St. Marys Memorial 43, Sidney 39
Stow-Munroe Falls 56, Green 41
Strasburg-Franklin 41, Bowerston Conotton Valley 0
Streetsboro 42, Ravenna SE 20
Struthers 42, Youngs. Liberty 12
Sugarcreek Garaway 47, Dalton 28
Sullivan Black River 50, Collins Western Reserve 7
Swanton 36, Tol. Ottawa Hills 6
Sycamore Mohawk 39, Fremont St. Joseph 14
Tallmadge 27, Ravenna 24, OT
Temperance Bedford, Mich. 44, Tol. St. Francis 21
Thornville Sheridan 35, Granville 23
Tol. Cent. Cath. 31, Cols. Hartley 28
Tol. Rogers 21, Sylvania Southview 12
Tol. Whitmer 29, Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit 20
Tol. Woodward 58, Oregon Stritch 29
Tontogany Otsego 42, Metamora Evergreen 12
Toronto 36, Wellsville 16
Troy Christian 33, Day. Christian 6
Uniontown Lake 17, Akr. Garfield 0
Urbana 28, London 26
Vermilion 28, Lorain Clearview 20
Versailles 13, Celina 7
Vienna Mathews 49, Ashtabula St. John 6
W. Lafayette Ridgewood 21, Lore City Buckeye Trail 0
W. Salem NW 41, Loudonville 7
Wadsworth 27, Ashland 24
Warren Champion 42, Atwater Waterloo 27
Warren Harding 35, E. Cle. Shaw 0
Warrensville Hts. 59, Cle. John Marshall 6
Washington C.H. 42, Johnstown Northridge 6
Washington C.H. Miami Trace 51, Circleville 12
Waterford 37, Corning Miller 6
Waverly 39, Piketon 0
Westerville N. 24, Groveport-Madison 21
Westlake 30, Eastlake N. 28
Wheelersburg 49, Ironton 6
Whitehall-Yearling 39, Cols. Ready 25
Wickliffe 41, Rocky River Lutheran W. 6
Willard 31, Castalia Margaretta 24
Willoughby S. 33, Chardon NDCL 19
Willow Wood Symmes Valley 32, Paden City, W.Va. 0
Wilmington 42, Morrow Little Miami 12
Wooster Triway 27, Millersburg W. Holmes 26
Worthington Kilbourne 29, Lewis Center Olentangy Orange 28
Youngs. Boardman 41, Youngs. East 0
Zoarville Tuscarawas Valley 35, Apple Creek Waynedale 6
POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS
Arcanum vs. DeGraff Riverside, ppd. to Aug 27.
Archbishop Wood, Pa. vs. Huber Hts. Wayne, susp.
Batavia Clermont NE vs. Fayetteville-Perry, ppd. to Aug 27.
Bellbrook vs. Waynesville, ppd. to Aug 27.
Brookville vs. Lewisburg Tri-County N., ppd. to Aug 27.
Carlisle vs. Franklin, ppd. to Aug 27.
Casstown Miami E. vs. Milton-Union, ppd. to Aug 27.
Cin. Anderson vs. Middletown Fenwick, ppd. to Aug 27.
Cin. Gamble Montessori vs. Hamilton New Miami, ppd.
Cin. Glen Este vs. Cin. Princeton, ppd. to Aug 27.
Cin. Madeira vs. Norwood, ppd. to Aug 27.
Cin. Mariemont vs. Day. Oakwood, ppd. to Aug 27.
Cin. Moeller vs. W. Chester Lakota W., ppd. to Aug 27.
Cin. Sycamore vs. Cin. La Salle, ppd. to Aug 27.
Cin. Turpin vs. Cin. McNicholas, ppd. to Aug 27.
Cin. Western Hills vs. Cin. NW, ppd. to Aug 27.
Cin. Winton Woods vs. Clayton Northmont, ppd. to Aug 27.
Cin. Woodward vs. Cin. Walnut Hills, ppd. to Aug 27.
Cin. Wyoming vs. Cin. N. College Hill, ppd. to Aug 27.
Clarksville Clinton-Massie vs. Blanchester, ppd. to Aug 27.
Cle. Hts. vs. Youngs. Mooney, ppd. to Aug 27.
Day. Jefferson vs. New Madison Tri-Village, ppd. to Aug 27.
Day. Meadowdale vs. Piqua, ppd. to Aug 27.
Day. Northridge vs. Tipp City Bethel, ppd. to Aug 27.
Day. Thurgood Marshall vs. Spring. Shawnee, ppd. to Aug 27.
Dublin Coffman vs. Springfield, ppd. to Aug 27.
E. Central, Ind. vs. Harrison, ppd. to Aug 27.
Fairborn vs. New Carlisle Tecumseh, ppd. to Aug 27.
Fairfield vs. Centerville, ppd. to Aug 27.
Goshen vs. Hamilton Ross, ppd. to Aug 27.
Greenville vs. Eaton, ppd. to Aug 27.
Hamilton Badin vs. Cin. Taft, ppd. to Aug 27.
Hamilton vs. Milford, ppd. to Aug 27.
Hillsboro vs. Mt. Orab Western Brown, ppd. to Aug 27.
Kettering Alter vs. Kettering Fairmont, ppd. to Aug 27.
Lockland vs. Miami Valley Christian Academy, ppd.
Loveland vs. Liberty Twp. Lakota E., ppd. to Aug 27.
Maria Stein Marion Local vs. Day. Chaminade Julienne, ppd. to Aug 27.
Middletown Madison Senior vs. Oxford Talawanda, ppd. to Aug 27.
Milford Center Fairbanks vs. Bellefontaine Benjamin Logan, ppd. to Aug 27.
Morral Ridgedale vs. Ridgeway Ridgemont, ppd. to Aug 27.
New Bremen vs. Bradford, ppd.
New Paris National Trail vs. Camden Preble Shawnee, ppd. to Aug 27.
Norwalk St. Paul vs. Sandusky St. Mary, ppd.
Reading vs. St. Bernard Roger Bacon, ppd. to Aug 27.
Spring. Cath. Cent. vs. Spring. Greenon, ppd. to Aug 27.
Spring. NE vs. Spring. Kenton Ridge, ppd. to Aug 27.
Springboro vs. Mason, ppd. to Aug 27.
St. Henry vs. Covington, ppd. to Aug 27.
Tipp City Tippecanoe vs. St. Paris Graham, ppd. to Aug 27.
Trenton Edgewood vs. Monroe, ppd. to Aug 27.
Trotwood-Madison vs. Troy, ppd. to Aug 27.
Union City, Ind. vs. Union City Mississinawa Valley, ppd. to Aug 27.
Van Buren vs. Harrod Allen E., ppd. to Aug 27.
W. Alexandria Twin Valley S. vs. New Lebanon Dixie, ppd. to Aug 27.
W. Liberty-Salem vs. Germantown Valley View, ppd. to Aug 27.
Wapakoneta vs. Bellefontaine, ppd. to Aug 27.
Williamsburg vs. Cin. Deer Park, ppd. to Aug 27.
Zanesville Rosecrans vs. Lancaster Fisher Cath., ppd. to Aug 27.


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


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.


COLUMBUS — Noah Brown has had more surgeries than catches in his career at Ohio State, but has earned the respect of his teammates and coaches, who predict he could be OSU’s No. 1 receiver this season.
Urban Meyer thinks the sophomore wide receiver can have an All-Big Ten type season.
Running back Curtis Samuel, calls him “a big-time player.”
Assistant coach Kerry Coombs upped the ante even more and called him “a phenomenal player.”
All this for a player with one career catch who didn’t play at all last season after suffering a broken leg in practice 12 days before Ohio State’s season opener.
Ohio State’s players were devastated when Brown broke his tibia and fibula when he landed awkwardly last August.
What they’d seen in practice was impressive. They knew they’d just lost a valuable asset.
Brown, who had two surgeries to repair his broken leg, was one of the great “What-if’s?” of the 2015 season for OSU.
If he had been healthy, the Buckeyes’ passing game might not have been forced to be so reliant on Michael Thomas working his magic.
If he’d been able to play, OSU might have gotten back to the College Football Playoff.
“He was right there with Mike. He for sure would have been a starter last year,” Meyer said at the Big Ten media days. “I’m hoping he has an All-Big Ten year for us. My expectations are really good. That was a tough injury.”
Brown says he doesn’t think about what could have been.
He’s focused on this season.
“What could have been is what I feel like it’s going to be this year,” he said. “I’m hungry, I can’t wait to get back out there. I’m excited.
“Every game that I wasn’t able to be out there ate away at me. Football is what I know, what I love. Having that taken away from me hurt.”
As a 240-pound freshman, Brown played his way into the receivers rotation with his blocking ability.
Since then, he has dropped 20 pounds and made himself into probably the most complete receiver Ohio State has on its roster.
“My best attribute is probably my route running and my hands. But I can also stretch the field,” he said. “I think I can do a little bit of everything.”
Quarterback J.T. Barrett said, “Noah has like suction cups on his hands. You can throw it anywhere around him. Throw it around Noah and he will be able to get it.”
One thing Brown hasn’t grabbed hold of and held tightly, though, is all the preseason praise coming his way.
“In my mind that’s all hype. I don’t really pay attention. I try to go out and do what I can do. I’m looking forward this year to showing people what I can do so it’s not ‘Noah could have done this. Noah could have done that,’ ” he said.
A year later than expected, what Brown can do will be a very important part of Ohio State’s season.

Ohio State eager to get Brown on the field