100 Years Ago – 1922
Bill Smith – Bad Man
Bill Smith, said to have been one of the meanest characters that ever infested Pocahontas county, was killed some days ago by Special Officer Rutherford. Smith’s last act was either a grandstand play or an attempt to murder the officer, for at the moment of his capture he reached for his gun, remarking as he did so, “you’ll never attempt to arrest another man.” Rutherford beat him to it, however, and shot Smith to death on the spot.
It is believed by a great many people who heard the trial of Frank Harber, at Tazewell, last week, that Smith and not Harber, nulled the trigger of the shotgun that ended the life of Policeman Reedy, at Pocahontas, Va., on the morning of February 22. However, the jury decided otherwise, and sent Harber to the penitentiary for life.
Smith had given the officers of Pocahontas and many other towns in that section a great deal of trouble and he is believed to have been the leading spirit in the long series of crimes of almost every nature that have been committed in Pocahontas and vicinity during the past few years. He was a [racial slur omitted], however, and was able to clear himself of many major crimes for the commission of which public opinion convicted him.
75 Years Ago – 1947
Gwinn promoted
Appointment of Eugene C. Gwinn of Alderson as chief of the combined properties and enforcement division of the Liquor Control Commission was announced Saturday by Chairman A. K. Canterbury.
Gwinn, a former Greenbrier county sheriff, will replace F. M. Peters of Bluefield and Lester Groves of Huntington, who have headed the respective activities. Canterbury said the commission had accepted the resignations of Peters, and Groves.
The change was effective Monday. Gwinn has been employed as a district field supervisor for the commission, covering a territory including areas of Pocahontas, Fayette, Raleigh, Greenbrier, Randolph and Summers counties.
Canterbury said he expected the consolidation to result in cheaper and more efficient operation.
Open Alderson Store
Mrs. Mary Keeney, owner and operator of Keeney’s Variety store for the past three years, and which has been located in the old Rupert store building, is moving her store to Alderson.
Mrs. Keeney will be located on South Monroe Street two doors from the First National Bank building. Mrs. Keeney expects to open her new store almost momentarily but is being held up on account of a remodeling job to be done by the owners of the building.
This new place of business will be known as Betty’s Garment Shop, and will handle ladies’ and misses’ clothing.
Mrs. Kenney has sold her stock of groceries to The Standard Grocery in Rupert.
L. H. S. athletic field
Under the sponsorship of the Lewisburg Lions club grading of the enlarged football and athletic field for Lewisburg high school was started on Tuesday morning. It is estimated that some 14,000 yards of earth will be moved in constructing this, one of the best athletic fields in West Virginia.
Flood lights for night football playing will be erected soon after the completion of the ground grading. The contract for the erection and construction of the flood light system has already been awarded by the Lewisburg Lions club. The contractor has all of the material in waiting for the Lewisburg field. When completed the football field will be illuminated with 96,000 watts.
Good fishing luck
J. E. Foster, pump man at the Alderson water works, was fishing near the pump station one day last week but having no luck he decided to quit and handed his fishing pole to L. E Shires. About five minutes after Shir es took the pole he hooked and landed an eight-pound pike. However, the lucky fisherman was not greedy, he divided fish with Mr. Foster.
50 Years Ago – 1972
The Greenbrier East Spartans accepted the Triple A championship trophy after defeating the Dunbar Bulldogs 64-58 in the finals of the State Tournament at the Charleston Civic Center Friday. Coach Al Morgan is shown accepting the trophy from a tournament official. Watching the scene are several of the Spartans. The East fans (right photo) chant we’re “NUMBER ONE” after the Spartans won the game.
The victory ended the 1971-72 season for the Spartans who finished the year with a fine 25-1 record. This year’s appearance at the state tournament was the third in a row for the Spartans.
They were beaten in 1970 by Parkersburg and in 1971 by Charles Town, but as they say “the third time’s the charm” and East brought the big trophy home this time. (Photos by Rem Park, Photographer Carl Patton)
Photos by Rem Park, photographer Carl Patton |
Photos by Rem Park, photographer Carl Patton |
Manor opened in 1969
On October 1, 1969 the Greenbrier County Nursing Home Association, a non-profit Organization, opened to the public a new 100 bed extended care facility known as Greenbrier Manor. This facility is located in Fairlea, West Virginia. Since it’s opening date this facility has served 323 residents from many parts of the country. Qualified for coverage by Medicare, Veterans Administration, and many Insurance Companies this facility boasts an outstanding staff consisting of 75 full time and 5 part time professional employees who pride themselves in being able to rehabilitate the chronically ill as well as making life enjoyable for permanent resident.
During the past year the Manor averaged 98 per cent Occupancy, 24 per cent being male and 74 per cent female, with the average age of 79 the youngest 36 and the oldest 104.
According to a recent “Medical Facilities Survey” by an independent company Greenbrier Manor was classified as being superior in all respects among similar extended care facilities.
Over and above normal nursing services this facility has available a house Physician and a Physical Therapist which are constantly available for required services. Nondenominational church services are held each Sunday. There are three recreational rooms, color TV equipped, a delightful outside patio and a combination Barber Shop and Beauty Parlor for the benefit and enjoyment of all residents. The local community has organized a Ladies Auxiliary with a membership of 83, who assist the Manor in distributing mail, read and write letters for the patients, help with the food trays and feeding and sews and mends the patients clothing. Also a Junior Auxiliary consisting of 14 members who have been extremely helpful in assisting our nurses aides.
This 100 bed facility has three types of accommodations, three bedroom, two bedroom and private each equipped with individual TV, two way call system and private bath. Greenbrier Manor offers the most reasonable rates of any comparable facility. This facility reached full occupancy within one year from the opening date. Our employment has expanded from 30 to 80 personnel who are distributed as follows: 4 Administrative, 56 nursing service, 10 housekeeping and 10 food service.
Some interesting financial statistics for Greenbrier Manor in the past year are: Expenditures: Administrative Supplies $ 1,787.60 , Housekeeping and Janitor Supplies $7,990.24, Food and related costs, $45,042.47, Electricity $5,087.95, Gas $4,025.46, Water $1,408.64 and Annual payroll, $262,932.11 and nursing supplies $7,367.73.
Greenbrier Manor nursing staff |
Greenbrier Manor |
25 Years Ago – 1997
A wish comes true by Christine Jerman
A Lewisburg teen recently was granted a wish by the Make A Wish Foundation.
Most of the publicity which surrounds this foundation centers on the wishes granted for terminally ill children. Make A Wish, however, also grants wishes for children up to age 18 who are in unchanging health situations.
Jennifer Tubbs, a fourteen-year-old who attends Eastern Greenbrier Junior High School, is just such a case: she suffers from spina bifida which causes an opening in the spinal cord. She has no feeling from the waist down and so she gets around in a wheel chair, she said. She also said she could use braces and crutches to get around if she wanted.
Tubbs said her condition has not restricted her life other than not being able to go up stairs.
“Even then I find another way to get where I want to go,” she said.
Make A Wish granted her wish to go to Hollywood, California, to meet the actors in some of her favorite shows. Tubbs, her mother Anne Baldwin and a friend were driven to the Roanoke airport in a limousine and flew to California on February 10.
While in California, the highlight of her trip was meeting several members of the cast of the NBC drama E.R., including George Clooney and Anthony Edwards. She was disappointed that she wasn’t able to meet Noah Wyle or Eriq LaSalle, other stars of the show.
Tubbs said that several episodes ago, Clooney, who portrays Dr. Doug Ross on the show, had his leg wrapped. “It was a real injury,” she said. She explained, “(Clooney) was playing basketball between scenes with some of the other actors and was injured.”
After meeting the stars of E.R., she went on to meet the cast of The Drew Carey Show and sat in the audience during a taping of The Rosie O’Donnell Show. van Another highlight of her trip was meeting Brian Austin Greene of Beverly Hills 90210, she said. Tubbs’ group went to Planet Hollywood and was seated at a table near the door. She said she wondered why they were placed there until a waiter came and told them that the cast of Beverly Hills 90210 was having a cast party at the restaurant and she would have a better chance of meeting them in this position.
When her friends found out that she had been granted a wish, they asked her if she was dying, Tubbs said.
Tubbs and her mother wanted to let people know that Make A Wish does not just grant wishes for the terminally ill, although children who are terminally ill receive priority, Tubbs said.
“I had a lot of fun; I told my mom that she could’ve left me there,” she said.
Jennifer Tubbs recently was granted a wish by the Make A Wish Foundation and was flown to Hollywood to meet the stars of several of her favorite television shows. Here, she sits between George Clooney and Anthony Edwards, who play Dr. Doug Ross and Dr. Mark Green, respectively, on E.R.
Tubbs said she was given a T-shirt from E.R. which says, “Where Everything Is Stat.”
When Tubbs returned home on February 14, Make A Wish sponsored a welcome home party for her at Food and Friends in Lewisburg.
Jennifer Tubbs recently was granted a wish by the Make A Wish Foundation and was flown to Hollywood to meet the stars of several of her favorite television shows. Here, she sits between George Clooney and Anthony Edwards, who play Dr. Doug Ross and Dr. Mark Green, respectively, on E.R. |
Senator Byrd To Attend Clinic Dedication
A visit from Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) will highlight the special dedication ceremony of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine’s (WVSOM) new $4 million primary care clinic on March 24.
Senator Byrd stresses that the new clinic-named the Robert C. Byrd Clinic will provide essential patient care in southeastern West Virginia. “When I added $4 million to an appropriations bill for construction of an ambulatory care clinic at WVSOM in 1994, I envisioned a modern facility that would provide health care services to residents of Greenbrier, Monroe, Pocahontas, Nicholas, Raleigh, and Fayette counties,” says Senator Byrd.
“Throughout his years of public service, Senator Byrd has gone out of his way to recognize and support projects that make a real difference in the quality of life for West Virginians and all Americans,” says Dr. Jones. “I believe that this new clinic at WVSOM is one such project, and we are honored by his support of it.”
Also participating in the ceremony will be Douglas Wood, president of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, and Kay Goodwin, chairperson of the University of West Virginia System Board of Trustees.
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