September 18, 2025 • 37 mins
Monongalia County Health Officer Dr. Brian Huggins on tick-related illness
Star City Mayor Sharon Doyle on calls from Morgantown for area municipalities to be more active in assisting the homeless.
The 83rd Buckwheat Festival Sept. 28 through 28 with Chase Thomas and Harry Hayes
Star City Mayor Sharon Doyle on calls from Morgantown for area municipalities to be more active in assisting the homeless.
The 83rd Buckwheat Festival Sept. 28 through 28 with Chase Thomas and Harry Hayes
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
This is the Talk of the Town from Morgantown to Klucksburg.
If it's happening, we're talking about it. Call the show
toll free at one eight hundred seven sixty five eight
two five five. Now Here is your host for the
Talk of the Town, Mike Nolting.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
A good Thursday morning, and welcome to Talk of the Town.
This is your program where we talk about things important
to you and your family. I'm Mike Nolting. You're gonna
find me out on x as your news guy producing
the program. This morning, we've got Ethan Collins. Now, Ethan,
is that the ready at eight hundred seven sixty five
(00:50):
eight two five five. Your personal access to the program
is text line and that number is three oh four
Talk three oh four. We ask that you please use
that access freely. On the program. Today, we've got mon
County Health Officer doctor Brian Huggins. Doctor Huggins will join
us at nine fifteen. We're going to be talking about
(01:12):
tickborn illnesses, specifically the alpha gal syndrome that has been
confirmed here in Montengelia County. We're also going to talk
about other tickborn illnesses, but specifically the alpha gal syndrome
will make you allergic to meat products, as we understand it,
for the rest of your life. So we're going to
(01:33):
talk with Brian Huggins about that. Coming up at nine
point thirty got the Mayor Star City, Sharon Doyle. Sharon's
gonna join us and we're going to talk about their
reaction to the call from the City of Morgantown to
contribute more to the homeless issues across the city. Will
find out their reaction to that and what their plan
(01:54):
of action could be in the wake of that. Coming
up on September twenty, and I know that a lot
of people are looking forward to this. That is the
beginning of this year's buck Wheat Festival. So coming up
at nine point forty, we're going to welcome a couple
of representatives in from the buck Wheat Festival and we'll
(02:15):
get a preview as to what's going to be happening
later this month in the City of Kingwood. Let's take
a look at a couple of headlines. Mont County Commission
they want to make everybody clear on their stance on
the mid Atlantic Regional Link mid Atlantic Resiliency Link rather
now last month they approved a resolution opposing the project.
(02:38):
Then on Wednesday, they approved a letter to Governor Patrick
Morrissey and the PSC officially opposing the mid Atlantic Resiliency
link and asking them to do the same. Large crowds
expected tonight at the state Capitol. Over on the Canaw
river side. They're having a service to remember the life
(02:58):
of conservative figure Charlie Kirk. Kirk was assassinated last week
at Utah Valley University. Vigils set for six this evening.
Organizers have called that visual a call to courage honoring
the life and legacy of Charlie Kirk. Mond County commissioners
addressed that assassination on Wednesday during the regular meetings. Specifically,
(03:24):
Shan Sukora had some pretty strong words about the chill
that this has apparently put on political debate and the
need for us as a people to be maybe a
little bit more forgiving and a little bit more understanding
of other people's views and positions on the vaccination front.
(03:44):
Lawyers representing a group of Raleigh County parents requesting religious
exemptions to mandatory school vaccinations or now seeking class action
status for that case. Filing says the lawsuit should cover
all families thinking seeking a religious exemption. The next court
hearing in that case set for next month. You'll be
(04:07):
able to read Brad mcilhenney's piece over at wvmetronews dot com.
The Governor's office has approved more than seven hundred sixty
thousand dollars for sixty three food pantries and thirteen counties
that were impacted by floods so far this year. Now,
those do include those impacted by father state floods. In
(04:30):
Marion County. Those food pantries received just about sixty thousand
dollars as a part of that total. West Virginia First
Foundation that is the organization set up to distribute nearly
a billion dollars in opioid settlement money. They're holding their
regular meeting today at noon. That'll be their first meeting
(04:51):
in a few months. It will be if you want
to check it out, there is a link if you
go to the West Virginia First Foundation web site, then
search meetings, and there will be a link right there
on the front page in order for you to be
able to check out that meeting. Coming up next, we're
going to be talking about tickborne illnesses with mont County
(05:13):
Health Officer doctor Brian Huggins. It's next on top of
the town AM fourteen forty FM oneh four point five
w AJR.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
We are talking about your town. Now back to the
talk of the town.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Well, good Thursday morning, fairs, guys, and sixty three degrees
in the city of Morgantown and Metro Newsaki Weather says
today sunny, dry, a high of eighty one. Probably good
weather for tick, wouldn't you say, doctor Brian Huggins.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
So of course late summer is always the worst possible times.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
Mm hm.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
And let's see Brian, go ahead and talk into that
mic if you would, Can you hear me now? Yeah, yeah,
I've got you. Okay, good deal. Yeah, pull that mic
right up to you. Now, let's see, Brian, the I
guess the specific tick born illness that we're talking about
today is the alpha gals syndrome. Yep, what is it?
(06:32):
Where does it come from?
Speaker 1 (06:34):
So?
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Alpha gal syndrome is the newest tick disease that we
know about. And they discovered it really and about twenty
years ago. And yep, and so about twenty years ago
they were actually doing a study on a new cancer
(06:54):
drug and a bunch of people turned out to be
allergic to this cancer drug. And they're like why are
people allergic.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
To this cancer drug?
Speaker 3 (07:02):
And it turns out they were allergic to an ingredient
in it. I think it was a glycerin or something
like that that comes from an animal, mammals particularly, and
they found out they were allergic to this thing called
galactose alpha one to three galactose for all the science
nerds out there, hence why it's called alpha gel syndrome.
And when they did research into how did they get
(07:23):
that disease, it turns out it was from a tick bite,
very specifically the lone star tick, which until recently we
have not had in West Virginia. It is a Southern tick.
And so that disease causes you to be allergic to
all mammalian meat and then also mammalian products, so basically cheese, milk,
(07:47):
all dairy products, goat milk, and also things that come
so gelatin, so jello, things like that, anything that comes
from an animal, even some soup stock that's made with
bone from mammals, You're going to end up being allergic
to that.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
And what is the nature of that allergic reaction?
Speaker 3 (08:07):
So what happens is we normally eat that, right, I mean,
so and a lot of people are like, wow, in
the world, if I eat steak, why does a tick
make me allergic to that?
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (08:18):
And what's really fascinating about it and is that when
you eat it, when it goes through your intestine. A
lot of people don't realize that our gi track is
technically outside our body. That when something goes from your
mouth out through feces you actually it never enters your
body truly, It's a tube that basically just goes through
(08:39):
your body. Well, when we absorb this molecule from our intestine,
we surround it in a fat, a bunch of fat,
and so by the time it actually gets into our bloodstream,
it doesn't look the same. The problem is that when
a tick bites us, the tick carries it its saliva,
and I don't think they still know know why some
(09:01):
ticks have this in their saliva and some don't. But
when they bite you with it and it goes directly
into your bloodstream, your body sees that immediately mounts a
reaction to it as a foreign item, and you develop
antibodies to it. And so then the next time you
go and eat meat that has it in it, your
body says, wait a minute, I recognize that as foreign
and start to attack it and it makes you sick.
(09:22):
So it's just like any other food allergy. People that
have coeliac disease, people that have lactose in tolerance. It's
the same thing with people, and everybody that gets the
disease is slightly different. Some people just get a little
bit of abdomino upset and diarrhea. Some people can go
into true anaphylaxis and die.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Okay. Doctor Brian Huggins is with us, is the health
officer here in Montagelia County. We're talking about tick boorn illnesses.
That's pretty complicated. So let's do this, Brian, Let's talk
about how we can keep ticks away from us in
the first place. Yep, because I think a void in
(10:00):
this case is going to be I guess abstinence is best,
so is avoidance yep, yep.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
There's no treatment, so uh, you know, there's studies looking
at can we desensitize people? So absolutely the best way
to stop this is to not get it. So to
prevent tick bites, everybody knows the standards that you know,
the standard uh kinds of chemicals that you can put
in your skin. So there are a couple of different
things that you can do if you're going to be
(10:28):
out hiking, if you're going to be out you know,
So for instance, the person the case that we have
in Montingily County, and I do want to clarify that
it may not be the first case. It's since they
made it a reportable disease.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
So the state of.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
West Virginia realizing that this is a concern, the legislature
made it a reportable disease now, which means all labs
have to report to the Health department when somebody's positive.
All doctors have to do that. So this was the
first since they passed that law. And so what you
can do and then and the person who got it
was a nineteen year old who does cross country, so
(11:05):
they could have picked it up anywhere, no knowledge of
a tick bite. And the thing about this disease is
it can be weeks to months before you develop the
allergy to the meat, So you could be bit by
a tick a few months ago.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
So avoiding the tick bites.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
So if you're going to be out like that person
cross country, and we don't always think I'm going to
put poison on my body, Permethron is something you can
buy that. You can soak your clothes in the military
has been using on their uniforms. All the uniforms we
get are soaked in promethrone and it can survive multiple washes.
And you can buy that spray at Dick's Sporting Goods
at bass Pro shops on Amazon, and that's something you
(11:41):
spray into your clothes and then you don't have to
think about it. Another thing that you can do is
you can do the common skin protectant, so deet is
the most common pickered in is another version of it,
and those are the things that are going to help
keep the ticks off of you.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Okay, Now, what about maybe organic things instead of deep
or permethrate.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Yeah, and so lemon oil and things like that have
been shown for some people to work and for some
people it doesn't. So that's something that there are some
alternatives that you can use out there, but they are
less effective overall.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
And then I'm sure that with any organic method, you're
gonna have to apply that maybe more frequently than you
would a chemical.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
Probably, Yes, it's just gonna have probably a little less
because the organic is also trying to be more eco friendly. Yes,
it's almost always that way.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Okay, okay, Now that's maybe if we're out in the woods,
maybe on a picnic, you know, you go to the
fair or something, but maybe at home in the backyard. Yeah,
what are some things that we can do there to
maybe control because I don't think that eradication or you know,
complete elimination, that's off the table, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
Yeah, it's really hard without unless you're gonna coat your
entire yard and poison and almost everybody has a pet right,
and that's going to cause harm to natural plants. It's
going to cause harm to the animals that naturally live
around you and your own pets. But there are some
plants that you can actually put in your yard which
are naturally like. Ticks just don't like them. They don't
(13:16):
want to be around them, and they're usually pretty fragrant plants.
So some examples are rosemary, lavender, sage, time mint, oregano,
and then things that garlic, lemongrass, marigolds and chrysanthemums also
tend to just not Ticks don't like to be around those.
So how far of arrange does that give you? It's
(13:38):
hard to tell. I mean, ticks are pretty persistent. So
if you've got an acre. Obviously it's gonna be very
hard to be able to do that. But there are
some wild mint varieties. We were talking about how mint
can take over your yard, right, I mean it can,
But there are some wild mint varieties that are native
to West Virginia that you could plant and then you've
got something that's great for the bees and butterflies and
(14:02):
at the same time might help keep ticks off of
your yard.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
And I just might add as a program note about
eighty five And I'm not a mathematician, so just take
this for what it's worth, but about eighty five percent
of the list that you mentioned has value in the kitchen.
It does.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
It does if you're somebody that likes to cook at
home and you want to have your own ingredients. And
some of those like are going to be maybe not perennials,
so you have to plant them every year right over
the summer. But again, ticks aren't real active in the winter,
so that's okay.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
Yeah, yeah, okay, So, Brian, I think the last thing
that we need to check off our list is how
do you remove a tick? Heaven forbid if you have one.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
Yeah, So the best way you want to remove the
tick is you're going to basically grab it as close
to the head with a pair of tweezers. Some places
make fancy tick pullers that you can pick up, and
then you're going to basically pull straight up away from
the body, so perfectly perpendicular to the body. You're just
going to grab that and pull it out. School thought
when I was growing up was, oh, you just take
(15:03):
a match and you burn the tick, right, thank you, yep,
And so that was the old school way that I
was taught.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Oh, that's what you do.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
And I remember the first time I did that, I
watched the legs on the tick shrivel up and the
tick just lay there, and I'm like, well, they didn't
do anything. And it turns out that's actually the worst
way to do it, because it feels trauma. And what's
it do when it feels trauma, It basically regurgitates, It
vomits up its contents of its mouth into your body.
(15:30):
So you now have just increased your risk of getting
lyme disease, lichiosis, alpha gal syndrome, all of those things
by causing trauma to the tick. Whereas if you grab
it and pull straight up, it usually doesn't even know
what's happening by the time it's out of your body.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
And so that is the best way to Okay, yep,
all right. Now, you know one thing that I've noticed.
I don't know if it's social media, maybe it's the
enormous amounts of rain that we've received this year, but
I've just noticed a lot of people talking about having
tickborn illnesses this year. Have you noticed an uptick of reports.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
There's always, sadly a slight uptick in reports. And I
actually have the West Virginia numbers. So since August of
last year, so August August a year, there were two thousand,
two hundred and eighty six cases of lime disease. Really
and that's a lot. Yeah, And so we had six
cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, eleven of antiplasmosis. Antiplasmosis
(16:32):
is one that is on the rise as well. And
then we have six cases of olichiosis in one case
of abeziosis. So and then of course we've got alpha
gaw now being reported and we'll get that added into
the list.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
It is.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
So the biggest problem is that we're not getting the
cold winters that we used to get, and that is
the thing that used to kill the ticks. And when
we don't get a nice good deep freeze through the
winner more more of the babies and the ticks survive
and you end up with a larger tick population.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Out here.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
We don't have a lot of loan Star ticks. Loan
Star ticks right now primarily are down in the southwest
part of West Virginia. Up here, we have a ton
of black legged ticks, deer ticks, and at Cooper's Rock.
The last time we did a drag out there, one
out of every three ticks headline disease in it. Really
and that's a big problem in the state right now
is we're only the state is only surveying, like doing
(17:28):
a tick drag in seventeen counties across the state. And
then the problem with that is there's just not a
lot of funding in this So we at the Health
Department currently don't do any tick drags in the area
and we're trying to get the program restarted because there's
just a lack of funding for us to have a
really good like what I envision for the future would
(17:51):
be you could actually have a heat map to tell people, oh,
we did tick drags, these are areas that are high
for tick disease, make sure you're wearing poison. Not to
scare people away from going to those areas, but to
basically encourage people to be more careful with their you know,
tick control.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
Is that the next step for the legislature.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
You know, and that's something that we've brought up, you know,
multiple times, is if we want to really know what's
happening with vector disease, vector disease in particular, we have
to monitor. Mosquito is the same thing.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
You know.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
Dengay disease is a viral hemorrhagic fever like ebola. It's
not as severe or not as as a lot of
people that get the disease don't end up having a
lot of symptoms. But we're getting endemic, which means we're
seeing person or we're seeing spread by mosquitos in five
(18:45):
states now, one of them being Florida. It's eventually going
to get to West Virginia. I sure would love to
catch it in a mosquito before we find it in
a human. Right then we know it's here and we
can hopefully try to do stuff to help prevent. So yeah,
I would love to see if they because if they
could put a pull of money together and have the
health departments work on vector control and actually be able
(19:08):
to support that. Alleghany County, for instance, in Pennsylvania, of course, Pittsburgh, right,
they've got a lot of money. They have a whole team.
All they do is vector disease. That's all they do.
They go around Alleghany County and Pittsburgh, sample and try
to figure out what's going on.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Well, doctor Brian Huggins is the health officer here in
Montengelia County, and get your dat, get your promethron, plant
some chrysanthemums and mint, and stay away from the tics. Yep, hey,
give us your telephone number please, Oh sure.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
Our phone number over at the health department is three
oh four five nine eight five one zero zero.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Okay, perfect, Brian, really do appreciate you rearranging your schedule
and making this possible. Thank you, Thank you. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
Join the conversation at one eight hundred and seven sixty
five eight two finty five. This is the talk of
the town.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
Good Thursday morning, far Sky's sixty three degrees in the
University City Welcome back now. During the Morgantown City Council meeting,
on Tuesday evening, some council members, specifically I believe markdowns
from the sixth Ward and Brian Butcher, Deputy Mayor, calling
(20:36):
for area municipalities to chip a little bit more into
the kitty when it comes to taking care of the
area's homeless population. Of course, the most recent point in
time count quantified that population at one hundred fifty individuals.
On the phone, we've got the mayor of Star City,
(20:56):
Sharon Doyle. Doyle, Good morning, Sharon. How are you.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
I'm fine. How are you doing this morning?
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Hey, I'm doing pretty good. I hope everybody's doing well today.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
Everybody's doing well. Thanks for asking.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Okay, good glad to hear that. Okay, now, Sharon, let's
get down to business. You have heard the question. We've
had an opportunity to talk just a little bit about
it off the air. But your reaction to this request
for more help from other municipalities, namely Star City, Grandville,
possibly Westover, places like that.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
Yeah, well, to start off, you know, it's how that
was handled. It's not the way you bring municipalities together
to form a coalition. And I don't disagree that homelessness
is an issue. It happens you have those that are
living on hard times and want to do what they
can to get their lives on a positive path. But
(21:53):
you also have those that they're okay with being homeless
and will continue to go where all the amenity are
on a daily basis, and that's in Morgantown. So to
comment that, you know, Star City westover Grandville are leaving
people freezing to death on city streets, that's the flap
(22:13):
in the face to our elected officials, our police department,
our citizens. I don't understand where all that's coming from.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Now, Sharon, help us understand maybe what you what there
is to offer, Help us understand that part.
Speaker 4 (22:30):
I really don't have an answer for that because I
don't know what's expected from us. We don't wear a
municipality with you know, population around two thousand. We don't
have open buildings, facilities that maybe we could convert. We
don't have a problem with people on our streets in
Star City. We don't have you know, twenty some service
(22:53):
agencies that are you know, offering what these folks need
to survive on a daily basis, So I don't know
what they expect. We don't have funding to give out
to you know, help fulfill the rent on places somewhere.
I mean, we're surviving as a small town and I
(23:13):
just simply don't know what Morgantown expects from us. I
don't know what they expect from Granmville west Over either,
but this, for one, is not the way you go
about it. And two, we just don't have it here. Sure,
we're with the working with the County Commission now for
using TIFF funding so that we can get our sidewalks
(23:34):
replaced in Star City. So you know, maybe Morgantown should
be helping us.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
We've got Star City Mayor Sharon Doyle, and we're talking
about the possibility of a coalition that would deal with
homeless issues here in the city of Morgantown. Following the
Morgantown Regular City Council meeting coming up on Tuesday, have
you been contacted maybe about a meeting in the future
or maybe a are you Grandville and west Over going
(24:02):
to meet on your own? What's next?
Speaker 4 (24:05):
We've not been contacted about any kind of meeting. The
first that we heard that this was even you know,
a topic on the discussion that's for discussion, that the
municipalities weren't participating. What's the comments that were made at
the Morgantown City Council meeting. I don't know about Grandville
and Westover. I can pretty much you know, assume and
(24:31):
knowing Mayor Lewis and Bob Luchi that I don't see
any of us initiating a meeting.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
M tell me just a little bit about your budget.
Where does your revenue come from, What does your budget
look like. What do you I guess, rely on in
order to pick up the trash, keep your residence safe,
and things like that.
Speaker 4 (24:53):
Well, as you know most people know, we're in the
process of, you know, transferring our water and sewer utilities
two mobs because you know it's it is mub's water,
the City of Morgantown's water that runs through the lines
of Star City. You know, we don't have the B
(25:13):
and O tax revenue. You know, Star City fits at
about five hundred thousand, where you know you're talking in
other communities four million, eight million, twenty million. So you know,
the revenues that come in through the town are you know,
we do have that being attack. You know, we do
have building permits, licensings. Our garbage is run independently through
(25:37):
the town, so that sustains itself, but we don't have
additional funding coming in from you know, other areas, other streams,
So you know, the monies that we bring in are
the monies that you know, keep the town going, keep
the payroll, you know, keep the lights on, keep the
bills paid.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Star City Mayor Sharon Doyle, Sharon, really do appreciate your
time today, and if there happens to be any developments
on our end, we'll be sure and reach out. And likewise,
if you receive an update, we would appreciate hearing from you.
Speaker 4 (26:16):
That sounds like a plan.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Okay, good deal, Sharon, appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
Have a great day, okay, Mike you two yes, Mike.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Yeah, huh. You take care right now. Fair and sixty
three degrees. Coming up later this month, it'll be the
eighty third edition of the Buckwheat Festival over in Preston County.
Coming up next. Going to talk to a couple of
representatives that are going to have some more details about
that festival. AM fourteen forty F M one oh four
(26:44):
point five w A jr.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Now back to the talk of the town.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
Well, good Thursday morning, Fair skies and sixty three degrees
in the University City. The Buckwheat Festival comes up on
actually it gets started September twenty fifth. In studio, I
have let's see, Chase Thomas and also Harry Hayes with us. Gentlemen,
Good morning to both of you.
Speaker 5 (27:23):
How are you, Yeah, good morning, Thanks for having us.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
It's a pleasure to have you guys in. Now. Let's see.
Everybody gets a little bit giddy this time of year
when we start talking about buckwheat cakes and sausage.
Speaker 4 (27:33):
Oh.
Speaker 5 (27:34):
I couldn't agree more. And we're coming off the heels
of an excellent year from last year. We actually won
the best fair and festival of the state of West Virginia.
So we've got big shoes to fill. But I know
we can do it.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
Absolutely, there is no doubt in my mind. Okay, so
let's see now the Buckwheat Festival is always free admission
to the grounds every day. Yes, but tell us about
some of the things you're going to be doing this year.
Speaker 5 (27:55):
Oh, we got a you know, all the great staples
of buckwheat cakes and sausage. We've got an excellent music stage,
some great headliners, some great local bands. We've got the
Department of Environmental Protections mobile aquarium coming out. It's a
two thousand gallon aquarium that showcases the fishes of West Virginia.
(28:15):
So it's educational, entertaining, it's a little bit of culture,
arts and crafts, the carnival. Anybody who loves to ride
rides and gets a thrill. You know, we've got something
for everybody at the Bucky Festival.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Boy, it sure does sound like it. Now, let's see
win give us the buckwheat cake and sausage schedule. Gentlemen,
when is the kitchen open? When can we get our
first taste?
Speaker 5 (28:42):
First thing in the mornings? When it opens up, you know, Thursday, Friday,
and Saturday and Sunday, and I think they run until
about eight pm most days.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
And then of course this is a big fundraiser for
the King Would Volunteer Fire Department, isn't it It is?
Speaker 5 (28:56):
Yeah, the Fire Department is the sponsor of the festival,
and that's who benefits from it. But you know, it
really is a cultural staple that brings the whole county
and you know, folks from all over the East Coast together.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
I agree with you that it is certainly a regional event.
There's a lot going on and a lot really to
get excited about. But how much work does this take
to put together? When do you guys start planning?
Speaker 5 (29:21):
You know, it's honestly a year in the making. So
the festival runs from the twenty fifth to the twenty eighth,
and in October ninth is our first kickoff meeting for
next year. So it's a true twelve month process. And
we're having a blast right now. You know, a year's
worth of work. It's all coming together here in the
next seven days.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
Now, this is the eighty third edition of the Buckwheat Festival.
You guys are certainly accumulating a lot of history. Talk
about that history and you know what the eighty third edition.
Speaker 5 (29:55):
Of this, I mean, it's incredible that we get to
be a part of something that's you know, got this
kind of vintage. It all started back in nineteen thirty
eight and it was all about the harvest of the buckwheat,
and that was buckwheet was the most produced product or
you know, agricultural staple of Preston County back then. And
(30:16):
what they would do is around this time is when
you harvest buckwheat and they would all bring it to
King would and whoever had the best buckwheat was named
Buckwheat King, and it's just been a tradition that's held
on for you know, eighty three iterations. It's incredible, It.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
Really is incredible. And something that I did not know
is that your legacy or success in producing buckwheat led
to you guys being invited to the New York World's Fair.
Speaker 5 (30:45):
Yeah, I guess buckwheat cakes and sausage. You know, Harry
and I are so familiar because that's how we grew up.
But you know, we got to share that joy of
buckwee cakes and sausage with you know, the whole world
through that.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
Sure. Now, let's see. I know, whenever I go to
the Buckwheat Festival, I always like to catch a parade.
Tell us about the parade.
Speaker 5 (31:09):
So we got three great parades. Thursday night is the
Fireman's Parade, so I've got great flashing lights. All the
local fire departments from around the surrounding states come in
for that. One Friday is the School Day Parade, so
we put you know, school groups through there and anybody
else who wants to join. And then a Saturday is
(31:29):
the Farmer's Day Parade, and all the winning showcased livestock
will ride through that one along with all of our
other entries. I mean, we've got well over one hundred
and fifty entries for each parade. So it's a showstopper.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
It truly is. I think I was there for the
Farmers Date parade last year, I believe, and couldn't agree
with you more. There's an awful lot going on, a
happy crowd, everybody's everybody's happy and eating buckwheat cakes and sausage.
Now let's see who is doing your amusements this year, gentlemen.
Speaker 5 (32:06):
So our amusements are brought to us by Shaw and Sons.
They've been our partner for the amusements and carnival for decades.
They do an excellent job.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Now let's see the festival this year is September twenty
fifth through the twenty eighth. And just a couple of
these local bands. I'd like for you to tell us about.
What can you tell us about Lakeview?
Speaker 6 (32:32):
So Lakeview is a we call them a rock country
band and they've got some amazing music that can be
heard on radio now and their national touring, they've international tours,
so we're really excited to see them in Kingwood. We
also have Josh Ross headlining on Saturday night. He's got
(32:55):
a number one song on Country Music Now, and so
I think we really are excited to bring some awesome
national touring artists, but also, like you mentioned, the local
regional talents that we have that we're really proud to
showcase as well.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Uh, what is that Preston Cooper? Would he be one
of the local folks.
Speaker 6 (33:18):
So Preston Cooper is a he is somebody that's kind
of rising star. He's out from Toledo, Ohio. He was
named or called the walking or singing Mailman. He was
a mailman in Toledo and he got discovered and he's uh,
he's he's been on tour with stars like Riley Green.
So he's an up and comer, kind of a Chris
(33:40):
Stapleton esque type of performer. But I think that he
just released his first full album in August and he's
opening for Josh Rossell on Saturday.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
But he's going to be a big star. Okay, Well
that's great. And then it's really always exciting when you
can be able to book one of the country acts
right as they're hitting that number one song. You know,
you really hit it while the Iron's hot.
Speaker 6 (34:08):
Yeah, and that's what's that's what's exciting about our festival
is that we're kind of gonna bring these artists to
the festival that are on the fringe of being superstars,
and so it gives us an opportunity to you know,
bring really really good talent that the Kingwood.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
Absolutely it is the eighty third edition of the Preston
County Buckwheat Festival September twenty fifth through the twenty eighth
City of Kingwood. You won't want to miss it, gentlemen.
Really do appreciate you coming in telling us about it today.
Speaker 5 (34:45):
Yeah, thanks for having us.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
Absolutely, you guys have a great day right now. Faris,
Skies and sixty three degrees will be back to wrap
things up after this on Am fourteen forty f m
one oh four point five w A j r.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
We are talking about your town. Now back to the
talk of the town.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Well, good Thursday morning, Fair Skies and sixty three degrees
and let's see. The Texter wanted to know if the
entertainment is free at the Buckwheat Festival, and yes, the
answer to that question is yes, the entertainment is free
as with the gate admission. I believe that the only
(35:38):
thing that you'll have to pay for would be food
and the amusement rides and things like that. Getting ready
to put the news hat back on. And something I
did wanted to pass on to you is that sec
Gender sing Now. He is the truck driver charged with
negligent homicide in connection with January nineteenth crash on the
(36:01):
Cheat Lake Bridge that ended up being fatal for Kevin Lettail.
He ended up down in Cheat Lake. Let's see seeing
we'll have a preliminary hearing, a preliminary plea hearing coming
up on October the twentieth at eleven thirty in the morning,
and of course we'll be monitoring that to be able
(36:25):
to pass along the outcome to you. One other note
to pass on Stephen limro Now he has been charged
in connection with a fatal hit and run in Fayette County, Pennsylvania.
His preliminary hearing has been moved to November tenth at
one thirty in the afternoon. Just a couple of cases
(36:47):
that we're following here in the news room. Metro News.
Aki Weather says today sunshine and a high of eighty one,
and it looks like the next best chance precipitate, and
trust me, it is not a good one. It's coming
up on Saturday. That chance precipitation is only twenty percent,
(37:07):
and it looks like temperatures will linger into the eighties
into mid next week. So so much for some fall
like weather, But trust me, I'm sure it's coming. Will
all be complaining about cold temperatures, I'm sure coming up
very very soon. Everybody, make it a great Thursday in
(37:29):
the University City. Coming up next, Metro News talk Line
with Dave and TJ on the Voice of Morgantown WAJR.
This is the Talk of the Town from Morgantown to Klucksburg.
If it's happening, we're talking about it. Call the show
toll free at one eight hundred seven sixty five eight
two five five. Now Here is your host for the
Talk of the Town, Mike Nolting.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
A good Thursday morning, and welcome to Talk of the Town.
This is your program where we talk about things important
to you and your family. I'm Mike Nolting. You're gonna
find me out on x as your news guy producing
the program. This morning, we've got Ethan Collins. Now, Ethan,
is that the ready at eight hundred seven sixty five
(00:50):
eight two five five. Your personal access to the program
is text line and that number is three oh four
Talk three oh four. We ask that you please use
that access freely. On the program. Today, we've got mon
County Health Officer doctor Brian Huggins. Doctor Huggins will join
us at nine fifteen. We're going to be talking about
(01:12):
tickborn illnesses, specifically the alpha gal syndrome that has been
confirmed here in Montengelia County. We're also going to talk
about other tickborn illnesses, but specifically the alpha gal syndrome
will make you allergic to meat products, as we understand it,
for the rest of your life. So we're going to
(01:33):
talk with Brian Huggins about that. Coming up at nine
point thirty got the Mayor Star City, Sharon Doyle. Sharon's
gonna join us and we're going to talk about their
reaction to the call from the City of Morgantown to
contribute more to the homeless issues across the city. Will
find out their reaction to that and what their plan
(01:54):
of action could be in the wake of that. Coming
up on September twenty, and I know that a lot
of people are looking forward to this. That is the
beginning of this year's buck Wheat Festival. So coming up
at nine point forty, we're going to welcome a couple
of representatives in from the buck Wheat Festival and we'll
(02:15):
get a preview as to what's going to be happening
later this month in the City of Kingwood. Let's take
a look at a couple of headlines. Mont County Commission
they want to make everybody clear on their stance on
the mid Atlantic Regional Link mid Atlantic Resiliency Link rather
now last month they approved a resolution opposing the project.
(02:38):
Then on Wednesday, they approved a letter to Governor Patrick
Morrissey and the PSC officially opposing the mid Atlantic Resiliency
link and asking them to do the same. Large crowds
expected tonight at the state Capitol. Over on the Canaw
river side. They're having a service to remember the life
(02:58):
of conservative figure Charlie Kirk. Kirk was assassinated last week
at Utah Valley University. Vigils set for six this evening.
Organizers have called that visual a call to courage honoring
the life and legacy of Charlie Kirk. Mond County commissioners
addressed that assassination on Wednesday during the regular meetings. Specifically,
(03:24):
Shan Sukora had some pretty strong words about the chill
that this has apparently put on political debate and the
need for us as a people to be maybe a
little bit more forgiving and a little bit more understanding
of other people's views and positions on the vaccination front.
(03:44):
Lawyers representing a group of Raleigh County parents requesting religious
exemptions to mandatory school vaccinations or now seeking class action
status for that case. Filing says the lawsuit should cover
all families thinking seeking a religious exemption. The next court
hearing in that case set for next month. You'll be
(04:07):
able to read Brad mcilhenney's piece over at wvmetronews dot com.
The Governor's office has approved more than seven hundred sixty
thousand dollars for sixty three food pantries and thirteen counties
that were impacted by floods so far this year. Now,
those do include those impacted by father state floods. In
(04:30):
Marion County. Those food pantries received just about sixty thousand
dollars as a part of that total. West Virginia First
Foundation that is the organization set up to distribute nearly
a billion dollars in opioid settlement money. They're holding their
regular meeting today at noon. That'll be their first meeting
(04:51):
in a few months. It will be if you want
to check it out, there is a link if you
go to the West Virginia First Foundation web site, then
search meetings, and there will be a link right there
on the front page in order for you to be
able to check out that meeting. Coming up next, we're
going to be talking about tickborne illnesses with mont County
(05:13):
Health Officer doctor Brian Huggins. It's next on top of
the town AM fourteen forty FM oneh four point five
w AJR.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
We are talking about your town. Now back to the
talk of the town.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Well, good Thursday morning, fairs, guys, and sixty three degrees
in the city of Morgantown and Metro Newsaki Weather says
today sunny, dry, a high of eighty one. Probably good
weather for tick, wouldn't you say, doctor Brian Huggins.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
So of course late summer is always the worst possible times.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
Mm hm.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
And let's see Brian, go ahead and talk into that
mic if you would, Can you hear me now? Yeah, yeah,
I've got you. Okay, good deal. Yeah, pull that mic
right up to you. Now, let's see, Brian, the I
guess the specific tick born illness that we're talking about
today is the alpha gals syndrome. Yep, what is it?
(06:32):
Where does it come from?
Speaker 1 (06:34):
So?
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Alpha gal syndrome is the newest tick disease that we
know about. And they discovered it really and about twenty
years ago. And yep, and so about twenty years ago
they were actually doing a study on a new cancer
(06:54):
drug and a bunch of people turned out to be
allergic to this cancer drug. And they're like why are
people allergic.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
To this cancer drug?
Speaker 3 (07:02):
And it turns out they were allergic to an ingredient
in it. I think it was a glycerin or something
like that that comes from an animal, mammals particularly, and
they found out they were allergic to this thing called
galactose alpha one to three galactose for all the science
nerds out there, hence why it's called alpha gel syndrome.
And when they did research into how did they get
(07:23):
that disease, it turns out it was from a tick bite,
very specifically the lone star tick, which until recently we
have not had in West Virginia. It is a Southern tick.
And so that disease causes you to be allergic to
all mammalian meat and then also mammalian products, so basically cheese, milk,
(07:47):
all dairy products, goat milk, and also things that come
so gelatin, so jello, things like that, anything that comes
from an animal, even some soup stock that's made with
bone from mammals, You're going to end up being allergic
to that.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
And what is the nature of that allergic reaction?
Speaker 3 (08:07):
So what happens is we normally eat that, right, I mean,
so and a lot of people are like, wow, in
the world, if I eat steak, why does a tick
make me allergic to that?
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (08:18):
And what's really fascinating about it and is that when
you eat it, when it goes through your intestine. A
lot of people don't realize that our gi track is
technically outside our body. That when something goes from your
mouth out through feces you actually it never enters your
body truly, It's a tube that basically just goes through
(08:39):
your body. Well, when we absorb this molecule from our intestine,
we surround it in a fat, a bunch of fat,
and so by the time it actually gets into our bloodstream,
it doesn't look the same. The problem is that when
a tick bites us, the tick carries it its saliva,
and I don't think they still know know why some
(09:01):
ticks have this in their saliva and some don't. But
when they bite you with it and it goes directly
into your bloodstream, your body sees that immediately mounts a
reaction to it as a foreign item, and you develop
antibodies to it. And so then the next time you
go and eat meat that has it in it, your
body says, wait a minute, I recognize that as foreign
and start to attack it and it makes you sick.
(09:22):
So it's just like any other food allergy. People that
have coeliac disease, people that have lactose in tolerance. It's
the same thing with people, and everybody that gets the
disease is slightly different. Some people just get a little
bit of abdomino upset and diarrhea. Some people can go
into true anaphylaxis and die.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Okay. Doctor Brian Huggins is with us, is the health
officer here in Montagelia County. We're talking about tick boorn illnesses.
That's pretty complicated. So let's do this, Brian, Let's talk
about how we can keep ticks away from us in
the first place. Yep, because I think a void in
(10:00):
this case is going to be I guess abstinence is best,
so is avoidance yep, yep.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
There's no treatment, so uh, you know, there's studies looking
at can we desensitize people? So absolutely the best way
to stop this is to not get it. So to
prevent tick bites, everybody knows the standards that you know,
the standard uh kinds of chemicals that you can put
in your skin. So there are a couple of different
things that you can do if you're going to be
(10:28):
out hiking, if you're going to be out you know,
So for instance, the person the case that we have
in Montingily County, and I do want to clarify that
it may not be the first case. It's since they
made it a reportable disease.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
So the state of.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
West Virginia realizing that this is a concern, the legislature
made it a reportable disease now, which means all labs
have to report to the Health department when somebody's positive.
All doctors have to do that. So this was the
first since they passed that law. And so what you
can do and then and the person who got it
was a nineteen year old who does cross country, so
(11:05):
they could have picked it up anywhere, no knowledge of
a tick bite. And the thing about this disease is
it can be weeks to months before you develop the
allergy to the meat, So you could be bit by
a tick a few months ago.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
So avoiding the tick bites.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
So if you're going to be out like that person
cross country, and we don't always think I'm going to
put poison on my body, Permethron is something you can
buy that. You can soak your clothes in the military
has been using on their uniforms. All the uniforms we
get are soaked in promethrone and it can survive multiple washes.
And you can buy that spray at Dick's Sporting Goods
at bass Pro shops on Amazon, and that's something you
(11:41):
spray into your clothes and then you don't have to
think about it. Another thing that you can do is
you can do the common skin protectant, so deet is
the most common pickered in is another version of it,
and those are the things that are going to help
keep the ticks off of you.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Okay, Now, what about maybe organic things instead of deep
or permethrate.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Yeah, and so lemon oil and things like that have
been shown for some people to work and for some
people it doesn't. So that's something that there are some
alternatives that you can use out there, but they are
less effective overall.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
And then I'm sure that with any organic method, you're
gonna have to apply that maybe more frequently than you
would a chemical.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
Probably, Yes, it's just gonna have probably a little less
because the organic is also trying to be more eco friendly. Yes,
it's almost always that way.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Okay, okay, Now that's maybe if we're out in the woods,
maybe on a picnic, you know, you go to the
fair or something, but maybe at home in the backyard. Yeah,
what are some things that we can do there to
maybe control because I don't think that eradication or you know,
complete elimination, that's off the table, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
Yeah, it's really hard without unless you're gonna coat your
entire yard and poison and almost everybody has a pet right,
and that's going to cause harm to natural plants. It's
going to cause harm to the animals that naturally live
around you and your own pets. But there are some
plants that you can actually put in your yard which
are naturally like. Ticks just don't like them. They don't
(13:16):
want to be around them, and they're usually pretty fragrant plants.
So some examples are rosemary, lavender, sage, time mint, oregano,
and then things that garlic, lemongrass, marigolds and chrysanthemums also
tend to just not Ticks don't like to be around those.
So how far of arrange does that give you? It's
(13:38):
hard to tell. I mean, ticks are pretty persistent. So
if you've got an acre. Obviously it's gonna be very
hard to be able to do that. But there are
some wild mint varieties. We were talking about how mint
can take over your yard, right, I mean it can,
But there are some wild mint varieties that are native
to West Virginia that you could plant and then you've
got something that's great for the bees and butterflies and
(14:02):
at the same time might help keep ticks off of
your yard.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
And I just might add as a program note about
eighty five And I'm not a mathematician, so just take
this for what it's worth, but about eighty five percent
of the list that you mentioned has value in the kitchen.
It does.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
It does if you're somebody that likes to cook at
home and you want to have your own ingredients. And
some of those like are going to be maybe not perennials,
so you have to plant them every year right over
the summer. But again, ticks aren't real active in the winter,
so that's okay.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
Yeah, yeah, okay, So, Brian, I think the last thing
that we need to check off our list is how
do you remove a tick? Heaven forbid if you have one.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
Yeah, So the best way you want to remove the
tick is you're going to basically grab it as close
to the head with a pair of tweezers. Some places
make fancy tick pullers that you can pick up, and
then you're going to basically pull straight up away from
the body, so perfectly perpendicular to the body. You're just
going to grab that and pull it out. School thought
when I was growing up was, oh, you just take
(15:03):
a match and you burn the tick, right, thank you, yep,
And so that was the old school way that I
was taught.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Oh, that's what you do.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
And I remember the first time I did that, I
watched the legs on the tick shrivel up and the
tick just lay there, and I'm like, well, they didn't
do anything. And it turns out that's actually the worst
way to do it, because it feels trauma. And what's
it do when it feels trauma, It basically regurgitates, It
vomits up its contents of its mouth into your body.
(15:30):
So you now have just increased your risk of getting
lyme disease, lichiosis, alpha gal syndrome, all of those things
by causing trauma to the tick. Whereas if you grab
it and pull straight up, it usually doesn't even know
what's happening by the time it's out of your body.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
And so that is the best way to Okay, yep,
all right. Now, you know one thing that I've noticed.
I don't know if it's social media, maybe it's the
enormous amounts of rain that we've received this year, but
I've just noticed a lot of people talking about having
tickborn illnesses this year. Have you noticed an uptick of reports.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
There's always, sadly a slight uptick in reports. And I
actually have the West Virginia numbers. So since August of
last year, so August August a year, there were two thousand,
two hundred and eighty six cases of lime disease. Really
and that's a lot. Yeah, And so we had six
cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, eleven of antiplasmosis. Antiplasmosis
(16:32):
is one that is on the rise as well. And
then we have six cases of olichiosis in one case
of abeziosis. So and then of course we've got alpha
gaw now being reported and we'll get that added into
the list.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
It is.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
So the biggest problem is that we're not getting the
cold winters that we used to get, and that is
the thing that used to kill the ticks. And when
we don't get a nice good deep freeze through the
winner more more of the babies and the ticks survive
and you end up with a larger tick population.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Out here.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
We don't have a lot of loan Star ticks. Loan
Star ticks right now primarily are down in the southwest
part of West Virginia. Up here, we have a ton
of black legged ticks, deer ticks, and at Cooper's Rock.
The last time we did a drag out there, one
out of every three ticks headline disease in it. Really
and that's a big problem in the state right now
is we're only the state is only surveying, like doing
(17:28):
a tick drag in seventeen counties across the state. And
then the problem with that is there's just not a
lot of funding in this So we at the Health
Department currently don't do any tick drags in the area
and we're trying to get the program restarted because there's
just a lack of funding for us to have a
really good like what I envision for the future would
(17:51):
be you could actually have a heat map to tell people, oh,
we did tick drags, these are areas that are high
for tick disease, make sure you're wearing poison. Not to
scare people away from going to those areas, but to
basically encourage people to be more careful with their you know,
tick control.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
Is that the next step for the legislature.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
You know, and that's something that we've brought up, you know,
multiple times, is if we want to really know what's
happening with vector disease, vector disease in particular, we have
to monitor. Mosquito is the same thing.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
You know.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
Dengay disease is a viral hemorrhagic fever like ebola. It's
not as severe or not as as a lot of
people that get the disease don't end up having a
lot of symptoms. But we're getting endemic, which means we're
seeing person or we're seeing spread by mosquitos in five
(18:45):
states now, one of them being Florida. It's eventually going
to get to West Virginia. I sure would love to
catch it in a mosquito before we find it in
a human. Right then we know it's here and we
can hopefully try to do stuff to help prevent. So yeah,
I would love to see if they because if they
could put a pull of money together and have the
health departments work on vector control and actually be able
(19:08):
to support that. Alleghany County, for instance, in Pennsylvania, of course, Pittsburgh, right,
they've got a lot of money. They have a whole team.
All they do is vector disease. That's all they do.
They go around Alleghany County and Pittsburgh, sample and try
to figure out what's going on.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Well, doctor Brian Huggins is the health officer here in
Montengelia County, and get your dat, get your promethron, plant
some chrysanthemums and mint, and stay away from the tics. Yep, hey,
give us your telephone number please, Oh sure.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
Our phone number over at the health department is three
oh four five nine eight five one zero zero.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Okay, perfect, Brian, really do appreciate you rearranging your schedule
and making this possible. Thank you, Thank you. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
Join the conversation at one eight hundred and seven sixty
five eight two finty five. This is the talk of
the town.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
Good Thursday morning, far Sky's sixty three degrees in the
University City Welcome back now. During the Morgantown City Council meeting,
on Tuesday evening, some council members, specifically I believe markdowns
from the sixth Ward and Brian Butcher, Deputy Mayor, calling
(20:36):
for area municipalities to chip a little bit more into
the kitty when it comes to taking care of the
area's homeless population. Of course, the most recent point in
time count quantified that population at one hundred fifty individuals.
On the phone, we've got the mayor of Star City,
(20:56):
Sharon Doyle. Doyle, Good morning, Sharon. How are you.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
I'm fine. How are you doing this morning?
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Hey, I'm doing pretty good. I hope everybody's doing well today.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
Everybody's doing well. Thanks for asking.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Okay, good glad to hear that. Okay, now, Sharon, let's
get down to business. You have heard the question. We've
had an opportunity to talk just a little bit about
it off the air. But your reaction to this request
for more help from other municipalities, namely Star City, Grandville,
possibly Westover, places like that.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
Yeah, well, to start off, you know, it's how that
was handled. It's not the way you bring municipalities together
to form a coalition. And I don't disagree that homelessness
is an issue. It happens you have those that are
living on hard times and want to do what they
can to get their lives on a positive path. But
(21:53):
you also have those that they're okay with being homeless
and will continue to go where all the amenity are
on a daily basis, and that's in Morgantown. So to
comment that, you know, Star City westover Grandville are leaving
people freezing to death on city streets, that's the flap
(22:13):
in the face to our elected officials, our police department,
our citizens. I don't understand where all that's coming from.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Now, Sharon, help us understand maybe what you what there
is to offer, Help us understand that part.
Speaker 4 (22:30):
I really don't have an answer for that because I
don't know what's expected from us. We don't wear a
municipality with you know, population around two thousand. We don't
have open buildings, facilities that maybe we could convert. We
don't have a problem with people on our streets in
Star City. We don't have you know, twenty some service
(22:53):
agencies that are you know, offering what these folks need
to survive on a daily basis, So I don't know
what they expect. We don't have funding to give out
to you know, help fulfill the rent on places somewhere.
I mean, we're surviving as a small town and I
(23:13):
just simply don't know what Morgantown expects from us. I
don't know what they expect from Granmville west Over either,
but this, for one, is not the way you go
about it. And two, we just don't have it here. Sure,
we're with the working with the County Commission now for
using TIFF funding so that we can get our sidewalks
(23:34):
replaced in Star City. So you know, maybe Morgantown should
be helping us.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
We've got Star City Mayor Sharon Doyle, and we're talking
about the possibility of a coalition that would deal with
homeless issues here in the city of Morgantown. Following the
Morgantown Regular City Council meeting coming up on Tuesday, have
you been contacted maybe about a meeting in the future
or maybe a are you Grandville and west Over going
(24:02):
to meet on your own? What's next?
Speaker 4 (24:05):
We've not been contacted about any kind of meeting. The
first that we heard that this was even you know,
a topic on the discussion that's for discussion, that the
municipalities weren't participating. What's the comments that were made at
the Morgantown City Council meeting. I don't know about Grandville
and Westover. I can pretty much you know, assume and
(24:31):
knowing Mayor Lewis and Bob Luchi that I don't see
any of us initiating a meeting.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
M tell me just a little bit about your budget.
Where does your revenue come from, What does your budget
look like. What do you I guess, rely on in
order to pick up the trash, keep your residence safe,
and things like that.
Speaker 4 (24:53):
Well, as you know most people know, we're in the
process of, you know, transferring our water and sewer utilities
two mobs because you know it's it is mub's water,
the City of Morgantown's water that runs through the lines
of Star City. You know, we don't have the B
(25:13):
and O tax revenue. You know, Star City fits at
about five hundred thousand, where you know you're talking in
other communities four million, eight million, twenty million. So you know,
the revenues that come in through the town are you know,
we do have that being attack. You know, we do
have building permits, licensings. Our garbage is run independently through
(25:37):
the town, so that sustains itself, but we don't have
additional funding coming in from you know, other areas, other streams,
So you know, the monies that we bring in are
the monies that you know, keep the town going, keep
the payroll, you know, keep the lights on, keep the
bills paid.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Star City Mayor Sharon Doyle, Sharon, really do appreciate your
time today, and if there happens to be any developments
on our end, we'll be sure and reach out. And likewise,
if you receive an update, we would appreciate hearing from you.
Speaker 4 (26:16):
That sounds like a plan.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Okay, good deal, Sharon, appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
Have a great day, okay, Mike you two yes, Mike.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Yeah, huh. You take care right now. Fair and sixty
three degrees. Coming up later this month, it'll be the
eighty third edition of the Buckwheat Festival over in Preston County.
Coming up next. Going to talk to a couple of
representatives that are going to have some more details about
that festival. AM fourteen forty F M one oh four
(26:44):
point five w A jr.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Now back to the talk of the town.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
Well, good Thursday morning, Fair skies and sixty three degrees
in the University City. The Buckwheat Festival comes up on
actually it gets started September twenty fifth. In studio, I
have let's see, Chase Thomas and also Harry Hayes with us. Gentlemen,
Good morning to both of you.
Speaker 5 (27:23):
How are you, Yeah, good morning, Thanks for having us.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
It's a pleasure to have you guys in. Now. Let's see.
Everybody gets a little bit giddy this time of year
when we start talking about buckwheat cakes and sausage.
Speaker 4 (27:33):
Oh.
Speaker 5 (27:34):
I couldn't agree more. And we're coming off the heels
of an excellent year from last year. We actually won
the best fair and festival of the state of West Virginia.
So we've got big shoes to fill. But I know
we can do it.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
Absolutely, there is no doubt in my mind. Okay, so
let's see now the Buckwheat Festival is always free admission
to the grounds every day. Yes, but tell us about
some of the things you're going to be doing this year.
Speaker 5 (27:55):
Oh, we got a you know, all the great staples
of buckwheat cakes and sausage. We've got an excellent music stage,
some great headliners, some great local bands. We've got the
Department of Environmental Protections mobile aquarium coming out. It's a
two thousand gallon aquarium that showcases the fishes of West Virginia.
(28:15):
So it's educational, entertaining, it's a little bit of culture,
arts and crafts, the carnival. Anybody who loves to ride
rides and gets a thrill. You know, we've got something
for everybody at the Bucky Festival.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Boy, it sure does sound like it. Now, let's see
win give us the buckwheat cake and sausage schedule. Gentlemen,
when is the kitchen open? When can we get our
first taste?
Speaker 5 (28:42):
First thing in the mornings? When it opens up, you know, Thursday, Friday,
and Saturday and Sunday, and I think they run until
about eight pm most days.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
And then of course this is a big fundraiser for
the King Would Volunteer Fire Department, isn't it It is?
Speaker 5 (28:56):
Yeah, the Fire Department is the sponsor of the festival,
and that's who benefits from it. But you know, it
really is a cultural staple that brings the whole county
and you know, folks from all over the East Coast together.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
I agree with you that it is certainly a regional event.
There's a lot going on and a lot really to
get excited about. But how much work does this take
to put together? When do you guys start planning?
Speaker 5 (29:21):
You know, it's honestly a year in the making. So
the festival runs from the twenty fifth to the twenty eighth,
and in October ninth is our first kickoff meeting for
next year. So it's a true twelve month process. And
we're having a blast right now. You know, a year's
worth of work. It's all coming together here in the
next seven days.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
Now, this is the eighty third edition of the Buckwheat Festival.
You guys are certainly accumulating a lot of history. Talk
about that history and you know what the eighty third edition.
Speaker 5 (29:55):
Of this, I mean, it's incredible that we get to
be a part of something that's you know, got this
kind of vintage. It all started back in nineteen thirty
eight and it was all about the harvest of the buckwheat,
and that was buckwheet was the most produced product or
you know, agricultural staple of Preston County back then. And
(30:16):
what they would do is around this time is when
you harvest buckwheat and they would all bring it to
King would and whoever had the best buckwheat was named
Buckwheat King, and it's just been a tradition that's held
on for you know, eighty three iterations. It's incredible, It.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
Really is incredible. And something that I did not know
is that your legacy or success in producing buckwheat led
to you guys being invited to the New York World's Fair.
Speaker 5 (30:45):
Yeah, I guess buckwheat cakes and sausage. You know, Harry
and I are so familiar because that's how we grew up.
But you know, we got to share that joy of
buckwee cakes and sausage with you know, the whole world
through that.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
Sure. Now, let's see. I know, whenever I go to
the Buckwheat Festival, I always like to catch a parade.
Tell us about the parade.
Speaker 5 (31:09):
So we got three great parades. Thursday night is the
Fireman's Parade, so I've got great flashing lights. All the
local fire departments from around the surrounding states come in
for that. One Friday is the School Day Parade, so
we put you know, school groups through there and anybody
else who wants to join. And then a Saturday is
(31:29):
the Farmer's Day Parade, and all the winning showcased livestock
will ride through that one along with all of our
other entries. I mean, we've got well over one hundred
and fifty entries for each parade. So it's a showstopper.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
It truly is. I think I was there for the
Farmers Date parade last year, I believe, and couldn't agree
with you more. There's an awful lot going on, a
happy crowd, everybody's everybody's happy and eating buckwheat cakes and sausage.
Now let's see who is doing your amusements this year, gentlemen.
Speaker 5 (32:06):
So our amusements are brought to us by Shaw and Sons.
They've been our partner for the amusements and carnival for decades.
They do an excellent job.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Now let's see the festival this year is September twenty
fifth through the twenty eighth. And just a couple of
these local bands. I'd like for you to tell us about.
What can you tell us about Lakeview?
Speaker 6 (32:32):
So Lakeview is a we call them a rock country
band and they've got some amazing music that can be
heard on radio now and their national touring, they've international tours,
so we're really excited to see them in Kingwood. We
also have Josh Ross headlining on Saturday night. He's got
(32:55):
a number one song on Country Music Now, and so
I think we really are excited to bring some awesome
national touring artists, but also, like you mentioned, the local
regional talents that we have that we're really proud to
showcase as well.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Uh, what is that Preston Cooper? Would he be one
of the local folks.
Speaker 6 (33:18):
So Preston Cooper is a he is somebody that's kind
of rising star. He's out from Toledo, Ohio. He was
named or called the walking or singing Mailman. He was
a mailman in Toledo and he got discovered and he's uh,
he's he's been on tour with stars like Riley Green.
So he's an up and comer, kind of a Chris
(33:40):
Stapleton esque type of performer. But I think that he
just released his first full album in August and he's
opening for Josh Rossell on Saturday.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
But he's going to be a big star. Okay, Well
that's great. And then it's really always exciting when you
can be able to book one of the country acts
right as they're hitting that number one song. You know,
you really hit it while the Iron's hot.
Speaker 6 (34:08):
Yeah, and that's what's that's what's exciting about our festival
is that we're kind of gonna bring these artists to
the festival that are on the fringe of being superstars,
and so it gives us an opportunity to you know,
bring really really good talent that the Kingwood.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
Absolutely it is the eighty third edition of the Preston
County Buckwheat Festival September twenty fifth through the twenty eighth
City of Kingwood. You won't want to miss it, gentlemen.
Really do appreciate you coming in telling us about it today.
Speaker 5 (34:45):
Yeah, thanks for having us.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
Absolutely, you guys have a great day right now. Faris,
Skies and sixty three degrees will be back to wrap
things up after this on Am fourteen forty f m
one oh four point five w A j r.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
We are talking about your town. Now back to the
talk of the town.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Well, good Thursday morning, Fair Skies and sixty three degrees
and let's see. The Texter wanted to know if the
entertainment is free at the Buckwheat Festival, and yes, the
answer to that question is yes, the entertainment is free
as with the gate admission. I believe that the only
(35:38):
thing that you'll have to pay for would be food
and the amusement rides and things like that. Getting ready
to put the news hat back on. And something I
did wanted to pass on to you is that sec
Gender sing Now. He is the truck driver charged with
negligent homicide in connection with January nineteenth crash on the
(36:01):
Cheat Lake Bridge that ended up being fatal for Kevin Lettail.
He ended up down in Cheat Lake. Let's see seeing
we'll have a preliminary hearing, a preliminary plea hearing coming
up on October the twentieth at eleven thirty in the morning,
and of course we'll be monitoring that to be able
(36:25):
to pass along the outcome to you. One other note
to pass on Stephen limro Now he has been charged
in connection with a fatal hit and run in Fayette County, Pennsylvania.
His preliminary hearing has been moved to November tenth at
one thirty in the afternoon. Just a couple of cases
(36:47):
that we're following here in the news room. Metro News.
Aki Weather says today sunshine and a high of eighty one,
and it looks like the next best chance precipitate, and
trust me, it is not a good one. It's coming
up on Saturday. That chance precipitation is only twenty percent,
(37:07):
and it looks like temperatures will linger into the eighties
into mid next week. So so much for some fall
like weather, But trust me, I'm sure it's coming. Will
all be complaining about cold temperatures, I'm sure coming up
very very soon. Everybody, make it a great Thursday in
(37:29):
the University City. Coming up next, Metro News talk Line
with Dave and TJ on the Voice of Morgantown WAJR.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com