Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - It's been a year of town halls and weekend forums and lunchtime meet-and-greets for those who would be president, with nights spent sparring in televised debates and endless days fundraising to pay for TV ads, direct-mail fliers and organizers to get out the vote.

All of it is aimed at people like Jocelyn Beyer, a Republican from the small town of Sully in rural central Iowa, who says despite the many months of political clamor, she's only just now starting to think about her vote for the White House.
"I can't say I've paid much attention," Beyer said. "The moral issues are what I focus on. If I had to vote today, I'd vote for Ted Cruz."
While that's not a solid "yes" for the Texas senator, at least he's doing better with Beyer than he is with Brian Metcalf, a Republican from nearby Pella. Metcalf is thinking about Cruz, but also former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.
That is, when he's spending any time thinking about the race.
"Until now, it's just been noise," he said. "But I'd like to see someone with a Reagan-esque approach."
For all the attention showered on early-state voters in the past year by candidates, their unpaid volunteers and high-dollar admakers - and, yes, journalists, too - the truth is that what happened in 2015 was only the pregame show.
The race for the White House starts in earnest this week as voters such as Beyer and Metcalf begin to tune in and the candidates try to win them over during a four-week sprint to the leadoff Iowa caucuses on Feb. 1. It's then that voters have their first say and push pundits, predictions and polls aside.
"The race is still fluid," said Beth Myers, who managed 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney's campaign and supports Bush in 2016. "There's still a twist or two in this primary story that we don't know yet."
Where to begin?
It's easier to start with the Democrats.
Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont hopes an upset in Iowa and a victory in the New Hampshire primary a week later will dent the apparent inevitability of front-runner Hillary Clinton. Wins in the first two states for the former first lady, New York senator and secretary of state would all but cement her place atop her party's ticket.
There is no such clarity in the Republican race.
Despite shedding five candidates before New Year's Day, the GOP contest is an unpredictable mix of a dozen hopefuls with vastly different visions for the party and the country.
Ahead now in Iowa is Cruz, who spent 2015 quietly building a traditional campaign apparatus and will kick off his month with a bus tour - six days, 28 cities - covering the state's most fertile ground for Republicans.
Candidates often try to recruit a political leader to stand for them in each of Iowa's 99 counties. Cruz has also sought a pastor in each to do the same, hoping to corner the market on the evangelical voters who make up a significant part of the GOP caucuses.
"For Cruz, it's about the complete consolidation of the evangelical wing to snuff the life from the others," said Phil Musser, a Republican consultant who is not affiliated with a campaign.
While Cruz has edged ahead in preference polls of Iowa voters in recent weeks, nationally, he still trails the unquestioned political star of 2015: Donald Trump.
The billionaire real-estate mogul has so far forgone the grind-it-out approach in favor of free media exposure and a few rallies a week in front of largely adoring crowds. "He says what everybody's thinking and he's not afraid to say it," said Trump supporter Bill Kullander of Des Moines.
The unknown for Trump: Are Kullander and the thousands of others who pack the bleachers at Trump's rallies likely voters or merely fans entertained by his show? "Can he expand turnout and turn these massive crowds into results?" Musser said.
Voters are not likely to find Trump dropping in at one of Iowa's many Pizza Ranch restaurants to ask for their support, as Cruz will do on his bus tour. But Trump's top adviser in Iowa is a veteran organizer who ran former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum's winning 2012 caucus campaign.
Also, it's notable that after almost no paid advertising in 2015, Trump said last week he plans to start spending at least $2 million a week on TV ads in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, which holds the South's first primary on Feb. 20.
"Honestly, I don't want to take any chances," Trump said last week.
Neither Cruz nor Trump will win the nomination with a victory in Iowa, but caucus-goers probably will deliver a verdict on whether several GOP candidates continue on to New Hampshire. Count Santorum and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won the caucuses in 2008, in that group, and maybe retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, too.
Carson was an early favorite in Iowa among evangelical and tea party conservatives, but he enters January without several members of his senior staff. They quit last week and questioned his readiness for the White House on their way out.
Candidates with more traditional political experience will spend the month trying to bridge the gap between the anger and frustration that's powered Trump's rise and the Republican establishment, which desperately wants to win after eight years out of the White House.
For Rubio and Bush, as well as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, that likely means lighting the match with a strong finish in Iowa, then igniting their bid with a win in New Hampshire.
"The most important thing to watch is what happens in New Hampshire," said GOP presidential adviser Charlie Black. "That's going to set the field in terms of a mainstream candidate."
New Hampshire is where Rubio was spending Sunday, hosting four town hall meetings and a football-watching party with voters.
After falling far enough late in 2015 to get relegated to an "undercard" debate, Christie has rebounded and is getting a second look in New Hampshire, where he has spent more time than any candidate. Bush, too, has reshuffled his so-far lackluster bid and focused since November on New Hampshire.
His closing message, having tried several since entering the race in June as the early front-runner, is a direct challenge to Trump.
"He'll do damage to the conservative cause and we've got to take a stand," Bush said. "And for some odd reason I'm the only guy willing to do it."
Associated Press writers Jill Colvin and Kathleen Ronayne contributed to this report.
Follow Thomas Beaumont on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/tombeaumont

WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) - A new meerkat at Oglebay Resort's Good Zoo has been named Rafiki.

The zoo says in a news release that Rafiki received 63 percent of the votes cast by the public through Oglebay's Facebook page.

Rafiki was born in October. The zoo's other meerkats are Nala, Banga and Suri.

Meerkats are burrowing members of the mongoose family.

Good Zoo curator of animals Mindi White says meerkats live in groups called mobs. She says meerkats take turns foraging for food, digging burrows, serving as sentries and even babysitting.

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races has set an annual record for wagering volume per race.

Penn National Gaming, Inc. vice president Erich Zimny told The Journal that $111,664 was bet per race at the track in 2015. The previous annual record was $110,247 per race in 2012.

The track held 1,447 races during the 2015 live racing season, which ended Dec. 23.

While wagers have increased, horsemen say purses have declined. Charles Town Horsemen Benevolent Protection Agency president Randy Funkhouser says purses dropped from $35 million to $40 million in the early and mid-2000s to around $21 million in 2014.

PRINCETON, W.Va. - A Princeton man has been charged with intentionally hitting a volunteer firefighter with his vehicle.

Media outlets report that West Virginia State Police charged Jeffery Lanford, 54, with unlawful wounding and leaving the scene of injury. Lanford turned himself in last week and was released on bond.

Trooper P.M. Hephner says East River Volunteer Fire Department firefighter Aaron Beeman was directing traffic during icy road conditions when he was struck by a vehicle on Dec. 18. Beeman was treated at Princeton Community Hospital and released.

Charleston's annual urban deer hunt saw its largest kill to date this season.

Of the 105 deer killed between Sept. 2 and the end of this month, 85 were does and 23 were bucks, according to City Manager David Molgaard. He said the high doe kill would likely affect future deer populations in the city.

"Does typically have two fawns each season, [so] we can definitely say we've made an impact," Molgaard said.

One hundred deer were killed in both 2014 and 2013.

The number of hunting permits also increased to 166 this season, up from 150 in 2014, Molgaard said.

Seven of those permits were issued for crossbows, which may only be used by people with physical disabilities who can't pull and hold a compound bow. Those hunters must have a valid state-issued Class Y permit.

Just two of the 26 approved property tracts - Cato Park and Pacific Street - are city- owned. The rest were designated on private property within the city limits.

The Quarry Creek tract in South Hills turned out to be the most lucrative for deer kills, with nearly one-third of the total number killed on its roughly 100 acres.

City Council Member Tom Lane has applied to designate the Quarry Creek tract each year since the deer hunt first started in 2005. But even with the recent kill's record-breaking high, Lane worries that it's barely making a dent in South Hills.

"This obviously helps thin them out, but I'm not convinced that they aren't multiplying faster than they're being eliminated," Lane said. "One of my gauges is how many I see eating my own plants when I leave in the morning."

Multiple residents may also pool their acreage to put a tract together, Molgaard said, but the same restrictions apply, such as a required 150-foot buffer from the nearest structure.

Reach Elaina Sauber at elaina.sauber@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-3051 or follow @ElainaSauber on Twitter.

During its 14-year history, Limited Video Lottery has been a reliable source of revenue for the state, declining only slightly while racetrack casino profits have plunged.

In the 2014-15 budget year, LVL provided $187 million to the state - and video lottery machine distributors believe a change in LVL law could increase that amount by $20 million to $25 million a year, according to Michael Haid, executive director of the West Virginia Amusement and Limited Video Association.

The proposal is simple: Increase the maximum number of machines allowed at LVL locations to maximize play at those places where the machines are most popular.

"Most of our operators rely on probably 15 percent of their locations for 80 percent of their revenue," Haid said.

Haid said it's something of a mystery why machines at some of the more than 1,300 LVL locations stay constantly busy, while machines at other locations sit idle for long periods of time.

Haid conducted a comprehensive study of data from all LVL locations statewide, noting locations where each machine pulls in $8,000 or $9,000 or more a month for the state, while machines in other locations struggle to clear $500 a month.

The association is proposing legislation next session to increase the maximum number of machines allowed at bars and clubs from five to seven, while increasing the maximum number for fraternal organizations from 10 to 12.

According to Haid's study, moving LVL machines to high-demand locations could produce an additional $20 million to $25 million a year for the state.

"More machines at the best locations is an obvious fix to create more revenue," he said.

Last session, a bill to raise the maximum number of LVL machines to seven in bars and clubs passed the Senate 29-4, but was never taken up in the House of Delegates.

Haid said he believes that was as much a matter of the bill reaching the House late in the session as any philosophical opposition to expanding gambling. He also recognized that House Speaker Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha, is no fan of state-sanctioned gambling.

"If you're not super excited about gambling, and you've got 700 bills in front of it, it's not going to get pushed to the front," Haid said of the bill's demise last session.

With a projected state budget deficit of at least $250 million, and multiple needs for additional state funding, he said the proposal should have appeal next session as a way to raise some additional revenue without raising taxes.

"Obviously, the state is hemorrhaging cash and looking for revenue," he said.

A downside of the legislation could be that marginal LVL locations would lose machines, along with the revenue they provide.

During the association's annual meeting this fall, Haid said members were asked how many LVL locations could go out of business with the change in the law, and the consensus was a "handful," but Haid said those bars and clubs would be struggling to survive with or without LVL.

Also, reducing the overall number of LVL locations statewide could be a selling point in the House, he said.

Reach Phil Kabler at philk@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1220, or follow @PhilKabler on Twitter.

Gun sense event

The WV Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is offering a special viewing the "The Armor of Light," at 7 p.m. Jan. 9 at the Alban Theatre, 65 Olde Main Plaza, St. Albans. The film follows the journey of an evangelical minister trying to find the courage to preach about the growing toll of gun violence in America. Admission is free and the public is encouraged to attend. For information, visit momsdemandaction.org or call Diane Pendleton at 304-760-0052.

W.Va. Institute for Spirituality

The West Virginia Institute for Spirituality, 1601 Virginia St. E., will offer the Merton Institute from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each Month. Presenter is Father Bill Petro. The 11th Step Meditation program is offered from 7 to 8 p.m. each Wednesday through January.

Toastmasters club

The Dobson-Craddock Toastmasters will meet from noon to 1 p.m. on the first and third Thursday of the month at the South Charleston Public Library, 312 Fourth Ave. Guests and new members are welcome. For information, email dale.goff3@gmail.com or call Julia Hinkle at 304-937-3355.

Items for Bulletin Board may be submitted by mail to the Charleston Gazette-Mail, 1001 Virginia St. E., Charleston, WV 25301; faxed to 304-348-1233; or emailed to gazette@wvgazettemail.com. Notices will be run one time free. Please include a contact person's name and a daytime phone number.

Taking a break from packing up his office, Steve Handley leaned back in a leather chair.

"I will miss the people I work with," he said a few weeks before his nine-year career as the trial court administrator for Kanawha County came to an end. He retired at the end of the year.

Handley, 69, put off boxing things up until a few days before Christmas. Photographs of his airplane, which he plans to spend much more time flying after retirement, still hung on the wall.

He hadn't planned to work as court administrator for very long when he took the job.

"I just thought I'd come here three or four years and then retire. But working with good people," he paused. "It's been super nice."

"The nice thing is," he added, "I knew all of the judges before I came here."

Before taking the job as court administrator, Handley worked for a time as an assistant Kanawha prosecutor and had his own law practice. Being a lawyer, he said, allowed him to easily figure out what the administrator's job would require. And by already knowing the judges, their staff and other courthouse employees, it was a natural fit, he added.

The judges are "all unique and different and I enjoyed working with all of them. That's why I'm still here after nine years," he said.

Plus, he admitted with a laugh, the view from his office window isn't too shabby. Handley's desk faces a ground-level glass wall, which looks out onto Court Street. He can watch people coming and going from the judicial annex, but they can't see him.

"A lot of people use it as a mirror - you won't believe what people do," he said, laughing. "A lot of women check themselves out as they walk by, and we've seen fights. People come out of family court, get right outside and start duking it out.

"People don't realize, when they're on the outside, there's someone on the other side of the glass," he said.

Similarly, many who visit the judicial annex might not know Handley is there. He works behind the scenes to keep many things running smoothly.

The administrator's office does all of the purchasing for the judicial departments funded by the state - like the circuit judge's offices and the family and magistrate courts. The office is also tasked with appointing indigent defendants a court-appointed attorney.

"Basically, a big part of my job is just to work with the circuit judges - helping them with whatever they might need," Handley said.

The administrator's office also, among other things, makes arrangements when visiting judges come to Kanawha - which happens quite a bit.

"There are a lot of three-judge panels and big trials here," he said. "We have to book courtrooms for them, find them clerks and bailiffs and court reporters. When judges here have a conflict, those cases are assigned to judges out of the county, but then those judges always come here to hear and try those cases. So we take care of them."

Kanawha is the only county in the state with a court administrator. But with its seven circuit judges, five family judges and 10 magistrates, Handley said it's a much-needed position.

It hasn't been announced who will replace Handley.

In November, signs were hung on several doors around the judicial annex and county courthouse about Handley's retirement and how to apply for the job. After that, the job listing was posted on the state Supreme Court's website.

Applications were accepted until Dec. 16.

The West Virginia State Bar sent an email to attorneys about how to apply for the job on Dec. 15.

There had initially been some controversy about whether the job had to be filled by an attorney, Handley confirmed.

The job description on the Supreme Court's website stated that the position would be filled by someone with at least a bachelor's degree in public administration, or a related field, that has five years experience in an administrative or supervisory role - or a law degree.

Also, the post stated that an ideal candidate would be familiar with court rules, procedures and administrative law. The salary will be based on experience.

Handley wouldn't say whether he believes it should be a lawyer who replaces him.

"That's up to the Supreme Court," he said. "At first they said it had to be [a lawyer] and then they recently posted who could apply and they did not make that a requirement."

He reiterated, though, that being a lawyer has helped him in the position, recalling when a circuit judge asked him to serve as a mediator in a civil case. He said he did so successfully.

And, he added, he often answers legal questions from magistrates.

Well, questions and complaints, he said.

"Complaints about someone else and what can I do about it," Handley said, smiling.

Reach Kate White at kate.white@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1723 or follow @KateLWhite on Twitter.

NEWTON - Josh and Megan Salyers had just finished their home's new addition - a room for their 1-year-old daughter - on Christmas Day when their entire home was destroyed by flood.

The hardwood flooring and trim to finish the space were a Christmas gift from Josh's parents. He got to work on the room with green and purple stripes right after the family opened gifts. Hours later, his little girl's room, and the rest of the home, was underwater.

"It's one of those things you wouldn't wish on anyone," he said. "I never thought it would happen to us and then here we are."

The couple and their two children had just gotten to Josh's parents' home in nearby Clay County for Christmas dinner around noon when a neighbor called to say that Little Sandy Creek, which runs behind their single-wide trailer, had overflown its banks and was getting near the house.

Josh made the 20-minute trip back to the house in time to grab a few things and save the family cat and dog from the floodwaters. The water was knee-high in the yard when he went inside the house, but had risen to his waist by the time he left, he said.

"It was so fast - like, crazy, scary fast," he said.

About a foot of water was in the home. The water swept away the trailer's underpinning and carried their 16-by-10 storage building a half-mile down the road. The family's trampoline was swept down next to the creek. Although they were able to save many of their clothes, most of their other belongings were destroyed.

Josh, 30, and Megan, 24, moved into their home two years ago.

They don't have flood insurance. They were told the Federal Emergency Management Agency won't help because only a few other Roane County residents were affected.

They're not sure what to do or if there's any other assistance available to them. They've set up a gofundme and an account at Poca Valley Bank to help them get back on their feet.

Josh said they weren't aware the land they bought was prone to flooding. He was told the last time the area flooded was in 1993. Since Friday, though, many of his neighbors have told him the area actually typically floods at least twice a year.

"You feel like an absolute fool because you were told this and then come to find out [it floods]," Josh said. "It wasn't a coincidence that out of seven or eight [people] that stopped, they each had the same story."

The Red Cross and officials from Roane County have told the family the only thing they can do for them is get them cleaning supplies so they can clean up the mud in their house. To stay there, they would need to replace basically everything that was underwater or run the risk of mold.

And even if they did get it back to a livable state "it could happen next week again and [we would] be back in the same position," Josh said.

All the family's money has been going to their mortgage and to getting the house how they like it, they said.

"To see all that taken away in a matter of two hours or so ... there's no words to explain it," Josh said.

The family is staying with Josh's parents' right now and wondering what to do next.

"You've got two options: to lay down or to get back up and do it again," Josh said. "But it's still hard."

Even in their misfortune, they're aware that things could have been worse. They still have each other. The flood could have happened in the middle of the night. Their home loan was for less than $30,000.

"I think the hardest part right now is trying to figure out what we can do," Megan said. "What's the next step?"

Reach Lori Kersey at lori.kersey@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1240 or follow @LoriKerseyWV on Twitter.

Last month, Manna Meal received its largest food drive donation to date - 3,800 pounds, or about 7,000 food items - from a single group.

For the past seven years, employees at Flaherty Sensabaugh Bonasso PLLC's Charleston office have competed in the firm's annual food drive, with donations going to Manna Meal.

The five-team contest proved so successful in the first few years that the firm's Morgantown and Wheeling offices joined the action in 2013, with their respective donations going toward Scott's Run Settlement House in Morgantown and the Catholic Charities Neighborhood Center in Wheeling.

"I love that people get into it for the competitive side, but I think everybody involved is doing it for the right reason," said Keith Hoover, an attorney at the Charleston office who helps lead the food drive.

The winning team is announced at the firm's Christmas party in December and receives a trophy made from canned food such as Campbells Tomato Soup and Beanee Weenee.

Despite being the smallest team, the firm's Morgantown office surmounted the competition for the second consecutive year. Just more than a dozen employees collected nearly 5,400 food items; that's more than 400 items per person. The Charleston office's 7,000 food items were collected by five different teams.

Firm-wide, the seven teams collected more than 16,000 food items, doubling the amount collected last year, Hoover said.

A point system is used to gauge food collection amounts, Hoover said. One point is awarded for each item, with special points given to bulk purchases.

Attorney Lindsey Saad, who leads the Morgantown team's efforts, said strategy plays a big role in the team's success.

"We all do a lot of shopping and figuring out [the] best bang for our buck," she said. Employees went on group shopping trips and clipped coupons to stretch their money for items like canned meat, soup and cereal in bulk. The key to the team's victory, she said, is its ambition.

"Combining a little friendly competition with an opportunity to help our communities [led to] the amazing results of the food drive," Saad said.

When the five Charleston teams put all of their donations together, it was obvious they needed a U-Haul truck to transport it to Manna Meal, at St. John's Episcopal Church on Quarrier Street. But the weight of the donation will be felt throughout the city.

Manna Meal Executive Director Jean Simpson has a meticulous yet efficient system of ensuring all food donations Manna Meal receives can be used - even if it means giving them to other pantries. And every year, she gives Hoover a list of items for the food drive that Manna Meal needs most.

"As far as a whole group gathering food up, this is probably the biggest one," she said of the Charleston office's donation. "That competition excites people, so they'll go spend a little more money."

Manna Meal provides two meals a day every day, feeding up to 150 people breakfast and up to 300 people lunch. Because it receives such a high volume of people, volunteers try to use bulk-packaged food first.

"If I'm opening a 15-ounce can of corn, I'd have to open about 15 cases of them to serve one meal, so most of [the] things we use are in bulk volumes," she said.

But Manna Meal accepts any donations that come through its door, whether it's perishable items that can be bagged and set on church pews for people to take home, or transporting grocery items to nearby pantries when they run out of storage space.

Because it's the only program of its kind that's open seven days a week, Manna Meal often works to supplement other shelters that are open less.

"We just fill in the gaps; a lot of times, we give people some food until they can get to one of the [other] pantries," Simpson said.

Like most food pantries, Manna Meal sees a spike in donations during the holiday season. But it seems to disappear as fast as it comes in. "I don't think people realize how many people we're dealing with every single day," Simpson said. By the beginning of March, "we'll be looking at bare pantries pretty much all over the Valley."

Reach Elaina Sauber at elaina.sauber@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-3051 or follow @ElainaSauber on Twitter.

Hear! Hear!

That's what Sara Swann wishes for everyone - the ability to hear as clearly as her products will allow.

A licensed hearing-care practitioner at the Beltone Hearing Aid Center here, she gives hearing tests and recommends hearing aids to bring hearing back to the highest possible level.

Daily, she travels 68 miles each way back and forth from Chesapeake, Ohio, to exercise that privilege. Because for her, it's not just a job. It's personal.

Sure, she gets paid. But there's a deeper meaning behind her work than mere money. An aunt who suffered a sudden total loss of hearing inspired her career. So did her grandfather who lost much of his hearing in Korea. And so did a grandmother who waited too long for hearing aids to help much.

Now, in an odd twist of fate, she's dealing with surgeries to restore her daughter's hearing after it was compromised by a collapsed eardrum.

It galls her that hearing aids generally aren't covered by insurance. She sees every day how much hearing aids help. And she knows too well what can happen without them.

She's 38.

"Mom was a homemaker. Dad was a supervisor at an industrial plant in Kenova. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a nurse, then a physical therapist.

"I played piano from first grade through high school. I love to play the piano. I still play when I get a chance. I played all sports. Basketball, softball, volleyball. I wanted to play football, but that was before girls were allowed to play football. I climbed trees, played in the dirt, got the Hot Wheels out, total tomboy.

"When I was 8 or 9, my aunt went to bed one evening hearing just fine, and when she woke up the next morning, she was totally deaf. She had a cold a couple of weeks prior to that, and the cold virus settled in her ears and killed every one of her nerve endings. Hearing aids would not help because there was no hearing to work with. I learned sign language to communicate with her. She bought me a thick sign language book.

"That pretty much set me in the direction of trying to help hearing impaired people. She couldn't have anything done, but there are many people out there who do have hearing to work with and either don't realize they have a hearing problem or they are in denial.

"I went to Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, Ohio, on a full basketball scholarship. I started majoring in business. You have to go to school and then intern until you feel confident to take the state boards. I'm in business administration, but I'm a licensed hearing-care practitioner.

"We have to have 20 hours every two years of continuing education. Because what we learn about hearing loss and apply to hearing loss changes. It's very fluid. "

"I live in Chesapeake, Ohio, and drive back and forth every day, but I love my job. I wouldn't change it for anything. Most people get up and think, 'Oh, I don't want to go to work today.' It's not like that with me. I'm able to help people.

"I worked for Miracle Ear for five years then came to Beltone in 2008.When I started 12 years ago, we weren't very good at educating people about hearing loss, because there were a lot of things we didn't know about what hearing loss could lead to.

"People would come in and have a test and we couldn't do anything with it because we didn't have the technology. We would say, 'Oh, we will just watch it and see what happens.' You would have to wait until you got to be virtually deaf before you could wear hearing aids

"As things progressed, we found out how it affects the body and the mind. It can cause dementia because that part of the brain starts to atrophy. Now we know the earlier we treat, the better you do with maintaining the ability to understand certain speech sounds.

"About six years ago, they linked hearing loss to dementia and to certain types of heart disease. If you are constantly straining to hear you are putting stress on your body.

"There is a stigma about hearing loss. Do you remember the pocket hearing aids that people kept in their pockets and they had wires coming up? They moved on to eyeglass hearing aids with hearing aids built into huge glasses. A lot of people, they saw that when they were younger, and that's what they think they look like now.

"Hearing loss develops gradually, so you adapt. You think you are doing OK. Other people notice it before you do. You may lose two or three decibels of volume a year, not a lot, but over nine or eleven years of you trying to adapt to that, by the time you come in here, you already have a 40 percent hearing loss.

"You will say, 'People just don't talk plainly. If they wouldn't mumble, I could hear what they are saying.' Or you tell me, 'If everyone talked like you, I wouldn't have a problem.' Well, I work with hearing-impaired people, and that's why I talk the way I do.

"When I go home, my husband tells me to put my quiet voice on. He says, 'I can hear fine. You don't have to talk so loud.'

"Hearing loss is such a slow process that the body has a way of trying to adapt and you don't recognize it until other people start to point it out, and then the defense mechanism kicks in. You say you hear fine. And you do, but you don't understand. You hear people talking, but you misunderstand what they are saying.

"Usually a significant other or children who are tired of repeating will get them to come in here.

"You have low- and high-frequency speech sounds and everything in between. Most people develop high-frequency loss first. If you are not receiving the proper signal to the brain with certain sounds and the loss goes untreated, your brain loses the ability to process those sounds.

"A lot of people, even when they do get hearing aids, they still miss a lot. My grandmother is a great example. She did not want hearing aids. We finally fit her, but even with the hearing aids in, she only understands 60 percent of what is said because her brain has atrophied 40 percent of comprehension. She can't pick up those sounds any longer. They're gone.

"When I started, I would have never dreamed that we would be doing what we do with hearing aids now. Used to, you put a hearing aid in, and you turned all sounds up or all sounds down. You couldn't go in and be specific about particular sounds.

"Now you can reduce background noise. Speech is not a constant sound wave. Background noise is. With speech, there are going to be peaks and pauses, and the hearing aids will recognize the speech versus the background noise. They will take the constant background sound and turn it down and leave the speech at the volume level required for the patient to hear.

"Beltone and Apple partnered to create the first hearing aid that can be run by an Apple phone. Other brands, you have to have additional equipment.

"We have hearing aids now that are down in the canals and barely visible. We still carry some ugly hearing aids. If people let their hearing go long enough, they have to go with some of the bigger ones to get more power.

"Insurance companies generally don't cover hearing aids, although Beltone has discount programs with some companies.

"Hearing aids are expensive. Ninety to 95 percent of the people who come in here have no coverage on hearing aids. Insurance companies don't consider hearing loss a handicap. They say hearing aids are cosmetic. I guess people want to wear hearing aids to look better.

"If Medicare would pay anything and the person has a supplementary policy, the supplement would kick in and pay the rest. Because Medicare says no, the supplement says no. If Medicare would just pick up $500, the supplement would kick in and pay the rest.

"In the meantime, we try to make it as affordable as possible. If we have to set them up on payment plans, we will.

"If my aunt hadn't gone deaf, I might have taken a totally different path. But I have a family history of hearing loss. Not only my aunt. My grandfather was in Korea and had a horrible hearing loss. There's my grandmother. And now, my little girl. 


"She's 11 and had a tumor growing behind her eardrum. In first grade, I thought there might be an issue. She had a spelling test. She always made 100. She missed one, a word not even on her spelling list. The spelling was correct, but she had spelled the wrong word because that's the way she heard it. She said that's the word the teacher gave.

"I brought her up here. She immediately screamed when I put the earphone in her right ear. I looked in her ear and saw all the bones in the middle ear, which you aren't supposed to see. Her eardrum had collapsed and had formed like a Saran Wrap over the bones in the middle ear. She's had two surgeries and next week, she will have her tonsils and adenoids removed to deter any more hearing issues.

"The tumor would eventually have taken her hearing, but we caught it in time. She's had two ear surgeries. As of right now, she has normal hearing. She will need hearing aids in the future. We are just trying to prolong it as long as possible.

"There are so many people we want to help, but they can't afford it. It's so frustrating. I have a patient who is a lobbyist, and we are working on trying to get something together where I would actually testify about what hearing problems can cause. Medicare needs to start paying for this."

Reach Sandy Wells at sandyw@wvgazette.com or 304-342-5027.

A Wyoming County man was killed early Monday morning when he became entangled in a conveyor belt roller at an underground coal mine, in what appears to be the first mining industry fatality of the new year, state and federal officials said.

The state Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training identified the man as 53-year-old Peter Dale Sprouse of Clear Fork and said the incident occurred at the Lower War Eagle Mine, an underground operation of Greenbrier Minerals, listed as being located at Cyclone, which is northwest of Oceana in Wyoming County. The corporate controller of the mine is Coronado Coal LLC, according to the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Gary Groves, vice president for human resources at Coronado Coal, said that worker's body was discovered at about 1 a.m. Monday. Groves declined to provide further details of the incident, except to say that it occurred during the mine's third shift, which is a maintenance shift.

MSHA said that Sprouse was found "entangled" in a conveyor belt drive hold-down roller.

Last year, West Virginia recorded two coal-mining fatalities and the U.S. recorded 11, both all-time lows for the industry, according to MSHA.

Reach Ken Ward Jr. at kward@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1702 or follow @kenwardjr on Twitter.

PHILIPPI, W.Va. (AP) - Participants dipped into icy cold waters, kicking off their new year in Barbour County's annual Polar Bear Plunge.

The Inter-Mountain reports the event took place at the boat ramp beneath Philippi's Covered Bridge on New Year's Day. The purpose of the annual event is to raise funds for the Barbour County Emergency Squad.

Sam Muncy, who said he is the self-appointed president of the Barbour River Rats, organized the event. Muncy said this was their 10th time having the event, which is always held on Jan. 1.

He said this year's event was a success, with 12 people taking the plunge. Muncy said so far, they've collected $650, with more checks expected to come in.

Muncy said they've had up to 22 people participate before.

CHESTER, W.Va. (AP) - The owner of a former pottery plant in Chester has received a $2 million loan from the state to redevelop the property.

The Business Development Corporation of the Northern Panhandle plans to use the loan from the West Virginia Economic Development Authority to construct a 30,000-square-foot spec building on the site.

The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register reported that assistant director Marvin Six announced the loan at a recent meeting of the Rock Springs Redevelopment Task Force.

A cleanup of the property was completed in 2012. But development efforts have been hindered by lead contamination of the riverbank.

Six said cleanup of the riverbank is set to start in the first quarter of this year.

LUMBERPORT, W.Va. (AP) - A former middle school in Harrison County is going on the auction block.

The Exponent Telegram reported that school officials plan to sell the former Lumberport Middle School to the highest bidder on Jan. 9. Property to be sold includes the school building and a parking lot, along with desks, shop equipment, televisions, lockers and other items.

Assistant superintendent of operations Anthony Fratto said the original building was constructed in 1928. Two wings were added less than 30 years ago.

Jared Shinn with Joe R. Pyle Auctions said the school and the parking lot will first be offered for sale separately. Both then will be offered as a package. The highest bid total will determine the final sale.

Other items will be sold in lots.

WAYNE, W.Va. (AP) - The town of Wayne will host a celebration in honor of the 174th anniversary of the town's formation on Jan. 18, 1842.

The Herald-Dispatch reports Town Councilman Robert Thompson announced that the event will take place Saturday, Jan. 16 at Wayne Town Hall.

Thompson invited the public to attend the birthday celebration. Free cake and refreshments will be offered, and visitors are welcome to listen to the story of Laban Walker that evening. Walker was the only man legally hanged in Wayne County.

During the Civil War, the town of Wayne suffered greatly and was raided multiple times by Union forces.

Wayne was initially home to about 150 residents when it was incorporated in 1882. Thompson said it's now home to nearly 1,500 people.

In Around West Virginia today: 10 years after the Sago mine disaster, residents still mourn; six brothers earn the rank of Eagle Scout; a 9-year-old Ona boy saves his sister's life, and more.

n Ten years after the Sago mine disaster, The Register-Herald revisits several accounts of the days following the tragedy, as well as the three Congressional and state investigations. At about 6:30 a.m. on Jan. 2, lightning struck near the mine, possibly striking the methane well. While an explosion was heard, company officials didn't call mine rescue crews until 8:04 a.m. At 11:49 p.m., the bells at Sago Baptist Church rang 12 times, signaling that 12 of the 13 trapped men were alive. At 1:12 a.m., an ambulance carrying the sole survivor, Randal McCloy Jr., rushed past onlookers. International Coal Group President Ben Hatfield announced that only one man had survived at abut 3 a.m. The mistake is believed to have been caused by a miscommunication between rescue crews in the mine and above ground.

n After the tragedy, it was discovered that the mine was issued more than 270 safety citations in the two years prior to the explosion. The company had paid $24,000 in fines, according to the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Following Congressional hearings, new rules were enacted. Still, local residents told The Register-Herald the town would never be the same. "This community will never heal after the explosion," former Upshur County Sheriff Virgil Miller said. "It's hard to believe it's been 10 years. But generations to come will never heal."

n Six brothers from one Barboursville family have earned the rank of Eagle Scout, according to The Herald-Dispatch. Their mother, Elizabeth McQuaide-Parloc, was emotional when talking about her boys. "This is my last eagle," she said. "I feel very accomplished. It's like winning the lottery and the Olympics at the same time."

n The Mountain Messenger covers the efforts of the conservative Family Policy Council of West Virginia and local church leaders to turn consideration of a new nondiscrimination ordinance in Lewisburg into a debate about bathrooms. Opponents argue that the ordinance, meant to protect the LGBT community from discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations, would allow men to pose as women to gain access to women's restrooms and assault women. The newspaper reports that 84,000 rapes were reported in the United States in 2014, none of which were the result of such an ordinance.

n A 9-year-old Ona boy was recognized for rushing upstairs during a house fire to wake his sister up, saving her life, according to The Herald-Dispatch. "I just did what I did," Kenny Grove said. "I wasn't really thinking about it."

n Nearly 200 miners in Wyoming County started 2016 without jobs, MetroNews reported. Miners were turned away from a Pinnacle Mine when they reported for the evening shift.

n The Berkeley County Sheriff's Department is forming a crime scene unit, thanks to a Homeland Security grant. Police told The Journal they would be able to process crime scenes more quickly, leading to faster arrests.

Reach Erin Beck at erin.beck@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5163, Facebook.com/erinbeckwv, or follow @erinbeckwv on Twitter.

Acting West Virginia Administration Secretary Jason Pizatella announced today he's running for state auditor.

Pizatella, a Democrat, plans to resign his post after he files papers to run for office later this month.

He's seeking to replace State Auditor Glen Gainer, a Democrat who's not running for another term.

Pizatella is the only Democrat to announce his candidacy for auditor so far.

Delegate J.B. McCuskey, R-Kanawha, is running for state auditor in the Republican primary.

Pizatella was Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's former deputy chief of staff and legislative liaison. He was appointed to the administration secretary post in October 2014. He took over for Ross Taylor, who is now director of the administration department's finance division.

Pizatella also has served as an acting secretary of the state Department of Revenue and deputy commissioner of the state Tax Department.

Part of Pizatella's duties as the administration department secretary included serving as chairman of the Public Employees Insurance Agency and State Personnel boards, the Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council and the West Virginia Parkways Authority. He also was a member of the Consolidated Public Retirement Board, Regional Jail Authority and Capitol Building Commission.

After wavering last week, Sen. Daniel Hall, R-Wyoming, has followed through on his announcement that he would resign his Senate seat to take a job as a state liaison with the National Rifle Association.

Hall submitted his letter of resignation, dated Sunday, to the Senate president, governor, and secretary of state Monday, likely setting up a scenario where the state Supreme Court will be asked to rule on which political party will submit nominees to the governor for his replacement.

"That's the question the Court will have to determine," Senate Clerk Clark Barnes said Monday.

Hall was elected from the 9th Senatorial District in 2012 as a Democrat, but changed his party affiliation to Republican after the November 2014 elections, to break a 17-17 deadlock, giving Republicans control of the Senate.

Hall was rewarded with the title of majority whip and with appointments as chairman of the Agriculture and Labor committees.

Under state law, when a senator resigns in office, members of the senatorial district political party executive committee are to submit three nominees to the governor to appoint a replacement.

The state Code (3-10-5) pertaining to legislative vacancies alternately states that the executive committee is to be from the "party of the person holding the office," but also the party executive committee "of the senatorial district in which the vacating senator resided at the time of his or her election or appointment."

Hall was elected to the Senate in November 2012 as a Democrat, defeating Republican Epp E. Cline by an 18,502 to 15,970-vote margin.

Initially, following debate over which party should submit nominees, Hall said he would remain in the Senate until the issue of his replacement was resolved, to avoid "putting the Senate into chaos" with another 17-17 tie.

However, Hall submitted a three-sentence letter of resignation, effective Sunday.

The governor's office, which has said Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has no role in the matter until there is an actual vacancy in the office, did not immediately comment on Hall's resignation.

Meanwhile, state Democratic Party chairwoman Belinda Biafore issued a statement, saying, "As Democrats, our first priority is always the people of West Virginia, and this seat is their seat. We are taking the appropriate steps to ensure that the members of the Senatorial Executive Committee of the 9th District have what they need to complete the process to fill their seat. When hardworking West Virginians of the 9th District voted, they voted for a Democrat. I believe when Senator Hall changed parties for his own personal motivations, he turned his back on the voting process and the voters. With his resignation, our intentions are the same as they were then, to protect the integrity of the voter and the voting process."

Reach Phil Kabler at philk@wvgazettemail.com, 304 348-1220, or follow @PhilKabler on Twitter.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. (AP) - A groundbreaking is set for a trash-to-fuel facility in West Virginia.

A ceremony is set for Wednesday for Entsorga West Virginia's facility in Martinsburg.

In August the state Economic Development Authority board in Charleston authorized a $25 million bond to finance the project.

The Berkeley County Solid Waste Authority and Entsorga have been working on the project since 2009. The plant will use a mechanical biological treatment system to organize incoming waste without the need for employees to sort it by hand. Entsorga said the facility will divert municipal solid waste from landfills and use it to produce alternative fuels.