Our Clover Lick mouse reports that the new stone company located on the sheriff's farm has a load of rocks to sell for $64,000. I must be in the wrong business!

He also tells us that they are soliciting people to buy shares in the rock business!

Anyone buy any shares? If so, I know a shoe company that might sell you a few shares!

In fairness, I have been informed that the sheriff doesn't own that company. Who does? That does make sense because the office of sheriff of Pocahontas County is a full-time job.

Correction: The Secretary of State thinks that he does:

Organizer
CHERYL JONESE
RT 28
City State/Pr Country Zip
GREEN BANK WV 24944

Member
CHERYL JONESE
RT 28
PO BOX 151
City State/Pr Country Zip
GREEN BANK WV 24944
Organizer

Member
DAVID JONESE
RT 28
PO BOX 151
City State/Pr Country Zip
GREEN BANK WV 24944

Maybe that explains the $64,000 load of rocks!

Wonder when he is going into the burglar alarm business like Alkire I and II did!

Doesn't their main rock man's wife work for the Day Reporting Center?

Double Dipping Mall Officers

There was an article in the Charleston Gazette this morning about the ongoing criminal trial of an officer accused of “double dipping” – working as a mall security guard while still on the clock as a police officer. I probably wouldn’t have commented on this, but I happened to glance at the article and noticed that the defense attorney was one of the two defense attorneys who participated in the police liability CLE in Charleston a few months ago. He is a civil defense attorney from a large Charleston firm who primarily defends police officers/departments in civil lawsuits. It makes me wonder. Is the City (Charleston Police Department) or it’s insurance carrier paying for his criminal defense? Or did this officer just respect this particular attorney’s skills through past experience or by reference and hire him personally as his criminal defense attorney? It might be a good FOIA request issue for the Gazette to take on. If the City is providing the defense, what is the reason? How much is it costing taxpayers? And should an officer be provided with a prominent and expensive attorney when charged with a financial crime? I think these are all good questions if indeed the City is paying the bill.

This also reminds me: I had a former police chief, who subsequently became a federal corrections officer, testify at a murder trial for which he was the investigating officer. At the time he traveled to the trial location, he was being paid by the federal government. Additionally, the City took it upon themselves to generously and liberally pay the man for his hourly time during his trip and during his testimony. Of course this was never disclosed to the defense. I later found out about it from a letter to the editor in that city’s local paper. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court didn’t really care about the nondisclosure issue. He was given the opportunity to return the money to the City, which I believe he did. He was not prosecuted.

- John H. Bryan, West Virginia Attorney.

(6) Any county clerk, circuit clerk, joint clerk of the county commission and circuit court, if any, county assessor, sheriff and prosecuting attorney of a Class I county, any assessor of a Class II and Class III county, any sheriff of a Class II and Class III county and any prosecuting attorney of a Class II county shall devote full-time to his or her public duties to the exclusion of any other employment: Provided, That any public official, whose term of office begins when his or her county's classification imposes no restriction on his or her outside activities, shall not be restricted on his or her outside activities during the remainder of the term for which he or she is elected. The compensation, set out in subdivision (5) of this subsection, shall be paid on and after the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred eighty-five, to each elected county official.

(8) Any county clerk, circuit clerk, joint clerk of the county commission and circuit court, if any, county assessor or sheriff of a Class I through Class V county, inclusive, any assessor or any sheriff of a Class VI through Class IX county, inclusive, shall devote full-time to his or her public duties to the exclusion of any other employment: Provided, That any public official, whose term of office begins when his or her county's classification imposes no restriction on his or her outside activities, may not be restricted on his or her outside activities during the remainder of the term for which he or she is elected.

§7-7-3. Classification of counties for purpose of determining compensation of elected county officials.
(a) For the purpose of determining the compensation of elected county officials, the counties of the state of West Virginia are hereby grouped into seven classes based on their assessed valuation of property, all classes. These seven classes and the minimum and maximum valuation of property, all classes, established to determine the classification of each county are as follows:

Minimum AssessedMaximum Assessed

Valuation of PropertyValuation of Property

ClassAll ClassesAll Classes

Class I$600,000,000No Limit

Class II$450,000,000$599,999,999

Class III$200,000,000$449,999,999

Class IV$100,000,000$199,999,999

Class V$ 50,000,000$ 99,999,999

Class VI$ 15,000,000$ 49,999,999

Class VII$ 0$ 14,999,999

David, get that old badge polished up; looks like you are heading back to the sheriff's office!

P.S. There is no charge for these tips since I am just a humble ex-teacher.

Now the question: Will Jonese resign or be removed?

Help! Help! Help! I need someone to jump on me and claim that I am blowing hot air, that I don't research my stories, that I am making things up!

Come on now! Where are those good for nothing yellow bellied sapsuckers out there who are always blasting me.

Hint: Maybe that house with on the rocks is actually in Hillsboro!

Maybe that sign is down next to Droop Mountain!

Come on folks! I need by criticism fix!!!!!

Main Entry:
full–time
Function:
adjective
Date:
1898

1 : employed for or involving full time 2 : devoting one's full attention and energies to something
— full–time adverb

My first question to you would be - did you research enough to get to the whole truth? Or did you just take a tidbit of information from someone and make your own conclusions - like you DID with the Hillsboro thing! (Which I might add that you were WRONG on!)

Just because Sheriff Jonese is a member of a stone company does NOT mean he works there, if you showed copies of paystubs, then you might have something! Unless you can PROVE that he works there, you really don't have anything!

The operative term is "outside activity." See code!!

P.S. I wasn't wrong on the Hillsboro thing!

Then another tater wants to know if these rocks are being washed in the Greenbrier!

Sheriff Wills under investigation

By TAMMIE TOLER
Princeton Times

May 22, 2009 10:43 am

— PRINCETON — One of Mercer County’s chief law enforcement officers is reportedly under investigation himself.
According to a warrant for inspection released Thursday from the West Virginia U.S. Attorney’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration officers were authorized to search Sheriff Danny R. Wills’ offices in the Mercer County Courthouse for controlled substances inventories, dispensing records, ordering invoices and theft/loss forms.
Though the warrant was originally sealed to protect “personal, privileged and proprietary information” contained therein, U.S. Attorney’s Office Spokeswoman Tracy Chapman released a revised, or redacted, document to the Princeton Times Thursday, adding that the office would have no comment, with the exception of the file.
Wills, who was elected to his second term as Mercer County sheriff, had previously worked as both a West Virginia State Police Trooper and a medical doctor. The warrant indicated he was still running a medical practice from the courthouse and the sheriff’s office, a space deemed “a controlled premises” in United States Code.
Wills, who held onto his medical license once he became sheriff, would therefore be required to keep “complete and accurate records of all controlled substances received, sold, delivered or otherwise disposed of by him.”
The warrant was signed by Federal Magistrate R. Clarke VanDervort and certified as a true copy on May 5.
That same day, DEA Diversion Investigator Dominic Grant executed the warrant at approximately 2 p.m. and retrieved more than 80 patient files, information regarding a state treasury investment account and a folder marked “GIV invoices containing drug ordering information.”
GIV reportedly stands for General Injectables & Vaccines, a Bland County, Va.-based business that distributes medications and vaccines to physicians and health care agencies.
Unofficial reports circulated Thursday that Wills intended to resign soon, possibly by the end of the day, but Mercer County Commissioners Joe Coburn, Karen Disibbio and Jay Mills said they had received no such word.
Wills referred all calls and requests for comments to attorney Mark Wills, who said the allegations had “absolutely nothing to do with his duties as a sheriff.”
He said he was certain the facts of the case would be forthcoming, but that the sheriff was still on duty as of Thursday afternoon.
“He has not resigned ... and, that’s all I have to say at this time,” Mark Wills said.
— Contact Tammie Toler at ttoler@ptonline.net.

New Sheriff Appointed Wednesday Afternoon.


PRINCETON, WEST VIRGINIA -- Leaders in Mercer County have chosen a new sheriff. Former Sheriff Don Meadows was sworn in late Wednesday afternoon. He had previously served 8 years as Mercer County's Mayor.

Meadows was quickly appointed to fill the job after Danny Wills resigned late Tuesday evening. Mercer County Commission President, Joe Coburn says Sheriff Danny Wills turned in his resignation at 5:25 Tuesday afternoon. Coburn says Wills resignation is effective immediately.

Former Sheriff Wills is under federal investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency. In addition to his role as sheriff, Wills is also a practicing physician. A federal search warrant was unsealed and revealed that DEA agents conducted a search of former Sheriff Wills' offices at the courthouse in Princeton on May 5th. Agents seized patient and drug dispensing record from Sheriff Wills' medical practice.

In his letter of resignation, Wills said he had made "indefensible mistakes" while operating a free clinic out of the Mercer County Sheriff's office.

The U.S. Attorney's Office is not commenting on their probe.

Sheriff Jonese is a member of Law Enforcement in Pocahontas County, so what good does it do to pursue this ? I think it has been proven beyond doubt that law enforcement is excluded from following a thing called "The Law". It's a big waste of time to even talk about what Jonese is doing wrong, if indeed he is doing something wrong, because it will go no where ! It looks to me like he put the company in his wifes name to avoid these kinds of problems, but again, it does not matter as long as he works for the Pocahontas County Sheriff's Department.

This just points to a general atmosphere of corruption in Pocahontas County.

Maybe someone should check and see if the Mexicans that picked the rocks have green cards????

Surely, you jest! ET

Do you people have nothing better to do than talk badly about the sheriff.?
All the time.!

Norman its a bad day for you, go back to the brillant side.

Are full of crap or just full of crap today?

ask Mathew Taylor.they stayed on his property.

What about it Matt?

I hear that some came from Pendleton County.

I heard a lot came from up at the battle field above Bartow and I think you need a permit to drive a big truck on that road.(all of them comming off the moutain)

Thanks for the tip, Kornfused. We'll check it out! We are hearing that someone saw a whole group of Mexicans up at Greenbank working on the rocks. WONDER IF THEY HAVE THEIR GREEN CARDS?

Does anyone know where they were getting the rocks? I need pics of that? Also we need to know if they have been washing them in the stream? Do they have a permit for mining the creek beds in Pocahontas County?

I have also learned that the rock business is very lucrative and that some landowners were told that their rocks were EXTREMELY VALUABLE!

Will you take a check from Wilfong.

Sheriff Office Function

The Sheriff serves as the County's chief law enforcement officer, charged with the responsibility of policing the County and keeping the peace, including the power to make arrests. The Sheriff may not serve more than two (2) consecutive terms. It is required to be a full-time position. The Sheriff has responsibility for administration of the jail and custody of the inmates. In addition to duties related to law enforcement, the Sheriff also serves as the Treasurer of the County and collects all taxes levied by the County. To assist Sheriff Sheppard in the performance of his duties, law enforcement deputies, tax deputies and legal process deputies are employed.

“State code says a sheriff in any county where there are more than four deputies shall devote his full time to the performance of the services and duties required by law. Law enforcement is one of those duties and, in my eyes, the most important,” he said.

Former sheriff facing federal drug charges
By Charles Owens
For The Register-Herald

BLUEFIELD — An information filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Bluefield charges former Mercer County Sheriff Danny Wills with possession of hydrocodone.

The information filed by Assistant United States Attorney Monica K. Schwartz alleges that on or about October 2007 and continuing until May 5, 2009, at or near Princeton and within the Southern District of West Virginia and elsewhere, Wills “knowingly and intentionally acquired and obtained possession of quantities of hydrocodone, a schedule III controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception and subterfuge” in violation of Title 21 of the United States Code, Section 843 (a) (3).

An initial appearance for Wills in U.S. District Court hadn’t been set as of Tuesday afternoon, Tracy Dorsey Chapman, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Charleston, said.

Wills resigned as sheriff of Mercer County on June 15 in what he called a bid “to remove the cloud hanging over my department.” Former sheriff Don Meadows was appointed by the Mercer County Commission on June 16 to the sheriff’s post.

Wills, who is a physician and previously worked as a West Virginia State Police trooper, was first elected sheriff in 2004 and re-elected in 2008. Federal investigators searched his office in May.

Chapman said the case will be prosecuted by Schwartz. It was unclear Tuesday if the proceedings would be held in Bluefield, Beckley or Charleston.

When asked to explain the difference between an information and an indictment, Chapman said typically charges are filed either by an information or an indictment. Chapman said an information is filed by the U.S. Attorney whereas an indictment is returned by a grand jury.

The former sheriff’s spokesman, attorney Mark Wills, didn’t immediately return a message left by the Daily Telegraph Tuesday seeking a comment from Danny Wills on the filing of the information.

Wills faces a maximum sentence of up to four years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release if convicted on the information charge.

Federal prosecutors searched Wills office at the Mercer County Courthouse in May.

According to documents released by U.S. Federal District Court, Drug Enforcement Administration officers were authorized to search the sheriff’s offices in the Mercer County Courthouse for controlled substance inventories, dispensing records, ordering invoices and theft/loss forms.

In his letter to the Mercer County Commission, Wills addressed the findings.

“I have tried to be both a sheriff and a physician, running a free clinic out of my sheriff’s office. I made legally indefensible mistakes in how I maintained records in regards to the treatment, plus ordering and use of medications for the free clinic,” Wills wrote in the resignation letter. “I have made many improvements to the quality of law enforcement in this county with the help you, the Commissioners, and the many deputy sheriffs serving here have given me. I am proud of these accomplishments, and I hope that the progress continues under the next sheriff. I am ashamed that my personal actions may be seen by some as reflecting poorly on the men and women who serve in my department. That would be unjust. Brave men and women serve the public’s interest every day in this county at great personal risk.”

Or how about minding your own business!!

Thank you Grandmom! You got the point! The sheriff's business is my business. He is only supposed to have one business--the sheriff. We pay him good money and the law says that he is to devote his attention to that one and only business we pay him for!

Norman:

You are so far off on this matter.
The facts are that the "Stone Business" was established prior to David winning the election.

Norman, if you are so "Pro" Community, then I would expect you to be in favor of the "Free Enterprise" system and promote any and all local businesses. Here you are clearly trying to do the opposite.

You don't need a permit to mine a stream bed. A property owner can remove rocks from a stream on their property without a permit.

Tom, David claims that the rocks came from Virginia!

Just when I think you Norman cannot reach a new level of ignorance you do so! This Sheriff is the best this county has seen in many decades yet you choose to try to create turmoil instead of congratulating his department on many, many recent successes. He is inelligent, professional, ethical and an all around good person. You claim he is not working "full-time". Maybe you should spend a week with him to see just how MANY hours above 40 that he puts into the job. You don't even have a clue. You really need to get a life Norman instead of trying to make other people miserable.

Norman, what exactly is the point of all this? What are you trying to prove? That he or his family can't own a business? He is employing Mexicans? He is "illegaly" mining rocks? He isn't putting enough time into cleaning up the county? He supports crooked cops? And the list goes on and on. Most decent people aren't sure what exactly your problem is? What it does sound like is that you have a vendettta against Sheriff Jonese and you will stop at nothing to try to tarnish his reputation, including lying!

Hey Suckwell, maybe the good sheriff is doing this on his free time, like his day off and in the evenings after work and maybe he does this activity before he goes to work in the morning. Maybe he is a work a holic and works at this activity all night long after he has put in a full days work for you SUCKWELL.

I think you better check again. I found out the hard way you can not do ANYTHING in a stream even if it is on your land. I cleaned out about 100 feet on my land so it would not wash my field and got a heck of a fine and about put in jail.

That's right you can't! The state claims the streams. Amon Tracy's friend tried to put a no trespassing sign across his land and the state jumped all over him.

If this is ok, what is to keep people from going into the
Greenbrier or the Elk and taking those rocks?

Agitator, need I remind you what the term means, "full-time." It really is quite elementary!

What I am looking for is as follows:

I want a sheriff who will arrest a deputy who breaks the law as quickly as he will a dopehead?

I want a sheriff that will take the stand and testify that his deputy is lying when he knows he is lying!

I want a sheriff who will fire an officer who sexually assaults a young woman on a dark road at night.

I want a sheriff who knows where his deputies are and who is with them.

I want a sheriff who keeps a close inventory of his evidence room and keeps his officer out of the evidence!

I want a sheriff who devotes himself to his job as sheriff instead of a stone company.


It really is quite simple!

Norman:

What you want is a puppet that will do everything “YOU” think is right. One who will jump at “YOUR” every command. Answer every one of “YOUR” questions. Spend more time meeting with “YOU” instead of performing his duties.

HELLO!!!!

What’s the problem here?
Pocahontas County isn’t all about "YOU" Norman. The responsibility of the County, the problems that exist, the future of the community, and the well being of the citizens are BIGGER than “YOU”!!!

Suggestion to Norman and every other "Tater Tot":
Try being "WE" focus instead of "ME" focused.

Ask yourself a simple question before issuing questionable statements: IF I SAY THIS, WHAT COULD RESULT FROM IT? GOOD or BAD?

The Greenbrier and the Elk are considered navigable waters so the adjoining property owners only own to the normal water level. It is legal to remove materal from non-navigable streams. They do it in Pendleton county everyday. The state has no legal ownership these types of streams.

Yo Soccer Dad:

Speaking out on behalf of the community IS a 'we' thing. Your criticism regarding
this activity is a 'ME THING'. Your a$$ is on backwards.

You be careful almost libeling 'tater tot'

Well said Soccer Dad. Been hard to have said it any better.

Yet another very well put reply. Way to go 2 many 4u. This hits the nail right on the head for sure.