Clay County Health Department is expanding its services. Angela Brown, MSN, FNP-C went to Marshalls graduate school to obtain her degree to be able to offer expanded services at Clay Health Department. New services will include well child checkups, sick visits, chronic care, breast and cervical cancer screenings at free or not cost; as well as pap smears and mammograms and many more services. All major insurances are accepted — HMOs, PEIA, Blue Cross Blue Shields, United Health Care, Medicare and Medicaid, etc. Family planning will also be available for free or a low cost, as well as immunizations. CHD is expanding their services due to funding reductions by the state and an assurance of continued reductions in the future. The CHD board knows that it is important to be able to expand services and offer more to the community to be able to keep the health department in operation for the community and the residents of Clay County. You will find friendly employees at Clay Health Department who are willing to help and answer any questions you may have. You will also find a clean and sanitary environment. CHD also provides Women, Infant and Children (WIC) services and Right from the Start Services. In the future, expansions for more services to be provided will be demand driven. As business grows and more services are needed, time expansions will also be considered; also opportunities for local jobs. Hours of operation for CHD are Monday through Friday from 8am-4pm. Call CHD at 304-587-4269 for more information.
The Elk Conservation District is conducting their annual plant and tree sale of the following items as a service to the residents of Braxton, Clay, Nicholas and Webster counties: crimson gold, Fuji, Gala, golden delicious, gold rush, Granny Smith, and yellow transparent apple trees; Montmorency and summit cherry trees; contender and John Boy Peach trees; Potomac and Shenandoah pear trees; Arapaho blackberry plants, heritage (red) and jewell (black) raspberry plants, Surecrop strawberry plants, and Blue Ray and Jersey blueberry plants. Seedlings available are: Allegheny chinkapin, sugar maple, redbud, flowering dogwood, white pine, Scotch pine and Norway spruce. Quantities are limited and will be sold on a first-come first-served basis. Call the ECD office at 304-765-2535 or email ecd@wvca.us to obtain an order form. Order deadline is March 15 and pick up will be Wednesday and Thursday, March 29 and 30 at the locations designated on the order forms. There will be a pick up location in each county.
As part of their ongoing efforts to address the state’s heroin and opioid epidemic, local health department officials will be holding a day-long meeting in Flatwoods to address the issue. The meeting will be held Thursday, Feb. 2, at the Days Hotel in Flatwoods. It begins at 10 a.m. and concludes at 2 p.m.
Speakers will discuss the response to the opioid crisis and will make plans for the future. Speakers include Tim Hazelett and Dr. Michael Kilkenny, Cabell-Huntington Health Department; Congressman Evan Jenkins; Dr. Kevin Yingling, Marshall University; Huntington Mayor Steve Williams; Dr. Lee Smith and Laura Jones, Monongalia County Health Department; Howard Gamble, Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department; Dr. David Didden, Jefferson County Health Department; Emma Roberts, Harm Reduction Coalition; Chad Napier, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program; Jan Rader, Huntington Fire Department; Scott Lemley, Huntington Police Department; and Dr. Michael Brumage, Kanawha-Charleston and Putnam County Health Departments.
North American Youth Sports will hold their annual spring youth basketball tournament at Ripley High School on March 31-April 2. The tournament will feature 10 different brackets: 5-6 grade boys; 5-6 grade girls; 7th grade boys; 7th grade girls; 8th grade boys; 8th grade girls; 9th-10th grade boys; 9th-10th grade girls; 11th-12th grade boys and 11th-12 grade girls. All grades are based on the grade in which a student is currently enrolled for the 2016-17 school year. The entry fee for the tournament is $160 and guarantees each team a minimum of three games. There will be awards presented in each bracket. The entry deadline is March 17. For additional information or an entry form, call 1-866-352-5915, tournament director Kevin Harries at 304-532-7965 or go to the NAYS website at www.northamericanyouthsports.org.
The WVU Braxton County Extension Office is sponsoring a beginning beekeeper course starting Feb. 2. Classes will be held each Thursday (Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23) from 6-8 p.m. in the Ag-Ed classroom at Braxton County High School. March 2 will be a backup date in case any classes are cancelled due to weather. Pre-registration is required. The pre-registration deadline is January 27. Cost of the course is $15/person, which includes a beekeeping manual. For more information or to register, contact Debbie Friend at the WVU Braxton County Extension Office at 304-765-2809 or email at debbie.friend@mail.wvu.edu.
The Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program (WIC) is a supplemental foods program for pregnant, postpartum or breastfeeding women, infants and children, under the age of five. WIC provides supplemental foods and nutrition education to qualifying participants. To apply for the WIC program or to receive more information call: 304-587-2323. The Clay County WIC Office located at 452 Main Street in Clay is open to serve the public every Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Monday after-school tutoring takes place every Monday at the Lizemores Church of the Nazarene from 4-6 p.m. Students who need help with homework or extra skills practice can come by Lizemores Nazarene and be assisted by teachers and other volunteers. A light snack will be served. Please ensure that all participating students have something to work on.
The meeting schedule for CAEZ board meetings in 2017 is as follows: Tuesday, Feb. 7; Tuesday, March 7; Tuesday, April 4; Tuesday, May 2; Tuesday, June 6; July Meeting – to be announced; Tuesday, Aug. 1; Tuesday, Sept. 5 (to be held at different location); Tuesday, Oct. 3; Tuesday, Nov. 7; Tuesday, Dec. 5. Meeting will be held in the Clay County Courthouse Commission Room. Economic Development Committee meets at 4 p.m. and board of directors meets at 6 p.m.
