Kelly pleads to voluntary manslaughter

Brent Tyler Kelly

The man charged in connection with the 2022 shooting death of Nicholas County Deputy Sheriff Thomas Baker entered a plea bargain to a lesser charge on Tuesday, July 23, in Nicholas County Circuit Court.

Brent Tyler Kelly, 30, of Birch River, pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter. He had been charged with murder in Baker’s death.

Kelly did plead guilty to conspiracy, admitting that he knew that Richie Holcomb, the man shooting at police, was prohibited from having a gun.

The plea bargain does away with the charges of murder, two counts of attempted murder and four counts of wanton endangerment,

Kelly will be sentenced by Webster County Circuit Judge Jack Alsop, the special judge appointed in the case, on Sept. 12.

 

 

 

Reminiscing

The annual Gad-Sparks Reunion was held July 20, 2024, at the Nicholas County Senior Center in Summersville. Attendees got together to share photos, maps and stories from the two communities that were submerged by the creation of Summersville Lake in the mid-1960s. Pictured above, (front row) Ruth Ann (Legg) Brown, Gathel (Legg) Brown, Gloria Jean (Legg) McClung, Nancy (Strickland) McKown, Betty (Copenhaver) Nicholas, Delbert Copenhaver; (middle row) Forrest Hughes, Dale Dorsey, Richard Campbell, Pete Spencer, Bob Dorsey, Bill Dorsey; (back row) Billy Dale Legg, Gerry Cox, Phyllis (Sparks) McClung, Ray Sparks, Paul Strickland and Lonnie Strickland.

 

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Commission contributes to Richwood Food & Soup Kitchen

The Nicholas County Commission on Wednesday, July 24, voted to financially assist the Richwood Food and Soup Kitchen.

The Commission also approved a request from the Nicholas County Prosecuting Attorney to hire additional staff.

Present for the meeting were Commission President Garrett Cole, Commissioner Craig Chapman and Commissioner Gary Roberts Jr.

Request from Richwood Food and Soup Kitchen

Marla Short, Director of the Starting Points Day Care Center in Richwood, came before the Commission to request financial assistance of $5,000 for the Richwood Food and Soup Kitchen.

Short is also Executive Director of the Nicholas Empowerment Corp., which is part of non-profit organizations in Webster, Fayette and Kanawha counties. It operates the child care center, soup kitchen, food pantry, game room, toy store and thrift shop in Richwood. They work with children from birth to 18 and pregnant mothers, and they have a home visitation program. They also sponsor the Richwood area Biddy Basketball program.

Short said the $5,000 is needed because the Family Support Center grants they receive to support the food pantry and soup kitchen are normally reviewed in March but were delayed until June so they won’t be received until October. She said the money would go to purchase food and added that the soup kitchen, which is open Tuesday through Thursday, was unable to operate last week. They feed from 75 to 125 people per day.

The Commission voted unanimously to contribute $5,000 to the Nicholas County Empowerment Corp. for the Richwood Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen.

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Nicholas County High School Open Enrollment Aug. 7

Nicholas County High School open enrollment will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 7, from 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at NCHS. Please bring the following: birth certificate, Social Security card, proof of address, vaccine and academic records.

 

 

 

Richwood High School New Student Registration

Richwood High School will register new students in grades 9-12 on August 6 and August 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the main office at RHS.

This registration process is for students who have recently moved to Nicholas County from another county or state, or who wish to re/enroll from home school.

The parent or guardian will need to complete a registration packet and provide the following:

• Name/Info for previous school attended
• Two (2) proofs of physical address in the parent/guardian name (power bill, water bill, etc…)
• Updated student immunization records for students coming from another state or from home school.
• Custody/Guardianship documentation, if applicable
• Birth certificate (for student who just relocated from another state)

 

 

 

Upcoming Reunions

• The Annual Walton-Humphrey Homecoming will be held at Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park on Sunday August 4, 2024. Dinner at 12:30pm.

The Annual Walton-Humphrey Golf Tournament will be held on Saturday August 3, 2024 at Nicholas Memorial Golf Course in Summersville. Tee time is 8:00 am. Everyone please arrive by 7:30 am.

• Homecoming: Olive Branch Baptist Church, at Nettie, will be having a homecoming, Aug. 4. Sunday school, 10 a.m.; preaching, dinner afterwards and special singing by The Powell's Mountain Quartet. Pastor Stuart Stover welcomes everyone.

• Attention NCHS Class of '64.

A reunion will be held 9/13/2024 at Old Main from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on 9/14/2024 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at shelter 3, Nicholas County Memorial Park. For more information, contact Donna Halstead, (304) 872-1705 or Linda Racer at (304) 872-6226.

• The NCHS Class of 1970 will be having a picnic on Saturday, September 14, 2024 at Old Main. A class photo will be taken in the auditorium at 11:30 and the picnic will be at noon. Bring a covered dish and enjoy the day with old friends.

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