BANDYTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA
THE LATEST AS OF 01/30/2012
Check out this graphic photo gallery - Remembering Lindytown: A Journey Through the Transistion
Frontier is taking great pride in their efforts to "clean up Verizon's mess." They have been spotted in the area repairing lines and correctly fixing problems.
Lindytown has been completely destroyed and all of the houses are gone except for those who did not sale their properties. We will be uploading a memorial photo gallery soon!
Twilight Park has received a fresh paint job and new playground equipment.
Lindytown has been used lately by fire departments all over the county. The fire departments have been practicing rescue efforts and training skills in the old houses.
Halloween is right around the corner and Trick or Treat will be held on 10/28/2010 from 5-7pm!
The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia movie will be released on DVD on October 26, 2010! The DVD will be available at retailers everywhere and is available now for Preorder on Amazon.com This movie is a MUST SEE and features Dancing Outlaw Jesco White and his wild and outrageous family.
Bandytown residents Donna Price and Leo Cook were recently featured on the 700 Club and CBN News for a special news report called "The High Cost of Mining for Coal" The news report can be view online at http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2010/April/The-High-Price-of-the-Coal-Industry/ The report also shows what is left of Lindytown.
The Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (OVEC) is trying to protect Twilight from facing the same fate as Lindytown. OVEC has recently launched a website MTRstopshere.com which tells about a plan to purchase the Mooney property at Twilight in efforts to protect Twilight from being the next town to be bulldozed on Route 26. More information can be found on the website listed above!
Bandytown/Twilight residents are urged to fill out their Census 2010 papers. The Census will be visiting residents homes starting on May 1st.
More drama unfolds at Lindytown as Massey brings in the heavy equipment and destroys all the houses on the left-hand side of Lindytown. Lindytown was a hot topic on the recent "Forum on the Future of Coal" debate which was held at the University of Charleston and featured Don Blankenship CEO of Massey Energy and environmentalist Robert F Kennedy Jr.
Bandytown, like most of West Virginia, has been hit hard by mother nature this winter. A major snow storm moved into WV on 12/18 and left 16 inches of snow in Bandytown and nearly 21 inches in nearby area Lindytown. Nearly all of Boone County was without power for several days with the exception of surprisingly Bandytown and Twilight. Not all residents of Bandytown were fortunate enough to have power. A section of the "holler" aka Wilbarn Street were without power for several days. Lindytown holdouts were without power for nearly 9 days!
New photos of the winter storm has been posted under the winter photo section of the site or by simply clicking here.
CONGRATULATIONS ONCE AGAIN TO VAN JUNIOR/SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL FOR ONCE AGAIN MAKING US NEWS' LIST OF AMERICA'S BEST HIGH SCHOOLS!
CONGRATULATIONS TO BANDYTOWN.COM FOR HAVING OVER 30,000 VISITORS!
Dancing Outlaw fans need to head over to eBay for the chance of a lifetime. There is an auction currently going featuring 3 DVD's, 3-8x10 photos, 2-4x6 photos, 2-stickers, and autographs from Jesco himself and also from his sister Mamie. The auction features photos that have never before been available to fans. These photos are from Jesco's own personal collection. One of the photos features Jesco at Hank William Jr's cabin in Tennessee with Hank Jr, Hank 3 and producer Storm Taylor. Some of the other photos feature Jesco and Mamie in cartoon form from their upcoming episodes of "Squidbillies" airing in 2010 on Cartoon Network. Visit this link to take you directly to the auction or simply visit eBay and search for Jesco White. Visit this link to take you directly to the auction or simply visit eBay and search for Jesco White.
The West Fork has been getting a lot of publicity this week with the situation in Lindytown getting a lot of media attention. Lindytown is now a modern day ghost town with rows of abandoned and boarded up houses with only one family remaining in the area. The family of Lawrence and Quinnie Richmond are the last family remaining in Lindytown. They say they have been living in their home for 62 years and they aren't about to leave it now. The Coal Valley News first ran two stories in last weeks edition 11/25/09 then WCHS-TV8 traveled to Lindytown to do a story about the Richmond family staying in their home. All of these stories can be read online at Coal Valley News and the video from WCHS-TV8 can be viewed by clicking here on their website. *UPDATE* Another write-up about MTR (Mountain Top Removal) was in this weeks edition of Coal Valley News and they did a brief interview with Twilight local Michael Workman about the situation at Lindytown. Massey spokesperson Jeff Gillenwater also claims that previous reports of Lindytown being "bulldozed" was completely inaccurate. Gillenwater also claimed that Massey currently had no plans to buy out Twilight. Stay tuned for more info! *UPDATE* Lindytown was featured in an article in the Daily Mail Newspaper yesterday 12/14 and has since been featured once again on WCHSTV8 News and also on WSAZ 3 News.
Things could continue to get interesting in Lindytown as Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (OVEC) members have recently spoken publicly about the change that has occurred in the once populated rural community. OVEC members claim in about six month no one will know that Lindytown ever existed and they are planning on holding a vigil or a "funeral" for residents who loved the community and considered it home.
After years of waiting patiently, high-speed internet is officially available in Bandytown. Colane Cable has began providing high-speed cable Internet in the Bandytown/Twilight area. It's been a long time in the coming and we would like Colane to know that it is very much appreciated. In the digital age we live in today high-speed Internet is nearly as important as power and water and it helps us be competitive in today's business world.
Bandytown.com has been renewed for two more years! We look forward to continuing to keep you updated on all the latest news, pictures and happenings!
Trick-or-Treat has been set for Thursday, October 29, 2009. The hours are the usual from 5:00pm-7:00pm. We hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!
Getting to Bandytown just got a little easier as County Route 26 was recently paved from Van bridge to Gordon side of Johnny Hill.
Bandytown, Twilight and Gordon residents were "cut off" from the rest of the world on 9/9 after a coal train derail blocking County Route 26 for several hours. Motorist traveling in the area were frustrated after being stranded in the area with no other way in or out of the holler. There were no injuries from the accident, but there is a large mess to clean up. The train was loaded with coal and coming from Massey Energy's Talon Loadout (aka Old Bethlehem Mines) when it derailed at the Sandfield/Y&O crossing and also blocking the Gordon crossing near "The Grill." For more information and pictures read the articles on 13NEWS or WSAZ by clicking on the station names.
The Bandytown spy has posted an update featuring all the latest news and gossip! The update can be viewed here or on the Bandytown Spy's Myspace located at http://www.myspace.com/btownspy
A very destructive thunderstorm moved through Bandytown leaving a mess nobody imagined possible. The high winds swept through town snapping trees down as if they were matchsticks. The storm ripped power and phone lines in half and blocked roads for hours. There were several instances of property damage reported including a tree falling on a house. It's a sad day in the history of Bandytown as the famous "Chicken Tree" is no longer with us. The "Chicken Tree" was one of the many trees uprooted during the storm. Verizon claims phone service to the Bandytown/Twilight/Lindytown area should be restored by Friday 5/5. Verizon claims they will have to run new lines into the area due to the heavily damaged lines.
The Jesco section of the website has been updated with all of the latest information about the Dancing Outlaw and his family. The trailer for the new documentary about the White family has been released and has already caused a mountain of controversy. Jesco's sister Mamie spoke out about the new film in a press release and in television interviews. She is furious about how the film depicts her and her family. For more information visit the Jesco section of our website listed under the "Just for Fun". The official movie site including the trailer can be found at http://www.jackassworld.com/wildwhites
An early morning hit and run left one resident furious with property damage. Apparently, someone traveling on County Route 26 was speeding through town and lost control of their vehicle and crashed into a fence. The vehicle then proceeded to return to the main road and drive away leaving a group of witnesses behind.
Jesco White's new CD is now available for more information please visit Jescowhite.net or pick up your own copy of the CD at the following retail locations: The Grapevine in Madison, WV or Budget Tapes and Records in Charleston, WV.
Two logging companies have moved into Bandytown tag teaming one mountain and making it as bare as possible. The loggers are cutting anything and everything and leaving a mess behind.
New pictures have been added to the mountains/different overlooks photo album!
New poll has been added to the main page. Please don't forget to vote!
Bandytown.com would like to give a special congratulations to Van Jr./Sr. High School which was recently named one of America's Best High Schools by U.S. News! Van Jr./Sr. High is featured on the list with only the best of the best high schools in America.
Trouble at Frasure Creek mines! Last week a tractor trailer carrying power poles hit the entrance bridge to Frasure Creek mines and resulted in power poles being scattered on county route 26. Van Fire Department responded to the accident and provided traffic control. On 12/15 a fire broke out at Frasure Creek's new prep plant resulting in large flames erupting from the newly built structure. Once again Van Fire Department responded and got the situation under control.
The "Dancing Outlaw" Jesco White is featured on the front page of the 11/18 edition of the Boone Standard. Jesco recently performed what was labeled as is last live show ever at the Shamrock in Huntington. The show sold out days before the event and brought a large crowd to the area. The show was a part of Jesco's recent tour which was centered around his upcoming MTV/CMT documentary. Jesco and Hasil Adkins was recently endorsed to be candidates for the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. Jesco and sister Mamie recently traveled to Nashville to perform at the historic Ryman Auditorium. For more information on Jesco visit our Jesco Page or read the full article from the Boone Standard here.
Two photos have been added to the old photos section of the site!
Bandytown residents are getting ready for the upcoming holiday season. Christmas decorations are popping up all throughout town showing that the upcoming holiday is approaching quickly.
Frasure Creek has been continuing to work on their stream restoration project at the beginning of Bandytown. The project has been continuing for months now and is leaving the river in great condition.
Several women are needed in the Bandytown/Twilight/Lindytown area to participate in a community project titled "Photovoice." Photovoice is a way for community members to communicate the things they like about their community, the things they don't like, and their ideas for change. Participants are given digital cameras and asked to go out and take pictures that "tell the story" of their community. Then they come together for a group meeting with the other participants once every two weeks to talk about the photographs and come up with community projects to address the problems and their ideas for change. Interested women in the West Fork area should contact Shannon Bell at (304) 610-8318 or email her at shannon.eliz.bell@gmail.com
Verizon apparently replaced 2000 feet of telephone lines in sections throughout the Bandytown area. They worked for several days on the project, however the lines still have poor quality. Verizon is currently under investigation by the West Virginia Public Service Commission for poor quality service throughout West Virginia. Verizon still has the nerve to claim they take service problems "very seriously" and that they do a "solid job" in West Virginia.
WV State road recently mowed both sides of the road on County Route 26. Now driving to Bandytown is a little easier with the weeds and trees mowed over.
West Fork residents are apparently not going to be friends with Appalachian Power either. Residents are complaining of the constant power outages with no reasons or explanations. The week before last the power was out over five times even on hot and sunny days.
The population on the West Fork is expected to decrease as Massey Energy
announced plans to "buyout" Lindytown. Residents of Lindytown
were given notice on Friday 4/18 that Massey Energy was interested in purchasing
their properties and relocating them. Massey Energy's Progress Coal has
plans for a "high wall miner" that will be located nearby which would result
dust and noisy conditions. They feel it's best for everyone to clear the
area, however it's not a mandatory "buyout."
*UPDATE*
According to the Boone Standard, Lindytown residents have been given a
couple of options for their properties. The first option would be for 90
days for an upfront payment of $1,000 and have the right to extend for another
90 days for paying an additional $1,000. Each potential option would have the
right to close one of the various instruments listed below as selected by
property owner.
A. Purchase and Sale
1. Agreement - outright purchase
2. Purchase with the right to lease back at three times the thousand dollar
purchase (i.e. if we buy it for $60,000 monthly rent would be $180).
3. Purchase with a reserved Life Estate.
B. Easement, Release and Agreement
1. One time payment of $25,000
2. Monthly payment of $400 as long as we are mining within 10,000 feet of the
dwelling.
The Martha Freewill Baptist Church in Bandytown and the Star of Bethlehem Freewill Baptist Church in Twilight recently joined forces for their annual Vacation Bible School on June 9-13 with over 50 in attendance.
We are sad to report that Mrs. Berty Mae White (Jesco's mom) has passed away. She died Sunday morning (6/1) after a long illness. The "Miracle Woman" will be buried at Greene Cemetery in Bandytown. She is survived by her nine kids, 34 grandchildren and 48 great-grandchildren. Her obituary can be read here and you may leave condolences for the family in a special guestbook.
Bandytown received all new metal street signs replacing the ones that were stolen years ago.
A special "Thank You" goes to Massey Energy's Progress Coal who donated gravel to repair the access road to Mid Ferrell Cemetery.
A powerful storm on Friday 4/11 left residents of Bandytown in the dark for over 24 hours. The storm had powerful winds and rain which resulted in many downed trees and debris everywhere. Power and phone service was restored Saturday evening. County Route 26 was a mess all the way to Van with the road being blocked in many different places and even downed power lines that were on fire laid beside the road.
"The Law" has been making several appearances on the West Fork lately busting speeding motorist. Residents of Bandytown have begged for years to have someone slow down speeders and nothing ever came of it but empty promises. Only now with it being an election year, the NASCAR auditions for the Bandytown 500 have been canceled.
There was an important meeting held on March 22, 2008 concerning the Mid Ferrell Cemetery. There was 33 people in attendance at the meeting. During the meeting there was a committee of four people selected to oversee some of the things that need to be taken care of at the cemetery, such as road work, drainage pipe, and cutting of some of the dangerous trees. We are taking donations of $25 of more yearly to help pay for the upkeep of the cemetery. A bank account has been established at Boone County Bank in the name of Mid Ferrell Cemetery Fund. If you wish to donate please make a check payable to Mid Ferrell Cemetery Fund and mail to Richard Lee White P.O. BOX 21 Twilight, WV 25204
MORE PHOTOS ADDED!! Two new photo albums were added to the photos sections! A new aerial photos album was added which features 25 photos taken from satellite of Bandytown and Twilight. The other photo albums is a new Wet Banana album featuring sixty-two new photos of the popular event!
ONCE AGAIN MORE PHONE TROUBLES IN BANDYTOWN! THERE WAS ANOTHER PHONE OUTAGE YESTERDAY 3/11 WHICH LASTED FOR ABOUT 6 HOURS. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW BANDYTOWN, TWILIGHT, AND LINDYTOWN HAVE BEEN PLAGUED WITH PHONE TROUBLES FOR YEARS NOW. VERIZON CLAIMS NEW LINES ARE COMING TO THE AREA AND WE HAVE YET TO SEE THEM. THE QUALITY OF THE PHONE SERVICE IN BANDYTOWN CAN BE COMPARED TO THE QUALITY OF THE PHONE LINES WHEN THEY WERE INVENTED.
A list of everyone buried at Mid Ferrell Cemetery and also the Greene Cemetery has been compiled. With the help of everyone we can make sure that these lists are accurate and precise and preserve them for many years to come. There are graves that are extremely old and illegible or unmarked at the cemeteries. If you know who any of those people are please email us to add to the list. Please click GREENE CEMETERY to view that list and click MID FERRELL CEMETERY to view the list for that cemetery.
We have added a new feature to the site titled "Bandytown Tour 2008." The photo album offers a tour of Bandytown from start to finish with 108 new photos. The tour features every house in Bandytown, the Greene Cemetery, and also Twilight Park. The new photo albums offers visitors a chance to comment on individual photos and also gives them printing options. So give it a try and tell us what you think! Click here to bring up the album or simply visit the Photos section of the website.
A new poll has been added on the main page please vote!!
Jesco! Jesco! Jesco! The "Dancing Outlaw" and his family will soon be featured in a new reality series on CMT! Film crews have followed Jesco and his family around for days now and have done some intense filming. Mamie claims they followed her to the grocery store, Dollar Discount and even to the laundry mat. The Whites celebrated with their mother Bertie Mae "The Miracle Woman" on her birthday which was also part of the film. The crew will soon be returning to pick up where they left off. They made it to Middleton "Mid" Ferrell Cemetery and didn't get a chance to come on up to Bandytown and Twilight. They will be returning in March to further film these areas.
For those of you who don't know our friends at Prenter.net are no longer in service. The website has apparently been shut down indefinitely. If anyone has any further information please email us. However, even though we lost Prenter we are proud to announce we have gained two more communities joining Bandytown on the Internet. Gordon, West Virginia and Y&O Camp, West Virginia have recently found a home on the Internet. Check out www.gordonwv.com for all the latest news, photos, and much more. The site features all kinds of old photos from the old Y&O mines and the area in general. It's definitely worth a look!
It's been a cold week especially in Bandytown!! Residents of Bandytown, Twilight, and Lindytown were left without power for over 17 hours on one of the coldest days of the year. The power problem was apparently up Brown's Branch holler. This is the second time there has been power troubles there in less than a month. "Can you hear me now"?? Due to the neglected phone service on the West Fork, as soon as the power goes out so does the phone service. Residents, including many elderly were left without power, phone, and heat and had nothing they could do about. They had no way to call for help or let relatives know they were ok. Verizon claimed months ago they would replace the battery backup system to prevent this problem in the future and as usual they didn't. They could care less about anyone, but themselves.
A snowstorm dropped several inches of snow in Bandytown and left roads a mess. Boone County Schools were closed for two days and had a 2 hour delay on the third day.
Suspicious activities reported at the upper end of the old Bethlehem mines. Several vehicles and heavy equipment has been spotting working. More information as it becomes available.
For information on "Friends of Coal" and our opinion on Jupiter Coal's current legal situation please click here.
The house that was for sale on Wilbarn Street has been purchased and new neighbors are expected to be joining the community in the future.
Disrespectful neighbors caused "the law" to pay a visit to Bandytown in the early hours of Saturday morning. The neighbor responsible for the noisy incident lives on Rosemont Drive and has been known to blare loud music at all hours of the night. Every time the cops comes to his house he won't answer the door and this most recent incident had a different turnout. After the cops were banging loudly on the door, the landlord who happens to live next door was rudely awaken. After yelling back and forth with the cop about what was going on the landlord let the cop into the house and the loud music was turned off. However, after the loud music and all the screaming and yelling was over; most residents decided they may as well just stay up. Some people just aren't considerate of others.
The Martha Freewill Baptist Church has been working on a major expansion project. The project includes building a new ladies' aide building and attaching it to the existing church structure. The old building is expected to be torn down and an extension to the parking lot will be paved. The river is also expected to be rerouted due to flooding reasons. The concrete footers for the new structure have already been poured and the bricks have been ordered. Apparently the only thing holding up the work is waiting on another permit. According to the Boone County Commission minutes, the permit for the church was in discussion at their last meeting.
Bandytown.com has celebrated over 22,000 visitors and has been renewed until September 2009! We look forward to bright and positive future!
The Wet Banana has officially closed for the 2007 season!
The West Virginia DOT was spotting pulling over speeding coal trucks in the Brown's Branch area. The trucks are coming from the Frasure Creek Mining site on the old Bethlehem slate dump.
The Martha Freewill Baptist Church in Bandytown held its 25th Annual Homecoming Day on Sunday, Aug. 5. The Martha Freewill Baptist Church has been in the community of Bandytown for more than 100 years and has had three different locations in the community.
Boone County's newest paper "The Boone Standard" has written a large article on the MFB Church's homecoming and it features a lot of great information and pictures. The article can be found in the latest edition of the Boone Standard or online at http://www.boonestandard.com You can also simply click here to be taken directly to the site. Bandytown salutes the Boone Standard for their dedicated services to the community and their excellence in providing Boone County citizens with their local news.
Bandytown has had power troubles lately and its becoming quite a nuisance. Last Tuesday night the power all over town was flickering repeatedly for awhile, but the power remained on. Then on the evening of 8/03/07 the power went off at approximately 5:00pm and remained off for about 12 hours. Residents were left in dark and hot houses with no air conditioning. Phone service was also interrupted which made it difficult to report both outages.
Apparently, a crime wave has paid a visit to Bandytown. Over the last few weeks several of our street signs have been stolen by sign snatchers. The most recent theft was the worst of all as our most beloved sign was stolen. The Bandytown sign was stolen early Saturday morning and still remains missing. The perpetrator(s) need to be reminded that stealing road signs is highly illegal and is a felony when you are caught. It is extremely dangerous to residents because the 25mph speed limit sign was stolen and speeders now have a reason to go even faster through town. UPDATE: The Bandytown sign has been located and carefully returned to it's former location!
The yellow lines on the road to Bandytown was given a fresh coat of paint making them easier to see. However, many residents are questioning why two of the passing zones were turned into non-passing zones. The railroad tracks at Browns Branch is no longer a passing zone and also at Johnny Hill there is no longer a passing zone.
The street sweeper at the mines that everyone has complained about got a surprise Wednesday when he was struck by an oncoming vehicle!
Getting to Bandytown just got a little easier as a large section of County Route 26 was paved on 5/10. The new pavement stretches from the Gordon side of Johnny Hill to the Bethlehem slate dump bridge.
New gas wells are being drilled in both of the left-hand hollers up in Bandy's Branch.
An old house is being torn down on Wilbarn Street to make room for a brand new home to be built on the site.
Plans to build a brand new ladies aide building is currently in talks at the Martha Freewill Baptist Church. Apparently, the church wants to place the new building behind the current church and demolish the old building and make a larger parking area.
A meeting was held 4/19 at the Van Nutritional Center regarding two permit renewals. It was attending by the WVDEP and concerned residents of Bandytown, Twilight, and Lindytown. The meeting lasted approximately an hour and several people voiced their opinions.
A major accident halted traffic for over 3 hours Monday 4/2. The accident can't be described as anything else but a "freak accident." A Boone County school bus was traveling on Boone County Route 26 going towards Van after dropping off kids when a large tree came crashing down on top of the bus. The driver and a teacher's aide was immediately rushed to Boone Memorial Hospital. The story was aired on WSAZ News Channel 3 and also on WOWK 13 News and can also be heard here. For more information and several pictures or to hear the news cast click here.
The story can also be found on WSAZ News Channel 3 website and also on WOWK 13 News website both featuring more photos from the scene! You may also leave your comments on the accident at the WSAZ website.
The Bandytown Church of Christ received a newly graveled parking lot and also a new sign beside the road!
Bandy's Branch Road also received a new gravel job on a section of the road.
A new census concludes Bandytown's population to be 121 !
The heavy rain from the past few days have extinguished the out of control forest fires completely!
The State Road paid a visit to Bandytown patching all of the potholes, however the patching isn't expected to last long as the coal trucks are making it difficult to keep the road in good condition.
Our friends down the road, Gordon, WV has joined Prenter and Bandytown in the online world! Gordon now officially has a up and coming website that you are guaranteed to love. Many of you will especially enjoy another 8 pages of old pictures on the Gordon site! So check it out the address is https://www.angelfire.com/wv2/gordonwv Don't forget to sign the guestbook over there too!
The rumor of coal trucks once again hauling coal through Bandytown from Frasure Creek Mining to Progress Coal at Twilight was proven to be true. In related news, someone needs to inform the guy that sweeps the roads down there that he needs to get a move on and turn some lights on after dark before he gets squished.
The most obvious news is the new layout for the site. We already emphasized earlier this year that 2007 is all about change! We feel that this is a change for the better and we hope you enjoy it. Please have a look all around the site as several things have changed and been updated. One of the major updates is on the PICTURES pages you can now click on the pictures and bring them up larger and also print them separately from the rest of the site. Also several new links have been added and updated so please be sure to check those out!
The new site may have a few errors and typos in it. If you stumble across any errors, bugs, typos or anything else please contact us and let us know so they can be fixed immediately.
Bandytown is still digging out from yet another the snowstorm from Saturday night and Sunday day which left us with about 4 inches of snow with a layer of ice.
A local resident took a backhoe and cleaned up most of the upper holler and the church parking lot, but left driveways and others yards unattended.
Rumor has it that the Bandytown Spy has hit MySpace. For those with MySpace don't hesitate to add the Bandytown Spy to your list. The spy can be found at www.myspace.com/btownspy
2007 is here and we are all about change! Several sections throughout the site have got a long overdue update. Check out the new poll on the main page, new pictures added under the following categories: Mountain/Scenery (page 2), Cemetery (Mid Ferrell Update), and Different Overlooks (page 3), updated news, and last but certainly not least our good friend the Bandytown spy had paid us a visit. (check guestbook or the spy page) Also, the Front Porch Chat section of the website has been discontinued. The space will be used for future development of this site. Look for information about future updates coming soon. Thank you for your continued support and may God bless Bandytown one more time!
IMPORTANT: An email was recently sent to us about creating a book using pictures from our old photos section and we have tried contacting the person who sent the email, but the email comes back with an error. Please would the original author contact us. Thank you.
Bandytown.com has sent in several of our pictures from our "Old Photos" section of the website to the Coal Valley News for a new feature on their website.
Please remember our guestbook is NOT an ad bulletin!
The old Bethlehem mines is currently undergoing a "destruction" project as several remains of the old mines is being disassembled and dismantled and hauled elsewhere.
Martha Freewill Baptist Church has put up several new streetlights and the area is now lit up like the 4th of July.
Someone has stolen what was left of our street signs. Halona Lane and both of the Cherrywood Circle signs were stolen. The only sign left in town is poor ol' Rosemont which apparently no one wants because it has had a rough life.
Massey Energy Company announced that it had reached an agreement to sell its Falcon reserves, located in Boone County, West Virginia, to a privately held coal company for approximately $31 million. The sale consisted of about 5.5 million tons of coal reserves recorded on the Company's books. Depending on the mining technique employed, the reserve could yield up to 17 million tons of coal. The pre-tax gain on this sale is approximately $30 million ($19 million after-tax). "This sale again demonstrates our ongoing effort to actively explore opportunities to divest non-strategic reserves in order to maximize value for our shareholders," said Don L. Blankenship, Massey Chairman and CEO.
It's sad to report that the Bandytown sign at the beginning of town has been vandalized. Some people apparently have no respect for others and their property. Fortunately, some Bandytowners took paint remover and successfully restored the sign.
A new sign was purchased and placed at Twilight Park!
Report speeding coal trucks and other types of reckless driving at
1-866-SEE-TRUX
OLD NEWS
After years of battling his label, Curb Records, Hank Williams III is finally seeing the release of his latest album "Straight to Hell." The album hit stores on 2/28/06 and this is the album that features the song "D Ray White" about Donald Ray White, Jesco, Mamie, Bertie Mae, and Boone County in general. This album is a two-disc release and if ordered from Wal-mart it IS edited. For those of you who want more information or to order the album online go here on Walmart.com for a complete track listing. For more information, to listen to the song, and read the lyrics visit here!
Many of you have written in about the Hank III song asking for a copy of it. We don't actually mail out copies of the song. The CD can be purchased at any local music retailer. The only CD that we actually mail is the "God Bless Bandytown" CD by Sue Baire for those who wish to purchase it. Purchasing the CD will help benefit Bandytown.com. There are 10 tracks total on the CD including songs: "God Bless Bandytown", "Two Shoes", "Farming for Jesus", "Four Days Late", "Beulah Land", and five other great songs. Email us for more information on the album and how to purchase!
Four people were arrested the other night for attempting to steal stuff from Bandytown Coal Company. This comes on the heels of two people who were arrested the week before last for the exact same thing. Give it up people the guards are too smart for you.
Rumors are swirling like crazy about the future of the old Bethlehem mines (aka Bandytown Coal Company). There has been a lot of activity at the mines lately (besides attempts of theft). The current plan is to haul coal to the mines via trucks from another adjacent Massey mines. The coal will then be loaded to trains and shipped out of here. Massey has revealed limited information about the mines on their website. We found this statement about the mines: "plans are under review to re-activate this complex using production from new mines in Massey controlled properties adjacent to the preparation plant". Massey has purchased fifteen coal trucks and trucking is set to begin on June 1, 2006. For more information read what Massey has on their website "http://www.masseyenergyco.com/OU_Eagl.asp".
Finding your way to Bandytown just got easier as the yellow lines on our roads have been freshly painted!
The "Stories" section of the site has been updated with two new stories so be sure to check them out!
Bandytown had a few brief mentions in a recent edition of the Coal Valley News. The first mention being in the "From Our Files" section of the paper. According to the CVN, 66 years ago this week a radio show was held at the Bandytown Grade School. Other mentions were in the back of the newspaper in the legal advertisements for Massey Energy's Bandytown Coal Company. It was also confirmed that production and Bandytown Coal will begin on or around April 1st.
Two signs were added to the straight stretch before you enter into Bandytown. They are the "1-866-SEE-TRUX" signs and they are foreshadowing of bad things to come.
"Bandytown" and "Wet banana" have both been added to Wikipedia. Wikipedia is a free-content encyclopedia, written collaboratively by people from all around the world. Check the articles out by clicking above or simply visiting www.wikipedia.com .
New street signs have been popping up around the area, but none have replaced in Bandytown. Several of our street signs have been stolen and the ones that have been stolen at Twilight have been replaced with the new metal signs.
Thieves and vandals have made a visit to Bandytown recently as several street signs have been stolen and tampered with. The Bandytown.com sign suffered minor damage and the Bandy Green Branch, Karla Lane, Bulger Lane, Chester Lane, and two Carver Street signs have all been swiped. Apparently, no one wanted poor ol' Rosemont Drive as they left it standing. Stealing street signs is highly illegal and the perpetrator, if caught, will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. If anyone has any information don't hesitate to contact the proper authorities.
Country superstars Big & Rich's latest song "Comin' to Your City" has a brief mention of Jesco White. Keep listening for the song on your local country stations or head over to CMT.com and listen to their stream of the song there.
Large trucks have caused damage in the area. They have been blamed for ripping down traffic lights, our Bandytown.com sign, and they ripped a huge chunk out of a power pole!
A new website to check out www.wvpropertytaxes.com or for Boone County Sheriff's Office Tax Inquiry specifically visit here.
Bandytown had a suspicious power outage last week. Apparently, no one knows the cause or cares to tell. I guess even Bandytown has rolling blackouts every now and then.
Are you nosy ? Do you want to find out just how nosy you are? Take the nosy test here you just might surprise yourself. (*this opens up a new window and is in no way affiliated with Bandytown.com)
NOTICE: to the person or persons who signed the guestbook as "pinhead" we are well aware that you are the same person who left the obscene messages as "Cinderella" the other day. Your comments are not appreciated and you are not welcome to this website. You were warned even before you signed the guestbook that it wasn't a joke. We have been in contact personally with Charter Communications and their corporate headquarters. Be advised you are under high surveillance and continued harassment will waive your right to Internet access. Thank you.
The latest Coal Valley News "In the Spotlight" features a Twilight woman who just turned 104! Get the full article here and read this amazing story!
Bandytown resident featured in Coal Valley News "In the Spotlight"! Find out why here and read all about it and Twilight Community Park!
A current map of Bandytown with the new street names can be found on the Street Names page.
Twilight Park has been seeing some action lately. Besides a new sign being placed at the Twilight Community park recently, there was a portapotty placed up there. Apparently, the bathrooms and concession stand will be torn down and replaced with a new picnic shelter. For those of you who haven't seen the sign it welcomes visitors to the park and has a small list of rules. The sign also makes it clear that Massey Energy donated the swing sets and see saws to the park. There have been rumors that Massey plans on donating a large flowerbed and new grills. So let's hope for the best and see what happens.
Many people will be receiving a visit from a contractor that has been hired to get people's names and addresses that live in Bandytown. The blasting from the strip mines requires a visit to everyone's home to do a "pre-survey" in case there is damage as a result of blasting. The people who are taking pictures are going to be in for more than they bargain for.
We are trying out a chat room and seeing how well it works. Please check out Bandytown "Front Porch Chat" and tell us what you think. Please remember this is just a trial and may or may not be permanent.
Apparently, there has been more phone trouble in the Bandytown/Twilight area. Apparently, the phones went out and resulted in a call to 9-1-1 (no pun intended)! Verizon showed up to repair the mysterious problem. Surprisingly, they weren't ran off due to the overwhelming dislike of the phone company.
Check out our latest addition to the site "Bandytown Stories." Here you will find stories that have been sent in by viewers of this site. If you have a story of your own please share them with us by sending it to pictures@bandytown.com !
There is a new guestbook bandit apparently! They just don't realize what they have started. The "bandit" has already been reported and all of their IP logs have been documented. Furthermore, there are multiple screen captures taken for evidence showing the extent and nature of the entries. This is clearly abuse and it will not be tolerated. You were forewarned and you apparently decided to disregard the terms and now your not our problem.
For all of you that don't know; it is HIGHLY illegal to harass, threaten and/or slander people online just the same as it is offline. While you are on the Internet you are assigned an "IP" and this number can be traced and used to identify you and your location. Let this be a lesson for us all folks! Besides the obvious "Don't mess with Bandytown" everyone should have learned that you can't hide behind the computer. AOL is on our side!
The links page has been updated and new links have been added!
The Bandytown website hit counter still continues to climb.
We are now almost up to 20,000 keep them coming!
There have been several sightings of "the law" reported visiting Bandytown. That's right Boone County's finest have been seen in several different locations in and around Bandytown recently. Maybe is has to do the with overwhelming speeding problem.
Several bright lights have been added to the old Bethlehem mines.
Please remember to sign the Guestbook and leave your name and email if you wish. Everyone is welcome to sign or resign the guestbook with your name and email as many times as you want. Comments are always welcome.
ANYONE wishing to contact us for ANY reason should email us at bandytown_spy@hotmail.com! This email is not only to report news and gossip, but this address can be used to just say "hi", leave a private message for a Bandytown resident, ask questions, send in a Bandytown story of your own, send us your pictures of Bandytown, and anything else you can think of! Use this to report ANY errors or typos you may stumble across on this site! Please, please don't hesitate to contact us! DON'T BE SHY!
More and more people are seeking information about the Bandytown spy. For those of you who must know, the Bandytown spy is NOT the webmaster of this site! The Bandytown spy emerged several weeks after this site was created and has remained anonymous every since. Just remember to watch what you do because you never know who is watching and ready to report your every move!
A snow storm hit Bandytown a couple weeks ago and left behind terrible road conditions and no power! Apparently, the power went out because something went wrong at the old Bethlehem mines. After power was restored to Bandytown, the power remained out in Twilight and Lindytown due to a transformer catching on fire and burning the pole and the lines. Christmas Lights were the obvious suspects.
The latest Bandytown population census concludes that there are approximately 134 people living in Bandytown and seventy residential establishments. These figures are including people/establishments in the Bandy's Branch and also the Preston's Branch areas. These figures also include 12 abandoned or empty "residential establishments" or places where people possibly "could" live. The population figures may or may not be exact so give or take a few numbers.
GOOD NEWS! Apparently, many residents have complained about the phone service in Bandytown. For those of you that don't know the phones in Bandytown sometimes pop and make all kinds of strange noises especially when it rains! Supposedly, Verizon is supposed to replace all of the phone lines to Bandytown/Twilight because the lines being used now are from the late 1960's to early 1970's. Apparently, the lines have already been replaced from Van to the the Gordon side of Johnny Hill. Work should begin sometime after the first of the year!
A large truck broke down in the middle of the road next to the chicken tree and thanks to the brave Bandytowners who flagged traffic motorist traveling the "Bandytown Turnpike" made it thru town safely.
A streetlight caught on fire several weeks ago! This resulted in the fire department being called and other emergency responders. It's still hard to believe that many residents were questioned about this and no one knew of such a fire.
In other news, a truck pulling and trailer with a truck cab on it lost its contents and resulted in a truck cab falling off the trailer and landing in the road nearly falling in the river. Several contents fell out of the cab and went all over the road. After several minutes the accident was cleaned up!
The WET BANANA page has been updated and divided into two pages for easier and faster loading. For the many of you who are wondering what a wet banana is go here and have all of your questions answered! Our new WET BANANA page has complete information and loads of pictures!
The large tree in the center of town was cut down despite a landowners disapproval. The state road cut the large tree down the other day because it was a hazard to motorist.
A speeding miner had an accident as he struck the cement bridge at Brown's Branch and thanks to the help of a Bandytowner he was able to flag traffic and keep things moving.
Check the Jesco Update in the Links for an article that was in the Charleston Gazette and the Daily Mail.
New link added to website with photos of the old Y&O Mines and also some other old photos so go check it out !
This website has officially been added to all search engines! The easiest search engine to find being Yahoo.com. You simply type in "Bandytown" and this website will appear in the search results.
The latest additions to Twilight Park include: a large swing set, teeter-totters, some trash cans, and a brand new basketball backboard and net. We're movin' on up!
We are truly overwhelmed by the guestbook entries. When this site was created we had no idea that so many people would visit and even comeback regularly. Who would have thought Bandytown would have lured in so many people to our little online home. Just can't emphasize it enough "there's just no place like Bandytown". God Bless Bandytown!
We are sad to report that The Twilight company store is no more. The building was completely destroyed as well as all of the surrounding buildings.
Here's a news flash yet another stray dog has found it's way to Bandytown. This one is a white mutt and it has managed to stick around for almost two weeks. Please remember that the dog pound is located at Fosterville NOT Bandytown so if your going to drop off dogs take them there!
A series of storms resulted in minor flooding and a large tree falling at the Mid Ferrell Cemetery. Only a few monuments were disturbed but fortunately no major damage.
Looks like a speeding miner almost caused an accident after he nearly rear ended a Bandytown resident who was simply trying to pull out of their driveway. When will they learn?
For weeks now several large trucks hauling all sorts of equipment have been traveling through Bandytown causing all sorts of havoc. One truck even tore down several power lines at the Van bridge causing traffic problems.
A special thank you to the nice folks over at the Prenter site (http://www.prenter.net) for adding us to their links.
Several new links have been added to this site and so go get you a gander!
The hit single "God Bless Bandytown" has been added to the "About" page and also has a link to listen to the full version of the song. Contact information is also available for anyone who wants to purchase the full CD.
ANYONE WHO HAS ANY OLD PICTURES OF BANDYTOWN THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH OTHERS PLEASE SEND THEM TO pictures@bandytown.com!
and they say nothing ever happens in Bandytown!