Trio Rescued Sunday From Flooded Mine

   Three individuals searching an inactive Hurley mine were rescued Sunday night after the mine began flooding during a downpour.
    Rusty Snellenburger, 21, along with two other juvenile males, reportedly entered the Laurel Creek Mining Corp. number 1 mine on Knox Creek sometime Sunday evening, according to Lt. Ron Tiller of the Buchanan County Sheriff's Department. Some time later, the group apparently became trapped by the flood waters.
    Mike Abbott, public information officer for the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, said his office was notified of the incident by the sheriff's department after the mother of one of the boys called to report them missing at around 10:05 p.m.
    "She said they had been missing for five hours," Abbott said, adding the trio had entered the mine equipped with a flashlight.
    A team from his office, as well as local emergency response personnel, were immediately dispatched to the site, Abbott said. However, as they were enroute to the area, Abbott said his department's responders were informed of the trio's rescue at approximately 11:34 p.m., thanks to the local teams already at the mine.
    The three reportedly suffered no injuries during the incident.
    Abbott said at least one acquaintance of the boys attempted to enter the mine to search for the group before emergency personnel arrived.
    Abbott also confirmed the boys allegedly were scouring the mine for miscellaneous supplies left behind from the site's 1997 closure. 
    Tiller said the three were charged with trespassing, with more charges possible, pending a full investigation.
    According to Abbott, the mine portals were fenced, but a portion of the fencing had been removed to allow access to the site.
     Laurel Creek Mining Corp. has renewed the mine's license on an annual basis since its November 1997 closure, Abbott added.

Rabies Vaccine Baits To Be Distributed by Air

   Beginning this week, Wildlife Services will distribute oral rabies vaccine baits in Buchanan County and surrounding areas.
   A program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services will use the vaccine to prevent the spread of raccoon rabies in portions of Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.
   Baits containing oral rabies vaccine will be distributed over rural areas using low-flying twin-engine aircraft and hand baiting will occur in populated regions using ground-based vehicles. The projected two-week program will target raccoons and result in the distribution of approximately 4.3 million baits covering roughly 20,535 total square miles across five states.
   This season, Wildlife Services is shifting the Appalachian Ridge vaccination zone five miles east in Virginia and West Virginia based on the drop in rabies cases west of the zone. By strategically shifting the targeted area, Wildlife Services is working toward reducing and eliminating rabies in these states. Enhanced surveillance in this area helped confirm that Wildlife Services and cooperative efforts are working to keep the raccoon variant of rabies from spreading westward.
    Since 1997, USDA has been cooperating with local, state and federal agencies to establish a rabies-free barrier in the eastern United States where the raccoon strain of rabies threatens wildlife populations and pets, as well as public health and safety.
    Baits are made of fishmeal polymer and are packaged in one-inch square cubes surrounding a sachet containing the vaccine or two-inch plastic sachets coated with fishmeal crumbs. Humans and pets cannot get rabies from coming into contact with the baits. Persons encountering a bait, are asked to leave it undisturbed. This vaccine has been shown to be safe in more than 60 different species of animals, including domestic dogs and cats. Dogs that consume large numbers of baits may experience an upset stomach, but there are no long-term health risks.

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