A bill that would place a fee on containers and fast food cups to help clean up litter and old dumps easily cleared a House committee last week, but its future is uncertain.

The House also voted unanimously earlier to extend the $1 fee attached to the sales of new tires to finance the cleanup of old tires.

Funding is also available from the state for the cleanup of old dumps, and to make sure they stayed cleaned up.

Locally, officials are responding to complaints by issuing notices of violation of the county's nuisance and solid waster ordinances. The notices describe the problem and the steps to be taken to correct the problem.

Local officials say they prefer not to adopt the mandatory measures, but may have to should the problem not improve.

Figures for 2001 show that of the 5,422 households in Lewis County, only 2,839, or 52%, participated in door-to-door collections. The figures include residences both inside and outside the Vanceburg city limits.

Not including the Vanceburg Sanitation Department, there are six licensed sanitation carriers in Lewis County. They include C&B Sanitation Service, Lawhun Sanitation, Butler Sanitation, Garrison Sanitation, Switzer Sanitation and Rumpke.

Four young men appeared before city council members last week to give an update on the progress being made to obtain a skate park in the community.

Serving as spokesman for the group, Monty Lykins said that the group is looking at designs for the park. He said they have found a Web site on the Internet that gives the designs at no cost.

Councilman Ed Taylor asked the group if they had heard about the new skateboard shop in Maysville.

Lykins responded that he knew about it and that he had heard that Maysville is also getting a park built.

Mayor Cooper explained that the city of Maysville has indeed appropriated funds for a new skate park.

Deputy Bryon Walker said the first burglary was reported by Daniel Thomas of Tollesboro that a garage owned by Elsworth Thomas had been broken into. He said Daniel Thomas discovered that someone had forced open a garage door and removed high performance and chrome engine parts from a 1984 Chevrolet Monte Carlo he had been restoring. Also reported taken were a Craftsman 101 piece socket set in its original black plastic case, a 50 piece Craftsman socket set in a black vinyl case, several screwdrivers, two combination wrench sets (one metric and one standard) and a tap and die set.

Deputy Tom Polley said a large red toolbox containing John Deere and Craftsman tools was taken from Turner Tractor Sales. Polley said the vintage tools had been collected over about 30 years and were valued at around $1,400. Those tools, he said, were recovered after deputies uncovered information that an area resident had purchased the tools.

Polley also said someone cut a window screen and forced open a window at Henderson's Chevron. Listed as missing were 60 packages of cigarettes.

Someone apparently entered a home on the Ash and Ash Farm and had ransacked through all the belongings inside, according to Walker, and had also removed locks and entered three outbuildings on the farm. He said an inventory on the missing items was still being compiled.

All marketed tobacco will be graded beginning with the 2002 crop if the majority of the producers voting in the referendum favor mandatory grading.

Producers are also reminded that burley tobacco marketing cards must be returned to the office as soon as all sales are completed.