MAN — Man Mayor Jim Blevins and others have expressed their concerns about a possible problem with an alleged prowler who seems to have targeted parts of the Man area. The man, who has been described as being very slim with stringy hair has been popping up at people’s homes, behaving strangely, and leaving rapidly- often in a small grey mini-van.

Blevins and another resident discussed the potential problem at the Monday night meeting of the Man Town Council on June 11.

Blevins said he became aware of the matter when an unknown male tried to walk into his own home, only to be foiled by a locked door. Blevins said soon thereafter another resident told him of an incident where a strange man was walking around in his yard at night. One woman at the meeting said she was shocked to find a strange man come to her door claiming he had talked with an elderly couple there earlier about estimates to do repair work and she confronted him, noting that there was no elderly couple living there.

“I think we have a prowler,” Mayor Blevins said.

Councilman Roger Muncy said he was very disappointed to find out that the old Man Community Hospital was still standing after being told it should be torn down soon. Muncy noted that the building was infested by vandals and metal scroungers who were risking life and limb to steal metal. Blevins said he was told that it took over $200,000 to remove asbestos from the structure and that he felt it would be removed soon. Councilman John Fekete noted he believed that the residents of Man desperately needed a 24 hour emergency services clinic and pointed out that on a regular basis people were airlifted out of Man via Health Net helicopters for treatment.

According to Man Police Chief David Walls the town has had a pretty peaceful spring. Walls noted the Man PD handled two misdemeanor calls in May, (one for violation of a domestic violence petition and one for domestic battery) as well as investigating six traffic accidents and issuing six citations, two for speeding, two for DUI, one for no

operators license and one for leaving the scene of an accident.

Blevins said the town had $143,000 set aside to repair one of the water towers and that Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin was working to get the town a $50,000 grant to help with that project along with $30,000 more to assist with it. Blevins said the other tank needed to be painted but was in functional shape.

Fekete said many people and businesses had helped the Town of Man’s pool get ready for an active summer. Fekete said the McDonald Land Company, Ellis Supply, Logan Bank and Trust, White Armature and several other businesses and groups had come forward with a lot of help and assistance including the Logan Day Report Center which provided manpower for a painting job.

“We thank so many people for the help they provided and we should have a pretty good summer at the pool,” Fekete said.

——

J.D. Charles contributed to this report.