CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Hard to say which came as more of a surprise last week: That West Virginia's economic growth is outpacing the rest of the nation, or that the West Virginia Education Association failed to endorse Gov. Joe Manchin for re-election.

Both topics are likely to come up during Monday night's statewide televised debate between Manchin and Republican Russ Weeks - sans Mountain Party candidate Jesse Johnson.

While having the largest growth in the economy at a time of a national financial crisis might be akin to being valedictorian of summer school, look for Manchin to tout it as evidence his administration has been a good steward of the state's economy.

(Surely, touting small growth in the economy is better than having to lay off 567 state employees and cut state college budgets by 5 percent - as Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine announced last week as the first steps to deal with that state's $2.5 billion budget deficit.)

Meanwhile, look for Weeks to make light of the WVEA non-endorsement as more evidence that public employees are dissatisfied with their treatment under the Manchin administration.

Weeks will also almost certainly pound on the West Virginia University master's degree scandal involving Manchin's daughter, Heather Bresch, contending it was the result of the culture of cronyism that he says has pervaded the Manchin administration.

Meanwhile, take pity on new West Virginia Education Association president Dale Lee - caught between rank-and-file members who dislike Manchin because he hasn't coughed up the kind of pay raises they want (never mind that he bailed out their pension funds to the tune of $1.5 billion) and the prospect of finding the governor's office door closed for the next four years.

I keep hearing from regional jail employees, who say morale has taken a hit since Terry Miller became executive director of the Regional Jail Authority last November.

It probably won't help that Southern Regional Jail administrator Tom Scott was fired Wednesday without explanation.

Joe Thornton, spokesman for Military Affairs and Public Safety, said of Scott, "All I can tell you is he's no longer a member of the Regional Jail Authority as of Oct. 8."

One theory is that Scott was standing up for his employees to the central office over understaffing issues. That apparently includes a proposed scheduling plan that would require employees to rotate into the overnight shift, and also would leave jails staffed with as few as seven correctional officers for overnights.

Both topics are likely to come up during Monday night's statewide televised debate between Manchin and Republican Russ Weeks - sans Mountain Party candidate Jesse Johnson.

While having the largest growth in the economy at a time of a national financial crisis might be akin to being valedictorian of summer school, look for Manchin to tout it as evidence his administration has been a good steward of the state's economy.

(Surely, touting small growth in the economy is better than having to lay off 567 state employees and cut state college budgets by 5 percent - as Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine announced last week as the first steps to deal with that state's $2.5 billion budget deficit.)

Meanwhile, look for Weeks to make light of the WVEA non-endorsement as more evidence that public employees are dissatisfied with their treatment under the Manchin administration.

Weeks will also almost certainly pound on the West Virginia University master's degree scandal involving Manchin's daughter, Heather Bresch, contending it was the result of the culture of cronyism that he says has pervaded the Manchin administration.

Meanwhile, take pity on new West Virginia Education Association president Dale Lee - caught between rank-and-file members who dislike Manchin because he hasn't coughed up the kind of pay raises they want (never mind that he bailed out their pension funds to the tune of $1.5 billion) and the prospect of finding the governor's office door closed for the next four years.

I keep hearing from regional jail employees, who say morale has taken a hit since Terry Miller became executive director of the Regional Jail Authority last November.

It probably won't help that Southern Regional Jail administrator Tom Scott was fired Wednesday without explanation.

Joe Thornton, spokesman for Military Affairs and Public Safety, said of Scott, "All I can tell you is he's no longer a member of the Regional Jail Authority as of Oct. 8."

One theory is that Scott was standing up for his employees to the central office over understaffing issues. That apparently includes a proposed scheduling plan that would require employees to rotate into the overnight shift, and also would leave jails staffed with as few as seven correctional officers for overnights.

Sen. Shirley Love, D-Fayette, who co-chairs an interim committee on corrections and regional jails, said he had not heard about Scott's dismissal, but plans to look into it.

"He seemed to be well-liked by his people, that's for sure," Love said.

Former senator Mike Ross is in one of the more hotly contested Senate races against

Sen. Clark Barnes, R-Randolph, who defeated him in 2004, after three terms in the Senate.

Ross sent out a campaign flier, "A West Virginia Story," which basically is a brief biography tracing Ross' life from his childhood in Coalton to his legislative service.

Part of that includes going to work as a coal miner after graduating high school, and being elected secretary/treasurer of his United Mine Workers local.

As an illustration, the brochure features the UMWA logo - odd, since the union did not endorse Ross in the primary. In fact, Barnes was the only Republican Senate candidate, and one of only five Republican legislators in all, to garner a UMWA endorsement.

Phil Smith, communications director for the UMWA, confirmed that Ross did not have permission to use the trademarked logo.

Smith and UMW counsel Grant Crandall sent a cease-and-desist letter to Ross, to demand that he issue a public statement to make clear he did not have permission to use the logo.

Reach Phil Kabler at ph...@wvgazette.com or 348-1220.