Local News

STAR CITY, W.Va. A Morgantown man has been arrested and charged in connection with vandalism to facilities in front of the rail trail bathrooms in Star City.

Star City police said Ralph David Miller, 56, set fire to a bike rack located in front of the rail trail bathrooms in Star City, causing damage worth about $700.

The arrest comes about a week after the Star City Police Department took to social media to get tips to find those responsible for kicking in the doors to the bathrooms along the Caperton Trail and setting a fire.

Miller has been charged with third-degree arson and is being held in the North Central Regional Jail in lieu of a $1,000 bond.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Monongalia County Clerk Carye Blaney and her staff are preparing for the May primary election, and she recommends registered voters get ready for the expansive ballot that awaits on May 14.

In addition to non-partisan races for magistrate, judge, board of education, and conservation district supervisor, there are also four levy renewals and the Monongalia County Schools bond request for the proposed Renaissance Academy.

Knowing the ballot is very important because poll workers can only offer help with casting the ballot, not offer information regarding specific items on the ballot.

“It has made our ballot very long,” Blaney said. “So, there is a lot of information on this ballot that the voter will need to read and be prepared to vote on prior to coming to the polls.”

The deadline to update your voter registration to include party affiliation is April 23. Registered Democrats and Republicans will be required to pull a ballot for their party, but there are options for other registered voters.

“Anyone who is registered as a “no party” affiliated voter or any of the other minor parties will have the option to choose either a Democratic, Republican, or Mountain Party ballot,” Blaney said.

Even if registered voters don’t anticipate making any changes to their information, Blaney said everyone should check the information inside the time window. For many registered voters, there have been life changes or moves that should be noted to prevent the possibility of a provisional ballot on election day.

“If you wish to change any of that, update your name. Maybe you got married or moved and you need to update your residence address. Now is the time to do that, and you have until April 23,” Blaney said.

Blaney said all these changes can be made online with the proper identification at govotewv.com.

“You can do that online as long as you have a driver’s license or a general ID card, and you can process all of that information online until April 23,” Blaney said.

Early voting will begin at three locations in Monongalia County on May 1 and run through May 11. The polling locations will be open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On election day, May 14, the polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

“Our main election center is at the Mountaineer Mall, Mason-Dixon Park out in the western end of the county, and we have a third location at Suncrest Towne Center, which is right next to First United Bank & Trust.”

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The state Department of Highways will hold a public meeting regarding the proposed bridge over the Monongahela River to the Morgantown Industrial Park this week. Chief Development Engineer for the DOH, Jason Foster, said the meeting will be Wednesday, April 17, at Westwood Middle School from 5 to 8 p.m.

The preliminary location for the bridge, estimated to cost about $80 million, is to connect to U.S. 119/Grafton Road in the vicinity between Scott Avenue and the Glotfelty Tire Center. The access would intersect with Smithtown Road at grade south of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses chapel, crossing the river and connecting to Morgantown Industrial Park via Rail Street.

“We’ll be able to show the bridge location, bridge type, and spans—there will be a lot of detail at this meeting,” Foster said.

Soil borings have been done in the construction zone, and work is underway now to finalize and acquire the needed right-of-way for the project.

“The status of the project is that we are under final design; we’re acquiring right-of-way and doing all the things we need to do to get the project to final construction,” Foster said.

DOH representatives will be at the meeting who can answer a variety of questions, and there will be layouts so people can visualize the new crossing.

“They can expect one-on-one contact with folks that can explain the right-of-way acquisition process,” Foster said. “We’ll be able to explain the environmental feats we’ve documented and explain the details of the project.”

Foster said the project is in the design and development phase, with most activities taking place with designers, but the right-of-way work is ongoing within the proposed project area.

“The right-of-way acquisition is happening on the ground, but there are no ground-disturbing activities at this time other than the preliminary core borings that were done some time ago,” Foster said.

In August 2023, DOH officials estimated it would take 28 months to complete the bridge and have it opened to traffic. Foster said it’s a very ambitious timeline for completion.

“Construction, I would at least anticipate it would take two seasons; we would like to see it move faster than that, but I think it will take two seasons,” Foster said. “So we would be looking at sometime in ’26 or early ’27 to get it finished.”

WEST UNION, W.Va. State police have arrested an Ohio man after he allegedly attacked another person with a shovel on Sunday.

Troopers from the Doddridge County detachment were called to a residence on Orchard Street in West Union on a call for assistance.

Troopers said when they arrived, they found the victim, who had a large laceration to the left side of his head, and told police that Richard Ogden, 44, of Stockport, Ohio, hit him in the head with a shovel two times.

A witness told troopers that Ogden and the victim got into an altercation at the Orchard Street address, and Ogden got the shovel from the back of his vehicle. According to the witness, Ogden then hit the victim twice in the head.

Ogden has been charged with malicious assault and is being held in the North Central Regional Jail.

MONONGALIA COUNTY, W.Va. – The state Department of Highways (DOH) has announced a total closure of County Road 17/1, Happy Road in Monongalia County for culvert replacement.

The closure will be from Tuesday, April 16, 2024, through Wednesday April 17, 2024. Work operations are planned from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Total closure means there will not be any way through the area for school buses or emergency vehicles.

Poor weather or unforeseen conditions could extend the work schedule.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Utility work that will reduce Van Voorhis Road to one lane will begin Monday, April 15 and last for two weeks between the U-Haul location and Northside Hills.

Contractor for the Morgantown Utility Board, Snider & Son will install about 400-feet of 8-inch waterline as part of Phase I of the state Division of Highways project to widen Van Voorhis Road.

Traffic signals will be used 24-hours a day to maintain traffic during the project.

Click here for a view of the project. 

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Two of the 18 projects valued at about $150 million approved by the School Building Authority (SBA) and Governor Justice this week will benefit Monongalia County Schools.

The Monongalia County Technical Education Center (MTEC) will get a Science, Technology, and Math (STEM) addition and a safe school entrance valued at $4,430,544; and the Mountainview Elementary School will receive a safe school entrance valued at $887,919.

MTEC Principal Greg Dausch said the new space will allow them to provide immersive technology opportunities in the school that has the highest attendance rate in the county.

“University High School has a really good pre-engineering program that we would like to open something like that here so every Monongalia County student would have access to it,” Dausch said. “Also, an e-sports lab of sorts too, because we have an IT program that we will incorporate that with.”

The addition will be built on the back of the current MTEC facility, where the Culinary Arts and Graphic Arts Design programs are operated now.

“The plan was to add on to that area,” Dausch said. “If you take a look at the drawings, essentially, our Graphic Arts class has an exterior bay door that would be internal when and if this is complete.”

Many of the programs at MTEC have waiting lists, so students sometimes have to fall back on a second or third option, according to Dausch. This addition won’t completely end that situation, but it will relieve it somewhat.

“Now, with an additional 7,500 square feet and three programs, we’re looking at 60 to 80 students we could take in, I would say,” Dausch said.

MTEC will also have a hardened front entrance with separate entries for students and visitors. The enhanced entrances typically include a pass-through transaction window made of security glass from the waiting area to the general office.

“Another part of this whole thing is a safe school entrance for the front of our facility; that was in the SBA plan,” Dausch said. “We’re going to update our main entrance area to make it more modern and meet the current need.”

On Friday, Dausch said MTEC hosted a job fair attended by about 60 employers who came to meet with students to talk about local opportunities. Many students who graduate from MTEC with a certification in addition to a high school diploma are prepared to enter the workforce.

“They were here to meet with our students to explain the different opportunities that are out there locally for our kids,” Dausch said. “If they want to stay in Morgantown, there’s plenty of work and opportunities.”

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Members of the Monongalia County Commission are encouraged by the addition of a state Department of Highways (DOH) employee to address local road maintenance issues.

On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” Commissioner Tom Bloom said that employee, J. David Vaughn was on Owl Creek Road assessing some serious and urgent repairs that needed to be done.

“He has the energy, like I do, that we want to get things done,” Bloom said. “All we ask is that people be realistic; it’s not going to change overnight.”

The commission is now working to formulate a plan to address short- and long-term objectives. So, Bloom said it’s not likely you’ll see every pothole in every alley filled, but with time, motorists will see real improvements in gateway areas and major thoroughfares.

“Fixing our infrastructure within the next three to five years, and what that means is that you need some sort of plan, and that’s what we’re going to do,” Bloom said. “You have to keep the core maintenance, but you have to do these other things, and that means you have to think outside the box.”

Early conversations between Bloom and Vaughn indicate there is a lot of work to do. Vaughn expressed shock when he saw some of the local conditions, according to Bloom.

“We are looking at 857 (Green Bag Road), Don Knotts Boulevard, Brockway Avenue, and of course the worst area I’ve ever seen, which is at the end of Brockway Avenue at Walnut Street.”

The plan has been years in the making and gained momentum when Senator Mike Oliverio, R, Monongalia, began meeting with local leaders. Along with the cooperation of DOH District 4 Engineer Mike Daley, $2.2 million surplus money due to low staffing was shifted to a private contractor, Anderson Excavating LLC to complete ditching as part of core maintenance.

“The work ahead is not going to be easy, but I’m sure our local folks are going to be up to the task,” Bloom said. “The key is that we’re now working together, and that’s been the theme all along that we haven’t had.”

Bloom quipped that the change in approach could be due to the upcoming election, but the addition of Vaughn furthers the opportunity to improve road conditions. The improvements come at an important time time in terms of economic development with the recent addition of Mountaintop Beverage, increased access to the Morgantown Industrial Park, and growth west of I-79.

“I think they are realizing we are the economic engine,” Bloom said. “And I’m sure there are businesses coming in and saying we would love to come to Mon County, but what’s with the roads? What about the infrastructure?”
 

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The annual West Virginia University International Street Festival will be held on Sunday, April 14, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. om the Monongalia County Courthouse Plaza.

In addition to cultural displays, groups will also highlight foods from different nationalities represented on campus, according to Rebecca McDaniel is an advisor with the International Student Organization.

“Student organizations will have a variety of baked goods they will be selling at their booths,” McDaniel said. “Many of the international restaurants from downtown have also been invited.”

McDaniel said it’s a great opportunity for local residents to meet and talk to people from other parts of the world.

“There’s also going to be a variety of cultural performances and food, and several of the international student organizations at WVU will be performing as well.” McDaniel said.