Local News

PHILIPPI, W.Va. A high-speed chase in the city of Philippi resulted in two arrests on Sunday.

Police clocked four motorcycles traveling at 78 miles per hour in a 45-mile per hour zone on US Route 50 in Philippi.

Police began to pursue with lights and sirens at speeds reaching 90 miles per hour. As the motorcyclists fled, they passed several cars in a passing zone.

On Main Street in a 25-mile per hour zone, police chased the motorcycles reaching 90-miles per hour at 5 p.m., a busy time of day.

At a dead end near the area of Philippi Discount Tire Services Center, the motorcyclists drove through a yard onto a walking path, then drove off the curb and split up.

One of the motorcyclists, Greyson Christopher Bevan, was pursued on Pike Street, then on Morrel Hollow Road, where he crashed and was arrested.

Another rider, Jake Ryan Williams, was also arrested on Morrel Hollow Road.

It is unclear at this time whether the other two drivers were identified or detained.

Greyson Christopher Bevan and Jake Ryan Williams are both being held in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail, each in lieu of a $15,000 bond.

MONONGALIA COUNTY, W.Va. After more than 100 years serving the county and 97 years in their Osage location, the Scott’s Run Settlement House has announced plans to move to the Cheat Lake area. Executive Director Michael Richard said their new home is the former location of the Cheat Lake United Methodist Church at 750 Fairchance Rd.

“We’re still continuing the same services,” Richard said. “We’re still going to serve all of Monongalia County, but from a much newer location and from a place that makes sure that as we grow as an organization, we can continue to meet the needs of the community.”

The Osage location is a four-story building with limited accommodations for disabled people, according to Richard. He said many programs attract much more traffic than can safely be handled at the Osage location.

“Our current building is not really conducive to what we provide for services now, and there is a need for expansion,” Richard said. “We have six permanent parking spots at our location, and we have programs that bring in sometimes hundreds of cars a day.”

All of the services will relocate to the Fairchance Road location, but for the remainder of 2024, Richard said some services are scheduled to be offered at the Osage location.

“We’re also going to continue to serve food pantry appointments and our senior box pick-ups once a week at our current Osage location for those in the western part of the county for the rest of the year at least,” Richard said.

The move is scheduled to begin on May 25, and Richard hopes it will be done by June 9, and normal operation will begin at the new location on June 10.

“It’s going to be an effort,” Richard said. “We’re going to try to get as many volunteers as we can to help us move the food pantry and other items.”

Programs include a backpack feeding program, home repair, a free and fresh market, and seasonal programs for holidays throughout the year. Richard said many times they are able to connect people to services offered by other non-profits when there are gaps in the programs they provide.

“Even if it is something we can’t help you with, we have a full-time social worker that is able to refer services to other non-profits in the area,” Richard said. “We really want to be a place to help with whatever issues you might have.”

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A retired West Virginia University Police Department K-9 officer has died due to complications from cancer.

Ginger was a golden retriever who served for 12 years in explosives detection and security at large events in Milan Puskar Stadium and the Coliseum.

Giner retired and passed away in April.

She was named the K-9 of Excellence by the Governor’s Office and the American Kennel Club in 2016.

FAIRMONT, W.Va. — A Monongah woman is accused of being involved in a crash that injured a 7-year-old while under the influence of alcohol over the weekend.

On Saturday, officers from the Fairmont Police Department responded to a crash at Mary Lou Retton Drive for a single vehicle.

At the scene, police determined that Amanda Craig, 43, ran off the road, hit a tree, and parked a vehicle. Two injuries were reported in the crash.

When the police spoke to Craig, they said she was slurring her words, appeared to be disoriented, and was unsteady on her feet.

Craig told officers something darted out into the roadway, causing them to take evasive action, causing the crash.

A child in the car had chest injuries from the seatbelt.

During the investigation, police discovered there were no skid marks or indications that Craig hit the brakes. A witness told police they helped the injured child after Craig got out of the car after the crash and lit a cigarette.

Police also learned Craig’s driving privileges were definitely suspended, and she was unable to pass a field sobriety test. Craig told police she has taken opioid pills in the past but has not in the last three weeks.

Police did determine Craig was under the influence of opioids.

Craig has been charged with gross child neglect, creating a risk of injury, and is being held in the North Central Regional Jail in lieu of a $10,012 bond.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The City of Morgantown Arts and Cultural Development Department has released the line up for the 2024 Ruby Movie Series. Films will be shown Saturday nights at the Ruby Amphitheater in Hazel Ruby McQuain Park from June 8 through October 26.

Each Saturday a family-friendly movies will begin at 5 PM and the second film, geared to an adult audience will begin at 7 p.m.

To meet the needs of the public, the series will begin earlier in the summer and showings are being moved from Sunday to Saturday this year. needs.

The list of scheduled movies and their dates are as follows:
June 8
5 PM Trolls Band Together (PG)
7 PM Mamma Mia! (PG-13)

June 15 – In Conjunction with Morgantown Pride Event
5 PM Luca (PG)
7 PM Bohemian Rhapsody (PG-13)

June 29
5 PM Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie (PG)
7 PM Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (PG-13)

July 13
5 PM Sing (PG)
7 PM Rocket Man (R)

July 27
5 PM The Little Mermaid (PG)
7 PM Barbie (PG-13)

August 10
5 PM Soul (PG)
7 PM Elvis (PG-13)

August 24
5 PM Kung Fu Panda 4 (PG)
7 PM Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning (R)

September 7
5 PM Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (PG)
7 PM Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3 (PG-13)

October 26- Ruby Halloween Spooktacular- Costumes Encouraged!
4 PM Trunk or Treat
5 PM Coco (PG)
7 PM The Rocky Horror Picture Show (R)

The Ruby Movie Series concludes October 26 with a Trunk of Treat event at 4 p.m. for children in costume followed by a showing of Coco. Attendees of The Rocky Horror Picture Show are also encouraged to dress in appropriate costumes, but use of any props or profanity during the showing is prohibited.

“We are so glad to be continuing to provide free movie nights for the community”,” said Arts and Cultural Development Director, Vincent Kitch, “hopefully the warmer weather will encourage more people to come out there is something for everyone to enjoy”.

Attendees are encouraged to bring snacks, drinks, and blankets. Food trucks may be available during select showings.

All movies and dates are subject to change.

MONONGALIA COUNTY, W.Va. Twenty-five years ago, the Mylan Park vision began with 30 acres of abandoned mine land, and today the park spans about 400 acres with the most diverse mix of activities in the state.

On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” Mylan Park Foundation Board President Ron Justice said the park has grown with the community. As the community has grown, the park has added a variety of amenities for any age group.

“There has been $141 million of either private investment, non-profit investment, or Mylan Par investment since its inception,” Justice said.

The latest projects have been the addition of turf fields, outdoor pickleball courts, and an $11 million KOA campground. The campground will start with more than 140 recreational vehicle spaces with utility hookups, four cabins, and four tent camping spaces. The project includes a lodge, and the cabin and tent areas can be expanded in the future. The estimated economic impact of the campground is $20 million annually once complete.

“These folks are going to buy gasoline, propane, and all those kinds of things here in this community and spend the night when they come to play in these tournaments—buying groceries and eating at restaurants,” Justice said.

From four baseball fields 25 years ago to a facility that has adapted with the interests of the community to add just about every sport to include workout facilities. The Mylan Park of today has hosted USA diving national events, Big 12 sanctioned events, and a variety of local, state, and regional tournaments and has been in consideration for the Olympic diving trials.

“We cover so many things that there is nothing like this in the state of West Virginia,” Justice said. “You can have a volleyball tournament, a lacrosse tournament, a basketball tournament, swimming, diving, and track.”

The park vision is managed by a board of more than 30 people that come from the local school system, business, Visit Mountaineer Country CVB, and the Monongalia County Commission. Justice said the large and diverse board provides a deep well for future growth and expansion.

“It really gives you some synergy to go out and seek opportunities like we have,” Justice said. “The “why not” becomes “it is,” and it is one of the best complexes on the eastern seaboard.”

The future depends on the needs of the community, and currently some items on the horizon are more baseball fields, competition, hockey, and the possibility of an all-weather BMX facility.

“Potentially an additional field; we’ve even talked about future ice activities, and we’ve talked to BOPARC and stakeholders, so we’re working toward those,” Justice said. “Those would be my predictions for the future.”

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The state Department of Agriculture is working to increase food production, maintain forests and waters and create jobs.

Kent Leonhardt

State Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt said they have used abandoned mine lands in many cases to establish businesses like Buzz Foods in Charleston. The company operates the Appalachian Abattoir, distributing locally produced meats to area consumers.

Also, Appalachian Botanicals produces a wide range of lavender-based products made by West Virginians and grown on abandoned mine lands.

“The largest lavender farm is east of the Mississippi River, and part of that is on abandoned mine lands as well, and these are all agriculture businesses,” Leonhardt said last Friday on MetroNews “Talkline.”

Morgantown-based Mountaintop Beverage, a maker of shelf-stable dairy products, moved into a 330,000-square-foot facility last year that currently employs more than 200 people. CEO Jeff Sokal said the location for the facility is ideal with access to markets and raw products, but the workforce has been extremely productive.

“There are really good business reasons in terms of logistics for the types of products we produce, but really it’s the people,” Sokal said. “We’ve got a fantastic team of people.”

For Leonhardt, this is a type of business that can sustain farms and industry while providing a wage to raise a family and a tax base for the state and local community.

“Manufacturing in the agricultural world is actually a recession-proof business,” Leonhardt said. “This economy we’re in has been pretty great, but we know it’s not sustainable. But these businesses that the West Virginia Department of Agriculture has been working on since I’ve been there have been producing recession-proof jobs.”

Jeff Sokal

Starting up a manufacturing facility with state-of-the-art aseptic equipment is no easy task. According to Sokul, the local workforce has taken ownership of the work and has made the start-up a relatively smooth process.

“We have a level of talent here we have not seen in other places. People are as dedicated to what we’re doing as we are,” Sokal said. “Providing careers for these folks and not just jobs is important.”

The arrival of Mountaintop Beverage at the Morgantown Industrial Park is also gaining attention from outside the state.

Part of the agreement to bring the company to the park was to add access from I-79 at Harmony Grove to remove truck traffic from surface streets in Westover. When the project got bogged down in federal red tape, the state stepped in to fund a new crossing over the Monongahela River for interim access until an interstate exit was constructed. The new access is expected to be complete by 2027.

“That upper part of the industrial park has opened up because of our project, with the exit coming and the bridge coming,” Sokal said. “There are several other businesses of large size that are looking to locate in that industrial park; we’re going to have to start creating more employees.”

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — FirstEnergy subsidiaries Mon Power and Potomac Edison are proposing a customer refund, including interest, due to miscalculated costs from a previous base rate case and misapplied overhead costs.

The proposed $2.5 million refund is for a misallocation of costs from the 2013 test year in the last base rate case filed by First Energy. The company will also refund $54,000 due to incorrectly applied administrative, general, and overhead costs to capital project expenses from 2020 to 2022.

First Energy will submit an updated filing to the state Public Service Commission with an updated calculation for the one-time credit that will be disbursed in July 2024.

The credit will be identified on the bill as ”Refund for Noneligible Costs.”

Officials said the refund amounts will vary widely based on average kilowatt-hour consumption per household.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The American Lung Association has released the 25th annual State of the Air report.

Aimee Van Cleave

While on WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” director of Advocacy for the American Lung Association Aimee Van Cleave said the Clean Air Act is to thank for the level of clean air in our area.

“The Clean Act, which was passed about 25 years ago, has done a whole lot to improve our air quality over time,” Van Cleave said. “Because we have stricter standards on what we’re letting out into the air we’re all breathing in.”

The report gives West Virginia a decent grade in most areas. Van Cleave said the Charleston area ranks as one of the cleanest in the country in terms of air. Kanawha County recorded zero action days for ozone or particle pollution issues.

“We know the Charleston metro area is ranked among the nation’s cleanest cities for ozone pollution, and it received an “A” grade,” Van Cleave said.

In the northern part of the state, Ohio County scored a “B” based on ozone pollution but scored an “A” in the particulate category. In Monongalia County, the grade is an “A” across the board, with zero action days in any category. The city of Wheeling was also scored well.

“The Wheeling area got their best ever level for year-round particle pollution, earning a passing grade with a “B,” Van Cleave said.

The report ranks some of the cleanest places to live as Bangor, Maine; Bristol, Tennessee; and Lincoln, Nebraska. On the other end of the scale, the report said the top five most polluted places are in California.

Van Cleave also described some of the issues causing air quality issues and areas that could be more problematic than others.

“Burning something that ought not to be in the air—that’s something we’re all breathing in, so if my neighbors are burning their trash, that will impact us,” Van Cleave said. “If we live near a warehouse that has a lot of deliveries going out, that’s going to impact us too.”

FAIRMONT, W.Va. – In May, Marion County residents will be asked to support the animal shelter program.

On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” President of the Marion County Humane Society Executive Board Donna Long said the organization is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping abused, abandoned, neglected, and owner-surrendered dogs and cats. The shelter, located at 2731 Locust Avenue in Fairmont, has a capacity of about 100 animals.

“It’s a three-year levy that will support shelter operations,” Long said. “The total amount of the levy is $400,000.”

The facility used through June of last year had a capacity of about 30 animals, and many were restricted to cages due to space concerns. Now, the facility offers larger rooms that encourage socialization. The new shelter also has improved ventilation, including a negative air pressure system that prevents the spread of airborne pathogens.

“It’s a real necessity; the old shelter was in disrepair,” Long said. “We went from a 3,000-square-foot facility to one that is almost 12,000 square feet.”

The shelter director, Jonna Spatafore, said adopting from the shelter is not only a great value, but it also helps the community and turns an animal into a forever home.

“The adoption fee is approximately $175, and they come with approximately what would cost you $755 at the vet,” Spatafore said. “Cats are $75, and they come with what would cost about $485 at the vet.”

According to information from the shelter, the cost of the levy for a person with a home assessed at $120,000 in value would be $14.40 annually. For a business owner with the same assessed value, the cost would be about $28.80.

“The levy will support shelter operations, and we will continue to tirelessly fundraise to pay the debt service,” Long said. “We just need a little help from the community.”

The primary election day is May 14, 2024.