MOUNDSVILLE “The Girl Who Saved the Bees” will be presented by storyteller Judi Tarowsky at 6 p.m. Monday at the Moundsville-Marshall County Public Library.
This performance is free and open to the public and aimed at adults, teens and children ages 12 and up.
In Tarowsky’s original story “The Girl Who Saved the Bees,” the audience will have the opportunity to experience a “Fringe” performance.
In storytelling, “Fringe” performances offer the most compelling, riskiest and experimental storytelling. “The Girl Who Saved the Bees” will offer a one-person storytelling event in which Tarowsky will portray not only the narrator, but also the story’s characters — without stage set, special lighting or props.
The audience will be invited to listen to the story and use their imaginations to envision the time, setting and characters and no one’s will be the same!
“The Girl Who Saved the Bees” is a tale that encourages us to take care of the creatures who take care of us.
Tarowsky, a local writer, editor and educator with a special interest in history, has been a professional storyteller for over a decade. She has been president of the West Virginia Storytelling Guild and also a member of the Ohio Organization for the Preservation of Storytelling.
She has performed at numerous venues including the Grand Vue Park Storytelling Festival, The Three Rivers Storytelling Festival, the Arthurdale Heritage Site, the Cockayne Farmstead, as well as libraries and museums. Her repertoire includes historic programs, Appalachian tales, ghost stories and hilarious tall tales. The common thread is that her storytelling is captivating, heart-felt and well-researched.
The Moundsville library is located at Fifth Street and Tomlinson Avenue in Moundsville. This event is sponsored by the Robert Baker Family. For more information, call the library at 304-845-6911 or visit the library’s Facebook page.
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The Salvation Army of Ohio, Marshall, Wetzel and Tyler counties has relocated its Moundsville Service Center to a new home at 248 Jefferson Avenue.
The service organization moved from its previous location at 100 Jefferson Avenue due to the former building being “not in the proper condition” to house both the Salvation Army’s thrift store and social services, according to Lt. John Lawrence.
While the Moundsville Service Center’s food pantry and social services were only open once a week at the prior location, the Salvation Army plans to have a thrift store, food pantry and utility and rental assistance as funds are available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday at the new location.
“The new building allows us to keep money within the community by paying for the salaries of the employees we’re bringing in,” Lawrence said. “We will also serve the community through income from the thrift store, which will take care of food purchases and any extra funds will go towards rent and utility assistance.”
The Moundsville Service Center’s food pantry and utility and rental assistance services will be available to residents beginning this Thursday. Lawrence said it may take “up to a month” to open the thrift store and have other social services available, as this includes hiring new employees.
Lawrence said they began searching for a new Moundsville location a year and a half ago. He said Family Resource Network employees, including Vice Mayor Sara Wood-Shaw, assisted them in finding the new location.
With the support of the Salvation Army Advisory Board, Lawrence said they decided to pay the new building’s lease for the next year and then see what their next steps would be.
“We are committed to this place, and once we see how operations go here, our goal is to move into a larger space,” Lawrence said. “We not only want to expand our store but also expand our social services, so we feel like this is a good start for us.”
Lawrence noted Marshall County was in need of more resources, noting the county had fewer resources available to residents than Ohio County. He said they had also observed the need for assistance amongst residents in the county increasing over the last few years.
“We’ve gone from anywhere from 24 families to up to 48 families coming to pick up food in just one day through our other [Moundsville] location,” Lawrence said. “The largest increase in Angel Tree children was in Marshall County this year. Between the increases in the cost of food and necessities as well as the increase in angels, we feel that this community is a place that is in greater need, and so we need to operate five days a week here.”
Lawrence noted that the new location will also allow residents to redeem clothing vouchers in Moundsville, as before Moudnsville residents could only redeem clothing vouchers at the Wheeling location.
“Since transportation is a very limited resource in this community, having a thrift store here means that when they come in and get a clothing voucher, they can immediately pick out the items of clothing they need,” Lawrence said.
While it took over a year and a half to locate the new building, the move to the new location only took two hours on Monday with help from volunteers and Wheeling University Football team members pitching in to move boxes, freezers and shelves.
Wheeling University Football Team Defensive Line Coach Bo Alexander said he thought having team members participate in the move would help them become “integrated into the community of Wheeling and any surrounding areas.”
“I believe when you do good things, good things happen to you, so having our guys get involved in any community service will help them along too,” Alexander said. “Our guys took great advantage of this and stepped up to help despite their class and workout schedules.”
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The aftermath of a large structure fire on Jefferson Avenue in Moundsville has left the community grappling with devastation.
MOUNDSVILLE, WV — The aftermath of a large structure fire on Jefferson Avenue in Moundsville has left the community grappling with devastation.
Moundsville Fire Chief Gary Brandon said the cause of the fire, which occurred on Friday, remains undetermined as investigations continue with the state fire marshal.
State officials along with Moundsville City Manager Rick Healy, gathered on Saturday to on Jefferson Avenue to view the damage and to start the conversation of what can be done next.
"We had a lot of different fire departments here yesterday. The mutual support was unbelievable from everybody so we are asking them for assistance and trying to make sure we keep our equipment up-to-date."
Healy said that updating the city's ladder truck is a priority. West Virginia State Senators Charles Clements and Chris Rose expressed their commitment to exploring funding options. Clements said, "We have to look a lot of places. Governor has a play in this he has a contingency fund and we hope we can tap into that because this is a definite community need."
Rose added, "There are also grants from the federal government that we are looking into in this situation as well to see what is available on the federal level and we are going to use all the resources we can to try and bring that in and get this expedited as fast as we can."
Jeff Stephens, a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates from District 6, echoed the same message, "The example here they were on scene right away and to fight to fire from above is a lot better than fighting it on the ground, especially with the structure that Moundsville has around here," he said. "If they lose their ladder truck, the residence insurance rates are gonna go up so that is something we really have to work on."
Paul Faulkiner, owner of Red Dragon Hybrid Tae Kwon Do, was on-site Saturday attempting to salvage what he could from his business. Despite the devastation, Faulkiner said they plan to rebuild and move forward.
Healy said that Jefferson Avenue will remain closed as cleanup efforts proceed in a timely and safe manner.
MOUNDSVILLE — The Moundsville Food Truck Festival will return to the city this week after proceeds from its last rendition in August 2024 raised enough money to supply the Shepherd’s Pantry in Moundsville with a full month of food supplies.
The event will feature five local food trucks and be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday at the Simpson United Methodist Church parking lot on 7th Street.
All proceeds will support the Shepherd’s Pantry in Moundsville.
Past favorites and new food trucks will participate this year, with Izzy’s Food Truck, Shreff’s Hometown BBQ, Dr. Sweet, Ig’s Piggs BBQ and Mason Dixon BBQ set to participate. Due to the event’s popularity amongst its vendors, Shepherd’s Pantry Board President James Barlip said it will now be held twice a year in the spring and fall.
“Normally we just hold it in the fall, but over the past two years vendors have been making suggestions to hold it in the springtime, too, so I said, ‘Why not?'” Barlip said. “We’re going to try to hold it this Spring too and see how the turnout and profits are.”
Barlip said turnout for the festival has grown each time they’ve held it over the past three years. The donations raised at the festival last year supplied a month of food for Shepherd’s Pantry clientele. Barlip hopes holding the festival two times annually will now keep the pantry stocked for two months out of the year.
“Our organization runs by donations only, and we have no steady income from it,” Barlip said. “Churches, the community and local businesses all help keep us going. This food truck festival helps provide a little more for us to keep our shelves stocked.”
In addition to assisting the Shepherd’s Pantry, Barlip said the festival is popular amongst local food trucks due to the new audience it provides them. He said the vendors enjoy ” getting their names out there” and acquiring repeat customers through the event.
Barlip added that a variety of food would be available from the trucks at the festival, including “delicious” smash burgers from Izzy’s Food Truck and beef brisket sandwiches from Ig’s Piggs BBQ. A dish Barlip looks forward to every festival is Shreff’s Hometown BBQ’s “redneck eggroll,” which contains pulled pork, BBQ sauce and coleslaw.
“I’m not sure what they all put in that egg roll, but it just melts in your mouth,” Barlip said. “I try to have one every time.”
Tents and tables will be set up in the parking lot for attendees to sit, eat their food and socialize.
“I hope people come down for the great food and fellowship with local people around here,” Barlip said. “I know our church minister from Simpson United Methodist Church is always socializing at the festival.”
Barlip is excited to see the turnout for the event, noting that more than 300 people responded to the Facebook post about attending the festival. Barlip has also been visiting local businesses with his 4-year-old son, Jude Barlip, to hand out flyers.
“When we first held the festival, Rick Healy, the City Manager, said it was rare to see that kind of community involvement,” Barlip said. “That was part of my encouragement to continue doing this festival, and when the vendors also encouraged me to hold it more often, that was even more motivation. Seeing that it gets better each time, makes me grateful to live in a community that cares about people who need assistance and wants to support them.”
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Moundsville Mayor David Wood delivers his report during Tuesday's city council meeting.
Moundsville City Council members unanimously approved an ordinance establishing a land reuse agency in the city during its Tuesday meeting.
The ordinance establishes a land reuse agency, also known as a municipal land bank, that will operate under the direction of a seven-member board and be overseen by Land Reuse Agency Development Director Danielle Harmon, a Moundsville Building Administrative Tech.
The land reuse agency will acquire dilapidated properties in the city by purchasing them at tax sales or outright from owners. Harmon noted that the agency will get the right of first refusal for properties at tax sales, which means it will not have to compete with “outside entities or LLCs that scoop up properties.”
Harmon said the agency could also acquire properties through donations from owners or direct transfer from another government agency. She stressed that the city would not run the agency and would not use eminent domain to acquire properties.
“The city will not own these properties until we [the land reuse agency] acquire them, and then our role is to get them back into the use of the community as quickly as possible, but not necessarily to the highest bidder,” Harmon said.
Harmon noted that for any residential property the agency acquires, the neighbors on either side of the property have “the first say” in whether they want to acquire it. If the neighbors are not interested in the property, Harmon said the agency will then seek community feedback on what they would want the property to be used for.
Harmon said that projects for the land reuse agency could last three to five years. She added that the agency wants to ensure the properties are “in the hands of the right people who will benefit the community.”
“Just like city demolition grants can take upwards of a year, sometimes even more for the money to fall down, there will be cases where these projects will be three or four or five years long,” Harmon said.
The agency’s first step before acquiring properties is appointing board members to establish its rules and bylaws. Harmon said the agency will try to keep a “core competency” of board members with realty experience, banking experience and finance experience in addition to a local business owner, a council member, a member of a civic organization and a regular citizen. Board members will serve for staggered term lengths, with the term limit being three years.
Once the state has approved the agency’s paperwork, the agency will begin identifying properties that may need attention. Harmon said the city currently has an “informal” dilapidated properties list, but state code requires the land reuse agency to create a formal dilapidated properties list published on the agency’s website.
“If a property is on our website, that doesn’t mean we’re going to obtain it, and it doesn’t mean that it’s going to be demolished,” Harmon noted. “All it says is, ‘Hey, these are properties we’re watching.’ If these properties come up at tax sales because they’re delinquent on taxes, we have the ability to obtain them.”
In other business, council members unanimously approved laying the city’s levy for the 2025-26 General Fund Budget to 12.45%. City Manager Rick Healy said the rate was lowered from last year’s 12.5%.
“We are almost at the max [levy rate], and if you get to the max, you have to have a public hearing,” Healy said. “The difference [in the levy rate] was only going to be a very minimal amount for us, so we opted not to do the public hearing and just go with the lesser amount.”
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WATCHFire engulfs multiple buildings on Jefferson Avenue in Moundsvilleby OLIVIA ZINN
Firefighters are battling a significant structure fire involving multiple buildings
— Firefighters are battling a significant structure fire involving multiple buildings
including the former Remke Furniture building
more than 28 agencies responded to the scene
including the Wheeling Fire Department and a handful from across the river in Ohio
Authorities have closed Jefferson Avenue and surrounding streets to ensure public safety and facilitate firefighting efforts
and Marshall County officials have issued a shelter in place order because of the dark smoke
2,838 customers were without power in the area
Stick with NEWS9 and WTOV9.com as we update this story
MOUNDSVILLE — As city crews work to clean up the building materials and debris left behind by the Jefferson Avenue structure fire on Friday
community members are focused on restoring the businesses that were lost due to the blaze
Friday at the large structure on Jefferson Avenue that formerly housed the Remke Furniture store
By the time the fire was extinguished Friday night
Moundsville Fire Department Chief Gary Brandon said the cause of the blaze was “undetermined” due to the extent of the damage from the flames
Brandon said the fire was difficult to extinguish because the building had undergone multiple remodels
Twenty agencies helped battle the fire Friday
including local fire and police departments
the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office and the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
Marshall County Emergency Management Director Tom Hart said around 3 million gallons of water were used on Friday to extinguish the fire between the city water system and the tanker task force that drew water from the Ohio River
City crews began cleaning Jefferson Avenue on Monday morning
Following a city contractor removing debris from Jefferson Avenue
the Moundsville Public Works and Street Department cleaned up the area
Portions of Jefferson Avenue between Second and Third streets were closed Monday morning for cleanup efforts
The street was opened to traffic that evening
Three businesses that operated out of the structure must find new homes following the fire
The building also contained an office space and apartments that were not being rented at the time of the blaze
Husband and wife Paul and Jamie Faulkiner leased space in the building to run Red Dragon Hybrid Tae Kwon Do martial arts school
It also housed Emily Dougherty Yoga and Toys for Tots West Virginia
Jamie Faulkiner noted the number of people impacted by the loss of the three businesses
The martial arts school had 52 students ages 4 to 51
which typically had 15 to 20 attendees per class
The Toys for Tots location provided toys to less fortunate children in Marshall
Harrison and Doddridge counties in West Virginia
the location distributed 2,723 toys to 1,027 children
The couple is now searching for a permanent location to relocate all three businesses
Jamie Faulkiner noted that the more than 10,000 square feet they rented in the Jefferson Avenue building was the “perfect space” to run their businesses
“We would like to find someplace big enough because it (the Jefferson Avenue building) had plenty of space and street doors for certain things,” Jamie Faulkiner said
“We used to own a flower shop (at the Jefferson Avenue building) and we contemplated signing a lease at another location upon closing the flower shop
but the truth is the building turned out to be perfect (for their three businesses)
When people came in to get their toys for Christmas time
we were able to funnel them in through one door.”
A GoFundMe fundraiser has been created at gofundme.com/f/support-rebuild-red-dragon-tae-kwon-do-studio-after-fire to help support and rebuild the martial arts studio
Jamie Faulkiner said local schools and churches have offered temporary locations to operate the martial arts studio
She also said the couple would like to relocate to “either an event center or a school.” In the meantime
she said they would likely use the facilities of local schools for martial arts classes
which she noted was “right around the corner.”
“We’re speaking with building owners right now and need something long term,” Faulkiner said
“The amount of space we’re looking for is vast
there are not many buildings that haven’t already been taken or
are not so dilapidated that they’re unusable.”
The couple is also making a list of the equipment they lost in the fire
Jamie Faulkiner said they have also contacted Toys for Tots’ corporate office regarding the overstock items from last year’s toy donation drive that were lost during the fire
The Faulkiners thanked the community for its support following the blaze
whether through donations or reaching out to help with cleanup efforts
Jamie Faulkiner said that despite the “huge setback,” they plan to continue forward and hope to provide the services they once offered to the community again
“We’ve had an outpouring of love and support not only from our taekwondo family but the whole community,” Jamie Faulkiner said
but also acquaintances and people we’ve never even met before have reached out to help us
whether they support us through donations or by helping us find a new building.”
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|Photo by Derek Redd| Multiple fire departments battle a fire on Jefferson Avenue in Moundsville that spread to four buildings Friday
MOUNDSVILLE — Eighteen fire departments from Marshall
Belmont and Ohio counties responded to a structure fire on Jefferson Avenue in Moundsville on Friday
The fire destroyed five buildings inside a larger structure
including the Red Dragon Hybrid Tae Kwon Do martial arts school building
The fire was contained in the larger structure and did not spread to the neighboring former Moose Lodge 1087 building
which incurred smoke damage from the blaze
Moundsville Fire Department Chief Gary Brandon said the cause was under investigation by the fire department and the State Fire Marshal as of Friday afternoon
Brandon said the fire was called in at 9:40 a.m
firefighters would be battling the blaze until “after dark.” Brandon said that the firefighters had the majority of the fire extinguished
with firefighters still targeting some of the hot spots in the building
“We have called in an excavator that’s going to come in and start tearing the building down so we can reach areas we can’t get to right now,” Brandon said Friday
The fire was contained in the large building on Jefferson Avenue
which Brandon said has 10 different addresses inside
He said it was difficult to extinguish because the building had undergone multiple remodels
“We had false ceilings and walls to deal with,” Brandon said
That’s from all the construction in the building over the years that was added onto it
Brandon said over a million gallons of city water were used to battle the fire
He noted that this does not include the water tankers from Marshall
and Wetzel counties employed during the response
The Marshall County Emergency Management Office issued a temporary shelter-in-place order for the city of Moundsville in the early afternoon due to the fire
Marshall County Emergency Management Director Tom Hart said this order was issued to protect residents from the heavy smoke and the types of materials burning inside the building
“The shelter in place was issued as a precautionary measure since it was an older structure,” Hart said
black smoke that was filling the area and we wanted people nearby to close their windows and shut off air intakes as a precautionary measure.”
Morton and Baker avenues were closed to traffic during the fire
American Electric Power shut off electricity in the Jefferson Avenue area and Mountain Air Gas shut off gas services during the blaze
Hart said electric and gas services would be turned back on for the area when the fire was completely extinguished
First responders ordered owners of neighboring businesses to remove items from their buildings during the fire
Frame and Fortunes co-owner Susan Inclan said she was grateful for the friends
county officials and first responders who assisted in emptying the store
“A couple people saw us carrying things out and then we had 30 to 35 people coming in and carrying out boxes,” Inclan said
“It’s just amazing how many people and businesses came and helped
We’re just blessed (the fire) did not get to us.”
While no injuries were reported from the fire
Hart said “some very tired firefighters” on Friday afternoon had been battling the blaze since its start that morning
He thanked the community for its support in bringing food and drinks to the first responders during the fire
“We appreciate the efforts of everyone today that came together to try to get this fire out and to protect as many lives and as much property as possible,” Hart said
“There’s been tremendous support from the community
The community came together to help take care of these hard-working firefighters.”
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250 (Jefferson Extension) in Moundsville for a bridge replacement project has resulted in multiple traffic changes in the city
MOUNDSVILLE — City Manager Rick Healy believes traffic flow has improved following drivers’ adjustment to the multiple traffic changes due to the Parrs Camp Bridge Replacement project
The West Virginia Division of Highways project has resulted in the bridge closure on U.S
250 (Jefferson Extension) that is projected to last until the end of the summer
The official detour for the project designated by the West Virginia Department of Transportation is the alternate U.S
Healy said the WVDOH’s addition of a sign advising drivers to use Seventh Street “helped immensely” in directing drivers to the alternate route
“The traffic flow has gotten a lot better,” Healy said
“The addition of the sign directing drivers to on Seventh Street has taken a lot of the load off Fifth [Street].”
Another adjustment the WVDOH made was to close the left lane on First Street going west to funnel all traffic through the right lane so drivers did not have to adjust to the two lanes merging into one
An additional traffic change made by Moundsville City Council following the bridge closure was designating Campground Road as a one-way street from Simpson Avenue to Cherokee Drive
to alleviate the heavy two-way traffic on the street that resulted from the bridge closure
City council approved the traffic adjustment after residents along the road voiced their concerns about drivers getting lost along the road and driving into yards while attempting to drive both ways on the narrow street
Healy said drivers still violate the one-way change
He noted that the Moundsville Police Department does not have the staffing abilities to put an officer on the road to monitor traffic “all day long.” He added that when police are stationed at Campground
they stop and cite drivers for not following the traffic changes
“The one-way change on Campground has helped a lot,” Healy added
“I think we’ll be OK [until the end of the project].”
The city has installed a guardrail along Campground for drivers and patched the areas where drivers have driven up into yards
Healy said the city would have to perform additional fix-up work on Campground following the project’s completion
we’re going to get Campground Road back to being just little old Campground Road,” Healy said
“We’ll probably have some of our crew go in and try to mitigate some of those damages while the project is still happening.”
the traffic adjustments have not significantly increased the number of traffic incidents in the city
He said he did not believe any more traffic changes will be made in the city since traffic flow has improved with the current changes
An aspect of the bridge closure adjustments that never came to fruition was the construction of a temporary pedestrian bridge detour at the bridge on U.S
The WVDOT’s designation of the pedestrian detour options as all over a mile in distance motivated this
While city officials met with the WVDOH to see if the pedestrian bridge could be constructed
Healy said the project never got off the ground because of the prohibitive cost
He noted that the bridge would have cost over $40,000 to build and that the state was “not willing to provide” the bridge as part of the project
“I think we all felt it was a high cost for something that you’re going to dispose of down the road,” Healy said
“It’s unfortunate that it could not happen.”
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Moundsville council members and city staff watch City Manager Rick Healy's and Parks & Recreation Director John White's presentation for a proposed indoor recreation center in the city
Moundsville City Manager Rick Healy and Parks & Recreation Director John White gave a presentation for a $4 million indoor recreation center located at the former Sanford Center property during a City Council Policy Subcommittee meeting on Tuesday
The approximately 20,300-square-foot facility would contain two basketball courts
The facility would be located at the former Sanford Center property
Healy and White presented the draft of the facility’s layout created by the engineering firm The Thrasher Group to council members
The front portion of the building contains a lobby area with a greeter desk and a concession stand
The front area also contains a social area with televisions and a community room that can be used for parties
Another portion of the front of the facility would contain a dedicated workout area with fitness equipment
The front portion of the facility would also house men’s and women’s locker rooms
The back section of the facility would contain two basketball courts that Healy said would be “suitable” for tournament activities
and other sports programs such as summer camps
Another area in the back portion of the facility would contain two retractable batting cages
community room and batting cages would be available for rental
Healy and White presented various membership packages as well as a proposed general admission cost of $5 a day and a daily walkers admission for track access of $2 a day
The metal building would cost approximately $3.25 million to construct
the purchase and installation of Teraflex flooring and various equipment and utilities purchases
drove the estimated construction cost to just over $4 million
Healy said the city had a partnership in place that he would not divulge the name of during the meeting that committed to supplying $1.5 million towards the construction
Healy said the city’s recreation fund had $800,000 that could be put toward the project
“Mayor [David] Wood asked us a couple of times
‘What do you want to do with that rec fund money?'” Healy said to council members
“We’re just letting it build because we knew we wanted to come to you and say
‘We have a million dollars in the rec fund to add to that million and a half
We’re not there yet [to the $1 million in the recreation fund]
Healy noted that if they were to “come up short” on funding for the project and needed to borrow the city could do this
but it would be for a “very small amount” of money
He proposed the borrowed money would be in the million-dollar range “at max.”
“We’re around $4 million for construction
keep in mind that we have one and a half [million] coming in already,” Healy said
“We have almost a million [in the recreation fund]
so we’re a million and a half away from our number [the total $4 million construction cost]
Mayor David Wood said he thought it was “very good,” but his concern was how to sustain the facility
He noted that it would be “very important” for the recreation center to host summer activities
as the facility would have to have “something going on all the time to be successful.”
“When I first heard about this [indoor recreation center] two or three years ago when [councilwoman] Ginger DeWitt brought it to our attention
“You guys [Healy and White] have taken another step
I really look forward to going forward with it now.”
Policy subcommittee members unanimously recommended that Healy be authorized to enter into a 5-G process to procure an architect for preliminary design work for the project
State code requires that a city undergo the 5-G process to begin a project that is over $250,000 to secure an architect
Healy noted that the 5-G process would take about 90 days to complete and that this did not mean that the city was committing any money to the project other than the cost of completing preliminary work for the architect search process
A large tree split at the base and fell on four mobile homes in Moundsville Monday afternoon
The tree fell suddenly in the AAA Mobile Home Park on Seventh Street around 12:55 p.m.
while most of the homes’ residents were away at work
There were no injuries reported and everyone that was home and their pets are safe
according to Marshall County EMA Director Tom Hart
Hart said the tree appeared to be rotting from the inside and possibly dead
falling on the four homes in different directions
AEP shut off power to the homes as a safety precaution
An owner of what appears to be the most severely damaged home
said he heard a loud noise that he thought was a thunderstorm
He then walked outside and saw the tree had landed on the bathroom portion of his and his wife’s home
causing a portion of the bathroom ceiling and a wall to cave in
Clark and other residents of the trailer park said they had long been concerned about the tree coming down and damaging property or posing a safety threat
Clark said he had surveyors inspecting the fallen tree just a day before the incident
reworked the entire inside of the couple’s mobile home with tens of thousands of dollars worth of oak from the floors to the walls
Three other homes were also damaged from the tree falling
Residents are working on getting in touch with their insurance companies
Since the fallen tree is entirely on private property
it falls on the owners of the mobile homes to coordinate removal of the tree
Salvation Army staff arrived at the trailer park around 1 p.m
to assess the scene and determine what kinds of aid might be beneficial for residents of the damaged mobile homes
AEP and Marshall County EMA and American Red Cross responded to the scene
Moundsville Planning Commission Chairperson Josephine Mentzer responds to feedback from city council members during a special meeting held on Wednesday
Moundsville City Council members recently provided feedback for the 2024 Comprehensive Plan
with their comments centering around two of the six main concerns for the city identified by residents in the plan: transportation and housing
Council members had the opportunity to share their comments about the 2024 Comprehensive Plan during a special Moundsville Planning Commission meeting held earlier this month in the city council chambers
The 2024 Comprehensive Plan was formed by revising the city’s 2014 Comprehensive Plan
Revisions to the plan were largely made in Chapter Three
where new areas of concern for the city were identified based on feedback collected from residents through surveys and two public forums held last year
Residents identified six main areas of concern for the city: land use
the natural gas industry and recreational amenities
Mayor David Wood and council members Randy Chamberlain
Ginger DeWitt and Don DeWitt were present at the special meeting to provide feedback
Council member Denny Hall serves as the council member representative on the planning commission
Chamberlain first brought the transportation section of the plan to the commission’s attention during the Wednesday
He suggested edits to the transportation paragraph surrounding the Moundsville council members’ vote against putting a proposed ordinance that called for placing a bus tax levy on the 2024 General Election ballot for residents to consider
Chamberlain noted that a trial run failed to demonstrate adequate ridership to warrant higher property taxes on the citizens and businesses or to place the question before the voters
He added that at two city council public hearings
every citizen who addressed the council spoke in opposition to the bus levy
I’ve yet to have a group of people come to council and demand or ask for bus service,” Chamberlain said
“I had no personal reason to be opposed to it
and I have nothing to gain by being in opposition.”
Ginger DeWitt also addressed the planning commission regarding the transportation section and the housing section of the plan
DeWitt said a city bus service for the city would benefit those in poverty
“By the council voting ‘no,’ that took away every citizen’s voice,” DeWitt said
I myself don’t think it would have passed because it would have had to pass by a certain percentage plus one.”
DeWitt noted that a majority of the council did not support permitting modular or manufactured homes in the city
She stated her belief that citizens should have the option to use these housing types on their property
“Twice we’ve taken away the option of two of the most important things in the comprehensive plan
so are you going to leave it as it is?” DeWitt questioned commission members
Planning Commission Chairperson Josephine Mentzer responded that housing and transportation would remain two of the main concerns since residents identified them in the survey and public forum feedback
She noted that the transportation paragraph could be rearranged based on Chamberlain’s feedback
Other edits to the plan were suggested by council members and approved by commission members
These edits included providing additional information about middle and high schools in Marshall County relating to Moundsville and replacing the names and phone numbers of city stakeholders listed in the plan with their office information
Once feedback from council members has been incorporated into the plan
council members will vote to approve the amended plan during a regular meeting
Moundsville City Council Policy Subcommittee member Ginger DeWitt
voiced her support for blanket business licenses during an early April meeting
Also pictured is Councilman Eugene Saunders
MOUNDSVILLE — City council is considering implementing a blanket business license for vendors at Moundsville events to allow small businesses to sell their goods without the obstacle of acquiring an individual business license
City Manager Rick Healy proposed the blanket business license idea to council members during a Police Subcommittee meeting in early April
He said the recent increase in checks by the state tax department for business licenses at local events motivated the idea
Healy said the issue had been discussed in his office for “some time,” noting that the state tax department had become “very aggressive” in researching and finding businesses who do not have business licenses
“They [state tax department employees] ask the vendors whether they have a business license
Here’s the paperwork to do it,'” Healy said
Healy added that state tax office employees are now going to local festivals
fairs and craft shows and asking every booth whether they have a business license
Healy said many vendors do not know they must acquire a business license to sell at local events
He noted the added stipulation of collecting and paying state sales tax required by getting a business license may deter vendors from selling at local events
Healy said that “historically,” vendors have been exempted by the City of Moundsville and have not had to pay the city anything to sell at the fair
such as the Moundsville Economic Development Council hosting a craft show
require that every vendor be licensed by the city
collect sales tax from their purchasers and submit sales tax to the state
In lieu of vendors each acquiring their own business license
Healy said event organizers could instead pay to acquire a blanket business license for the event
He said the license would cover “all of the vendors” present
“This blanket business license could be based on the number of vendors,” Healy said
it’s $25 [for the blanket business license]
it’s $50 [for the blanket business license].”
Police Subcommittee Chair and Vice Mayor Sara Wood-Shaw agreed with the idea
She noted that “a lot” of vendors
including those from outside the county attending city events
were concerned about the crackdown on business licenses
“Many vendors have said they can’t pay B&O Tax
pay the 1% sales tax and everything with the state because they come to these shows on the weekends as a hobby,” Wood-Shaw said
“It won’t be worth it for them to come to the county and participate if that’s the case
Many of these vendors are going to drop out of these events.”
In addition to keeping vendors in the city
Wood-Shaw said the blanket license could benefit organizations that hold fundraisers with vendors
“I think it would be really beneficial and take a lot of work off the city so they don’t have to try to police hundreds of different small home vendors that might be making crafts at their house,” Wood-Shaw said
Policy Subcommittee member Ginger DeWitt said she first encountered the issue when a state tax department employee called John Marshall High School
and said they needed the contact information for whoever ran their craft show so the employee could obtain the names and addresses of every vendor
“I just couldn’t believe they would do that when people attend these events as a hobby
I like your [Healy’s] idea because it will just hold the person holding the event responsible instead of every single person.”
Healy responded that it would be up to the entity holding the event to determine how they would pay for the blanket license
whether that would be collecting $1 from every vendor to pay the fee or the entity paying the fee upfront
“We would still have to coordinate with the entities
and they would have to supply us with the vendor names just so we know how many are there,” Healy said
We’ll make a little bit of money in lieu of what we would lose from all these vendors getting business licenses
but it will be a lot easier for us to manage than it would be to try to go the other route.”
Healy asked City Attorney Thomas White for feedback on the legality of the blanket business licenses
White said he did not think there was a “legal problem” with the concept but could “certainly research” the matter if the city wanted to proceed
Healy said the idea did not have to be taken to council yet
as he wanted to create a “starting point” for the discussion
He said council could give White some time to develop a policy and return to the discussion in May
“If council is okay with that [returning to the discussion in May] because we’re not really at the point where we know enough language yet [to develop the policy]
but I think in a month we can make that work,” Healy said
Wood-Shaw confirmed that the policy subcommittee will return to the blanket business license discussion in May to eventually take it forward to council
— The historic Moundsville Penitentiary echoed with the buzz of tattoo guns as it hosted its third annual Locked Up Tattoo Convention
More than 100 tattoo artists from across the country gathered within the iconic stone walls of the retired prison to showcase their skills
expressed his enthusiasm for the unique venue
"I think it's pretty cool that this event is being held inside of a prison
It's good to come work in one and be able to leave," he said
The convention offered more than just tattoos
sparking both curiosity and squeamish reactions
highlighted the variety of creatures on display
"We have different species of geckos
we have up to 15 different species of mantis' from all over the world
several different species of jumping spiders
They're very personable—they don't mind being held and they make awesome pets," she said
I've never really had the chance to buy bugs
so this area here gave me the opportunity," Kim said
leaving with four blue death-feigning beetles
The convention also served as a networking opportunity for tattoo artists
branch ideas together and see what other artists are doing
maybe learn some new things from each other."
Attendees shared a common goal of making tattoos more acceptable
"Tattoos are a way to express yourself
especially if it's your skin," said one artist
Tattoos have been around for as long as mankind has been around
It's a way to express ourselves—like dying our hair and putting makeup on."
runs for three days and concludes Sunday evening
Moundsville DeFelice Brothers Pizza owner Tony DeFelice prepares a pizza for a catering order at the business’s new location on 10th Street
DeFelice Brothers Pizza has begun slicing pies at a new storefront in Moundsville located at the former Marshall Dairy building on 10th Street across from the Grave Creek Mound Historical Site
Moundsville DeFelice Brothers Pizza owner Tony DeFelice said the move from the original location on Lafayette Avenue was motivated by his desire to open a permanent location in a building he owned
“We just needed a permanent home,” DeFelice said
With 10 DeFelice Brothers Pizza locations in the Ohio Valley area
DeFelice noted the business’s ties to the Moundsville area
as a DeFelice Brothers Pizza opened in Glen Dale in 1993
DeFelice purchased the Glen Dale location from his father
one of the original founders of the business
DeFelice said the new location would be familiar to many locals who visited Marshall Dairy
noting that he frequented the business as a child in the 1990s
The new building has 14 dining seats as well as delivery
DeFelice began searching for a new location a year ago
noting he originally wanted to stay along Route 2 due to the traffic flow
but there was no available space within his price range
He said the former Marshall Dairy building attracted him due to its capabilities to attract out-of-town visitors from the Grave Creek Mound and the nearby West Virginia Penitentiary
“There’s been a lot of positive feedback from people in the town so far,” DeFelice said
“I think locals actually like the new location better because they don’t even have to go out onto the highway
I’ve noticed more families with younger kids coming in so far.”
The building had been empty for more than a year before DeFelice moved in
The last business to occupy the space was Johnny Rockets
DeFelice began preparing the building for the move three months ago
larger location has expanded the business’s catering capabilities
The new location’s main level is 400 square feet larger than the former building
“I’m hoping we can handle a little more volume
especially around graduation season and Christmas season
when the catering really takes off,” DeFelice said
“We have this whole other area that we didn’t have before that we can use for catering while still operating a regular kitchen in another area
The space will also come in handy during the ‘Valentine’s Day Massacre,’ as I call it
when we sell heart-shaped pizzas because that can be chaotic all day long.”
The business only had to close for one day on Jan
as DeFelice said he and employees spent “the entire blizzard” moving items to the new location
“We were able to open back up on Tuesday morning
so we were only down for 24 hours,” DeFelice said
“Most of my employees here have been with me for over 15 years
so they didn’t want to shut down for a week and lose income
and the move could not have gone better besides the snow.”
DeFelice said the menu offers the same pizzas
calzones and salads made with the same fresh ingredients
whatever we don’t use gets thrown away
so we start fresh the next morning,” DeFelice said
“All of our dough is made fresh every day
We cut all the vegetables fresh — the onions
Moundsville City Manager Rick Healy speaks during Tuesday’s city council meeting
Moundsville City Manager Rick Healy said he has met with West Virginia Division of Highways officials regarding residents’ complaints about heavy traffic on detours around the Parrs Camp Bridge replacement project
Healy detailed the results of his virtual meeting with WVDOH officials regarding detours for the bridge closure on U.S
250 (Jefferson Avenue Extension) during Tuesday’s council meeting
Healy said city officials “continue to hear complaints” from citizens regarding the detour
including the amount of truck traffic on Fifth Street between Tomlinson Avenue and W.Va
2 and cars driving at high speeds on Tomlinson Avenue
WVDOH will now close the left lane on First Street going west and funnel all traffic through the right lane so there will be “no more worry” of the two lanes merging into one
Crews will also install a message board southbound before McDonald’s directing traffic to Seventh Street and place “no commercial traffic” signs at each end of Fifth Street
the WVDOH is also exploring the construction of a pedestrian bridge for the detour
The current pedestrian detour options designated by the WVDOH are all over a mile in distance
Resident Candy Dobbs raised concerns during the general public hearing portion of the meeting regarding drivers using Campground Road
“I’ve had people follow me to my house asking me how to get to Grand Vue because they don’t know where they’re going and don’t know how to get out of there,” Dobbs said
it is not an inconvenience because I’m happy to talk to anybody
It’s inconvenient for them because they don’t know where they’re going
Healy said he met with Moundsville Police Chief Tom Mitchell to discuss solutions
including whether Campground Road could be made a one-way road for the project’s duration
“We don’t know the answer on Campground Road
but it’s not wide enough for two vehicles,” Healy said
“People are going into yards and over hills and things like that
The road is absolutely not an assigned state detour
Council member Denny Hall questioned whether city code included guidelines for determining whether a road is one-way or two-way based on its width
“As narrow as that backroad is coming out of Campgrounds
that could be a good time to do it [create an ordinance for size guidelines to designate one-way or two-way roads in the city,]” Hall said
Healy said he did not believe the city had an ordinance that made this distinction but said they could take the idea for the ordinance to the Traffic Subcommittee
Hall motioned to “refer to the size of the streets
especially in the Campground area,” to the Traffic Subcommittee
The motion was carried by the council with no opposition
Moundsville councilman Randy Chamberlain discusses the Sanitary Board’s upcoming sewer improvement project at Tuesday’s council meeting
Financial and legal representatives involved in the Moundsville Sanitary Board’s upcoming sewer improvement project recently provided information to city council members regarding the sanitary rate increase for the project
The $4.2 million project aims to eliminate combined sewer overflows in the city and is part of the city’s long-term control plan to remove inflow and infiltration from the city’s water collection system
will result in a 19% rate increase for customers
the long-term control plan includes relining and replacing sewer lines in the city as well as cleaning digesters and replacing boilers at the water plant
a CPA at Abraham & Company PLLC who serves as the Sanitary Board’s accountant
detailed at Moundsville City Council’s most recent meeting that the 19% rate increase will increase the average bill for a residential customer with 4,000 gallons per month from $32.38 to $38.41 a month
The project will be covered by a $4.21 million West Virginia Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council loan at 3% over 20 years
He added that based on the information supplied to him by the city and the project engineer
the pro forma rate that projects the future expenses and revenues of the project
will be adequate to cover the pro forma operation and maintenance expenses for the project
director of management services for the Belomar Regional Council
informed council members that the project would likely be out to bid in May or June of this year
Construction would start toward the end of summer
with a substantial completion date projected to be in April or May of 2026
Wiethe outlined that the rate increase will go into effect when this substantial completion date is met
He stressed that the rate increase is “not something that happens now.”
James Kelsh and Natalie Thomas of Bowles Rice LLP detailed the ordinance drafted to increase sanitary rates
which had its first reading during the council meeting on Tuesday
Thomas said the city must have a working capital reserve fund of 12.5% of annual operating expenses for the project in addition to existing sewer bonds requiring 2.5% of operating revenue in a renewal and replacement account
“Mike [Abraham] has come up with a 19% across-the-board increase to be able to meet your current obligations and this new debt service of roughly $4.2 million,” Thomas noted
Council member Randy Chamberlain questioned the total revenue projected to be generated by the project in its first year
Abraham responded that the project is projected to create about a $385,000 increase in revenue but noted that this does not include working capital reserve
“If you include working capital reserve
which technically for PSC [Public Service Commission of West Virginia] reporting guidelines that does not get classified as revenue
we’re probably looking at about roughly a $60,000 increase in that [in addition to the $385,000 revenue increase],” Abraham said
it doesn’t really get counted as revenue
so we would generate about $385,000 additional revenues.”
Mayor David Wood said a resident called him the other day when she saw information regarding the project and inquired
“How will it affect the water problem in Maxwell Acres?” City Manager Rick Healy said the project had “nothing to do with” stormwater services in the city
meaning it would not have “any impact whatsoever” on the water problem in Maxwell Acres
Council members unanimously approved the ordinance’s first reading during Tuesday’s meeting
If the ordinance is approved during its second reading at the Feb
a public comment hearing and a third and final reading at the March 4 council meeting are required for approval
— A significant road slip has indefinitely closed Marshall County Road 17 near Fork Ridge Road
causing major disruptions since Friday morning
has extended the usual 10-minute commute to Moundsville to an hour
resulting in daily delays of approximately 1.5 hours for more than 50 students traveling to Cameron and Moundsville
students are still arriving to class on time
Marshall County Transportation Director Jody Korn expressed concerns about the impact on bus routes
"It's been a major change for the bus route," said Korn
"The driver's have had to come in exceptionally early to be able to make the run because he lives on Fork Ridge
Korn also highlighted worries about emergency access
"They're not alone in their frustration and their worries
If something happens on this end of Fork Ridge
it's going to be a long way for emergency vehicles and for us to get around to them," she said
Marshall County EMA Director Tom Hart said the West Virginia Division of Highways informed his office of the closure
"Emergency response protocols for the Fork Ridge area from Fuller Road to Saw Mill Lane were modified as a result of the closure," Hart said
The West Virginia Division of Highways has not provided further comments, though officials are assessing the site. Updates from Marshall County Schools will be posted on its Facebook page. As of Wednesday, there is no indication of when the road will be repaired.
Marshall County Administrator Betsy Frohnapfel stands next to the elevator at the former State Foods Building on Lafayette Avenue in Moundsville, which the county wants to restore for election offices.
Marshall County officials hope to operate the 2026 election, not from the courthouse but from the former State Food Stores building on Lafayette Avenue following the Marshall County Commission’s purchase in late January.
The $115,000 building, built in 1922, was paid for by the commission from general county funds. Marshall County Administrator Betsy Frohnapfel said they hope to use the 29,000-square-foot building to store election materials and county records.
Frohnapfel said the commission was currently creating a request for qualifications for architects for the building, which will be the first step in securing an architect for the project. She said no elaborate rework will be required for the inside of the building, as their main goal in updating the building will be to make the space “very functional.”
“The inside of the building just needs to be a functional workspace and working area,” Frohnapfel said. “Our goal is to clean up the outside of the building and make it look presentable. Lafayette Avenue is the main street through Moundsville, and we want to make sure any building that the commission owns looks good.”
Frohnapfel said the commission would fund work on the building as it becomes available and the need arises. She noted that the commission’s main priority would be completing rework on the first floor for the County Clerk’s Office.
The first floor of the building will be a dedicated storage and work space for the County Clerk’s Office and their elections team. Frohnapfel said the building would provide much-needed storage space for the 150 voting machines in the county, which are currently housed in the courthouse’s basement.
“We have 150 voting machines, but they’re not just voting machines we can shove away in a corner until the election,” Frohnapfel noted. “We have to store them, they have to be maintained and their batteries have to be tested. It’s a process to use these machines, and our County Clerks’ Office starts gearing up for the elections right after the holiday season in January.”
Frohnapfel said the commission currently does not have cost estimates for the rework of the first floor of the building. She said the tentative goal is to have the first floor open for the next election season.
The second and third floors of the building will be a record retention area for the county. Frohnapfel emphasized the need to offload the various records and documents that the county is required to store by the West Virginia Records Management and Preservation Board.
“If you go into any office in the courthouse, you’re stepping over boxes and they have things stacked up on the walls,” Frohnapfel said. “Our maintenance team has built shelving in the courthouse to maximize space, but we’re out of it.”
Apart from clearing up some space in the courthouse, Frohnapfel hopes the Lafayette Avenue building will also help county operations run more smoothly, particularly regarding elections.
“This building will be an area that County Clerk’s office employees can go to to focus solely on election work,” Frohnapfel said. “Anytime you’re in the courthouse and working in an office, you’re going to get interrupted by somebody saying, ‘Hey, can you help me with this?’ or ‘Hey, where do I get this from?’ This will be an area where the elections team can go work, focus on the elections and do what they need to do.”
Armstrong Williams takes on the news of the week and asks the questions you want answered. Don’t miss our weekly town hall.
Moundsville man caught with meth and fentanyl as sheriff's SRT executes search warrantby WTOV9.com
The Marshall County Sheriff's Office Special Response Team executed a search warrant at a Moundsville residence on Monday
This followed a drug seizure that took place April 11
— The Marshall County Sheriff's Office Special Response Team executed a search warrant at a Moundsville residence on Monday
Roger Henry was found inside and was in possession of 24.9 grams of methamphetamine and 0.7 grams of fentanyl
the Marshall County Sheriff's Office Drug Interdiction team seized 5.3 grams of methamphetamine
Mugshots barista Melody Petras prepares orders on Monday
the opening day of the coffee shop’s new Moundsville location
A staple Wheeling coffee shop has branched out from its original location and opened the doors at a second location in Moundsville at 524 Seventh St
Mugshots owner Grant Coleman said the motivation behind the second location was the large number of regular customers from Moundsville who frequented the Wheeling location
He noted one regular would “constantly” say Coleman needed to open a shop in Moundsville
“We have so many other regular customers that come from down this way
so we felt like it was a good move for us,” Coleman said
“We already have some built-in regulars based on the fact that we already had a following down this way.”
Coleman added that the Moundsville building’s location would also draw in customers
as it is near county and city buildings and local law and accounting offices
“The building is basically in a neighborhood and on the way to the (Grave Creek) Mound and the (West Virginia) Penitentiary,” Coleman said
“I don’t think I could’ve picked a better spot.”
Coleman began preparing the space for move-in six months ago
While originally planning to purchase the building
Coleman said renting from owner Jason Frohnapfel has “worked out for the best.”
Coleman noted that Frohnapfel and his wife
Marshall County Administrator Besty Frohnapfel
had done an “amazing job” preparing the space
including finishing the floors and ceiling and preparing the chandeliers
“I really wanted to own whatever building I was moving to for the next location
but this takes a little bit off my plate and gives me less to worry about,” Coleman noted
“Jason and Betsy did such an amazing job with the space
All I had to do was build the bar and figure out everything else move-in-wise.”
Moundsville City Manager Rick Healy said the building had been vacant for “some time” after its former occupant
“I think it’s a perfect location with the courthouses and numerous attorney offices on the street,” Healy said
“If there’s one thing that people have asked for over the last few years
We’re excited to have any new business in Moundsville
but this is especially exciting with the great success they’ve had in Wheeling.”
Marshall County Chamber of Commerce executive director
said Mugshots had the benefit of being a specialty shop that would serve as a nice attraction for visitors in the area
“It’s going to be a great place for people to get the jump start on the day for sure,” Reager said
“I think it will do very well.”
The Moundsville location’s menu will offer the same coffee
lunch and breakfast items as the Wheeling location
Coleman said a couple of specialty drinks to “pay tribute” to Moundsville were in the works and would be added to the menus at both locations
Coleman said the response to the new location since its soft opening last Monday was “much better” than he expected
He said there was a “trickle” of customers on the first day
but after word spread on social media about the location
the shop was “crushed” with business
“We posted something on Tuesday on social media about opening up in Moundsville
and that post blew up with over 70,000 views,” Coleman said
Coleman added Moundsville residents had been “very welcoming” so far
including popping in to tell him “thank you” for opening up in the city
“I’m excited for this location
I think it’s going to do as well as the Wheeling location
“I just want to make sure that things stay stable here for a little while
and then we’ll decide where we’ll go next.”
Moundsville Vice Mayor David Wood was selected to serve as mayor in 2025 by city council members during Tuesday's meeting
Moundsville City Council unanimously selected Vice Mayor David Wood to lead the city as mayor in 2024 and current Mayor Sara Wood-Shaw to take his position as vice mayor next year
Wood-Shaw served two consecutive terms as mayor
meaning she was ineligible for the office in 2024
Wood’s appointment to Mayor during Tuesday’s city council meeting marks the fourth time he will serve in the position
Councilmember Judy Hunt nominated Wood for mayor and Wood-Shaw for vice mayor
No one else was nominated for either position
Wood and Wood-Shaw are daughter and father
Wood said replacing his daughter as mayor would be a “hard act to follow.”
Wood-Shaw said she enjoyed her time as mayor and appreciated the council members’ confidence in appointing her as vice mayor
“I will also take the opportunity to remind everyone that we have a strong city manager form of government,” Wood-Shaw added
“Who serves as our mayor and vice mayor ultimately
I hope we all continue to do the hard work in and out of council chambers because that’s what matters: being on these committees and coming up with new ideas for our community.”
a majority of council voted against City Attorney Thomas White drafting a revision to the city’s Manufactured Homes
and Installation Requirements to allow double-wide manufactured homes in city limits
Hickman and Wood-Shaw voted in favor of the revision
while the rest of council voted against the revision
who has supported allowing manufactured homes in the city during city council and Policy Subcommittee meetings
“To say that I’m disappointed that this ordinance for the manufactured homes has failed is an understatement,” DeWitt said
“This is devastating for many people who could afford a modular home or manufactured home to have a house to live in
We’re denying them the possibility of having a home while
we talk about our declining population and the lack of homes available for people to come back into the city.”
A majority of council also voted to table the ordinance adopting the 2024 Comprehensive Plan until the Jan
Brianna Hickman and Wood-Shaw voted against tabling the ordinance
while the rest of the council voted to table it
Council member Randy Chamberlain made the motion to table the ordinance for the “benefit of council members coming on.”
“Even some of our members just received a hard copy (of the plan) at the end of last week,” Chamberlain said
The motion to table the ordinance came after council member-elect Dennis “Denny” Hall asked the council to table the ordinance adopting the plan during the general public hearing
Hall said that since new council members were starting their term in the new year
he would like them to have the opportunity to get “up to date” on the plan
Moundsville Planning Commission Chairperson Josephine Mentzer addressed the council during the general public hearing and urged them to keep adopting the comprehensive plan on their agenda
“We went to the city policy committee
and the first reading needs to be in 2024 so that it is the 10-year revision,” Mentzer said
“When the new council starts in January
they will have two more readings to examine that document.”
Following council members’ vote to table the opposition
Wood addressed Mentzer and said there was “nothing against you or your committee tonight in tabling the comprehensive plan
“I think that when we received it last week
some of us probably still haven’t read it,” Wood said to Mentzer
“I’m hoping that everyone will read the comprehensive plan and be able to get together in January and work out some of the wording that some people have mentioned
It was nothing against you or your committee.”
To help with two-way traffic on Campground Road
Moundsville has now made it one way during the closure of Parrs Camp Bridge
— To help with two-way traffic on Campground Road
Motorists have been advised to take alternative routes like Seventh Street and follow detour signs when going through town
One detour that’s become a problem is Campground Road running from Cherokee Hills into the campgrounds
"They've been utilizing that as a ‘shortcut’ to go around the detour
and it’s not designed as two-lane road,” City manager Rick Healy said
we had a lot of complaints about it and council decided to make it a one-lane road.”
Monday was the start date for the one-lane road
It will last until the project is complete
Healy said it's generally not a heavily traveled road
but there's been congestion with drivers and walkers
cars are trying to widen the roads themselves,” Healy said
We've had a private individual’s fence get damaged that went off the berm
we want to try and eliminate those problems.”
a sign is up that says 'one-way stop.’ And if you happen to go through the one-way traffic on that wrong side
Healy said police will be on site issuing warnings to drivers
The goal is to help prevent more harm to the road
“It just takes some time to get used to it
hopefully this will prevent the damage there
People will have to go down to Fifth Street
It’s going to take a few more minutes to get where you’re going but just take your time and you'll get there
And we'll be sure to keep you updated once parrs camp bridge is completed and when two way traffic will begin again on campground road
Reporting in moundsvillle im claire oneil news 9
Moundsville City Council members review City Manager Rick Healy’s budget message on Tuesday
MOUNDSVILLE — City Manager Rick Healy announced Moundsville’s approximately $19 million operating budget is balanced for the 2025-26 fiscal year during his budget message to city council members on Tuesday
Healy’s budget message summarized the anticipated revenues and expenditures for the city’s General and Coal Severance funds and capital expense highlights from the current fiscal year
Copies of the finalized budget will be available after March 28 at the City Clerk’s Office in the city building
The city’s total budget for the upcoming fiscal year is $19,288,235
Projected total expenditures are also $19,288,235
New revenues are projected to be $10,131,626
an increase of $1,337,519 over the current budget
The Coal Severance Fund also has a balanced budget of $35,000 in revenue and $35,000 in expenditures
Healy reported that the city’s two largest sources of revenue are the Business & Occupation Tax
projected at $2.75 million and the 1% Municipal Sales Tax
Healy noted that the 1% tax currently funds paving
the land reuse agency and a buffer account
Additional larger sources of revenue come from the sanitation fees at $1.4 million
the ad valorem taxes estimated at $1,043,776
the public safety fee and municipal fee at $540,000 each
the utility tax at $400,000 and the hotel/motel tax at $350,000
Healy said the largest department expense-wise is the police department
which is budgeted for a fully staffed police and dispatch departments at $3,145,189
The street department is next largest at $2,403,745 and City Hall comes next at $1,624,772
Healy noted the city’s current fiscal year of 2024-25 saw “many improvements throughout the city,” with capital expenditure items being approved for every department
These approved items included a new cruiser for the police department
a new 4×4 side-by-side with plow and spreader for the street department and a new packer truck
which has been ordered for the sanitation department
The parks and recreation department also contributed to the installation of an outdoor fitness court
replaced an aging chemical storage shed at the pool and paved both parking lots during the city’s current fiscal year
Healy stressed that before capital projects
the city’s employees were the first considerations for the 2025-26 budget
“Council has a long-time commitment to the benefit package offered to employees,” Healy noted
“This coming fiscal year is no different
as I have budgeted to continue providing fully paid health care
including deductible assistance and vision and dental care
to all full-time staff and a 5% pay increase for all employees
I have also budgeted an increase in the clothing allowance from $450 to $600.”
In addition to the wage increase and health benefits
Healy said the 2025-26 budget includes $25,000 for the city’s annual fireworks display
moving expenses for all departments related to the new municipal building
support to the Strand Theatre and street lighting
The City will also continue to fund the Moundsville-Marshall County Public Library and begin the second year of a four-year contract with the Moundsville Volunteer Fire Department
Healy added another “continued priority area” for the city is paving
the 2025-26 budget will continue to support the Drug Task Force and fund three new cruisers
as well as an electronic fingerprint system
The fire department will receive funding to continue to replace outdated hoses and purchase new battery-powered rescue equipment
The parks and recreation department will have funds budgeted to replace a zero-turn mower
install fencing at Valley Park baseball fields
replace four dugouts at the baseball and softball complexes and begin design work for an indoor rec center
The public works department will have funds budgeted to purchase a new backhoe and continue work on property acquisition to construct a new building on the Sanitation property
which will complete the department’s move to one location
The sanitation department also has a new packer truck in this budget
“The construction and development of new businesses continues in Moundsville
and I expect to see the growth continue,” Healy said to council members on Tuesday
“This allows the city to expand and provide additional and better services to our residents and businesses
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve as your city manager
and I look forward to continuing our work together.”
|Photo by Emma Delk| Eugene Saunders celebrated his win at the Marshall County Courthouse on Tuesday night
Incumbent Eugene Lee Saunders successfully defended his Third Ward Moundsville city council seat against Mandy Weese and Coty Rogerson
Unofficial vote totals from the Marshall County Board of Elections on Tuesday night saw Saunders receive 382 votes
Saunders said he did “pretty good for the number of votes in Moundsville.”
“The people realize that I care for all these people here in Moundsville
and I appreciate their votes,” Saunders said
“I’m gonna try to live up to what is expected of me.”
Saunders said he would continue to work on paving more streets in his ward and hiring more policemen for the city
“I think we definitely need more policemen because we get crowned as building up specific drugs and everything else going around here,” Saunders said
“That’s one thing I am passionate about fighting for.”
— A fire in downtown Moundsville on Friday left four buildings destroyed across 10 separate addresses -- among the largest fire in terms of damage the area has ever seen
according to Moundsville Fire Chief Gary Brandon
RELATED: Fire engulfs multiple buildings on Jefferson Avenue in Moundsville
RELATED: Moundsville officials seek solutions after devastating fire
Approximately 2,400 gallons of Ohio Valley River water were used per minute by the tanker task force to combat the blaze
Among the businesses reduced to ashes was the Red Dragon Hybrid Tae Kwon Do studio
who opened the business with her husband two years ago
we've been building this for about a year and a half
we were currently working on our gym portion that was going to open in the next month to the public," Faulkiner said
which spanned approximately 10,000 square feet
was a significant investment of time and effort
"Just thinking about how much work we had done and now we just have to start over," Faulkiner added
"There's not any question about that
We didn't even think of any other direction
We did give ourselves about a day to grieve a little bit
we're hitting the ground running with figuring out what the next steps are and where to go from there," she said
leading to the closure of Jefferson Avenue to traffic since Friday
"We're going to be working with the owner of the property on this," Moundsville City Manager Rick Healy said
Healy noted that while it's too early for property owners to decide on future plans
"It's a prime piece of property in Moundsville
and we most certainly want to develop it into something," he said
The cause of the fire has been deemed "undetermined" by the state fire marshal due to the extreme damage and lack of evidence
officials expect Jefferson Avenue to reopen by the end of the day
— A Friday morning shooting in Moundsville left one person severely injured and another behind bars
48-year-old Jonathon Kimble shot his 41-year-old friend with a 20 gauge inside their residence
The victim experienced a traumatic injury to the face
According to Moundsville Police Chief Tom Mitchell
the shooting is believed to be intentional
"They showed the same address,” Mitchell said
“I believe they were staying there together at the house
They got into a disagreement about something
and it resulted in one guy taking a shot with a shotgun
Kimble was arrested by the Moundsville Police Department on Friday morning and is facing charges of malicious wounding
Mitchell says prosecutors will soon determine his first day in court
the court knows that it is going on because it is a felony
It rolls a little slower for him to be arraigned
but they'll have an arraignment for him
I just don't know exactly when that will be," Mitchell said
The victim was taken by medical hospital to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown and is in recovery
The suspect was taken to the Northern Regional Jail
The Moundsville Baptist Church Bike Outreach Ministry will be accepting new bicycles and monetary donations until Thursday
MOUNDSVILLE — The Moundsville Baptist Church has begun collecting monetary donations and new bikes to distribute to less fortunate children through their Community Bicycle Outreach
The church can provide 15 bicycles for local children through the donations the program has received so far
Community Bicycle Outreach Chairman Mimi Logston hopes to increase this number before the donation collection deadline on Thursday
“I mentioned to one of the fellows at the church that I would like to start some community outreach projects through the church
and this was the first one I came up with,” Logston said
“The program is just getting started
but we’ve had people filling out applications
and donations are slowly trickling in.”
The program is accepting donations of new bikes and monetary donations from community members
Bikes can be dropped off during church office hours Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m
Checks for the program can be made payable to Mimi Logston
and mailed to the church’s address at 1911 Fourth Street in Moundsville
The deadline for parents to apply for a bike through the program is April 17
The application to receive a bike through the program can be accessed at form.jotform.com/250704309935054 or by scanning the QR code posted on the church’s Facebook page
Logston said nine parents have signed up to receive a bike through the program so far
She said there are no age restrictions for the program and that applicants do not have to be a member of the church to apply
“The [Marshall County] Family Resource Network and our church members have been a big help in putting the word out about the program,” Logston said
“We really want to raise awareness for the bicycle outreach in our community.”
The church will distribute the bikes following their morning service held on Sunday
The bikes will be distributed during a finger food luncheon following the mass
Logston said the church was also in the process of securing a donation of helmets for the program so each child would receive a new helmet with their bike
“Each bike will have a tag on it that says
“We’re looking forward to distributing the bikes at the luncheon.”
Recipients must receive the bikes at the church on May 18 as the church will not deliver the bikes
The church is offering transportation to the service for recipients that they can sign up for on the program’s application form
With the church receiving almost $1,000 in donations for the program so far
Logston said she was excited to see the enthusiastic support for the bicycle outreach from the community
“As Christians we need to reach out to the community and show people who don’t know God’s love,” Logston said
“We need to get that out to the community and let them know that they are loved and that we’re here to supper and help them in any way.”
Logston said the church is setting its sights on doing a fall giveaway of winter clothes
She said the church also plans to hold another donation giveaway at Christmas time
“Our goal is to eventually have a community outreach project going continually,” Logston said
Harbor Freight has opened its doors to customers at its new location in the Moundsville Plaza
— Harbor Freight has opened its doors to customers at its new location in the Moundsville Plaza
known for offering discount tools and equipment
operates more than 1,500 stores across 48 states
The store's hours are Monday-Saturday from 8 a.m
"I think it's great for our community," said Janet Allen
"Anytime we can bring business and make our community thrive
the store will hold a grand opening on Dec
Moundsville council members watch a presentation about an upcoming sewer improvement project during a recent city council meeting
Councilwoman Judy Hunt and City Attorney Thomas White
Moundsville City Council unanimously voted to direct City Attorney Thomas White to draft an ordinance increasing sewer rates to fund the Moundsville Sanitary Board’s upcoming improvement project
The project will result in a 19% rate increase for Moundsville residents
projected to take effect in the winter of 2026
The average bill for residential customers with 4,000 gallons per month is projected to increase from $32.38 to $38.41 monthly
With the council’s approval for White to draft the ordinance for the rate increase
the ordinance will now have three readings at council meetings
a public hearing will be held regarding the ordinance and proposed rate increase
Council members were first informed of the project during the Sept
Moundsville Sanitary & Stormwater Department superintendent
Moundsville Sanitary & Stormwater Department assistant superintendent
informed council members of the specifics of the CSO-elimination aspect of the project
The project will eliminate combined sewer overflows in the city and is part of the city’s long-term control plan to remove inflow and infiltration from the city’s water collection system
Overflows occur when runoff water exceeds a water system’s capacity
resulting in untreated stormwater and wastewater flowing into nearby bodies of water
Castilow said the city averages five to six overflow events monthly
which means “a lot” of diluted wastewater is entering bodies of water in the city
Due to the risk of pollution from overflows
per the direction of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
the sanitary department is working to eliminate overflows in the city
want to see our creeks with potential pollutants from CSOs,” Castilow said
“One of these steps to remove these CSOs is preventing inflow and infiltration
and that’s laid out in our long-term control plan.”
Minior said the project would target an overflow at the end of Short Poplar Avenue and another CSO in Maxwell Acres
“I don’t see us eliminating all four
but these two (Short Poplar Avenue and Maxwell Acres) overflow regularly
and we’d like to see them decrease,” Castilow said
The projected rate increase will begin once the project has reached substantial completion
Though the project will increase rates by 19%
Castilow noted their rates will still be lower than “two-thirds of the state.”
Castilow said the long-term plan will take “years” to complete
with obstacles discovered during the project having the potential to “change the whole way of work.” He noted that with every overflow eliminated
it takes longer to eliminate the next one because a “burden is placed somewhere else on the water system.”
and that might add three years to the project,” Castilow said
and the project could be reduced by a year.”
Council member Randy Chamberlain stressed the importance of informing the public about why the rate increase is “necessary.” He asked the sanitary board to create a flyer that could be posted on social media and mailed to residents so they could understand the “necessity and need for the project.”
Castilow said the board would work to update the public on the project
including posting new bulletins informing residents what sewage treatment is and what CSOs are
Moundsville is home to a new coffee shop that launched it second location in the Ohio Valley
— Moundsville is home to a new coffee shop that launched its second location in the Ohio Valley
A ribbon cutting was held on Monday for Mugshots at 524 7th Street
Owner Grant Coleman said the idea came about a year ago
"We have a ton of regular customers that come to the Wheeling shop from Moundsville,” Owner Grant Coleman said
“A lot of them have expressed to us their interest in having a shop here in town
We were looking to expand at some point anyways
so we took a look at things and things fell into place and it worked out perfectly."
The shop also filled a public desire for the city
"We've had so many people ask for a coffee shop in Moundsville,” City Manager Rick Healy said
“It's one of the things we hear all the time
I think with the success they've shown in Wheeling
it's going to be an excellent addition to Moundsville."
The shop’s mission is to become a cornerstone for the community
and Coleman is optimistic that the residents of Moundsville will enjoy gourmet coffee
and a full lunch menu as a new meeting spot
"The biggest thing we look to do is create community,” he said
“That's the whole reason to have a coffee shop in your town
you can have a safe space for people to talk to each other and express themselves freely
We love that aspect and do our best to express that and hope to make some new friends here in Moundsville."
"You’re going to see people congregating here,” Healy said
“I think it's a great place to have a quick business meeting
I think Mugshots will become a real part of the community
That's always good when a business offers to do that."
The Moundsville Mugshots is open Monday-Friday from 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
with plans to extend the hours in the future
Moundsville City Manager Rick Healy gives council members an update on various projects in the city during the Thursday
Moundsville City Manager Rick Healy updated city council members during a late March council meeting on various city-funded and grant-funded projects that are getting started or in progress
These projects include updating city parks
improving buildings in the On-Trac district and progressing toward completion of the new city building
Healy said a pre-construction meeting was held on Monday
which are partly funded by a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant
The project will involve a “complete overhaul” of two restrooms at the shelter and revisions to make the entire facility Americans with Disabilities Act compliant
“There will be a lot of concrete work to ensure everything has the proper slope to comply [to ADA standards],” Healy said
“The serving window will also be lowered for ADA compliance.”
A Land and Water Conservation Fund grant will fund half of the $90,000 project
with the city footing the bill for the other half
Though the Trump administration has placed a hold on federal funding
Healy said the funds for the project were already allocated to the city for the grant
“If we sent in our reimbursement [for the Land and Water Conservation Fund grant] right now
“We are moving forward with these [federal-funded] projects as opposed to halting them.”
Healy said two Exterior Paint Grants and two Interior Improvement Grants for buildings in the city’s On-Trac District were “well-received early” and all awarded at the maximum grant level of $2,000
The On-Trac District is defined as Jefferson Avenue from Second Street to Fifth Street and the Strand Theatre
were also awarded to seven projects in the city
These grant projects included two for new signage
one for a new awning and one for electrical work
Regarding construction progress on the new municipal building
Healy said electrical work was completed on the second floor
and a fire suppression company installed sprinkler heads
Concrete pours in the second and third floors of the building were completed during the week of March 17
“Next Thursday [March 27] will be the large first-floor concrete pour that covers the stairwell base
the elevator area and the rest of the lobby,” Healy said
“Once that first-floor concrete is poured
that will give the footprint of the entire front of the building
allowing work to begin on the frame of the building.”
A water line was also installed from the building to the curb line on the North Side of the building
Healy said storm sewer installation from the north side of the building to Sixth Street would occur
Healy said contractors were targeting the city to begin moving into the building over the first couple of weeks of September
The final substantial completion date is Friday
“I hope we continue towards that goal,” Healy said
Healy also noted that the project to build a Take 5 oil change shop next to the Aldi’s at the North Lafayette Shopping Center was experiencing a “bit of a delay” due to a general contractor change
Though a private company is conducting the project
Healy noted residents may be concerned that workers have not been at the site of the new building “in a while.”
“The project is going to be delayed a little bit
They just have to get through the process [of changing contractors]
Hopefully we’ll see that construction back up and running soon.”
The West Virginia Department of Highways is suggesting drivers take an alternative route when traveling on the U.S
— The West Virginia Department of Highways is suggesting drivers take an alternative route when traveling on the U.S
Bridge replacement construction on the Parrs Camp Bridge has been ongoing since January
But West Virginia DOH District 6 Interim Manager Michael Daley said there have been some issues
"The biggest problem we are having is that a lot of people aren’t following the detour assigned to it,” Daley said
damaging the streets in the town of Moundsville and it’s causing a big problem right now and we are encouraging people to stay on the detoured route."
Daley recommends drivers not go on any routes except for the assigned and suggested detours from the state
those recommendations include following the detour signs and taking the U.S
the detour is designed for heavier commercial traffic
"It's going to be very costly to go back and make those repairs,” Daley said
These are not state routes that they're damaging in Moundsville
He added that some of the issues stem from drivers who aren't as familiar with the area
"Some of the traffic is people that don't know where they're going and they're trying to find shorter ways to get there and they're getting themselves into trouble where there's no outlets or dead-end streets,” Daley said
Daley said the recommended detours are easy to follow
The bridge is set to be completed by the beginning of August
for the local traffic and any traffic that's coming through the area," Daley said
"They just need to follow that detour for their safety as well as the locals."
|Photo by Emma Delk| Moundsville City Manager Rick Healy gave a tentative substantial completion date for the new city building of Oct
Moundsville City Manager Rick Healy gave council members a tentative substantial completion date for the new Moundsville City Building of Oct
The completion date is based on a draft schedule that was reviewed during a city building project progress meeting held before Tuesday’s council meeting
Healy and representatives from the project’s contractor
gave council members an update on the project based on on-site work at the building and discussions during progress meetings
Great Lakes Restoration Project Manager Curtis Seward said they anticipated seeing a “lot of boots on the ground” for the project at the start of the new year
JD&E Construction Company Director of Civil & Engineering Todd Dei said the progress made on the building so far was “favorable,” but a “long road is ahead” for the project
He said they would continue to work in areas of the building they could in the cold weather
including adding isolation walls to allow work to continue
and it’s going to get done well,” Dei said
“I think we have a lot of cooperation with Curtis and his group to rectify the existing problems.”
Healy said the project schedule has been broken down “by room and by floor.” He noted that they hope to install temporary heating during the first week of Jan
In response to a question from Vice Mayor David Wood
Healy said the city would have to send all questions and comments regarding the draft schedule to Great Lakes Restoration by Dec
The contractor is then required to give the city a “firm schedule” with a “substantial completion date” based on the city’s feedback by Jan
“The completion date may change from where it is today [after city feedback on draft schedule]
and then that date will be logged in as the legal substantial completion date,” Healy said
“That date may change some after Jan
6 [when Great Lakes Restoration finalizes the schedule]
but I don’t think it will change immensely.”
With the tentative substantial completion date currently falling in mid-October of 2025
Healy said the schedule shows city employees beginning to move into the building in Sept
while construction is “wrapping up.”
Healy added that after they move into the new city building
the current city building will have to be demolished
and the parking lot for the new city building will need to be paved
Mayor Sara Wood-Shaw questioned the progress of the building’s rework
noting that she knew the HVAC rework had been completed
Seward said they were contracting with a mitigation company to take care of mold and water damage in the building and that work should begin at the start of the new year
“We will be bringing in additional power and heat to start drying out the building behind areas that had water issues,” Seward said
“There’s some other work that we’re negotiating with the city and the architects
they can’t get started again.”
Wood-Shaw then asked what work on the building looks like on a day-to-day basis
Seward responded there has been “very minimal work” performed for the past few weeks
“The site superintendent has been there daily
meeting with subcontractors,” Seward said
“We just got a boom lift at the building
so they’re going to start booming around and getting rid of some of the loose plastic and stuff hanging from the building.”
Moundsville City Manager Rick Healy gives council members an overview of the city’s accomplishments in 2024 during his year-end report during Tuesday’s council meeting
Moundsville City Manager Rick Healy reviewed the highs and lows of the city for 2024 as well as what to look forward to in 2025 in his year-end report
Healy presented the highlights of the more-than-30-page report to council members during their last meeting Tuesday
The report covered city finances for the Fiscal Year 2024-25
Healy’s past year as city manager and the city’s future moving into 2025 and beyond
Healy began by discussing the city’s financial outlook after 2024
He said the city’s new revenue for the current fiscal year is 1.5% ahead of the previous year
The leading source of revenue for the city is the business & occupation tax
which is budgeted at $2.75 million and accounts for about 27.5% of the city’s new revenue
The municipal sales tax is budgeted at $2.3 million
Healy outlined other major revenue sources
which increased to $1 million; utility tax revenue
which “steadily increased” to $400,000 and sanitation fees
which remained “constant” at $1.4 million
Healy noted the business and occupation tax received from extraordinary projects is deposited into the capital improvement account
He said the number fluctuates yearly based on projects in the city
with the number being the highest in recent years for the 2023-24 fiscal year at more than $500,000
The number was reported to be $358,000 for the 2024-25 fiscal year
Healy said the municipal sales tax collections in the city were “down slightly” from $2.2 million in 2023 to $2.1 million in 2024
He noted the foresight of council members to implement the 1% sales tax had “totally changed” the financial picture of the city
“The implementation of the 1% sales tax has allowed for much-needed upgrades and improvements without affecting the day-to-day expenses,” Healy said
we funded many large projects using the 1% receipts that we otherwise would maybe have not been able to do.”
Healy’s report touched on construction of the city’s new municipal building
when city officials found the former contractor &build had filed for bankruptcy
Healy said the rest of the year was spent working with attorneys and contractors to get the project back up and running
The tentative completion for the project is set for October 2025
“The project is back up and running now
so we’re just going to let that go,” Healy said
Healy said 11 projects started in 2024 that involved newer redevelopment in the city with contract values of $100,000 or more
The cumulative total of these projects was almost $7 million
Regarding the removal of dilapidated structures in the city
Healy said 16 structures were demolished in 2024
Seven demolitions were performed privately
one was done by the city and the rest were performed through grant funding
over $480,000 has been awarded to rid the city of these unsafe properties that reduce property values and destroy neighborhood stability,” Healy said
Healy also discussed the city’s large strides in street paving
which he noted continues to be a “high priority” for council members
council has approved over $3.8 million in paving improvements
and Healy said the city underwent a full-scale concrete replacement project in 2024
A less positive note in the report was the number of water line leaks reported in the city hit a high for 2024
Healy said reported water line leaks were nearly double their average amount of 24 to 45 leaks reported in 2024
Healy attributed this increase in leaks to aging infrastructure
Healy added that the Water Department completed numerous projects in 2024
including replacing water lines on Eighth and Ninth streets
Healy said the city “continues to move forward” to improve residents’ lives and sees “new developments in progress” for 2025
I think this current year is going to be even better” than 2024
we can watch Moundsvlile keep moving forward.”
Tim Tebow's Night to Shine - an event for people with special needs hosted by the Limestone Presbyterian Church - is right around the corner
— Tim Tebow's Night to Shine - an event for people with special needs hosted by the Limestone Presbyterian Church - is right around the corner
The Ohio Valley Night to Shine will be Friday from 6-9 p.m
and 300 guests are expected to attend along with 424 volunteers
Guests will be given the opportunity to dance
Registration and volunteers for the night are full
but organizers add they can always use volunteers to help during the day
"We can always use help setting up (Thursday) from 9 a.m
and on Friday morning,” Coordinator Janet Allen said
We can always use help from the people that haven’t done the training and can always use financial support
This is all done by financial support from the community
and we just want these people to know how much we love them and they deserve every bit of this."
|Photo by Emma Delk| Moundsville City Mayor David Wood voiced his support for City Manager Rick Healy to send a letter to State Sen
Chris Rose voicing the city council's opposition to Senate Bill 933
Moundsville City Council members unanimously approved City Manager Rick Healy to send an email to State Sen
Chris Rose voicing their opposition to a West Virginia Senate bill that increases the amount of annual revenue for businesses to be exempt from paying the Business & Occupation Tax
Senate Bill 933 would exempt any business with an annual revenue under $25,000 from payment of any B&O Tax
The bill would also exempt any business with an annual revenue under $25,000 or any sole proprietor or independent contractor who does not maintain a permanent physical location in a city from having to obtain a municipal business license
Senate Bill 933 will have its third reading on Wednesday
If the bill passes following Senate debate
the bill will then move to a vote in the West Virginia House of Delegates
Healy first brought the senate bill to the council’s attention on Tuesday
stating that the “worst part” of the bill was its B&O Tax exemption
He noted that the B&O Tax was a “self-reporting tax,” meaning that someone with a gross annual revenue of $30,000 could report having a gross annual revenue of $24,000 and say they do not owe any B&O taxes
Healy added that landlords in the city with “one or two rentals” also “probably” made under $25,000 in annual revenue
meaning the city would lose B&O taxes from many landlords in the city
A significant contributor to the city’s proposed 2025-26 General Fund Budget of approximately $19.3 million was $2.7 million from the B&O Tax
Healy said he and city staff could not calculate the potential revenue losses for the city if the senate bill became a law due to the difficulty of tracking businesses in the city that make under $25,000 in annual revenue
“The loss of any amount of B&O [taxes] in any amount is devastating,” Healy said
allows us to pay benefits and covers our basic
So unless the legislature is willing to provide a backfill for that loss
which there’s been no discussion of that
we’re totally against any additional cuts to the B&O Tax,” Healy continued
Healy added that the city would not lose much revenue from the senate bill’s stipulation regarding business licenses
as the city makes a “fairly minimal amount” for charging $15 for a business license
He said the “most important thing” about city licenses was that they allowed the city to know “who’s operating in our city and gives the city the ability to filter out any problems.”
“We do not want to lose our ability to know who’s doing business in our city as that helps us control and protect the residents without having unscrupulous business people in the city that we don’t know about,” Healy said
Council members were unanimous in their approval of Healy sending the email to Rose voicing their opposition to the senate bill
Mayor David Wood said that though he did not know the reasoning behind the senate bill
“Where is it going to stop?” regarding the state government reducing B&O Tax revenues for cities
Moundsville Council members discuss the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 75’s starting wage adjustment request during a Finance Subcommittee meeting Tuesday
council member Randy Chamberlain and City Attorney Thomas White
MOUNDSVILLE — City Council members declined the starting wage adjustment and employee insurance deductible change request from the Fraternal Order of Police Moundsville Lodge #75 during a recent Finance Subcommittee meeting
say the topic could be revisited when the city starts putting together its 2026-27 budget
Council members cited the council’s and State Auditor’s Office’s passage of the city’s 2025-26 General Fund Budget as the reason they could not give the wage change
The proposed budget allocated approximately $2.7 million to the police department
FOP #75 President Austin Pedelose made the request during an early April city council meeting
He presented council members with a breakdown of starting wages for local police departments in the area
requesting that the Moundsville Police Department’s starting wage of $57,324 be raised to the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office’s starting wage of $62,000
“There are former Moundsville Police Officers who have left and worked for every department on the list,” Pedelose said about the starting wage comparison list
“We must keep our wages within reach of our neighboring departments to remain competitive and to build for the future.”
Regarding the insurance deductible change request
Pedelose said rising health care costs had been a topic of “great concern” for the organization
He said it came as a “surprise” to MPD members that their deductible had risen as of July 1
and requested to make the current level of health care benefits offered to city employees a “top tier
non-negotiable item” when making budget decisions for the new fiscal year
City Manager Rick Healy and council members considered FOP #75’s request during a Finance Subcommittee meeting on Tuesday
Finance Subcommittee Chair Randy Chamberlain wanted to get every council member’s opinion on the matter
He noted it would have been beneficial for FOP #75 to come to council with the request “much earlier” before their budget was sent to Charleston for approval
Finance subcommittee member and Vice Mayor Sara Wood-Shaw agreed with Chamberlain
adding that the starting wage increase may be something the council would want to discuss when deciding next year’s budget
She noted that the employee insurance deductible changes could be considered when the city was shopping for employee insurance plans again
Healy agreed with council members’ statements
stressing that the city has a “chain of command” on requests
He noted that they should hear from city department heads during meetings if an expected wage increase is requested
the MPD had not lost an officer to the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office
He noted that they had lost one officer to the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office and another resigned to go to the McMechen Police Department and then returned to the MPD
“The only other comment I’ll make on the insurance is that the comment they made that they were surprised [by the deductible increase] was a little distressing to me because they and everybody else received a memo explaining it,” Healy said
“[Moundsville Police] Chief [Tom Mitchell] sits in on all of the [city council] meetings
and everybody is now paying that extra money for the deductible.”
Healy said whether the deductible could be changed depended on the insurance packages available to the city
a retired Moundsville police officer and former McMechen police chief
noted the “violent situations” officers may encounter on the job
He added that if the city wants to “keep as many police as we have,” they must be paid enough to stay with the department
the most frustrating thing is when you believe you’re going to be up to full staff and the next thing you know you’re working 16 hours seven days a week because you’ve lost an officer,” DeWitt said
we better do something to raise their wages so they won’t leave.”
Chamberlain asked Mitchell to share his thoughts on the matter
Mitchell said that “historically,” there have been “mass exoduses” where several members of the MPD have gone to the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office
“I’m a member of the FOP but wasn’t involved in their [FOP #75] discussions,” Mitchell said
“We do need to try to stay competitive with the other departments so we can draw people in
We’re giving a [Police Service Commission] test on the 19th
We try our best by training people and providing them with benefits to stay competitive.”
Mitchell said the MPD has three officers who “could retire at any moment.” Mitchell said it could be “pretty catastrophic” for the department to provide services with the number of residents it serves if these three officers leave
The Finance Subcommittee did not recommend taking the request to council
A 16-year-old boy died in a house fire on Walnut Avenue in Moundsville early Friday morning
Two others were able to escape the structure
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene
The other two occupants did not suffer injuries as far as officials are aware
according to Marshall County Emergency Management Director Tom Hart
Moundsville police and the West Virginia Fire Marshal are still investigating the scene and the cause of the fire
Officials are not releasing further information about the victim at this time
Marshall County Sheriff and the County Medical Examiner all responded to the scene
Moundsville Veterans Honor Guard Members after attending an Oct
MOUNDSVILLE — The 28 veterans who make up the Moundsville Veterans Honor Guard are united under one common cause: to provide every deceased veteran in the area with an honorable final salute
The group’s main goal has led its members to attend upwards of 100 funeral services a year
Members use each ceremony as a final act of respect for their deceased brothers-in-arms
The honor guard is made up of veterans from both sides of the Ohio River
Every military branch is represented except the Coast Guard and Space Force
members don their uniforms and head to the ceremony in their van
The group covers a 50-mile radius from Moundsville
resulting in the group attending funerals at a wide variety of locations
from Arlington Cemetery to a family plot in Hundred
folds the flag and plays “Taps.”
there is an echo and the tears flow,” member Dave Schoenian said
Schoenian noted parts of the ceremony may be removed or added per the family of the deceased’s wishes
The members are most proud of the folded flag they present to the deceased’s family following the ceremony
Each flag is displayed in a wooden case constructed by veteran inmates at the Northern Regional Correctional Facility And Jail
“We try to make it as dignified as possible,” President Michael Kuzma added
“Our goal is to ensure no veteran goes without an honorable final salute.”
The honor guard’s goal of attending every ceremony they are requested for has resulted in the group heading to 100 to 120 funeral ceremonies a year
Member Phil Cameron admitted the group was “lagging a little” this year
The honor guard’s activities go beyond honoring their deceased brethren
Kuzma said that in the lead-up to Memorial Day and Veterans Day
“We’ve gone to places where all they want us to do is to present the colors
and some places want us to go through everything they do,” Kuzma said
“Some schools especially appreciate us showing up and demonstrating exactly how to fold the flag for the kids.”
The group will be booked and busy until Thanksgiving
attending Veterans Day events in addition to funeral services
The honor guard has 18 events on their calendar for Nov
from speaking engagements at local elementary schools to a “Meet with Veterans” at Good Shepherd Nursing Home
Though the group has commitments on most days of Nov.
Schoenian noted that attending services for deceased servicemen trumps all other activities
it doesn’t matter to us,” Schoenian said
that doesn’t mean we can’t show our respect
We might visit the funeral home and not the cemetery
whatever we can do to keep our members safe and healthy while honoring the deceased.”
Kuzma said that the group takes whichever members can attend an event
He noted it can be difficult for elderly members with health difficulties to attend all their Nov
Schoenian admitted the oldest group member
“If I wake up in the morning before a service with aches and pains
‘Is Ellsworth going to be there?'” Schoenian said
Though he is “practically blind” and beginning to lose his hearing
Scherich said he always tries to attend events to pay respects to his brothers-in-arms
While the ceremonies may sometimes be physically draining for older members
Schoenian said the services can be emotionally draining for all members
“We’re the last thing a family sees as we walk away from a ceremony,” Schoenian said
“We cry with the family as their emotions gravitate into our bodies
It’s an honor to do it because we also give the family lasting memories.”
Member Paul Amrhein noted the most difficult ceremonies to attend are those of fellow honor guard members
He said those services result in “tough days” for the group
“Emotions are a hard thing to balance,” Schoenian said
“When you’re attending two to three ceremonies in one day
that’s a day where you have to be very serious
It can be difficult to turn around and put a smile on your face afterward.”
The members often rely on each other to balance their emotions during difficult days
Though they may have served in different parts of the world and different branches
they are united by the experience of serving their country
Yoho added that no matter where a member has served
they have all had “pretty close to the same types of experience.”
“Wading through the jungles of Vietnam is not exactly the same as traveling through the sands of Afghanistan
but every member has still lived through hostile actions,” Yoho said
“The stories aren’t that much different
“There can be a lot of emotions that come out on certain days,” Yoho continued
“Most people wouldn’t understand
so we talk among ourselves about our feelings.”
Schoenian added that the group was a “family affair,” with members being “brothers and sisters” to him
He noted that when he was recently in the hospital
it was rare for a member not to be by his side
we find a way to go and assist,” Schoenian said
“If I have a problem that I can’t deal with
and they’ll talk to me,” member Donnie Boggess added
While the group does have its introspective moments
Cameron said they are a “tough organization.” The ribbing between soldiers they took part in during their military service has carried over to the organization
so you have to be able to take it,” Cameron said
“You also have to be able to give it.”
Members of the Moundsville Rotary delivered essential baby items to the Wellspring Pregnancy Center on Wednesday as part of their annual district grant project on Wednesday
— Members of the Moundsville Rotary delivered essential baby items to the Wellspring Pregnancy Center on Wednesday as part of their annual district grant project on Wednesday
The organization has been supporting the center for a decade
"There is such a need and I'm sure so many people don't know about this service," Rotary member Ashley Wear said
"But as soon as those donations come in
they're going right out the door to a family in need."
"It's a wonderful relationship that we've developed with the Rotary Club
so that's a blessing to us personally," said Teresa Devline
co-director of the Wellspring Pregnancy Center
"It's also a blessing to Wellspring
because no child should go without formula
contributions can be given to the Moundsville Rotary or dropped off at the Wellspring Center
The Marshall County Board of Election will soon have a new home at 819 Lafayette Avenue
— The Marshall County Board of Election will soon have a new home at 819 Lafayette Avenue
City officials finalized the purchase of the three-story
29,000-square-foot building on Friday for $115,000
Renovations are expected to cost between $500,000 and $1 million
The first floor of the building will be dedicated to election night activities
though it will not serve as daily office space
County Administrator Betsy Frohnapfel said the new facility will streamline election operations
"We have machines here and we have poll books there and we have bags with material supplies in other areas," Frohnapfel said
"This will just give our county clerk's office and the people running the elections the ability to have a permanent storage space."
The building is projected to open by the end of 2025
|Photo by Emma Delk| Moundsville City Manager Rick Healy said the project to demolish the house on Walnut Avenue destroyed in a fire in November of 2024 would soon be put out to bid
Edgco and Raze were approved by Moundsville City Council as the contractors for a Raise Demolition Grant Project and a West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Dilapidated Properties Program Demolition Grant Project
With the approval of the contract bids by council
the demolition of eight houses in the city will begin
The Raise demolition project will demolish four houses at 110 Baker Avenue
The DLAP demolition project will demolish four houses at 1010 6th Street
201 Parriott Avenue and 215 Parriott Avenue
Edgco submitted the lowest bid of $83,000 for the Raise Demolition Grant Project
Council members unanimously approved the selection of Edgco for the project
Raze submitted the lowest bid of $71,000 for the DLAP Demolition Grant Project
J&R Excavating submitted a $120,000 bid for the project
Council members unanimously approved the selection of Raze for the project
City Manager Rick Healy informed council members before they voted for the contractors that a “situation” came up with one of the homes on the DLAP demolition list
as the house had been “reverted back to ownership.” Healy added that there were some notifications regarding the ownership of the home that City Attorney Thomas White was not comfortable with
“We talked to the contractor Raze and they are willing to just work on the three [houses] that we have
we’ll start the process of notification on the other house [now under separate ownership] all over again,” Healy said
“We’ll be awarding the full amount [of the demolition contract] with the understanding that they will do all the houses
but it’s probably going to be three houses and then the [last] one at a later date.”
Councilman Don DeWitt questioned why the price discrepancy was so high between the two bids submitted for each demolition project
Healy responded that based on the bidding history of J&R Excavating
the company’s bids for demolition projects were “always extremely high.”
“They [J&R Excavating] have never been able to break into the demolition realm
and Raze and Edgco are some of the other big demolition companies in the area that specifically perform demolitions,” Healy said
“I think the $71,000 is more fair for what we’re having done than the $120,000 is.”
Councilman Denny Hall questioned when the house on Walnut Avenue that was destroyed during a structure fire in November of last year would be demolished
Healy responded that the house would be a city demolition project that would be put out to bid soon
“We’ve been spending an inordinate amount of time on these demolition packages for the grant projects
but we will get that project pulled together and get it out to bid really quickly,” Healy said
A fire in Moundsville overnight left one person dead
A fire at a home in Marshall County left one person dead early Friday morning
The Moundsville Volunteer Fire Department was called in around 2:30
Crews found the house immersed in flames with the roof caved in
Chief Danny Holmes says the fire originated upstairs
we had flames shooting out of it and the roof," he said
Three people were inside the home -- two exited safely
"A mother and daughter got out and they advised us that there might still be someone inside,” Holmes said
and we did find one fatality inside."
The fire is under investigation by the West Virginia State Fire Marshal
is sworn into the Moundsville City Fire Department by City of Moundsville Finance Director Karen Ankrom
The Moundsville City Fire Department now has a full five-person crew with the addition of Wesley Dietrich to its ranks
was sworn in by Moundsville Finance Director Karen Ankrom on Tuesday during a ceremony held at the municipal building
Dietrich was accompanied by his family to the swearing-in
Assistant Chief Kevin Kimple and firefighter Steven Bailey were present to welcome Dietrich to the squad
City Manager Rick Healy said the department’s had a vacancy for “quite some time,” making Dietrich a welcome addition
we talked about the hope that he would stay here with us for a while,” Healy said
we’ll continue to watch his progress.”
Dietrich will be a probationary firefighter for his first three years
This position denotes that he is still completing his training
Dietrich will take the journeyman test to complete his training and fully join the squad
“Having a full squad will be huge for us
especially for fires and big events because we’ve been low-staffed for quite a while now,” Brandon said
“Just one extra person means a lot for us because we’re so short-staffed.”
three years ago from northern California because his family lived in the area
He said he decided to become a firefighter because he had worked in “nothing but retail” before joining and wanted to do something “more serious and meaningful.”
“I like the thought of being there for the community in a time of crisis,” Dietrich said
“I also like the idea of not working in retail
Dietrich said Moundsville was the closest fire department hiring to where he lived in Powhatan Point
He added he has enjoyed getting to know the squad so far
and I’m excited to get started here,” Dietrich said