— The investigation into Weirton's winter water crisis has taken another turn as the West Virginia Public Service Commission (PSC) rejected the Weirton Area Water Board's recent requests
the PSC initiated an investigation into the causes of the water crisis
documents obtained by News9 reveal that the Water Board objected to several aspects of the investigation
attorneys for the Water Board objected to four specific requests from the PSC
These included requests for maps of the water utility layout
and notations of the 130 line breaks that occurred from November 2024 until now
The objections were based on the grounds that "the request calls for the production of public utility plant and equipment plans and descriptions which are exempt from disclosure." Despite this
attorneys stated that the Water Board would provide the information confidentially
The Water Board also took issue with the PSC's notice order for public comment
The Commission's April 7 order stated that the investigation would examine the Water Board's practices
and the causes of water main breaks and storage problems that led to outages and shortages
The Water Board's attorneys argued that the phrasing was "factually inaccurate," stating that the outages and shortages affected only 1.17% of the Water Board's 9,300 customers
They requested a revised notice to reflect this
the Water Board filed a motion to narrow the investigation's scope
claiming that the causes of the main breaks and the Water Board's actions were "clear and unequivocal." The PSC denied both the motion to revise the notice and the motion to narrow the scope
stating that "the water breaks affected customers throughout the system."
The next step in the investigation is a public comment session scheduled for April 23 at 6 p.m
The investigation continues as officials seek to uncover the events of this past winter in Weirton
LINES DOWN — A makeshift sign warns of downed trees and power lines on the 2000 block of Oregon Avenue in Steubenville following Tuesday afternoon’s storm
A powerful thunderstorm with winds reportedly capable of reaching 80 miles per hour left damage and widespread power outages in its wake Tuesday afternoon
The National Weather Service issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning just after 4 p.m.
later recording winds of 70 miles per hour at the Wheeling-Ohio County Airport
and 71 miles per hour at Pittsburgh International
close to 80 percent of customers in Brooke County were without power at 6 p.m.
with 9,298 of 11,622 customers reporting loss of electricity
Hancock County reports indicated 7,127 of its 16,088 customers – or 44.4 percent – were without power
with the heaviest concentration being in Weirton
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Franciscan University’s Steubenville Conferences have provided Catholics and ..
WHEELING — Vitalant reminds the public that new moms need blood for one in every 83 births
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in the Valley Hospice Care Center in Steubenville
son of the late Michael and Josephine (Keller) Yasho
Dave worked as a Maintenance Supervisor at Timet-Titanium Metals Corp
He was a 1951 graduate of Jefferson Union ‘JU’ high school
member of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness in Follansbee
Dave was also preceded in death by his first wife in 1998
Catherine ‘Cappy’ Hannan Yasho
James (Alice) Yasho of GA; five grandchildren
Bryan Yasho and Kalie Yasho; six great-grandchildren
and his beloved companion ‘Major’
Foster Funeral Home in Toronto where services will be held at 1 p.m
An Elder from the Follansbee Kingdom Hall will officiate and burial will follow in the Island Creek Cemetery in Toronto
Memorial donations may be directed to Valley Hospice
Crews responded to a call just before 7 from a woman who said her home was on fire just off Pennsylvania Avenue
— No one was injured in a two-alarm house fire in Weirton on Friday evening
firefighters found flames coming from both the front and back of the residence
"As far as we can tell from what the homeowner is telling us
had a candle burning and we believe that's what started it
but it is still under investigation,” Weirton Fire Chief Kevin Himmelrick said
Responding agencies included fire departments from Weirton
2025 at the Valley Hospice Care Center North in Steubenville
a son of the late Domenico and Virginia Giovannucci DiLoreto
he was preceded in death his beautiful wife of 69 years
Gertrude (DiCarlo) DiLoreto whom he married June 11
She joined him in heaven just 19 hours after his passing
He was also preceded in death by four sisters
OH and Salvatore (Rose) DiLoreto of New Britain
CT; and the best mother and father-in-law anyone could ask for
Francie entered the military during the Korean War in the Navy “Seabees” Battalion
He was a retired employee of Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel with 44 years of service in the Maintenance Dept
He loved being involved in church duties at St
He was a member of the Mingo Knights of Columbus Council #4361 for 68 years
He was a past Grand Knight of Mingo Council from 1990-1992 and held the office of treasurer until 2016
He entered political duties as a past councilman and president of council for the village of Mingo for 20 years
Doreen (Douglas) Houser of Fort Lauderdale
Anthony Demayo and Joseph Demayo both of Egg Harbor Twp.
Friends will be received for visitation for both Francie and Gertie at St
until the time of their Funeral Liturgy with Mass at 6:00 p.m
There will be a Rosary Service by the Mingo Knights of Columbus at 5:40 p.m
Memorial contributions may be directed to either Mingo Knights of Columbus
Offer condolences at www.wheelerfuneralhomes.com
OH a daughter of the late Attilio “Til” and Amelia T
she was preceded in death by her high school sweetheart of 69 years
She joined him in heaven only 19 hours after his passing
She was also preceded in death by her sister
She also had several nieces and nephews that she dearly loved; and many cousins and friends
She worked for 35 years as an office manager in the medical field
She retired from at Valley One Credit Union where she worked for 10 years
Gertie graduated from Mingo High School in 1952 and was a member of the Mingo Drum and Buglers Core as a Majorette Navy Bell
She was also homecoming queen her senior year
Agnes Catholic Church in Mingo where she sang in the choir and was a member of the Catholic Womens Club
Alberta Herrick received the Golden Circle certificate for 50 years of service with Beta Sigma Phi during the Torchbearer Omicron Chapter’s 94th anniversary celebration of its Founder’s Day
The April 25 event was held at The Farm Restaurant in Adena
Herrick was presented with the certificate
flowers and a heart that was engraved with her name and years of service
STEUBENVILLE — The Sycamore Youth Center is inviting local families to take part in its annual faith-inspired ..
a culinary instructor at West Virginia Northern Community College
WHITE HAT — West Virginia Northern Community College student Grant Kent demonstrates the “Bank The Bank” application designed to help teach students about secure coding practices and to understand the mindset of a hacker
WHEELING — There are students at West Virginia Northern Community College who are certified to legally hack into online computer programs
That expertise permits them to not just create a computer program
but to also tear one down to expose its vulnerabilities through “ethical web hacking.”
Six students teamed up to design a program called “Break The Bank” with the goal of helping future students and others learn the psychology behind computer programming
Their project features a simulated and purposely vulnerable banking website to help learners explore secure coding practices and adopt a hacker’s mindset to better defend against cyber threats
It was unveiled Friday during the Student Showcase Symposium at WVNCC
“Break The Bank” is a website developed in-house at WVNCC as a testing ground for ethical web hacking
It was designed to mimic the bank apps used by much of the population
but purposely contains serious bugs that could be exploited by even a novice attacker
Students working on “Break The Bank” were Angela Ackerman
The group was composed of some students with expertise in cybertechnology
and others with knowledge of software development
He added that among his certifications is one licensing him to do pen testing
or conduct simulated cyberattacks to assess the security of a system or network
He is set to graduate from WVNCC this month
“Companies actually hire you to come in and tell them what is vulnerable and what’s not
The program created by the WVNCC students can be used by both the novice and the expert at computer program testing
of course it is designed for them to go in and pen test.”
What the tester typically is looking for are vulnerabilities during the logging-in to the website
or cross site scripting — which tricks the website into sending a malicious code into the victim’s web browser
program director and assistant professor of computer information technology at West Virginia Northern Community College
explained his classes teach students the basics of what is inside a computer
they can obtain micro-credentials,” he explained
“We have eight to nine classes that allow them to get those credentials
“The reason this is important is that I am getting a lot of students from high school
These students might not have computer literacy skills
so it is our responsibility to help them learn the best way that we can.”
There are programs similar to “Break the Bank” that are used in classrooms
The in-house “Break The Bank” now will be used by future WVNCC students
and the money spent before will be put toward other educational offerings
visited Brooke High School to instruct Sara Walden Roark’s art students in creating art with focaccia breads and assorted flowers
The completed artwork included Madison DeGarmo’s happy face
MUSICAL BLESSING – Kriss Pino led those gathered Thursday in a rendition of “God Bless the USA.” -- Craig Howell
WEIRTON – Led by Weirton area clergy
close to 30 residents gathered at the steps of the Municipal Building Thursday
offering prayers over the community and nation
Organized by the Weirton Ministerial Association
the service was one of many observed in the Ohio Valley in honor of the National Day of Prayer
This year’s theme was “Pour Out to the God of Hope and Be Filled,” based on scripture found in Romans 15:13
which reads “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing
so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” It is a call to release burdens and be filled with joy
In offering a proclamation recognizing the Day of Prayer in the city
Weirton Mayor Dean Harris noted the first recognized Day of Prayer in what is now the United States was declared by the Continental Congress in 1775
bringing together individuals of various religious persuasions to pray as one as the American colonies began a quest for liberty and justice
Harris noted the Day of Prayer is an opportunity to “urge our citizens of all faiths to join together in prayer.”
GATHERING IN PRAYER – A group of around 30 Weirton residents gathered in front of the Weirton Municipal Building Thursday as part of local observances of the National Day of Prayer
said he can see a need for a new Great Awakening
to spread the message of God throughout the country
“We do see revival in spotty places across the country,” he said
adding the message needs to be carried farther
saying God was more prevalent in the lives of Americans
proclaiming the worst thing he remembers worrying about in his youth was finding gum under the desk at school
there are guns in the schoolhouse,” he said
“That’s what we have to worry about.”
also took time to offer praise for the community and its people
“This is a wonderful city,” Krebbs declared
“It’s a good place to live and worship.”
and those workers assisting in the cleanup and relief efforts following Tuesday’s storm
Lilly of Restoration Church recalled memories of his father
he remembered his father being called for a mission around the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis
telling him to look after his mother and remember to pray
“Prayer is an important thing,” Lilly said
A reminder to look for the blessings was provided by Pastor Bennett Briles
who told of his nightly prayers with his children
“So many times it’s easy to pray to God for help,” he said
noting people may not always look for the rewards already before them
Thursday’s service included a performance of “God Bless the USA,” by Kriss Pino
with Deputy Police Chief Scott Cook and Fire Chief Kevin Himmelrick leading the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance
Elder Michael Smith of Weirton Covenant Church served as the master of ceremonies
A small black bug with white spots will soon be spotted on plants and trees in several areas of West Virginia
Patrick Morrisey says he wants West Virginia’s voting laws to be as simple as possible
which saw area residents creating their own
were announced Thursday afternoon at the Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County’s Main Library
teenagers and adults were invited to submit their own library card design throughout March and April
The top 10 submissions were selected and then put up on social media pages Facebook and Instagram for voters to cast their choices from the finalists
Approximately 700 votes were cast by the public on the library’s media platforms
in coordination with registration for the summer reading program
Anyone who would like to replace their existing cards can do so at the cost of $2
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Tanner Bibee delivers to the Toronto Blue Jays during first-inning baseball game action in Toronto
TORONTO (AP) — Tanner Bibee pitched five innings before leaving because of leg cramps
and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 on Sunday
Six-time All-Star José Ramírez was back in the lineup for Cleveland
two days after leaving in the third inning because of a right ankle sprain
Bibee (3-2) improved to 3-0 in three career starts against Toronto
He allowed three runs (two earned) and five hits
Bibee came to the mound to warm up for the bottom of the sixth but appeared to be in discomfort
lifting his legs several times and calling the trainer out of the dugout
Hunter Gaddis allowed runners to reach second and third with one out in the eighth
but retired Myles Straw and Nathan Lukes to preserve a one-run lead
Carlos Santana extended Cleveland’s edge to two with a bases-loaded walk in the ninth
answered with a sacrifice fly in the bottom half but Emmanuel Clase finished for his seventh save in nine chances
Toronto right-hander Bowden Francis (2-5) allowed four runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings
Daniel Schneemann hit an RBI single in the fourth and Arias followed with a two-run single
Toronto batters had three hits with runners in scoring position against Bibee
one more than he’d allowed in his first six starts combined
4.78 ERA) is scheduled to start today at Washington against Nationals RHP Jake Irvin (2-1
Blue Jays: Toronto had not named a starter for Tuesday’s game at the Angels
TORONTO (AP) — Daniel Schneemann hit his first career grand slam and added a solo shot
come-from-behind victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday
With Toronto leading 3-1 and two outs in the ninth inning
Schneemann pulled an 0-1 pitch from Yimi García into the stands in right field for his first multi-homer game and fourth long ball of the season
Schneemann gave Cleveland its first run with a solo homer off Chad Green in the eighth
Kolby Allard (2-0) allowed one run in four innings for the win
and Emmanuel Clase finished for his sixth save in eight chances
Bo Bichette hit his first home run of the season for Toronto
the Blue Jays wasted six shutout innings from right-hander Kevin Gausman and lost for the first time in four games
walked none and struck out nine in six innings
García (0-1) blew his second save in four chances
Bichette connected on the first pitch he saw from Cleveland right-hander Gavin Williams in the first
Williams gave up a first-pitch home run for the second straight start
Minnesota’s Edouard Julien connected off him in an April 28 loss to the Twins
Williams allowed two runs and seven hits in four innings
Guardians slugger José Ramírez was out of the lineup
The six-time All-Star exited in the third inning Friday after spraining his right ankle when he stumbled over first base on an infield single
Steven Kwan led off the ninth with a single and Carlos Santana and Bo Naylor walked before Schneemann’s two-out slam
Bichette hadn’t homered since May 27
CLEVELAND (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton made a go-ahead 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter that sparked a ..
CLEARING HURDLES — Buckeye Local’s Jenna DelVecchio competes in the girls 100-meter hurdles on Saturday at the OVAC track and field championship
DelVecchio set a new 4A record in the 100-meter hurdles with a 14.60
Rainfall fluctuated between steady sprinkle and downright downpour over the course of the five-hour meet
requiring the competitors present to overcome mother nature as well as their adversaries from across the Valley
some local teams continued their streak of OVAC dominance on the track
while others reached the precipice for the first time in a long time
The hosting Red Devils took home the gold in class 4A in both mens and womens competition
sweeping the division for the fourth consecutive year
boys were co-champions with East Liverpool
“Pretty proud of both teams- it’s a danger-week for us but they handled it pretty well
working multiple meets throughout the week and staying focused,” St
“The biggest thing we harp on is ‘do your job,’ whether that’s the relays
the field events- they really held to that this week.”
Runners compete in the girls 1600 meter run on Saturday at the OVAC track and field championships
Clairsville’s girls finished with 86 team points
tied for second-highest overall and tops in 4A
“The girls were favorites going into the week and they had an amazing week as well
did what they were supposed to,” Wilson said
“The coaching staff as a whole was very pleased with the way we handled this week.”
Juniors Ava Crum and Ava Borkoski tied for first place in 4A in the pole vault
The Red Devils’ second-place shuttle hurdle team finished with a time of 1:09.63
Clairsville’s 4×100 meter girls relay team were 4A champions
Lauren Powell and Meila King finishing in 52.98 seconds
Runners compete in the boys 1600 meter run on Saturday at the OVAC track and field championships
junior Taylor Tucker placed third in both the 3200-meter run and 1600-meter run
the Red Devils tied atop 4A with East Liverpool
“The boys had an uphill battle this week with East Liverpool,” Wilson said
they have a really good group of boys and we were super impressed the way that ended up turning out
Dane Kinney was the 4A champion in the discus throw
Brady Blacker was the class champion in the 800-meter dash
Tyler Harris placed in both the mile and the 800
while Camden Judge placed in both the mile and the two-mile
Barnesville’s boys climbed to the top of the podium on Saturday with 106 team points
a decisive showing that had them more than 30 points ahead of the second-place 3A team
“Every year we prepare throughout the season for this meet,” Barnesville boys head coach Dylan Rogers said
“It’s been 25 years since the boys have won an OVAC championship in track and this is only the third in school history
We’d been runner-up for the last two or three years so we
It didn’t take a lot from us for our senior leaders to step up and really take control of our team this week.”
claiming first place in 3A in the pole vault (10-06)
second place in the 110 hurdles (17.18) and in the 300 hurdles (43.73) as well as being part of Barnesville’s 3A champion 4×400 relay team  along with Evan Wells Brady Powell and Mason Starr
The Shamrocks shuttle hurdles team of Phoenix Graham
Colt Detling and Cole Francis were also 3A champs
Aden Zumock finished second in the 100-meter dash in 3A
and was the outright champ in the 200-meter dash with a 22.73
He was also on Barnesville’s 4×100 relay team which finished second in their class
This was the Barnesville boys’ first OVAC championship since 2000 and third overall
Magnolia earned a 1A/2A boys title for the first time since 2018 on Saturday
bringing an experienced crop of athletes to St
Clairsville and finishing with 96 team points
“We are proud of the way the guys competed yesterday,” Magnolia head coach Kasey Sapp said
“Obviously the weather was not perfect for a track meet
but on those kind of days we just tell the boys ‘Hey
everybody else is dealing with the same conditions.’ I think we did a good job of that.”
Seven of the 10 competitors that Magnolia took to the championship meet were seniors
Dubale Greathouse made it a perfect 4-for-4 on Saturday
winning 1A/2A gold in the high jump for the fourth year in a row
He also finished in third in the long jump
finishing first in the 800 meter with a new 1A/2A record of 2:03.49
and finishing second in the 1600-meter and 3200-meter
Matthew Anderson and Darin Shimp finished second and third in both the 1A/2A discus throw and shot put
The ShadysideTigers claimed a 1A/2A girls title with 86 team points
marking the first championship victory for the team in quite awhile
Tigers head coach Ashley Visnic said she had heard from others that it had been more than 20 years since Shadyside’s girls had been atop their conference class
“It was a super exciting experience for the entire team,” Visnic said
“It was the first time in many years that our girls team had won a 1A/2A title
The team has worked really hard during our practices so it was super rewarding for them to earn that title.”
Sophomore Chloe Meholovitch was a major player for the Tigers
fourth in the 800 and first in the 3200 with a time of 12:13.11
Also instrumental for Shadyside was freshman pole vaulter Aleena Barr who won gold in by clearing 8 feet
Shadyside’s shuttle hurdles team and 4×200 relay team each came in second place
Steubenville’s Bri Hudson set a new 5A record in the discus throw with a 139-09
Hudson broke her old record of 138-02 which she set earlier in the week during qualifying meets
Steubenville’s Ziare Scurry set a new OVAC Championships record in the 400-meter with a 49.29
Scurry broke the record of another Steubenville Big Red
Buckeye Local’s Jenna DelVecchio set a new 4A and stadium record in the 100-meter hurdles with a 14.60
The previous 4A record was 14.76 set by Cambridge’s Zoey Caldwell earlier this week during qualifiers
The previous stadium record was 14.66 set by John Marshall’s Torrie Derrow on May 5
Steubenville Catholic Central’s Andrew Rohde set a new 1A/2A record in the 1600-meter with a 4:24.54
The previous recordholder was Wheeling Central’s Joey Schlich who set the mark at 4:29.97 on May 3
Edison had four event winners in Matt Evans
who won the 110 Hurdles and came back to win the 300 hurdles; Andrew Kirkman
The Wildcats boys finished in a tie for 3rd Place in 4A
THE FIRST PITCH — Brooke County Superintendent Jeff Crook watched as Joe Pettini
a 1973 Brooke High School graduate who went on to a long career in professional baseball
delivered the ceremonial first pitch to Brooke Bruin catcher Aiden Provenzano for the opening of the school’s new artificially turfed baseball field on Thursday
WELLSBURG — It was a time for celebration and memories as Brooke County School officials celebrated the opening of Brooke High School’s new artificially turfed baseball field on Thursday
Brooke County Superintendent of Schools Jeff Crook acknowledged the many involved in the $2.3 million project while also recognizing coaches who made an impact on the school’s baseball program through the years
which was funded with a portion of proceeds from the sale of schools that had been closed under a previous administration
and students in the high school’s electrical class
under the direction of instructor Nick Petrovich
“We’re very proud of our career technical students
We’re training them for real world experiences,” said Crook
MAKING THE CUT — Flanked by members of the Brooke High School baseball team
members of the Brooke County Board of Education on Thursday cut the ribbon for the new Brooke High School baseball field
which has a new artificial turf surface and upgraded press box
all attendees were admitted free to the first game there against Toronto High School
He noted the students rewired and installed new outlets for the press box
which also will serve the school’s soccer fields
Mitchell said his crews lowered its ceiling and installed new insulation
air conditioning and flooring and will be putting in new windows
He said crews with the Vasco Group of Massillon
and Field Turf started excavation and other prep work for the field in January
Mitchell said new drainage structures were installed to carry water absorbed into the ground away from the field
nearly 200 tons of rubber pellets and 130 tons of sand were poured to serve as a base for the turf
The field’s opening drew many Brooke Bruin baseball fans
as well as a number of area residents tied to the sport’s history at the school
a 1973 Brooke graduate who went on to play for the San Francisco Giants and coach in major league and minor league positions for the St
was enlisted to throw out the ceremonial first pitch for the field
Crook presented large display boxes containing Brooke memorabilia to Nancy West
widow of former head baseball coach Perry West; and Ron Ujcich Sr.
father of late former head coach Ron Ujcich Jr
West had coached baseball at Brooke for 37 years and was involved in the original field’s construction
“He would have loved to see this,” Nancy said of the new field
Ujcich had headed the Bruins baseball team through 13 seasons
one being canceled because of the pandemic
His leadership of the team was cut short by an all-terrain vehicle accident when he was 45 years old
The young coach was remembered by many for his deep concern for his players
while school officials also noted he had helped out with the field
lay on home plate in honor of the two late coaches and led attendees in a moment of silence for them
Other past coaches or players on hand included Rob Robinson
who served as assistant or head coach for 23 years
Also a former buildings and grounds supervisor for the school district
Robinson knows the work that went into maintaining the more traditional field
“I remember all of the hours we worked on the field,” he said
noting students in the high school’s facilities maintenance class aided in dragging and lining the field
So this is a lot different,” said Robinson
The Bruins ball team started its season on the Edwin J
with the team facing the Toronto Red Knights for its first game on the new field Thursday
The game followed a ribbon cutting by members of the Brooke County Board of Education near home plate
and all attendees were admitted to the game at no charge
Current head baseball coach Doug Costain said of the new field
“It’s hard to feel another other way but excited.”
Costain said the sentiment was shared by his players
“Our kids didn’t want to come off it from practice,” he said
Costain applauded the cooperation involved in making the field a reality
saying of the school district’s administration and personnel
“They all pull the rope in the same direction.”
SHOWING CONCERN – While only 11 residents addressed members of the West Virginia Public Service Commission during their hearing in Weirton Wednesday
many more filled the Weirton Room of the Millsop Community Center to listen to the comments
WEIRTON — In response to the three-month water issues which affected the city during the winter months
members of the West Virginia Public Service Commission visited Weirton Wednesday to hear directly from the people
“We are very concerned about what happened to you all last winter,” noted PSC Chair Charlotte Lane during Wednesday’s hearing in the Millsop Community Center
“We don’t want it to happen again.”
The Weirton Area Water Board initiated a mandatory
18 as a result of several dozen water line breaks
The order would remain in place until March 12
The conservation order was coupled with a series of boil orders during the same period
including one for the entirety of Weirton from Dec
and one for the Weirton Heights area from Jan
The PSC opened an examination of the issues surrounding the outages and orders in late February
HEARING FROM THE PEOPLE – Public Service Commission member Bill Raney and Chair Charlotte Lane represented the PSC during Wednesday’s public hearing in Weirton
legal counsel for the PSC as part of the examination
the status of the Weirton water system’s storage capabilities
The PSC then will have time to review the report
“We still have a lot of information to go through,” Doneghy said
of Bowles Rice who is serving as outside legal counsel for the Weirton Area Water Board
claiming much of the issue was a result of this past winter’s cold weather
approximately 109 experienced lengthy interruptions or outages of service
He also noted Weirton was not alone in having problems with their water systems
“Eight other systems in the vicinity also had breaks at the same time,” Kelsh said
Kelsh also said the need for a conservation order was the result of the low “buffer” available in water production under the current treatment plant setup which has a 4 million gallon per day capacity
saying those issues will be addressed through the ongoing capacity expansion project set to be completed by April 2026
While several dozen residents were in attendance
with some claiming issues with the current operations of the water system and even claiming a toxic work environment
while many pointed to what they consider poor communication between the Weirton Area Water Board and the citizens of Weirton
Karen Mentzer recalled attending meetings of Weirton Council and the Weirton Area Water Board for at least four months
saying there were no status updates on the water system presented during any of those meetings
She reported presenting 20 questions to the Water Board and having difficulty getting any answers
pointing to receiving various parameters of how to submit inquiries through the Freedom of Information Act
“All we wanted was some transparency
and we weren’t getting any,” she said
Mentzer also presented what she said were water samples she had collected
John Kraina also expressed concerns with what he considered a lack of information
“When I don’t get answers to relatively simple questions
offering a reminder that the Water Board and other city officials work for the people
while she wasn’t majorly affected by the outages
and some residents still are being affected
“There are people here who still have water issues,” she said
while saying some family pets appear to have developed health issues in recent months
Melissa Bane said her family has had orange and cloudy water
“That was the norm for two complete months,” she said
adding her family still experiences itching after bathing
and she now takes her laundry to businesses in other communities to avoid any potential staining
Two of those speaking previously worked for the Weirton Area Water Board
Chris Gruda said he was a 10-year employee
claiming a poor work culture and alleging threats to employees over various issues over the years
“I will tell you there is a culture problem; an honesty problem,” he said
said his experience tells him a lot of the outages were a result of a reliance on the Ohio River as the primary water source this winter
As part of the upgrades to the water treatment plant
the plant’s Ranney well was taken offline temporarily to receive upgrades
including the repair or replacement of two of its pumps
“When that cold water shoots through the cast iron lines
they’re going to break,” Klar said
Klar also questioned the methods used to notify the public of water outages and boil orders
saying the information is not always as clear or detailed as it could be
The prolonged outages resulted in closures for Weirton Elementary School
Joseph the Worker School and Madonna High School
Some in attendance commended Hancock County Schools Superintendent Dan Enich for his efforts to obtain outside water services
Resident Gretchen Carter noted those closures had to happen as a result of a lack of water available to the facilities
“They could not legally stay open,” Carter said
“It was not that they chose to close.”
expressed that she had been mad about the closures as she enjoys attending school
Jean Czernek questioned the awarding last fall of $5 million by the West Virginia Water Development Authority to the College of St
saying she believes those funds could have been better used to address the needs of water systems
Those in attendance also heard from William Bateman
who said he was impressed by those who addressed the PSC
and feels the people of the city deserve respect
adding he feels there is the potential for future problems if concerns aren’t addressed
held a press conference at the Brooke County Courthouse Thursday regarding the class action lawsuit he’s filed in Brooke County Circuit Court against the Weirton Area Water Board and City of Weirton
WELLSBURG — A class action lawsuit has been filed against the Weirton Area Water Board and City of Weirton
seeking relief and compensation for Weirton water customers affected by the water system issues last winter
filed Wednesday in Brooke County Circuit Court
alleges negligence and breach of contract and claims residents suffered substantial harm due to the defendants’ failure to provide safe and reliable water services
which names Weirton resident Rose McClements as the plaintiff on behalf of individuals similarly situated
the WAWB and city failed to maintain their infrastructure
mismanaged operations and violated contractual obligations to the public
financial losses and significant disruptions to daily life
The plaintiffs are now seeking compensatory damages and injunctive relief
including that all monies received by the defendants in connection with water services not provided during the class period be disgorged
and that defendants establish methods to ensure they meet their obligations to the plaintiff and class
the Weirton water system experienced more than 100 water line breaks
The service disruptions and a mandatory water conservation impacted many residents and businesses
Officials primarily have attributed the situation to the winter’s freeze and thaw cycle
compounded by water source mixing complications stemming from a primary pump’s failure at the plant and concurrent refurbishing work on a well
Holding a press conference on the suit Thursday at the Brooke County Courthouse was attorney Sean Logue
Logue said he represents McClements and a number of other residents who’ve been impacted by the WAWB’s alleged negligence
He is seeking class certification and estimated that potential claimants could number between 3,500 and 5,000
Logue claimed upgrades at the plant were done negligently
leading to water source mixing that caused the line breaks
and the WAWB has breached its contracts with customers by charging them monthly for water but providing them neither with water nor repair services
and this has been going on for months and months and months
and there’s no relief in sight,” Logue said
this lawsuit is hopefully the first step in that relief.”
Water issues continue in certain high-elevation areas of the city
Residents have been unable to use their bathrooms or sell their homes due to lack of water
including doctor’s offices and restaurants
Logue said his allegations are based on good-faith conversations with engineers who were involved in the situation
but the case’s discovery period will provide more information
Those engineers — who Logue declined to name — reached out to him and articulated the issues that are contained in the complaint
Logue said Brooke County was chosen as the case’s venue because “I was concerned that the jury pool in Hancock County might have issues because people who work for the water authority are likely to live in Hancock County.” He added that a portion of people affected by the crisis live in Brooke County
and some of the alleged negligence was done in that county
The exact amount sought in compensation has not yet been determined
Legal counsel for the City of Weirton and Weirton Area Water Board could not be reached for comment
The WAWB is an autonomous board that oversees the operation and maintenance of the city’s water treatment and distribution systems
Members are appointed by Weirton City Council
CLOSED — Cones blocked off the self-serve car wash connected to Wash World on Pennsylvania Avenue in Weirton
resulting from a standing conservation order across the city that forbids water usage on vehicles
WEIRTON — Ongoing water line issues in the city have disrupted the lives of many
leaving certain residents with boil orders
numerous water line breaks have tested the city’s endurance
Close to 100 breaks have emerged during the past month and a half
resulting from the natural freeze/thaw cycle and continuing upgrades to the city’s water treatment plant
which have limited intake to unexpectedly cold river water
A citywide boil order from December has been partially lifted
primarily concentrated in the Weirton Heights neighborhood
A mandatory conservation order remains in effect for many non-essential water uses
decrying the situation that’s forced them to rely on external water sources like bottled water
which the city has distributed on occasion
The Weirton Area Water Board estimated Monday that issues may not stabilize for another two weeks
with the conservation order expected to remain through most of February
The issue has also affected Weirton businesses
the lack of potable water — or water at all — has posed a challenge for various organizations
though they’ve each adapted to their unique situations
JUST KEEP SWIMMING — Fish swam in one of Little Critters’ 76 fish tanks
water in which staff have been cleaning at a less-than-optimal frequency due to a standing conservation order across Weirton
… We just did what we had to do to keep the business open,” recalled David Rogerson
candy shop and ice cream parlor on Pennsylvania Avenue
Rogerson said he’s had to purchase water
The issue appeared to be on a “downward slope” Tuesday
as he excitedly turned his faucet to reveal running water
The faucet had been mostly dry for the past five days but was “gradually” restored
A lack of water did threaten Prime’s ninth-annual celebration of National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day
which the business began planning months ago
changes in the weather tend to pose a threat
but this year’s enemy proved to be a possible lack of water in the restrooms
Rogerson said he’d explored contingency plans
Water’s resumed flow seemed to signal that festivities could continue as normal
but Rogerson still ordered jugs of water for attendees to use
we’ll be all right,” he remarked
FACILITIES — Officials with West Virginia Northern Community College inspected a portable restroom that it obtained for staff and students at its Weirton campus
a slow segment of the year for the business
The water issue hasn’t affected Rogerson’s own residence
adding that he feels sorry for individuals dealing with the effects in their own homes
There are other residents … (who) are in a nightmare situation.”
Staff at the Pennsylvania Avenue pet store Little Critters have had to boil water for animals to drink
“All our animals need to have food and water every day
so it’s been quite a challenge,” manager Megan Moredock said
EXCITED — Prime bookstore and ice cream parlor owner David Rogerson celebrated water finally running through a faucet in his store that had run dry for the past five days
it’s been cutting back on changing the water in its 76 fish tanks — ranging from 10 to 65 gallons — in order to conserve water
Water changes must be done regularly to prevent waste buildup that could be toxic to the fish
“We’re a fish store that can’t use water
It’s quite frustrating,” she said
Customers also are struggling to change the water in their own fish tanks
Moredock said they can bring a sample of their tank’s water to Little Critters
which might mean purchasing water or boiling enough to fill the tank
Moredock emphasized the importance of tank owners keeping their filters rinsed and topping off tanks with bottled water
but the water pressure has occasionally been so low
that rinsing off dogs has been particularly time-consuming
That means staff must frequently rework the schedule
which is problematic when it’s already booked out six-to-eight weeks at a time
Water pressure always seems better in the mornings
adding that there have been days with no water at all
On Friday all afternoon appointments had to be postponed due to a total lack of water
manager at the full-service laundromat Wash World
said individuals have called the business to ensure it’s still open
or even to express concern about water quality
The laundromat’s water has not been cloudy
and despite pressure changes throughout the day
there have been no issues for the laundromat — which has always remained open
The laundromat’s owner also operates a self-serve car wash
adding that she does not know when it will return
water is not to be used for washing automobiles or other mobile equipment
That’s left no car washes operating throughout the city
joking that that’s why local vehicles are “filthy.”
The Wash-Rite Express Car Wash on Park Drive is also inoperative due to the order
though subscribers will receive credit for their membership fees during the closure
“I just hope it’s up and running soon — back to normal
said that business hasn’t changed due to the date issue
The restaurant “lucked out” and has been able to adapt to the water issue by serving canned and bottled drinks
Rossi’s family has relied on tis ice company — Select Ice Products — to provide bags of ice
The restaurant has melted down bags of ice and used that water for cleaning and sanitation
adding that water pressure has not been an issue for restrooms
Water issues have resulted in several area academic institutions transitioning to remote days
West Virginia Norther Community College’s Weirton campus has been among them
The community college transitioned to remote learning last Tuesday and continued in that fashion for an entire week
Students have continued learning to the degree they’re able
though the remote work has been most troublesome for students whose work is more hands-on and in a lab
The college had a portable restroom parked in front of the building
ALWAYS REMEMBER — The Weirton Steelworkers Memorial
located near the intersection of County Road and Pennsylvania Avenue in Weirton
displays the names of 121 local steelworkers who lost their lives as a result of injury in the Weirton steel mill
WEIRTON — Noting the importance of safety
local steelworkers and union officials were joined by members of the community and other guests Thursday morning in honoring the lives of the more than 120 lost at Weirton’s steel mill throughout its operational history
located at the intersection of County Road and Pennsylvania Avenue
was established so generations would remember the names of those who died as a result of injuries sustained at the local steel mill
and Paul Ellis – losing their lives in the next 11 years
United Steelworkers 2911 President Mark Glyptis
who claims more than 50 years as a mill employee
said the idea of safety in the workplace wasn’t always on the minds of leaders or workers
PAYING TRIBUTE — USW Local 2911 President Mark Glyptis discussed the importance of safety in the workplace as part of Thursday’s memorial ceremony in Weirton
safety wasn’t an issue; it wasn’t a top concern for the company or the union,” Glyptis said
following the launch of the Employee Stock Ownership Program at Weirton Steel
as investments were made to better protect the men and women in the workforce
Those efforts are visible with lower losses in the decades that followed – seven in the 1980s
It would be another 20 years before the Weirton mill would experience an injury-related death
Glyptis said the officials at Cleveland-Cliffs continue to look out for the safety of employees
not wanting to add any more names to the memorial
“Our goal is to have zero fatalities
noting work continues by the company to bring a transformer production facility to the community
The future ought to be a bright one.”
working in the strip steel and tin mill facilities
recalled the lack of focus on safety over the years
saying employees’ priorities were to get their jobs done
“We have three important objectives; go to work
do your job and go home to your families,” he said
relaying the story of Gerald “Jake” Gibson
saying he didn’t intend to be a long-time employee of Weirton Steel
Three days before an accident in the blooming mill which took his life
Harris said he and Gibson had been playing basketball at the Millsop Community Center
and he learned Gibson had interviewed for a management position at the shoe store
“Those are the stories we can’t forget,” he said
noting Gibson had a family and plans for the future
He pointed to some of the advances in safety measures over the years
including no longer issuing salt tablets or using certain chemical degreasers
urging those gathered to not forget those who have been lost
to relay their stories to the next generations
“We have to remember to honor those who came before us,” he said
The service concluded with Pastor Gary Lilly reciting his poem
Kenny Jacobs reading the names of those listed on the monument
accompanied by Enid Williams ringing a bell for each name
WEIRTON — Area residents are encouraged to prepare themselves for a week of delicious deals as the inaugural Weirton Restaurant Week approaches
Weirton Restaurant Week will feature special offers from a variety of local eateries in celebration of local dining
organized by the Top of West Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Weirton Area Chamber of Commerce
“We have a great lineup of over 15 restaurants offering different specials throughout the week,” explained Rachel Keeney
executive director of the Top of West Virginia CVB
Residents who dine at one of the participating restaurants also are asked to save their receipts for a chance to win a selection of gift cards ranging in price from $5 to $25
or a grand prize package of a meal for 20 people prepared by T
Kosciusko Hall: Home of Giometti’s Catering
which must be for meals during Weirton Restaurant Week at participating restaurants
with your name and phone number written on the back
to either the Top of WV CVB at 243 Three Springs Drive
or the Weirton Area Chamber of Commerce at 3174 Pennsylvania Ave.
Weirton; offering a limited-time BFC sandwich
Tuesday to Friday to include $10 appetizers
• Breakfast at Holiday Inn Weirton Steubenville Area
Weirton; 25 percent off a breakfast entree when mentioning Weirton Restaurant Week;  
Weirton; 10 percent off a full rack of ribs with the purchase of any other menu item;  
get one of equal or lesser value 50 percent off  
Weirton; deals will be available online;  
or chicken dinner with sides and a soup or salad
two special appetizers and two signature cocktails will be available this week
get one free classic/original sandwiches when you mention Weirton Restaurant Week
Weirton; 25 percent off wings all day Wednesday
to midnight Friday and Saturday (excludes top shelf.)  
Weirton; Free dessert with sandwich purchase Friday and Saturday
Weirton; Pop-up restaurant with a different dinner daily
Weirton; 25 percent off their limited menu
Burgettstown; Baked Turkey Meal with mashed potatoes
roll and a piece of pumpkin pie for $17.75
get one free round of mini -golf with any meal purchase
Nate Freeman of First Christian Church kicked off the National Day of Prayer observance in Steubenville with an invitation to prayer
STEUBENVILLE — Nearly 60 area residents stood quietly in Historic Fort Steuben Park Thursday
sharing their faith as they prayed for their community during Steubenville’s Day of Prayer observance
“We gather today in prayer together and we know that it’s not just the 100 or so people or whatever is here
but we’re gathered with people across our nation,” the Rev
vice president of Franciscan Life at Franciscan University of Steubenville
Commissioner Tony Morelli shared the proclamation they’d issued hours earlier “urging all citizens of this county to recognize the importance of this day,” while Mayor Jerry Barilla talked about the power of prayer to heal the divisions dividing America
saying prayer “is the most powerful thing we have on this earth.”
Wintersville Community Chapel’s James Justin Scarpone
Paul Center and former councilwoman at large
led the group in prayer  for government; Finley Church’s June Leasure for churches; Ray Saccoccia
family; Jefferson County Recorder Scott Renforth for the military and first responders
Rupert-Warren also performed the National Anthem
“Prayers do help,” Steubenville City Manager Jim Mavromatis said
telling those in attendance that in the aftermath of the high winds earlier this week that toppled trees through the city and caused other problems
“the most important part was neighbors.”
PRAYER — Nearly 60 area residents took part in Steubenville’s National Day of Prayer observance in Historic Fort Steuben Park
but to offer what they could to help,” he said
“That’s what makes a community
we have a great county and great (communities) surrounding us
but it’s everybody working together…to make your life better.”
MINGO JUNCTION — Beta Sigma Phi’s Torchbearer Omicron Chapter celebrated its 94th Founder’s Day anniversary April 25 at The Farm Restaurant in Adena
the chapter’s new officers were installed
Hamilton announced this year’s theme will be “Beta Sigma Phi
McKenna said grace and Lonetto led the closing ritual
Villamagna led members in reciting the Founder’s Day pledge
informing members of the projects the chapter has participated in the past 12 months
She then presented the Woman of the Year Award to Villamagna for her “outstanding service” to the chapter
All members congratulated Villamagna on her award
The special award of the day was the presentation of the Golden Circle certificate
The ritual recognizes one chapter member who has 50 or more years of service in Beta Sigma Phi
she was presented flowers and an engraved heart including her name and years of service
Hundreds of books were unloaded and placed on shelves at the Pulic Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County’s ..
Coffee lovers in the Ohio Valley are in for a treat as the Starbucks located on Three Springs Drive in Weirton is set to open Friday at 6 a.m
— Coffee lovers in the Ohio Valley are in for a treat as the Starbucks located on Three Springs Drive in Weirton is set to open Friday at 6 a.m
The opening marks an exciting addition to the city
Weirton City Manager Mike Adams said the Starbucks has come together well despite the cold weather that tends to set construction back at times
He said this will help the city's economy
"Once a national chain does their demographics in the size that their store
their location in that area will be successful and they all have successful locations
whether it is a national chain or local chain,” Adams said
and it brings credibility from a commercial standpoint "
NEW LIFE — Representatives of the City of Weirton were joined Tuesday by members of the MonPower/FirstEnergy Green Team in planting hundreds of tree and shrub saplings throughout the city
A distribution of trees also is planned for Friday evening at Marland Heights Park
WEIRTON — The community became a little greener on Tuesday in observance of Earth Day
the City of Weirton and the MonPower/FirstEnergy Green Team partnered in an effort to beautify areas of the city through the planting of trees and flowering shrubs
Assistant City Manager DeeAnn Pulliam explained the partnership began last year
with more than 200 tree and shrub saplings planted at three city recreation sites
“We decided to do that again this year for Earth Day,” she said
Representatives of the Green Team were joined by officials from the city
including staff from Weirton’s Public Works Department and Weirton Parks
where more than 30 new plants were installed
Approximately 200 trees and shrubs were expected to be planted throughout the city
an environmental scientist who serves as the leader of the Green Team
as they play a role in the production of oxygen and provide shade
including many of the species brought to Weirton Monday
Shaffer noted there has been a decrease of pollinators across the country
and having certain types of plants available encourages their sustainability
Officials noted there were plans to plant trees and shrubs on at least two other city-owned properties Tuesday
be transplanted to other locations in the future
There also are plans for a distribution of trees from 4 p.m
along with activities in honor of Earth Day
“We’re planting some and giving some away,” Shaffer said
Among the plant species included in this year’s event are redbuds
city officials have indicated there will be flowering dogwood available
with a limit of one sapling per household and available on a first-come
The distribution is being held in partnership with Brooke-Hancock Family Resource Network
Hancock County Family and Community Support Center
with support from Shop ‘N Save and Busy Beaver
in conjunction with the Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning ..
STEUBENVILLE — Jefferson County Commissioners finalized the long-term deal they’d sought to keep the Social ..
| https://www.heraldstaronline.com | 401 Herald Square 
water levels are increasing to the three water tanks which serve the Weirton Heights area of the city
Weirton officials believe all residents should have service restored in the coming days
While Weirton remains under a mandatory water conservation order
and a boil order is still in effect for all Weirton Heights neighborhoods
city officials believe they have “turned a corner” in the ongoing water crisis
thanks to Cleveland-Cliffs repairing its own water lines and resuming pumping into an intake near Virginia Avenue
water levels have begun to improve throughout Weirton’s distribution system
That includes regaining necessary water levels for the Lee Avenue reservoir on Marland Heights
which allowed the Weirton Area Water Board crews to activate pumps located on Texas Street and Rice Boulevard
sending water into the Weirton Heights area
“We have water in all of our tanks,” Harris said Monday afternoon
The Weirton Heights area of the city is served by three tanks — one on Penco Road
Tanks also are located on Skyview Drive in the Weircrest area and along Barone Drive on Marland Heights
With water returning to all areas of the system
should have some level of service restored
but warned there is still some work to address before the water emergency can be considered over
“We’re not completely there yet,” Harris said
explaining efforts are continuing to locate breaks in the system and return stability of service
the better opportunity we have to get water back to the customers.”  
distribution of bottled water and non-potable water for those residents still without service will be available 3-6 p.m
A distribution at the County Road Fire Station was discontinued Tuesday
Hancock County officials previously noted 211 homes and approximately 140 livestock received water
from the Weirton Area Water Board through an agreement with the Oakland PSD
Harris did note some line breaks have been discovered in customer laterals connecting a home or business to the public water lines
Repairs to those lines are the responsibility of the customer
service has been shut off to those lines as a result of the breaks
As for any kind of billing adjustments to customers
Harris said that is a decision for the Weirton Area Water Board
though he did explain they could be limited by regulations of the West Virginia Public Service Commission
“We do appreciate the patience of the residents,” Harris said
“The vast majority of people understand.” 
officials credit the employees of the Weirton Area Water Board
“None of this is possible without those guys going out and repairing those leaks,” Harris said
“They deserve a tremendous amount of credit.” 
Harris also extended his appreciation to Gov
Patrick Morrisey for assistance in acquiring water to distribute to residents without service
who helped arrange for a three-person leak detection team from West Virginia American Water
The team has been assisting local crews in searching for leaks throughout the system
with Harris noting scans have been completed in Marland Heights and downtown Weirton
The outside team is expected to remain in Weirton over the next few days to complete searches in Weirton Heights
Assistance also has been made available through the efforts of the Hancock County Commission and the Hancock County Office of Emergency Management
West Virginia Office of Emergency Services
18 following a series of water line breaks in the city
27 after a break in a 12-inch main water line on Walnut Street led to outages throughout the city
The city-wide boil order was partially lifted on Dec
with a full lift of the order announced Jan
officials notified residents water tank levels had been diminished
and some areas of the city would experience low to no water pressure
ongoing boil order for Weirton Heights was issued Jan
Those in need will be able to receive food Saturday to fill their bodies and raise their spirits on Easter Sunday ..
| https://www.theintelligencer.net | 1500 Main Street
Weirton's water situation is improving
though officials say they're not out of the woods yet
— Weirton's water situation is improving
City Manager Mike Adams outlined the series of events since last week
The city issued a news release Friday morning stating a major line break on Walnut Street led to a curtailing of water service downtown
including closing of the buildings in the municipal complex
and the depressurization of the city's water system
RELATED: <a href="https://wtov9.com/news/local/residents-demand-answers-as-weirton-faces-recurring-water-problems-and-rate-hike-concerns#" target="_blank" title="https://wtov9.com/news/local/residents-demand-answers-as-weirton-faces-recurring-water-problems-and-rate-hike-concerns#" class="themeColorForLinks">Residents demand answers as Weirton faces recurring water problems</a>
RELATED: <a href="https://wtov9.com/news/local/frustration-flows-as-weirton-tackles-water-communication-issues" target="_blank" title="https://wtov9.com/news/local/frustration-flows-as-weirton-tackles-water-communication-issues" class="themeColorForLinks">Frustration flows as Weirton tackles water communication issues</a>
Utilities Director Butch Mastrantoni already was working
on a system to let treated potable water from the Cleveland Cliffs water treatment plant be fed into the city to help replenish the system
I was quite uncertain how long it was going to take to repair these things,” Adams said
City crews repaired the Walnut Street break by late afternoon
the engineering and connection and arrival of a rental pump was completed at the Walnut Street tank
Mastrantoni said getting water from Cliffs is a viable option
“Their water treatment plant is a West Virginia department approved plant for West Virginia,” Mastrantoni said
They conduct and use similar sanitary chemicals as well as disinfection agencies as we do
they have to meet all the standards for drinking water that we currently have to meet in West Virginia.”
City officials say they&#x27;re aware of frustration among city residents
but there&#x27;s no way to say an exact time when Weirton will be back in the clear with its water system fully operating at normal capacities
“I can see where the frustration with a person occurs on that
but we&#x27;re sort of off the map here,” Mastrantoni said
We&#x27;ve been very fortunate to find the equipment from a local vendor that was very supportive and expedited the use of the pump
Employees from Cliffs as well as the Weirton Area Water Board and the Weirton Sanitary Board has been all hands on deck.&quot;
Adams said the return to pressurization for the city came much faster than was anticipated
which Mastrantoni credited to the rapid response from Cliffs and the equipment supplier getting that connection working
He said while the city was falling behind before last Friday&#x27;s breaks because of a pump failure and longer filtration times for cold river water
the pump has begun putting about 400 gallons a minute into the system
replacing a loss of about 200 gallons per minute from the city working on a backup pump
Mastrantoni said the city has a way to pay for what&#x27;s happened so far
I&#x27;ve had the wonderful opportunity to speak with the West Virginia Public Service Commission,” Mastrantoni said
“The analyst felt that this was an acceptable use of our Senate Bill 234 account
What that account is it requires that a utility take 1/8 of its annual operating budget
stockpile it each year so that we would  have an emergency reserve.&quot;
but Mastrantoni and Adams stressed the need to continue to conserve and
That will continue until the city says the problem is past
BUSINESSES RECOGNIZED — During Tuesday’s Weirton Area Chamber of Commerce members meeting and awards banquet
chamber officials recognized several area businesses for their years of operation
ranging from five years to more than 200 years
The dinner was held at the Lauttamus Event Center
WEIRTON &#8212; Close to 200 representatives of the local business community gathered Tuesday to celebrate the accomplishments of the Weirton Area Chamber of Commerce
while learning about some of the plans the organization has for the future
The chamber held its 88th membership meeting and awards banquet
with members coming together at the Lauttamus Event Center
&#8220;I am beyond excited to see so many of you here tonight,&#8221; Chamber President Brenda Mull said in greeting those in attendance
Mull explained the goal of the chamber of commerce is to provide support to its member businesses in an effort to help them grow
through various programs and networking activities
the Weirton Chamber welcomed 40 new members
with continuing programs including Youth Leadership Weirton and Leadership Ohio Valley
The second-annual Friday Night Out event is planned for April 11
the annual Surf and Herf event also is in the works
as is the Christmas in July Golf Tournament
as well as Business After Hours and Leads to Success activities
Mull announced plans for a Tri-Chamber Business After Hours
and Jefferson County chambers of commerce coming together
Another annual project is the Weirton community Christmas lights
which includes a large display along Three Springs Drive
as well as lights installed along Main Street each holiday season
&#8220;This is something that&#8217;s become personal to all of us,&#8221; Mull said
explaining the chamber was given the lights by Weirton Steel
and has worked to maintain them ever since
She offered appreciation to the City of Weirton&#8217;s Public Works Department for assisting in the installation of the lights each year
as well as the Holiday Inn and First Choice America Credit Union for allowing the use of property
Rockefeller IV Career Center for assistance in upgrading portions of the large display
is how we get things done,&#8221; Mull said
the chamber recognized several businesses for their longevity
including A Child&#8217;s Place CASA; Crown Cork and Seal; First Energy; Gus&#8217;s Goodies; Huntington Bank; Iannetti&#8217;s Garden Center; Kensington Investments; Michael G
Marketing; United Bank; Puskarich Accounting and Tax LLC; The Fiesta Tableware Co.; Trinity Health System; Wayne Door Sales Inc.; The Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times; WVU Medicine-Weirton Medical Center; and WesBanco
Special recognitions were made for former member of the chamber&#8217;s board of directors Joyia Lytle
in recognition of his widespread volunteer efforts in the community
Sponsorships for the dinner included: The College of St
platinum level; West Virginia Northern Community College
WEIRTON - The Weirton Area Water Board has issued a boil order for the area of Weirview Street following work on a ..
WEIRTON &#8212; If you&#8217;re looking for a fun beat to help you in your fitness journey
Bev &#038; Haily&#8217;s Beat Boxing Fitness
owned by mother-daughter duo Beverly Reid and Haily Prantil
Reid describes their fitness programs as a dance-based fitness
with programs available both in-person at the Weirton studio
dance and boxing-style moves set against modern hip hop music
The duo explained programs include hip hop-based exercises
allowing individuals of any fitness levels to get involved
&#8220;Everyone is welcome,&#8221; Reid said
&#8220;We&#8217;re a relaxed environment.&#8221; 
If you aren&#8217;t able to make classes at the studio
an online subscription also is available with a downloadable app available through iPhone and Android stores
The subscription provides full access to a library of workouts
More information can be found online through https://beatboxingfitnessworkouts.vhx.tv/
or by searching for Bev &#038; Haily&#8217;s Beat Boxing Fitness on Facebook or Instagram
(Howell can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com) 
WHEELING — Some of the top welding students from around the Ohio Valley were able to test their skills and ..
STEUBENVILLE — Franciscan University of Steubenville announced the appointment of Patrick Flannery as the new ..
a consignment store with a variety of crafts and other items
several area McDonald’s restaurants will be partnering to support the Ohio Valley ..
WEIRTON &#8212; A Weirton man has been charged with making terroristic threats after allegedly making a false bomb threat at a local business on Friday
was arrested by Weirton Police who responded to an emergency call from the Weirton Walmart
a staff member told police Koepfinger approached the customer service desk wearing a pair of headphones
removed a small speaker from his bag and placed it on the counter
Koepfinger reportedly replied that he had made it into a bomb and was going to detonate it unless a television news crew was called so he could speak to them about working conditions and mental health
According to the criminal complaint filed against Koepfinger
he has made similar threats at other businesses
His case is pending in Brooke County Magistrate Court
A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for April 28 before Magistrate Robert Catlett
He currently is being held in the West Virginia Northern Regional Jail on a $20,000 bond
A significant drug bust in Weirton on Tuesday resulted in the arrest of five individuals and the seizure of a large quantity of illegal substances
including fentanyl and crystal methamphetamine
— A significant drug bust in Weirton on Tuesday resulted in the arrest of five individuals and the seizure of a large quantity of illegal substances
The Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force
in collaboration with the Weirton Police Department and West Virginia State Police
executed a search warrant at 234 Gardner Avenue following months of surveillance
Four of the arrested individuals were also wanted as fugitives from Maryland and Ohio
of Steubenville face charges of possession with intent to deliver and conspiracy to deliver fentanyl and crystal methamphetamine
“It’s a significant amount of Fentanyl,” Police Chief Charlie Kush said
“We are seeing more Fentanyl in the area along with methamphetamine
and the drug task force along with the officers do a wonderful job at trying to deter the drugs coming in as best as we can.”
All suspects are currently held at the Moundsville Regional Jail awaiting prosecution
The Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force includes members from the Weirton Police Department
The city of Weirton has lifted its mandatory boil order as of Friday morning
marking a significant step forward after weeks of water line breaks and conservation measures
 — The city of Weirton has lifted its mandatory boil order as of Friday morning
Weirton Heights was the last area to be cleared from the boil order
City Manager Mike Adams expressed relief over the progress
attributing much of the improvement to the use of the Cleveland Cliffs water facility
&quot;It has rapidly helped us to recharge our system
and it has been quite a welcome development
so thanks to Cliffs for that arrangement,&quot; Adams said
Adams explained the process of ensuring water safety following the lifting of the boil order
&quot;Boil orders are generated by line breaks
&quot;Once the line break is fixed and the air is out of the lines
I understand the testing process takes samples and then there is an 18-hour wait period
Once that 18-hour wait period is passed and the water tests pure
the city remains under a water conservation order
 Adams noted that the Weirton Heights and Marland Heights tanks are about half full
we can realistically kind of reassess that situation as far as conservation goes,&quot; he said
Efforts to improve communication with residents are ongoing
The city is exploring ways to reach those without access to digital communication
&quot;We have worked on that,&quot; he said
&quot;There are communication avenues from not only the city&#x27;s website but also the water board website
especially for members of the community who might not have a cell phone or a computer
is where people can submit their telephone information
If they are not able to use a website or anything like that
we can make an automated call to that resident and let them know what the situation is.&quot;
Residents are reminded to continue conserving water as the city works to fully restore its water system
were joined by members of the Weirton Area Chamber of Commerce
representatives of the city and other guests as they celebrated their grand opening March 20
the business offers women&#8217;s and men&#8217;s fashions and accessories
CHANGES: The Cedar One Group has announced a series of staffing changes in its efforts to serve the needs of area ..
WHEELING — Seven attorneys at Bordas &amp; Bordas have been selected to the 2025 West Virginia Super Lawyers ..
SHARING OF CULTURES — Members of the Kyiv Ukrainian Dance Ensemble entertained the crowd with a variety of Ukrainian dances during the 2018 Festival of Nations in Weirton
Organized through the Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center
the festival will return March 22 at the Millsop Community Center
WEIRTON &#8212; Area residents are invited to &#8220;Travel the world
without a passport,&#8221; with the return of Weirton&#8217;s Festival of Nations
The celebration of local history and culture
organized by the Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center
The original Festival of Nations ran from 1934 until 1944
organized by employees of Weirton Steel and inspired by a 1929 pageant held at Weir High School
there were many ethnicities coming into the area,&#8221; Festival Committee Chair Dr
The original festival was held on Labor Day weekend and included a pageant showcasing the various nationalities represented by the people of Weirton
and competitions between the employee departments of Weirton Steel
a group of volunteers decided to bring the festival back in observance of the centennial of Weirton Steel&#8217;s founding
&#8220;We thought it would be good to revise it in 2009,&#8221; Luthra said
it was later moved to the Millsop Community Center and included a parade showcasing cultural groups taking part in each year&#8217;s celebration
The modern festival was held annually through 2019
being canceled in 2020 as a result of the COVID pandemic
This year&#8217;s festival will begin with a hoisting of the flags by members of the American Legion Post 10 Honor Guard
followed by the singing of the national anthem by Councilman Tim Connell
Performances throughout the day will include the Weir High Concert Band
Sanskruti School of Indian Dance and Music
Filipino American Association of Pittsburgh
Food available will be reflective of cuisines from the United States
with display tables set to represent Greece
Information tables also will be available from the Weirton Museum
the Top of West Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau
BIRD’S EYE VIEW — Renderings show an overhead view of what the proposed Weirton conference center could look like once completed
According to those involved with the project
WEIRTON &#8212; While it may still be a few years away
the effort to establish a new conference center in Weirton continues
with an eye toward providing a space for local activities and draw events from outside of the area
The most recent possibility of developing a conference or convention center in Weirton was raised in April 2023 through a proposal by the Top of West Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Business Development Corp
market analysis and economic impact study have been performed
which officials say indicate the time is right for such a project to move forward
we&#8217;re looking at starting construction in 2027,&#8221; explained Rachel Keeney
adding construction would take an estimated 12 to 18 months
The next steps include revising a cost estimate for the project to assist in pinpointing the funding needed and working on architectural designs with the possibility of purchasing the property sometime later this year
Some support for those goals recently was announced through the awarding of a $770,000 Economic Enhancement Grant through the West Virginia Water Development Authority
Keeney noted those state funds can be put toward construction designs
Eyed for an area of the Park Drive development
the conference center would be owned by the CVB with a management company put in place to operate the facility
&#8220;You want the venue to capture as much impact as possible,&#8221; said Anthony Clements
who reported studies indicated the possibility of $7.8 million in direct economic revenue
Keeney said construction of the facility could provide $23 million in economic stimulation
with the possibility of 24 tourism-based jobs created
Effects would be felt through the conference center itself
as well as increased spending at local hotels
and other businesses from locals and visitors alike
&#8220;They&#8217;ll be staying at our hotels
eating at our restaurants and patronizing local shops,&#8221; Keeney said
&#8220;Everyone will see an impact from it being here.&#8221;
The proposed 34,000-square-foot facility would include designs for a central ballroom area
which could be configured for events of various sizes
as well as a series of smaller boardroom-style meeting areas
&#8220;The main focus has been flexibility,&#8221; Keeney said
indicating the number of companies looking at the region in recent years
along with Weirton&#8217;s proximity to Pittsburgh and a number of local organizations needing space would keep such a conference center active
&#8220;There will be something going on regularly.&#8221;
professional settings with reflections of the area&#8217;s industrial past featuring brick and metallic aspects to tie in different eras of the community
support for the project have been provided through funding from both the CVB and BDC
as well as a rural business development grant from the U.S
The city previously was approached for support
and other funding sources are being sought
Drivers are asked to stay away from the area to give crews room to work
 — The city of Weirton has been on water conservation since Dec
<a href="https://wtov9.com/news/local/weirton-issues-mandatory-water-conservation-notice-amid-supply-concerns" target="_blank" title="https://wtov9.com/news/local/weirton-issues-mandatory-water-conservation-notice-amid-supply-concerns" class="themeColorForLinks">RELATED: Weirton issues mandatory water conservation notice amid supply concerns</a>
The Weirton Area Water Board reported several water line breaks across the city
including a significant crack in a 12-inch main break on Walnut Street next to the Mary H
but the city is by no means out of the woods
City Utilities Director Butch Mastrantoni has found a way to get some assistance
&quot;He made an arrangement with the officials at Cleveland Cliffs to have their water facility kind of feed our water facility,&quot; Weirton City Manager Mike Adams said
Adams said a pump is being installed to allow the Cliffs Water Plant to slowly and gently start re-pressurizing the city system to avoid further damage
Municipal Plaza and other areas downtown were without water for much of the day
&quot;We’re coming back slowly,” Adams said
It&#x27;s going to take some conservation for the next while.”
The city has obtained bottled water to be distributed at Weirton Fire Department Headquarters in the Municipal Plaza
It will also become available to the County Road Station at 3442 Main Street and the Gilson Avenue Station on Cove Road
A mandatory boil order is indefinitely in effect while the system repressurizes and is using the Cleveland Cliffs Plant
director of community planning for Mackin Engineering
addressed members of Weirton Council Wednesday as part of a work session to launch the development of a strategic plan for the city
WEIRTON &#8212; With a changing landscape and new municipal administration
city officials have decided the time is right to draft a new vision for Weirton&#8217;s future
Members of Weirton Council gathered for a work session in the Rose Room of the Millsop Community Center Wednesday
to launch the effort toward the development of a new strategic plan
Mayor Dean Harris noted many of the changes experienced by the city in recent years
explaining he had been mayor during a previous strategic plan creation in the late 1990s
adding with the company&#8217;s bankruptcy in 2005
the services and assistance provided by the steel manufacturer to the community disappeared
&#8220;The challenge to us is to move the city forward without Weirton Steel.&#8221;
Planning and Development Director Mark Miller explained there have been discussions about a formalized strategic plan for many years
with the city now working with Mackin Engineering to formalize the process
has been involved in previous projects with Weirton
including updates to the city&#8217;s Unified Development Plan and a recently drafted Housing Plan
&#8220;This is a prime time,&#8221; Rosselli said
&#8220;It&#8217;s a really good time to be thinking about the future.&#8221;
Rosselli met with the city&#8217;s department heads Tuesday
gathering suggestions to be included in the discussions
with a goal of a more targeted document to provide guidance over the next 10 years
Rosselli explained the key is for council to continuously monitor the strategic plan
tracking what aspects are being followed and accomplished
as well as what may need adjusted as new developments take place
Among the areas of discussion Wednesday were ways for the city to improve its promotion of the community
as well as beautification and marketing the city; methods of revitalizing the city&#8217;s downtown; neighborhood revitalization and property reuse; multi-modal transportation; parks and recreation; public safety; and overall city governance
Several members of council agreed the city needs to do a better job of keeping residents informed
with Ward 2 Councilman Ralph Cunningham recommending they each take time to meet with the constituents and get feedback
we need to go out to the people,&#8221; Cunningham said
Ward 5 Councilwoman Brittany Holloway suggested the city launch a smartphone application
with Assistant City Manager DeeAnn Pulliam explaining the option already is available to the city through its website
Other discussions included mentions of recreating a Main Street program
façade programs to reinvigorate the appearances of various buildings in the city
and the possibility of creating a land bank
Resident Athena Blake attended the work session
while she appreciates council having the discussion
it shouldn&#8217;t be up to the municipality to address the issues with several of the private properties
&#8220;It&#8217;s not the city&#8217;s problem
It&#8217;s the owner&#8217;s problem,&#8221; she said
adding she feels many of owners of the most troubled sites have the money available to address the issues
&#8220;All it would take is for the owners to fix their buildings and people would come.&#8221;
Miller confirmed the city has approached several of the property owners in the city&#8217;s downtown to discuss possible opportunities
Officials noted this will be an ongoing process as the strategic plan is created
WEIRTON - The boil order issued Saturday for Ferguson Avenue
and the 3100 block of Orchard Street has ..
Weirton residents are facing significant challenges as the city continues to grapple with waterline breaks
— Weirton residents are facing significant challenges as the city continues to grapple with waterline breaks
&quot;It’s just been ridiculous,” resident Vinny Capp said
“My dad pouring jugs of water all over my head just to get a shower.”
The problems began in mid-December when the Weirton Area Water Board issued a conservation order following a series of waterline breaks caused by drastic fluctuations in weather and temperatures
things have gotten worse for some members in the community
&quot;For the last four days we haven’t had water
we haven’t had water,” resident Amanda Dennis said
Fifteen days in the last 40 days we have not had water
and I feel like they&#x27;ve put us on a back burner.”
Residents living on Crest Street say they&#x27;ve been contacting city officials for assistance and have now hit the point of reaching out to state officials for help
&quot;We’ve been told that we could source our own water by digging our own or sourcing our own water buffalo,” Dennis said
&quot;Because our street does not have a lot of people on it
Recent disruptions have also affected local schools with St
and Weirton Elementary transitioning to remote learning due to the water outages
Dennis said this adds another challenge as she now has to arrange childcare on the days she works
&quot;Neighbors across the street right now are suffering from the flu,” resident Rachel Capp said
but they’re vomiting and going through it right now
not being able to flush the toilet and not washing their hands properly for them to go down to the Millsop Center
Not only is it not sanitary for the rest of the community to be down there showering
but it’s next to impossible with the way that they’re feeling right now
my main concern is the sanitary issue that we’re all dealing with
We can’t flush our toilets let alone wash our hands.”
Residents have been traveling to family members’ homes that have water just to do something as simple as showering
&quot;The fact that we are expected to continue to pay our water bills and we’re not receiving services
so what are we paying for?” resident Lisa Ronevich asked
It’s become incredibly frustrating at this point and we’re all at our breaking point
Mayor Dean Harris says he understands the frustrations but asks for continued patience
&quot;I would ask for even more patience than we&#x27;ve already seen,” Harris said
We have guys working 24/7 in sub-zero weather
The Gilson Avenue Fire Station will be distributing water daily from 3-6 p.m
for those in the Weirton Heights area without water service
They ask that those in Weirton Heights with water conserve water until further notice
Water distribution is only for those without water
stands with USW 2911 President Mark Glyptis during a visit to Weirton Wednesday
Moore met with approximately 20 United Steelworkers officials and employees to discuss activities in Washington
as well as ongoing plans to begin a transformer manufacturing facility in Weirton
Riley Moore continues to see opportunity for the Weirton area and Upper Ohio Valley region
as plans continue to bring a transformer manufacturing operation to the community
brought that message to a group of approximately 20 United Steelworkers officials and employees while visiting Weirton on Wednesday afternoon
was involved in obtaining a $50 million investment from the state to help launch the transformer project
said while it is &#8220;painful and difficult&#8221; to see the Weirton tin mill idle
he believes there is great opportunity coming for the community
&#8220;I think there is huge potential,&#8221; Moore said
announced last year by officials with Cleveland-Cliffs shortly after the idling of its Weirton tin plant
&#8220;This facility is going to be state-of-the-art.&#8221; 
the transformer production facility is slated to develop within one of the Cleveland-Cliffs facilities in the Half Moon Industrial Park
Company officials had noted plans for the creation of approximately 600 jobs
with an investment of $150 million and a plan to begin operation sometime in 2026
thanking Moore for his support throughout the process
offered encouragement to the gathered employees
explaining an agreement to provide employment to any of those workers who went through layoffs last year from the tin mill is still in place
&#8220;Nobody did more,&#8221; Glyptis said of Moore
who was elected to represent West Virginia&#8217;s 2nd District in the U.S
&#8220;He hasn&#8217;t forgotten us.&#8221; 
Moore said the launch of the transformer facility has the potential to bring other manufacturers to the area
whether they be in industries which could feed or benefit from transformer manufacturing
or those who see the opportunity in the growth of the region
&#8220;Other manufacturers tend to cluster,&#8221; he said
&#8220;That&#8217;s what I want to see happen.&#8221; 
with the goal of increasing a president&#8217;s power to address foreign tariff and non-tariff trade barriers on U.S
&#8220;We&#8217;re trying to create reciprocity.&#8221; 
subsidies provided by a nation&#8217;s government on a particular industry can be considered when discussing the implementation of a tariff strategy
as could the use of child labor in some countries and low employee pay
a president also would have another tool to impose tariffs on the goods of other countries if they are unwilling to reduce their own tariffs on goods from the United States
&#8220;We&#8217;re trying to level the playing field,&#8221; Moore said
Moore also briefly touched on ongoing discussions about the future of U.S
which has been in negotiations for a possible sale by Japan&#8217;s Nippon Steel
&#8220;There are some big discussions at a very high level,&#8221; Moore said
The city of Weirton conducted a special council meeting Tuesday morning to vote on adopting the city&#x27;s official levy rates for 2025 and 2026
— The city of Weirton conducted a special council meeting Tuesday morning to vote on adopting the city&#x27;s official levy rates for 2025 and 2026
The rates are determined by the county assessor
The order passed locking the city into a new rate for the coming year
Weirton&#x27;s water problems in the winter impacted local businesses and their operations
so are businesses that had to undergo the water orders
— Weirton&#x27;s water problems in the winter impacted local businesses and their operations
The smell of freshly baked pizza wafts through the air in as DeFelice Brothers Pizza gears up for another dinner rush
the same dinner rush would have proven harder for the business
“We had to go out and buy gallons of water to make the dough with
We followed all procedures for the health department on sanitizing with the dishes and everything.&quot;
many restaurants had to react similarly to DeFelice or close until the mandatory orders subsided
with City Manager Mike Adams saying that the water tank levels are good and operations are normal
Shea says that business can get back to normal
&#x27;We didn&#x27;t think you were open because of all this.&#x27;&quot;
Shea said that she and her staff are still reminded of the pain they went through during the outage
&quot;It didn&#x27;t help with our sales very well at all
&quot;They were hit pretty bad just because everybody thought that we were closed because we have to use water to make our dough
When asked if the government is going to assist businesses impacted by the water problems
Mayor Dean Harris said in a statement – “The restaurants were not impacted by the water issue
Aside from using plastic due to the boil order
Shea and many others are still looking for answers and accountability
&quot;I think they should have helped us with the water situation because it was an expense for us,” Shea said
so we couldn&#x27;t just use what we had here
&quot;It really hurt this town a lot with the water.&quot;
NEW OPTIONS – Assistant City Manager DeeAnn Pulliam and Mayor Dean Harris discuss the city’s efforts to expand options for alerts to residents
WEIRTON &#8212; City officials are expanding their options when it comes to being able to alert residents of goings-on in the community
While the City of Weirton has had the opportunity to send alerts through e-mail and text messaging for several years
through either a cell phone or landline now also will have an opportunity
&#8220;It&#8217;s a one-call system,&#8221; explained Mayor Dean Harris in announcing the change Monday afternoon
Harris noted it was a situation his administration has been working on for the last few months
by concerns of communication access during the city-wide water outages earlier this year
In addition to alerts about water boil orders or sewer alerts
residents also may register to receive notifications for road closures
The system can offer alerts to everyone registered
or can be narrowed down to reach specific areas of the city
&#8220;This way we can get information to people where they are,&#8221; Harris said
&#8220;It&#8217;s important we have transparency.&#8221;
To receive alerts through text messages only
residents may text &#8220;Weirton&#8221; to 38276
those interested are asked to go online to www.cityofweirton.com
and follow the directions to create an account
Those who may have a family member with difficulty or lack of access to register online
may include those family members and their contact information under their own accounts
Harris offered his appreciation to Information Technology Director Brian Stewart
and Administrative Assistant Brandy Brock for their work to negotiate the system with CivicPlus
Pulliam reinforced the point the city has had an alert system available for several years
we&#8217;ve actually been notifying our residents by text and email,&#8221; she said
explaining approximately 1,000 individuals have been subscribed to that system
Those existing subscribers already have been transferred to the expanded system
and information to assist in guiding residents to sign up will be included in the city&#8217;s April billing statement
Harris also wanted to make certain residents understand the system is being offered through the City of Weirton
and additional questions can be submitted by calling (304) 797-8500
West Virginia Delegate Pat McGeehan made a move recently to try and find answers to why Weirton&#x27;s recent water woes occurred
— Weirton&#x27;s water troubles left many side effects - boil advisories
one large one remains - the question of why and how this happened
West Virginia Delegate Pat McGeehan made a move recently to try and find answers
and I just think it was right and proper to investigate the causes for how it came about,” McGeehan said
The West Virginia Public Service Commission will investigate
and McGeehan said he wants to see how the problem got as bad as it did
&quot;The state&#x27;s public service commission has jurisdiction over process
and so I think it&#x27;s certainly appropriate to ask them to get involved and provide answers for how this went from a problem to
While the official request noted many factors to be investigated
McGeehan said there is one lingering question he would like solved
&quot;One thing that probably needs answered is why the city severed one of their primary water sources during the cold weather months
which seems to have be a catalyst for the catastrophic
catastrophic failure of the water system,” McGeehan said
He said he had no comment and directed NEWS9 to the city attorney and the Weirton Area Water Board legal counsel
NEWS9 has not heard back from officials with the water board
&quot;I find it self-serving and destructive for our House of Delegates member to call for an investigation when he has never attended a city of Weirton Council meeting,” Gurrera said
“He&#x27;s never attended a Weirton Water Board meeting
He never contacted the city officials in order to help
He actually sat in his house instead of coming and delivering water to anybody
He never once offered any financial assistance to us
Maybe that&#x27;s the part that should be investigated as to why our House of Delegate member has done absolutely nothing to help out the city of Weirton.&quot;
But McGeehan said his call for investigation shows the exact opposite
but to learn from any mistakes that were made,” McGeehan said
“We just can&#x27;t allow such a thing to happen again
&quot;I just think the residents of Weirton really deserve some answers.&quot;
While the investigation has not yet started
McGeehan said the public service commission indicated it would start after this week
— The investigation into Weirton&#x27;s winter water crisis is moving forward with new developments
including a set deadline for its conclusion
Recent documents filed in the case reveal that the Weirton Area Water Board has submitted additional evidence following initial rejections by the Public Service Commission (PSC)
In response to a procedural order from April 10
filed public notices and press releases issued during the crisis
The documents detail a timeline of notices
starting with the first alert about low tank levels and pressure issues on December 10
over a week before a mandatory conservation notice was issued
A memo from the PSC&#x27;s April 16 meeting established a deadline for the investigation
&quot;The Commission will require staff to file its final report and recommendations by June 17
2025.&quot; The Water Board did not object to this timeline
the next step is a public comment session scheduled for this Wednesday at 6 p.m
and further updates will follow as the case progresses
 — Weirton&#x27;s water woes continue as Sunday brought yet another water line break in the city
Crews from Weirton&#x27;s water board responded to a line break on Adams Street
workers at the scene said no water service should have been disrupted
some Weirton residents are voicing their concerns over the water and the city&#x27;s infrastructure
Why they invest millions into capacity but zero into the lines
All the rate hikes and this is what we get
And we fully support the front line workers that had and have to pull these long hours to get water on...And don&#x27;t use this as another reason to raise rates
Start replacing the supply lines then we will be ok with rate hikes because we are benefiting from it.&quot;
&quot;The &#x27;leaders&#x27; aren&#x27;t doing what&#x27;s in the best interest of the people
&quot;...We&#x27;ve watched them make decisions against the best interest of the city and its residents
They made a plan to raise prices on the residents while at the same time squandering and misusing funds and grants
The water line breaks are so frequent in Weirton that the residents are required to boil
purchase water separately from the Weirton water
The subpar infrastructure has been a nuisance...&quot;
We reached out to Weirton&#x27;s utilities director and city manager
however they would not offer comment on the water situation at this time
Utilities Director Butch Mastrantoni says bottled water is no longer being handed out and the boil order is continuing
We will continue coverage on Weirton&#x27;s water--including the news conference being held Monday
For the first time in its two-month investigation
the West Virginia Public Service Commission heard comments from the residents of Weirton about the water crisis
— For the first time in its two-month investigation
the PSC heard firsthand how the water crisis affected residents
&quot;Because of the seriousness of the problem - not having water is a serious problem
especially in the middle of winter - because it lasted for a period of time
we decided that we needed to look into what the causes were and if there were any solutions,” PSC Chair Charlotte Lane said
Representatives from both sides shared their cases
including attorneys from the Weirton Area Water Board
They stated that the Raney well being offline did not contribute to the water issues
residents shared stories of rust-colored water in their washing machines
and children developing anxiety due to the lack of water
&quot;I appreciated both sides being presented,” resident John Kraina said
but I understand sometimes we have to let them know we care.&quot;
While some wanted more transparency and communication from the city
others had more concrete outcomes than they hoped for
&quot;What I would like to see is a refocus on trying to replace and refurbish the distribution system of the city
mostly the downtown area,” resident David Klar said
“That&#x27;s what really did cause the water crisis of 2024-25 in Weirton.&quot;
the desire of most residents was one of change and understanding
maybe we can get everybody working towards the common goal,” Kraina said
 — The city of Weirton is grappling with ongoing water issues
exacerbated by a recent water line break at the Cleveland Cliffs plant
The plant had been supplying water to the city
According to a statement from Mayor Dean Harris
&quot;We are still dealing with some breaks throughout the city
We are contracting with a company to assist in leak detection
Cleveland Cliffs had a water line break and has made the decision not to make the repairs to the line
essentially shutting down water flow to our lines
This line only fed our downtown area and does not impact the Weirton Heights area.&quot;
The city is working to address the situation and ensure water supply stability
News9 will continue to provide coverage of Weirton&#x27;s water situation
The new restroom facility at Marland Heights Park is nearing completion
the facility was designed by Mark Viola of PMV/SASI Architect and is anticipated to be the first of a series of improvement projects being planned for the park
The Weirton Board of Parks and Recreation has set a construction deadline of May 1
As part of a special organizational meeting held Monday evening
Weirton Mayor Dean Harris received city council’s approval for his four administrative appointments
Gurrera; City Judge Dean Makricostas; and City Manager Michael Adams
While Weirton City Council experiences numerous changes with the beginning of the new year
the city administration will have some consistency
Council met in special session Monday evening to organize under the terms of the city charter
we&#8217;re required to meet the first Monday after the term begins,&#8221; explained Harris
noting no other action would be taken beyond the appointments of city manager
to discuss the appointments of the four administrative posts
Harris nominated Michael Adams to the post of city manager; Vincent S
Gurrera as city attorney; Dean Makricostas as city judge; and W
All four held the same positions with the previous city administration
with each appointment receiving unanimous votes of approval from city council
&#8220;I&#8217;m looking forward to the next four years working with this council and administration,&#8221; Harris said
&#8220;I&#8217;m anxious to get started.&#8221; 
A lifelong Weirton resident who is retired from the West Virginia State Police
Kush has been chief of police since being appointed by former mayor Harold &#8220;Bubba&#8221; Miller in December 2020
He previously has served as a member of Weirton Council
and a member of the Weirton Board of Parks and Recreation
as well as working as an assistant prosecutor in Hancock County
This will be the third mayoral administration for Gurrera to serve as city attorney
stepping into the post under former mayor George Kondik
He also previously served as city judge and as an assistant prosecutor in Hancock County
Makricostas has been Weirton&#8217;s city judge since 2015
having also held similar positions for other area communities
along with time as Wellsburg&#8217;s city prosecutor
Weirton City Council will hold its first regular meeting of the year at 7 p.m
The Tyler County Board of Education voted Monday night to promote Tricia Feldmeier to the role of ..
Residents of Beech Bottom on Monday were still contending with a shortage of water following the severe storm which ..