Justice gives final State of the State address tonight

January 10, 2024

CHARLESTON — In his first State of the State address seven years ago, Gov. Jim Justice spread his arms wide, moaned and gave his formal audience an impression of Frankenstein’s monster — his version of the shambling financial beast that had stalked the state’s budget. “I always thought, if you got caught by Frankenstein, you deserved to die,” Justice said at the end of his address and inspiring the laughter of delegates, senators and Supreme Court justices. “Let me tell you just this. If we don’t do anything, if all we do is kick the can down the road and all we do ...

DOH gearing up for West Run widening work

January 9, 2024

MORGANTOWN — Morgantown’s Anderson Excavating has been awarded a $14,475,154.74 contract to widen a portion of West Run Road.  Dirar Ahmad, representing DOH Traffic and Engineering Division, told The Dominion Post in July the state was acquiring rights-of-way for the project ...

Finance chair questions disaster relief hiring practice, items taken

January 9, 2024

The Senate Finance chairman grilled the director of West Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster about its financial practices. The organization is involved with disaster relief in West Virginia, drawing down public dollars to support those efforts. VOAD was among the organizations leading relief efforts from West Virginia’s devastating 2016 flood, along with the National Guard. VOAD’s former finance and operations manager, Benjamin Cisco, was charged last spring with several counts of fraud and money laundering. He has a sentencing hearing at 11 a.m. Thursday ...

Energy Regulatory Commission declines invitation to revisit Lake Lynn Dam issue

January 5, 2024

MORGANTOWN — The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Friday declined an invitation submitted jointly by the Monongalia County Commission and Planning Commission to revisit Lake Lynn Dam and gather more public input. FERC said it doesn't need to return at this time. The two Mon ...

Former MPD detective selected as coordinator for sexual assault kit testing initiative

January 3, 2024

MORGANTOWN — As it does every year, the Monongalia County Commission opened its first meeting of 2024 with a passing of the gavel.  Sean Sikora will serve as the body’s president this year.   Tom Bloom, who served as president in 2023, is up for reelection in November. Bloom ...

Wriston updates on progress of Corridor H

January 2, 2024

BY MIKE NOLTING At more than 50 years and counting, state officials hope a large final section of Corridor H can be under construction in the next year. State Transportation Secretary Jimmy Wriston, recently acknowledged the priority on the final episode of WV On The DOT podcast of 2023. More than 120 miles of Corridor H are now open, and the two sections left to complete are a 10-mile section from Parsons to Davis and the section on the far eastern end from Wardensville, Hardy County, to the Virginia border. “We need to get that road moving, and we need to get that road ...