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Morgantown among safest cities in W.Va. according to report

Morgantown’s 2018 crime rate fell below the state and national average, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “These numbers reflect the vigilance of both the citizens of the community and the Morgantown Police Department, and their persistence of keeping crime down and the ...

Lithia Motors interested in expanding in region

Lithia Motors Inc., which acquired Freedom Ford — now known as Ford Lincoln of Morgantown — confirmed it is interested in expanding its presence in the area. Lithia acquired Freedom Ford in June, the first West Virginia dealership for publicly traded Lithia, one of the nation’s largest automobile dealerships. The purchase price was not disclosed. “I can tell you Lithia is always open to opportunities that help strengthen our organization, specifically if there’s a fit within a region where we’ve already acquired stores,” said Leslie Ozer, regional marketing manager for ...

Preston County Commission denied Solid Waste Management Board Grant for new glass recycling center

KINGWOOD — A Solid Waste Management Board Grant request was not approved for this year, according to Don Smith. Smith represents the Preston County Commission on the board. Money from the grant was going to be used to add a recycling center near Terra Alta. “There was no problem with what we were doing,” Smith said. “It was the location. It was too close to Terra Alta.” He said Terra Alta currently has a recycling center. Board members discussed information about a GP-05L System used to recycle glass. Smith said the system is 35 feet long and has to be housed indoors. ...

Manager of Middletown Mall admits to bankruptcy and tax fraud

Dietrich S. Fansler, manager of Pin Oak Properties, admitted to bankruptcy fraud and tax fraud, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced. Fansler, of Morgantown, is the managing member of Pin Oak Properties LLC, which operated Middletown Mall in Fairmont. Fansler, 59, pleaded guilty to one count of fraudulent concealment of bankruptcy estate assets and one count of willful failure to pay over tax. Fansler filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June 2017. Between June 2017 and January 2018, Fansler collected rent from the tenants of the mall and was required to deposit that money ...

PHS teacher wins appreciation award, money for classroom

KINGWOOD — A “glowing recommendation” from a parent won Preston High teacher Caralea Warnick the 2019 Dino Colombo Law Firm Teacher Appreciation Award. On Tuesday, attorney Jon Godwin, of Colombo Law, presented Warnick with a $200 gift card to use to buy supplies for her classroom. ...

Plasma drive for PANDAS all Oct. in Clarksburg

Debbie Nelson would sincerely love it if you rolled up your sleeve next month in Clarksburg. The act of rolling up one’s sleeve is what saved her son’s emotional health. He started coming out of it on the same day after receiving an injection. After six torturous years, that’s all she needed to know. It went back to the winter he was in second grade. She doesn’t say the name of her son, who is now recovered and attending college, out of respect for his privacy. He was battling a sore throat, and she didn’t think all that much about it as she bundled him up on ...