Hopes waning for park bonds

After several meetings with state officials in Charleston, the Morgan County Commissioners said last week that their hopes of seeing a Cacapon State Park expansion project funded this year have been dampened.

Senate Bill 362, which would have authorized the sale of bonds to pay for the $23.5 million expansion and upgrade project, appears to be out of favor with legislators and Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, said the commissioners. Bond payments would have come from video lottery revenue.

The bill would also have funded improvements at Beech Fork State Park, which have not yet been engineered, said officials.

Commission President Stacy Dugan said Thursday she thinks the Cacapon project may have a better chance of being funded in phases, with an initial emphasis on features like upgrades to the wastewater treatment system.