Area News
Delta variant, more contagious version of COVID-19, confirmed in Morgan County
by Kate Shunney West Virginia health officials are tracking the variant strains of COVID-19 and have confirmed the presence of the Delta (India-based) variant in Morgan County. This is the strain of the respiratory virus responsible for the current upswing in COVID illnesses across the U.S. As of Monday, July 26, there have been three…
Read MoreChild drowns Saturday in southern Morgan County
West Virginia State Police are still looking into the circumstances surrounding the drowning of a two-year old girl in southern Morgan County on Saturday, July 24. Morgan County 911 received an emergency call at 10:19 a.m. on Saturday morning for a possible drowning at a residence in the 12000 block of Valley Road. South Morgan…
Read MorePaw Paw officials set process to fill empty council seats
by Kate Shunney Two Town of Paw Paw council seats left empty by a shortage of candidates in the town’s June municipal election are set to be filled on August 3, according to town officials. Under the town’s charter, elected council members will appoint qualified town residents to the serve on the five-member council. Paw…
Read MoreCounty seeking town’s involvement in water, sewer line extension
by Trish Rudder & Kate Shunney Morgan County Commissioner Sean Forney will meet with the Bath Town Council at its July 27 meeting to request the town extend its public water system south along U.S. 522. Councilman Chris Chapman said Forney met with the town’s water committee on July 12 regarding a proposed water line…
Read MoreGolden to serve 11-50 years on drug dealing, weapon charges
Morgan County Circuit Judge Debra McLaughlin sentenced Berkeley Springs resident Robert D. Golden Jr., 53, of Tower Circle, to 11-50 years in prison following his conviction for multiple drug dealing charges and a weapons charge stemming from an investigation by the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department in 2020. In May, Golden had pled guilty to three…
Read MoreCicadas leave their mark: tree “flagging” visible from egg-laying for next brood
by Kate Evans Residents may have noticed hanging-down clusters of brown leaves on certain trees on their property or have an abundance of brown leaf clusters on twigs and small branches falling to the ground from the ends of tree branches. The tree damage is the aftermath of the invasion of the Brood X 17-year…
Read MoreMorgan County lags behind state in COVID vaccination rate
by Lisa Schauer As of Monday, July 12, the percentage of people in Morgan County who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 is lower than any other county in West Virginia except Mingo. Statewide, 42.2% of West Virginia residents are fully vaccinated against the virus, according to the West Virginia Department of Health & Human Resources.…
Read MoreSheriff’s part-time deputies get pay increase, county approves hires & bonuses
by Trish Rudder Morgan County Sheriff K.C. Bohrer asked for and received some desired outcomes for his department from the Morgan County Commissioners at their July 7 meeting. Bohrer asked for an increase in the starting pay rate from $17.54 to $18.82 per hour for the part-time deputies. He said three new deputies – Bill…
Read MoreCase of animal hoarding still under investigation, police say
by Geoff Fox The seizure of more than 100 animals from a Hancock-area residence has not yet led to criminal charges by police agencies according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. On June 8, members of the Humane Society of Washington County and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence east of Hancock…
Read MoreDNR opens applications for controlled state park deer hunts, including Cacapon
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is now accepting applications to participate in controlled deer hunts at seven state parks. Controlled hunts are scheduled this fall at Beech Fork, Blennerhassett, Canaan Valley, Cacapon, North Bend, Stonewall and Twin Falls state parks. Hunters have from July 1 to August 30 to apply. Drawing for the…
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