Local News

FAIRMONT, W.Va. – In May, Marion County residents will be asked to support the animal shelter program.

On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” President of the Marion County Humane Society Executive Board Donna Long said the organization is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping abused, abandoned, neglected, and owner-surrendered dogs and cats. The shelter, located at 2731 Locust Avenue in Fairmont, has a capacity of about 100 animals.

“It’s a three-year levy that will support shelter operations,” Long said. “The total amount of the levy is $400,000.”

The facility used through June of last year had a capacity of about 30 animals, and many were restricted to cages due to space concerns. Now, the facility offers larger rooms that encourage socialization. The new shelter also has improved ventilation, including a negative air pressure system that prevents the spread of airborne pathogens.

“It’s a real necessity; the old shelter was in disrepair,” Long said. “We went from a 3,000-square-foot facility to one that is almost 12,000 square feet.”

The shelter director, Jonna Spatafore, said adopting from the shelter is not only a great value, but it also helps the community and turns an animal into a forever home.

“The adoption fee is approximately $175, and they come with approximately what would cost you $755 at the vet,” Spatafore said. “Cats are $75, and they come with what would cost about $485 at the vet.”

According to information from the shelter, the cost of the levy for a person with a home assessed at $120,000 in value would be $14.40 annually. For a business owner with the same assessed value, the cost would be about $28.80.

“The levy will support shelter operations, and we will continue to tirelessly fundraise to pay the debt service,” Long said. “We just need a little help from the community.”

The primary election day is May 14, 2024.

MONONGALIA COUNTY, W.Va. The Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department has identified the person killed in a Wednesday evening truck crash as Bradley Fairman, 57, of Fairmont.

Deputies were called to Smithtown Road near the intersection with Smithtown School Road at 7:21 p.m. and found a truck had struck a large culvert.

When the first responders got to Fairman, he was unresponsive and was later pronounced dead.

The crash investigation is ongoing, according to Sheriff Perry Palmer.

Volunteer firefighters from Triune Halleck and Clinton District, Mon EMS, and Marion EMS assisted at the scene.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A jury has found a 39-year-old Morgantown man has been convicted of possessing and receiving child pornography in federal court.

FBI agents identified the IP address of Christopher Harp active in sending and receiving illegal images via a peer-to-peer network. A subsequint search located hundreds of illegal images and videos, some with children under the age of 12.

“Protecting young people is one of our most important responsibilities at the Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney William Ihlenfeld. “Whenever we identify someone who is engaged in this type of activity, we devote all resources necessary to hold the offender accountable and prevent further victimization of the children involved.”

The sentencing date has not been set.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — National Drug Take Back Day is Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at several locations across Monongalia County.

Spokesman for the United States Drug Enforcement Agency Kevin McWilliams said nationwide they expect to collect hundreds of thousands of pounds of unused or expired medications. In West Virginia, that number number could top 5,000 this year.

“Last year we collected nearly 600,000 pounds and in West Virginia we took in about 4,300 pounds,” McWilliams said.

According to McWilliams, many addiction issues begin with unsecured medication in the home and this is a way to prevent your family from becoming a statistic.

“That small step can have a big impact on community health,” McWilliams said. “We know often times the road to opioid abuse begins at the home medicine cabinet.”

Collection sites will accept tablets, capsules, patches, and other forms of prescription drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container with the cap tightly sealed. Vaping devices and cartridges will be accepted as long as lithium batteries are removed.

Collection sites do not accept syringes, sharps, and illicit drugs.

“What we’re looking for is medications, everything is anonymous,” McWilliams said. “Just bundle it up, drop it off and we’re going to dispose of it in a safe manner.”

In Monongalia County, unwanted or expired prescription drugs can be dropped off at Kroger locations, the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department, Morgantown Police Department, Pierpont Landing Pharmacy, Mon General Hospital, and Heritage Point.

“Log on to DEA-Take-Back-DOT-COM and you’ll get a list of collection sites near you,” McWilliams said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts 14,675 people died last year of prescription opioid poisoning or overdose.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The largest and most complex international live-fire cyber defense exercise in the world has wrapped up in the West University Coliseum. Locked Shields 24 involves 40 countries, 3,000 participants, 193 in West Virginia and is presented by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Centre of Excellence.

Vice President for Economic Innovation at West Virginia University Jim Hoyer spoke on behalf of President Gordon Gee during the final press call of the event. Hoyer told the group of international participants this exercise is especially important to the WVU Land Grant Mission of solving problems and improving quality of life.

“Thanks to Cyber Com and JFHQ DODIN (Joint Force Headquarters – Department of Defense Information Network),” Hoyer said. “You have given us the opportunity to be a part of serving the national mission, solving national problems and we greatly appreciate that opportunity.”

Chief of Staff for United States Cyber Command Joint Force Headquarters DODIN, Mr. Bill Walker said it is very rare to participate in an international live-fire exercise and the lessons learned are significant. In many cases lessons learned in Locked Shields are quickly moved into the operational realm following the event.

“Working with our allies and partners bolsters our ability to shape the operational cyber environment to more effectively and decisively conduct integrated deterrence, engage in active competition and to build an enduring advantage,” Walker said.

Toney Stroud, Marshall University Chief Legal Officer, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Corporate Relations said the 75,000 Cyber Security Center for Excellence is in the design phase right now. The building will have up to 13 labs, an academic space, and technology needed to facilitate and teach cyber security. Groundbreaking for the building is set for May 17 and will be attended by WVU President Gordon Gee, Marshall University President Brad Smith, Lt. Gen. Robert J. Skinner, Director of the Defense Information Systems Agency and the Commander of the Joint Force Headquarters- Department of Defense Information Network and Brig. Gen. Heather Blackwell, Director of Cyberspace and Information Dominance, and Chief Information Officer, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.

“There will also have a SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility), so very excited about this,” Stroud said. “This is going to be a transformative building for the state of West Virginia and we’re really appreciate how Governor Justice and the State Legislature has leaned in and invested $45 million.”

Walker said once facilities in Morgantown at WVU, in Huntington at Marshall University they will have the same cyber security tools used by the federal government. Students entering the program will have access to the most sophisticated cyber defense tools, equipment, and input from federal professionals as they learn the skill.

“Students will also be able to use hands-on, real world technologies and facilities that look, smell, and act like the ones at the Department of Defense,” Walker said.

Walker said the decision was made to establish the Cyber Security Center for Excellence after a series of meetings with General Hoyer and West Virginia National Guard Adjutant General Bill Crane. Those meetings resulted in the introduction to WVU President Gordon Gee and Marshall University President Brad Smith who showed them the resources and tolls available to them and negotiations began.

“They opened the doors fully,” Walker said. ” They are willing to create curriculum for our workforce, they are willing to provide different venues to display that curriculum, and work with us on research and engineering projects.”

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – On Thursday, detectives from the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department arrested Rick Allen Cordes, 49, of Morgantown for first-degree murder in connection with the shooting on Fallen Water Lane on Friday, April 19.

Detectives said the victim, Jennifer Hribar, 39, of Morgantown, died of an apparent gunshot wound to the back of the head.

The investigation determined that Cordes and Hribar went to two establishments in the Cheat Lake area on the night of the shooting. Surveillance footage at each location shows the two were involved in a verbal disagreement that got the attention of the staff at both locations. Staff members told detectives they had staff members monitor Cordes because they feared the verbal altercation could become physical.

Hribar was found at the scene with a gunshot wound to the back of the head, and detectives recovered a pistol they believed to have been used in the shooting. Cordes told detectives he had contact with the grip of the pistol, and the trigger could have been pulled by both he and Hribar.

Detectives noted that during initial conversations with MECCA 911 dispatchers, first responders, and detectives, the description of events Cordes provided changed several times.

Magistrate Nabors has arrested Cordes, and no bond has been set.

Detectives said the investigation is ongoing and are asking anyone with additional information to contact the Monongalia Sheriff’s Department at 304-291-7260.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. –– State and local leaders broke ground for a $11 million KOA campground and officially opened the new turf fields and pickleball courts on Wednesday.

Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Tourism Chelsea Ruby celebrated the day as a win for local residents and a win for the growing state tourism industry. Tourism in West Virginia generates $7 billion and supports at least 50 jobs.

“Today is an incredible accomplishment for this community, which has worked really hard not only to develop a community asset but also one that people from across the country are traveling to,” Ruby said.

General Manager of the Mylan Park KOA Campground, Frank Witt, said the campground will be on 35 acres of reclaimed mine land on the south side of the park. The park will consist of a lodge, 148 spaces for recreational vehicles, four cabins, and four tent spaces. Campers will have access to water, electricity, WiFi, and all activities offered at the park while they are in operation.

“The lodge is where people come to register, do group activities, and congregate,” Witt said. “We’ll have a cornhole, bocce ball, and a kids play area, so it’s a center of attention.”

The Mylan Park facility will join the KOA statewide network that includes the Flatwoods KOA Journey, Harppers Ferry/Civil War Battlefields KOA Holiday, and the Huntington/Fox Fire Holiday.

“If you look at the accommodation sector of the tourism economy, RV camping is one of the fastest-growing things,” Ruby said. “This is something where we don’t have enough capacity in West Virginia; we have more campers than we have spots.”

As the ground-breaking was being held, participants and spectators were arriving for the Black Diamond Cluster Dog Show. The parking lot in the center of the facility was filling up with RVs that would have likely been going to the Mylan Park KOA Campground rather than the middle of a parking lot.

The turf fields were funded through local efforts and a $3.5 million grant from the West Virginia Development Authority. This includes a returf of the multi-purpose field located at the lower portion of the baseball and softball complex and the addition of a grass soccer field, making seven field upgrades in total. Also, six outdoor pickleball courts were officially opened.

“People right now are in the parking lot, and they’re here for different events in December, January, and February, and now with the turf fields that will get more year-round play, you’ll see more of that focus,” Witt said.

Mylan Park started with 30 acres donated by Milan Puskar in 1999. 25 years later, the park is more than 1,000 acres, with a variety of facilities added over the years based on community needs.

“What it does for our county, our region, and our area for people of all ages and all sectors of life, as well as our economic growth in our community, is just fantastic,” Mark Nessleroad, one of the park’s founders and board members, said.