Duncan Slade, Author at West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Point Pleasant River Museum Breaks Ground On New Building

Museum staff broke ground on Monday for a new building to house the Point Pleasant River Museum and Lakin Ray Cook Learning Center.

Following a fire that gutted the Old Nease Building, the previous home of the museum, the museum staff has been working to raise funds for a new building.

Smoke rolling out of the roof of the Point Pleasant River Museum on the day of the fire.

“Once it is built and fully operational, you’re going to be able to experience a ‘wow.’” said James McCormick, executive director of the museum. “You’re going to learn things about the history of the museum, the history of the river.”

Many of the artifacts were saved after the fire for the reopened museum. The new building will resemble a flatboat like those that used to travel up and down the Kanawha and Ohio rivers.

“The architecture of the design of this building, I mean it’s gorgeous,” McCormick said.

The facilities will also house the Lakin Ray Cook Learning Center, a training center with riverboat simulators for inland waterway navigation, as well as an attraction for the general public.

There are only six training centers in the country and only three on the east side of the Mississippi River. McCormick said the new facility will offer a better electrical situation for the simulators and put Point Pleasant on the map as a designation for riverboat training.

In addition to training, McCormick said he also plans to offer history preservation classes at the center. McCormick hosts a show about rare artifacts and discoveries on West Virginia Library Television and said he will use that knowledge to expand the museum’s archaeological operation.

“This area always, always turns up layers of artifacts,” said McCormick. “The river is loaded not only with artifacts but history, because there was so much that was going on, that was dependent on the river.”

Point Pleasant, and its waterways, share a storied kinship with America’s history.

The town earned its name after George Washington commented that the intersection of Ohio and Kanawha rivers was a “pleasant point” in 1770. The Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774 pre-dated the battle of Lexington and Concord and is considered by some to be the first battle of the American Revolution.

In 1908, the U.S. Senate recognized the Battle of Point Pleasant as the first of the American Revolution. The measure failed in the House of Representatives.

For two decades, museum founder and former executive director Jack Fowler has chronicled the history of West Virginia’s waterways. He passed away last year at the age of 85.

“Our prayer was that he could be the first to open that door,” Point Pleasant Mayor Brian Billings said to the Huntington Herald-Dispatch at the time. “Now he’s not.”

Construction on the building is scheduled to be completed in August and McCormick said the museum will reopen to the public in the fall.

When that day comes, he looks forward to welcoming the community back. Through teaching history classes for kids, he said he’s seen the impact of hands-on history education.

“We want to work with the local community, we want to work with the kids in the area,” he said. “I want to make history come alive.”

UK Variant Detected In West Virginia, WVU Students

Three cases of the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7, or commonly known as the UK Variant, have been detected in north central West Virginia, state health officials announced Friday evening.

“While the presence of this COVID-19 variant in West Virginia is not surprising, it’s a good motivator for us to double down on the prevention efforts we’ve had in place for many months now,” said Dr. Ayne Amjad, West Virginia’s state health officer, in a statement Friday.

Two of the three cases are West Virginia University students, according to a Saturday announcement from university officials. Additionally, they said the university is conducting contact tracing in collaboration with the Monongalia County Health Department.

Last week, the university reported a weekly 3.53% positive rate from 3,143 tests conducted. 111 positive cases of the virus were reported.

It is believed the three individuals are related to each other and have not visited the WVU campus while they were infectious, according to a university press release.

Forty-two states had previously detected the B.1.1.7 variant that originated in the United Kingdom and scientists believe it is more contagious than the original COVID-19 strain. The CDC reports all states bordering West Virginia had already detected the variant and 1,523 cases of the variant have been detected nationwide.

Early data shows the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines offer protection against the B.1.1.7 variant but just 9% of West Virginia’s population has been fully vaccinated.

“It is critically important that everyone (vaccinated and unvaccinated) continue to mask up, physically distance and wash our hands, particularly at this time when there’s light at the end of the tunnel,” Dr. Sally Hodder, associate vice president for clinical and translational research at WVU, said in a statement on Saturday. “We don’t want to shoot ourselves in the foot.”

Testing labs at both WVU and Marshall University have partnered with the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources to conduct genetic sequences tests of COVID-19 and to detect variants.

More information on the recently detected B .1.1.7 variant can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.

“Now that we have this confirmation, as Gov. Justice always says, it’s not time to be fearful, it’s time to be smart,” Amjad said. “All West Virginians should continue hand-washing, social distancing, proper mask-wearing, testing, and everyone should get vaccinated when it’s their turn.”

WVU Plans In-Person Commencement, More Normal Fall Semester As Covid Cases Drop

West Virginia University administrators announced plans to hold an in-person commencement ceremony in May amid improving public health conditions. The plan was announced in a virtual campus forum Thursday.

Last spring, graduates had their graduation ceremony canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s ceremony will be held on May 15-16 at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown.

Both 2020 and 2021 classes will be able to walk across the stage in May, offering students and families the opportunity to celebrate earning degrees. Masks will be required at graduation and guests will be limited, the university said.

The announcement was one in a series of loosening campus pandemic restrictions as cases of the virus are declining statewide and the university plans to have all employees over 50 vaccinated by the end of March.

Officials said employees and faculty under 50 and the general student population will be vaccinated through community centers in accordance with the state’s rollout plan.

“We are hopeful that everyone will be vaccinated by the end of summer,” said Provost Maryanne Reed. “As such as we are planning to return to a normal, on-campus fall semester.”

Student organizations and club sports teams will return to limited in-person activities and on-campus tours of admitted high school seniors will resume on March 1.

Still, Reed tempered her optimism reminding students and faculty that the university will remain vigilant and responsive to ever-changing public health conditions.

“We will adapt to the reality on the ground, whatever that is come fall,” she said.

Tens Of Thousands Without Power After Latest Ice Storm

Gov. Jim Justice declared a state of emergency in four counties Tuesday after an overnight winter storm coated trees with ice and brought down power lines.

Sixty percent of homes in Cabell, Wayne, Putnam and Lincoln counties are without power Tuesday following the latest winter storm to batter the region.

As of midday Tuesday, Appalachian Power reports 91,000 customers without power with a third of them in Cabell County. The company also reported outages in Wayne, Putnam, Lincoln, Jackson, Mason, Kanawha, and Marshall counties.

Some residents are going on a week without power after an initial ice storm last Wednesday and it’s unclear when power will be restored.

“We recognize some customers remain without service from the Feb. 11 ice storm, and are doing our best to prioritize service restoration to those customers,” the company wrote in a statement.

Appalachian Power has nearly 1,500 workers on the ground and has temporarily suspended estimated restoration times due to the large number of outages, according to the statement.

Several emergency warming shelters have been opened in the Cabell county area. Masks and social distancing are required at all.

The Salvation Army at 1227 3rd Ave. in Huntington will be open until at least 8 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17. Hot meals will be provided
The A.D. Lewis Community Center at 1450 A.D. Lewis Ave. in Huntington is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
The Barboursville Community Center at 721 Central Ave. opened at 8 a.m. on Tuesday.

Appalachian Power serves a half-million customers across southern and central West Virginia.

Mon Power provides power to the northern part of the state and reports around 4,000 outages in areas south of Parkersburg as of midday Tuesday.

Motorists are encouraged to stay home if possible as downed power lines and trees have blocked roadways. The Public Works Department of the City of Huntington cleared a couple of dozen roads since Monday night with about a dozen more to go.

Cabell, Putnam, Jackson, Wirt, Roane and Kanawha county schools closed Tuesday as well as Marshall University.

This is the second winter storm in the region over the last week to coat trees with ice and snap power lines.

Another winter storm is predicted later this week and the National Weather Service has placed much of eastern Kentucky, West Virginia, and western Virginia under a Winter Storm Watch from Wednesday evening to Friday morning.

Significant snow and ice accumulations are possible and could lead to more outages, according to the weather service.

Audit: W.Va. Catholic Church Claimed $2 Million in Federal Small Business Relief Funds

The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston received an almost $2 million loan from federal COVID-19 relief, according to an audit released Friday.

As the church faced a considerable revenue decline due to the pandemic and corresponding economic recession, it applied for a federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in April and secured $1,996,372 through the program.

“There was no reason for our church employees, who pay taxes, to lose their jobs and possibly their homes when the government was making funds available precisely to keep people at work,” wrote Bishop Mark Brennan in a letter released with the audit Friday.

The funds were used to pay employee salaries and healthcare, according to accompanying documents. PPP loans are eligible for forgiveness if used for payroll and other select expenses, and the diocese plans to apply for forgiveness from the federal government.

While many dioceses rely on local parish contributions to fund operations, the West Virginia diocese relies on stock investment and mineral rights. Brennan wrote that the diocesan financial portfolio took a significant hit in the early months of the pandemic as both the stock market and oil prices declined.

As a result, the diocese cut staffing costs through early retirement options and attrition, restructured the diocesan health care plan, and permanently closed pastoral centers in Huttonsville and Kearneysville, leaving just the Charleston center open.

Brennan wrote that the diocese does not plan to apply for the second round of PPP funding under the latest federal relief bill passed in December.

“Some parishes, schools and Catholic charities do need that help, however, and the diocese will help those who qualify apply for it,” he wrote.

While the church received $2 million in federal relief it likely won’t have to repay, it finished the fiscal year 2020 with assets totaling $205 million in the form of cash, securities and mineral rights, according to the audit.

This was down from $223 million in total assets in 2019. The audit found that the diocese aims to draw only 5% of total assets annually but from 2019 to 2020 drew down around 8%.

An Associated Press investigation of the PPP published earlier this week found the Roman Catholic church nationwide received upwards of $3 billion while sitting on over $10 billion in cash, making it perhaps the largest single beneficiary of the program intended to provide loans to small businesses

In the past fiscal year, the diocese continued to untangle the financial and sexual scandals of the former bishop Michael Bramsfield.

The controversial Bishop’s Fund, a $17 million non-profit created by the former bishop to funnel money into projects around the state, was dissolved in early 2020 and the proceeds were used to formally separate the Wheeling hospital from the diocese.

As Pope Francis forbid Bramsfield from residing again in the state, the diocese also sold the former bishop’s residence for $1.2 million and canceled the lease on his Wheeling retirement home. Combine with $441,000 the disgraced bishop paid in restitution, a $1.6 million account was created for outreach to victims of sexual assault and abuse.

“Money cannot heal emotional and religious wounds, however, so we must keep praying and reaching out to victims and others affected by sexual harassment and abuse,” wrote Brennan.

Oil and gas royalties are a primary source of liquidity for the diocese, according to the audit. Mineral rights owned by the diocese on oil and gas in Texas, lost $3.2 million in 2020 and an additional $6.4 million in 2019.

“The current international energy environment enhances the volatility of the oil and gas industry,” Auditors wrote. “Changes in this environment could also have a significant impact on both the value of the assets recorded and the oil and gas royalties received.”

During a conversation on the economy and climate change with community leaders and Sen. Joe Manchin (R-W.Va.) in December of last year, Brennan said the diocese was considering divesting in oil and gas companies and was critically examining its mineral rights assets.

He expressed concern over climate change and the economic stability of these assets.

“To immediately let go of our ownership of the land that produces the gas and oil that sustains many of our parishes and schools and other agencies, that’s not going to happen tomorrow,” Brennan said. “But we are going to take a real look at it.”

Lawmakers, Advocates Call To Fully Fund State Oil And Gas Regulator

A group of lawmakers, environmental advocates, and representatives of private property owners called for the state legislature to fully fund the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Oil and Gas on Thursday

The office handles inspections and permits for over 67,000 natural gas and oil wells across the state. Last summer, the office had to cut its staff from 40 to 25 due to a downturn in new drilling.

At a press conference on Thursday, Del. Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia, said the office’s recent budgetary shortfalls present both a public health and environmental issue.

“Worst case scenario, if these wells are not properly inspected and maintained there’s an explosion risk or other types of bad things can happen to people who live nearby or people who work on these sites,” he said.

Hansen said he plans to co-sponsor legislation that will impose an annual $100 fee on active wells and return the office to full staff.

Dustin White of the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition says his organization is deeply concerned about the cuts and urges the legislature to find funding.

The office relies on permit fees for the bulk of its funding and due to the pandemic, new drilling has slowed down significantly.

State Senator William Ihlenfeld, D-Ohio, a member of the Senate Energy Committee also voiced concerns over staff cuts.

“These inspectors do really important work for us,” he said. “According to the DEP, we have over 55,000 active wells and over 12,000 inactive oil and gas wells. And we have thousands of abandoned wells so there’s a lot of work to be done, a lot of territory to cover.”

Dave McMahon of the West Virginia Surface Owners’ Rights Organization said more oversight of the oil and gas industry was needed and current staffing levels at the agency are not sufficient.

The state senate passed a bill last year to provide the office additional funds but it did not make it into law. The request for full funding comes ahead of the legislative session beginning Feb. 10.