Jessica Lilly, Author at West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Crews Complete Temporary Bridge Construction Near Hinton Sinkhole Site

West Virginia Division of Highways crews from across the state worked in Hinton over the weekend to construct a temporary bridge. It’s the second temporary solution to a large sinkhole that formed more than four months ago.

The bridge “kit” was prefabricated and put together beside the sinkhole on state Route 20.

The bridge is temporary until a permanent, 300-foot steel drainage structure under the road can be installed. The division hopes to put the permanent repair out for bid by late next month.

Earlier repair plans were halted after crews found toxic levels of lead on site. The department of highways plans to install a 300-foot steel drainage structure.

The sinkhole appeared in June in front of the Hinton Police station after a 90-year-old drain under the road failed. The sinkhole is unlike any other, with a very fine ash material washing away beneath both a police station and the roadway itself.

Crews worked over the summer to install a temporary culvert and fill material under the road. This worked until heavy rains washed out the material and made the sinkhole larger.

Route 20 in Hinton was reopened to traffic on Sunday, Nov. 20.

National Park Service Plans Demolition For Dilapidated Structures

The National Park Service (NPS) wants to demolish 16 structures in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

The NPS says the structures are hazardous, non-historic and abandoned. Dilapidated, overgrown conditions create maintenance burdens and areas that are vulnerable to trespassing. They expect to save about $800,000 a year in maintenance and law enforcement costs. The project already has funding from the Great American Outdoors Act and the Legacy Restoration Fund.

The money is part of an effort to address the extensive maintenance backlog in National Parks.

The public is invited to attend an open house on Thursday Dec. 8 in Glen Jean from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Glen Jean Bank to learn more about the NPS plans.

NPS expects the demolition will also free up staff and financial resources for maintaining other facilities and resources that park visitors can use.

The structures/areas to be removed through this project are:

Ajax Mines Grounds (Items to be removed include large pipes, mechanical apparatus, and fences)
Ajax Pump Station Building
Billy Jo Adkins House
Burnwood Maintenance Storage Building
Burnwood Ranger Storage Building
Burnwood Ranger Storage Shed
Clarence Plumley House, Meadow Creek
Dun Glen Boat Storage/Emergency Cache (Constructed by NPS)
Glade Creek Restroom
Glenwood Corp River Road Cabins (Structures have been removed. Next phase work will include remediating old septic systems and revegetating area)
Grandview Resource Stewardship Office
Jonny and Brenda Adkins House
Julian Mark Richmond House
Julian Mark Richmond Shed
Samuel Ames Garage
Samuel Ames House

Courtesy

The National Park Service plans to demolish more structures like this on the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.

Demolition could start as early as summer 2023. Additional information will be made available on the NPS’ planning website.

Second Temporary Sinkhole Solution Planned In Summers County

After months of trouble with a sinkhole in Summers County, the West Virginia Division of Highways plans to build a temporary bridge.

DOH crews will build the bridge so traffic can return on state Route 20 in Hinton. The temporary structure will be built beginning Friday, Nov. 18. The process includes attaching several bolts individually.

The bridge will sit above the sinkhole until permanent repairs to a collapsed drainage pipe can be made.

The sinkhole appeared in June in front of the Hinton Police station when a 90-year-old drain under the road failed.

Crews worked over the summer to install a temporary culvert and fill material under the road. This worked until heavy rains from Hurricane Nicole washed out the material on Friday, Nov. 11. This made the sinkhole larger.

Permanent construction plans were also halted after crews found toxic levels of lead on site. The department of highways plans to install a 300-foot steel drainage structure.

Crews from the WVDOH central office in Charleston, District 9, and District 10 will start work this weekend. The 125-foot bridge will be long enough to span the existing hole, even if the hole gets bigger before contractors can replace the collapsed drainage structure.

The detour during construction will be WV 3 (Hinton to Shady Spring), US 19 (Shady Spring to Beaver), WV 307 (Beaver to Airport Road), Interstate 64 (Airport Road to Sandstone), and WV 20 (Sandstone to Hinton).

While construction plans for a permanent repair have been hampered by the discovery of toxic levels of lead on site, Pack said WVDOH has come up with an alternate plan to fix the sinkhole without endangering the public, contractors or WVDOH work crews.

Pack said the WVDOH intends to complete plans to install a 300-foot steel drainage structure under the area and put a contract out to bid by the end of the year.

Free Water Operator Training Books Accessible In Bluefield

A library in Mercer County is one of six across the country selected to house training materials for water operators.

For a few months now, textbooks that help candidates prepare for the water operator exam have been available at the Craft Memorial Library in Bluefield. These materials, which usually cost between $90-$200 per book, were donated by the Southwest Environmental Finance Center (EFC) and Environmental Finance Center Network.

The pilot program is part of a larger project called “Building Technical, Managerial, and Financial (TMF) Capacity for Small Water Systems” that helps build and support the water workforce in the country.

The Southwest EFC access to training materials is critical for sustainable operations maintenance of small rural water systems.

West Virginia and the rest of the country are approaching what experts believe will be an “operator shortage” as workers retire.

Craft Memorial Library representatives – less than 5 people have checked out or used the materials.

Welch Veterans Day Parade Celebrates 104 Years

Parades to honor Veterans Day have become a tradition across the country, and no one has been doing it longer than the people who live in McDowell County.

The Veterans Day Parade in Welch will march through town for the 104th time this year. The annual parade is the longest continually running Veterans Day Parade in the country. It’s one of the largest events in McDowell County, and serves to commemorate the service and sacrifice made for the United States.

Welch Mayor Harold McBride said holding the parade in McDowell makes sense as the county has the most veterans per capita in the state.

The parade ends in Welch in front of the large parking garage with performances and speeches. Steve Mooney is the Director of Operations for the West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance and is the featured parade speaker.

Mooney, a retired U.S. Army Warrant Officer, oversees 14 benefits and claims offices, and a staff of 34, which include regional supervisors, veterans service officers and assistants. His department leads the state’s push to direct U.S. Veterans Affairs benefits and cash to West Virginia veterans.

Last year, West Virginia veterans received more than $2.5 billion in assistance.

“Despite the many changes Welch and McDowell county has seen in the past 104 years, our commitment in the area to respecting our military service in West Virginia, is a source of pride for me, and I hope it will continue indefinitely,” said American Legion Post 8 Commander Jan Williams. “I’m honored to lead the parade in 2022 and I look forward to attending the 105th celebration next year.”

Small Town Firehouse Crumbling From The ‘Ground Up’

The Mullens Fire Department building is at risk of washing away, according to Fire Chief Justin England. He said the building itself is solid but the foundation is eroding from underneath. The building is located along the Guyandotte River in Wyoming County.

England said firefighters noticed a crack in the bay floor that lead them outside to see the damage. He said it’s an urgent matter because the right situation and the building could crumble to the ground.

Rebuilding or repairing at the current location isn’t an option since the river will continue to pose the same hazard.

The Mullens Fire Department is working with Region One Planning and Development Council to search for funding. The Council is one of 11 in the state that utilizes federal, state, and local funding to assist with projects concerning infrastructure development, and other facilities.

The department hopes to find funding to construct a new building in town just a few blocks over.

Without a solution, England worries about the community.

The building is used to house and protect equipment. England says the town’s fire house is often called a “light of the community” hosting hotdog dinners, toy drives and more.