Tag: City of Huntington

Huntington Unveiling WiFi in Selected Area

The City of Huntington is making progress in its efforts to roll out free wireless internet to the public.

Huntington’s WiFI initiative is part of a one-year pilot project with WVNET. The WiFi is only available at Pullman Square for now, a downtown shopping area according to Huntington Mayor Steve Williams. The public can access the network by checking their WiFi settings and clicking on the “Welcome to Huntington” network.

The network is limited to the shopping center as the city and WVNET wanted to test the signal strength and connection from the antenna placed on top of the Visual Arts Center to the main antenna on top of Drinko Library at Marshall.

If the initial test works, WiFi will be rolled out to the rest of the downtown area next year. The public WiFi uses free white space not being used by broadcast television in the area. 

Huntington Receives $100K to Study Crime

The Huntington Police Department was awarded a $100,000 grant Monday from the U.S. Department of Justice to study a crime ridden area of the city.The…

The Huntington Police Department was awarded a $100,000 grant Monday from the U.S. Department of Justice to study a crime ridden area of the city.

The grant is part of the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program.

Huntington Police Department’s Grant Administrative Officer Rod Pell said the award allows the office to begin the planning phase of ridding downtown Huntington, or city council district three, of crime.

“Roughly, over a three year period, that district three reflected almost 28 percent of all part one violent offenses for the city and over 20 percent of all part one property offenses city wide also,” Pell said.

“It’s concerning because district three is geographically the second smallest city council district.”

The department has identified questions, like what drives crime in the area and where can the city collaborate to decrease it.

The grant also allows Huntington PD to team with the Center for Business and Economic Research at Marshall University and a private business called Collective Impact to find the answers to those questions.

Next year, Huntington will apply for a second grant to implement the solutions they identify.

Residents of Northcott Look Forward to New Housing

A 70-year-old public housing complex in Huntington is being torn down. The city has decided to demolish the facility that’s long been considered an eye-sore.

As visitors to Huntington enter the city from Hal Greer Boulevard they’re greeted by a set of unattractive square brick buildings. The apartments, known as Northcott Court, were named in honor of GustavaisAdolhusNorthcott, a civic leader, president of the State Senate during 1905-1906 and early director of the First Huntington National Bank.

Credit Clark Davis
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The units were completed and ready for occupancy on August 30th, 1940. Before demolition began, there were 59 one-bedroom units, 52 two-bedroom units and 15 three-bedroom units.

Late last year the Huntington, West Virginia Housing Authority began moving some of the residents out and the first demolitions began in September.  Cleanup is underway now.

Huntington Mayor Steve Williams said Northcott has rarely been updated since it was built in the 1940’s.

Residents are being moved into other single family or duplex homes within the same neighborhood. The Housing Authority also plans to build two new, 40-unit townhouse complexes in the area.

The city hopes to attract businesses and create a commercial space that might include a grocery store or restaurants.

Credit Clark Davis
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Plans for the demolition of Northcott have been in the works for years, but Huntington City Council only officially approved it in June 2013. The entire demolition project could take up to three years. 

Ex-Huntington Mayor Agrees to Fine in Ethics Probe

Former Huntington Mayor and Cabell County Sheriff Kim Wolfe has agreed to pay a $1,500 fine as part of a settlement of two ethics complaints.

The state Ethics Commission released an order yesterday in which Wolfe admitted to using county taxpayer dollars for mailings during his 2008 campaign for mayor and accepting tickets to Cincinnati Reds baseball games from a bank doing business with the sheriff’s office.

The Republican served as sheriff from 2001 to 2008 and as mayor from 2009 to 2012.

In addition to the fine, Wolfe also faces a public reprimand and must undergo state Ethics Act training.

Cabell Huntington Explores Aquiring St. Mary's

Cabell Huntington Hospital is exploring an acquisition of St. Mary's Medical Center.Cabell Huntington said Tuesday in a news release that it is discussing…

Cabell Huntington Hospital is exploring an acquisition of St. Mary’s Medical Center.

Cabell Huntington said Tuesday in a news release that it is discussing a potential acquisition with Pallottine Health Services, Inc., which operates St. Mary’s.

Both hospitals are located in Huntington. St. Mary’s has 393 beds and is the largest private employer in Cabell County. Cabell Huntington has 303 beds.

Cabell Huntington and Pallottine Health Services say they believe a merger would improve the delivery of health care services.

St. Mary’s CEO Michael Sellards said in the release that the Pallotine Missionary Sisters have decided to end their sponsorship of the hospital. He attributed the decision to a changing health care climate and fewer sisters to oversee the organization’s health care ministries.

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