Tag: McMechen

September 27, 1777: Captain William Foreman and 21 Men Killed by Indians at Present McMechen

On September 27, 1777, Captain William Foreman and 21 men, including two of his sons, were killed by Indians at present McMechen in Marshall County. The latter half of 1777 was a time of bloody conflict between settlers and Indians in the Ohio Valley. Four weeks earlier, Indian warriors aligned with the British in the Revolutionary War had attacked Fort Henry at Wheeling.

After the assault on Fort Henry, a call went out on the frontier for troops. Among those to respond was Captain Foreman of Hampshire County. When further reports of Indian raids came in, Foreman, Captain Jacob Ogle, and 44 men were sent to check on Fort Tomlinson at present Moundsville. The search party discovered the fort had been attacked and abandoned within recent weeks. On their return back to Wheeling, Foreman and his column of 21 men were ambushed in their camp at McMechen.

The next day, a small group from Wheeling buried the slain men in a common grave near the scene of the ambush. In 1875, their remains were transferred to Mount Rose Cemetery in Moundsville.

West Virginia City Gets $6.65 Million to Upgrade Water System

West Virginia’s U.S. senators say $6.65 million in federal rural development funding has been approved for building a new treatment plant and other upgrades for the water system in McMechen.

According to Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito, that’s the largest piece of some $590,000 in grants and $8.7 million in loans approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for West Virginia communities.

The McMechen funding is also for installing ground well security, completing water line replacements and rehabilitating two water storage tanks.

Another $2.6 million for the Center Public Service District in Pineville is for replacing more than 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) of pipe and 38 manholes plus other improvements.

The Mingo County Redevelopment Authority will get $51,000 to study of feasibility of establishing a wood products industrial park.

Justice Visits Flood-damaged Areas of West Virginia

Residents in northern West Virginia pulled together Sunday to begin cleaning up from flooding as Gov. Jim Justice visited areas to see the damage from recent storms.

Media reported Justice visited Mannington to survey flood damage from Friday and Saturday as well as other areas that were flooded from storms on July 23.

Justice arrived at the Mannington Fire Department in the afternoon and then drove by homes with Mayor Jim Taylor and Marion County Sheriff Jim Riffle to survey the damage.

Taylor says flooding from heavy rains devastated the area. It caused lots of property damage, but there were no reports of deaths or severe injuries.

Meanwhile, during a stop at the McMechen Volunteer Fire Department in Wheeling, Justice told those working on recovery efforts the July 23 flooding not to do it all alone, but to “lean on use to help you, too.”

Foundation Created to Stop Catholic High School From Closing

Parents, alumni and supporters of a Wheeling-area Catholic high school are asking for donations to try to keep the school open for the next school year.

The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register report that a 10-member committee is working on a five-year strategic plan to improve the financial stability of Bishop Donahue High School in McMechen.

The committee has also created the Save Bishop Donahue Foundation. Foundation President Norm Stenger says alumni from across the country have been active in supporting the community’s efforts. Organizers say donors will receive full refunds if the school does not re-open in the fall.

The Most Rev. Michael Bransfield last month announced the decision to close Donohue at the end of the academic year, citing declining enrollment as a chief issue.

Meningitis Diagnosis Prompted W.Va. Pain Clinic Probe

  A West Virginia health official says an investigation that found syringes were being reused at a pain management clinic was triggered after a patient developed bacterial meningitis.

Health officials in Ohio and West Virginia advised patients of Valley Pain Management in McMechen on Monday to be tested for blood-borne infectious diseases.

Dr. Loretta Haddy, West Virginia’s state epidemiologist, says a patient contracted bacterial meningitis a day after a procedure at the clinic. Haddy told The Associated Press that health officials were notified last October. 

The advisory is for patients who had an injection between the clinic’s 2010 opening and Nov. 1, 2013.

Dr. Roland Chalifoux Jr. operates the clinic. His attorney, Elgine McArdle, says a subpoena from health agencies for a patient list violates health privacy laws.

Doctor at W.Va. Pain Clinic had Texas License Revoked

  The operator of a West Virginia pain management clinic where an investigation found needles were being reused on patients had his medical license revoked in Texas a decade ago.

Health officials in Ohio and West Virginia advised patients of Valley Pain Management in McMechen on Monday to be tested for blood-borne infectious diseases after an investigation found needles and syringes were reused to administer pain medications and saline solutions.

The clinic is operated by Dr. Roland Chalifoux Jr. His attorney, Elgine McArdle of Wheeling, calls the investigation a “fishing expedition.”

In 2004, the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners revoked Chalifoux’s license for violating standards of care in the treatment of three patients, one of whom died.

The West Virginia Board of Osteopathy granted him a license in 2005.

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