Tag: Wood County

Jury Duty Absences Cost West Virginia County

County officials in West Virginia have expressed concern over what they say is the persistent problem of ignored jury summons.

The Parkersburg News and Sentinel reports that Wood County Prosecutor Pat Lefebure says the phenomenon of shirking jury duty seems to have intensified over the past few years, with absences costing the county.

Lefebure says three people failed to show for a special grand jury session the county recently held, resulting in its cancellation. The county had to pay the jurors who showed, as well as overtime for 15 officers subpoenaed to testify.

He also says an average of five of the 35-40 people called for a felony jury trial do not appear.

Failure to appear can carry a civil penalty and fine of up to $1,000.

City Council Rejects Nondiscrimination Ordinance

A city council in West Virginia has voted against a nondiscrimination ordinance that would have extended protections to LGBT residents.

News outlets report the Parkersburg City Council rejected the ordinance with a 6-3 vote Tuesday. The ordinance would have prohibited discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations based on various factors, including veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation and gender identity, which are not incorporated in the West Virginia Human Rights Act.

Councilman Jeff Fox says the public accommodations provision caused the most consternation. Council members initially considered the issue in March.

Mayor Tom Joyce opposed the ordinance, asking the council to reject it because he says there could be unintended consequences to small businesses.

Ten cities in West Virginia have similar resolutions, with five of them passing in 2016.

West Virginia County Clerk Tapped for Trump's Election Panel

President Donald Trump has tapped a Democratic county clerk from West Virginia to join a national elections panel aimed at investigating voter fraud allegations.

The Parkersburg News and Sentinel reports that Wood County Clerk Mark Rhodes learned Thursday that he’ll join the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity.

Republican West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner recommended Rhodes for the job, citing his commitment to clean elections, up-to-date voter registration rolls and work ethic.

Trump established the committee last month by executive order.

The White House has said the panel will examine allegations of improper voting and fraudulent voter registration.

Vice President Mike Pence is the chairman and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach is vice chairman.

The commission will report back to Trump by 2018.

Officials Lift Vienna's 'Do Not Drink' Water Advisory

Health officials have lifted the “do not drink” water advisory that had been in place in part of Wood County for nearly three months.

The News and Sentinel reports that Wood County Health Department Director Drema Mace announced the lifting of the advisory on Tuesday at the Vienna Utility Board office.

About 5,500 water customers in Vienna and Boaz had been drinking from water bottles since May 19, when Vienna Mayor Randy Rapp announced the city’s water wasn’t meeting federal guidelines.

Rapp says a new filter plant went into use Saturday and had pumped 3.5 million gallons of water through the plant by Tuesday morning.

Rapp thanked Parkersburg officials for helping supply Vienna residents with water. He says his city consumed more than a million bottles of water over 83 days.

$10M Donated to WVU For Wood County Student Scholarships

A Parkersburg resident is giving $10 million to West Virginia University to establish two endowed scholarship funds for future students from Wood…

A Parkersburg resident is giving $10 million to West Virginia University to establish two endowed scholarship funds for future students from Wood County.

The university says in a news release that the gift from Mary “Mickey” Welch is the single largest scholarship donation to the WVU Foundation’s “State of Minds” campaign. The money will come from six charitable trusts established by Welch that will terminate in 15 years.

WVU says $500,000 will benefit needy Wood County youth who attend 4-H related events, and the remaining $9.5 million will support undergraduate scholarships for county students.

Welch and her family were involved in the oil and gas industry for many years, primarily in Wood and neighboring counties.

SABIC Dismantling Former Wood County Plant

Chemical maker SABIC is dismantling its former plant near Washington in Wood County.

SABIC spokeswoman Shelia Naab told the Parkersburg News and Sentinel that a majority of the buildings are being demolished as part of an agreement to sell the property.

Brazilian petrochemical company Odebrecht plans to acquire the property. Odebrecht and plastics maker Braskem have proposed building an ethane cracker at the site.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s spokesman, Chris Stadelman, said the companies haven’t yet made a decision on whether the cracker project will move forward.

Cracker plants crack or convert ethane into ethylene, a widely used chemical compound. Ethane is a byproduct of natural gas drilling.

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