Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable..

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable.

The Marshall County Health Department will undergo a major update over the next two years, as architects now work to design the nearly $10 million building that will house the county’s health offices.

The Marshall County Commission voted to move ahead with designing the new health department building at Tuesday morning’s meeting. According to the presentation by Charleston-based Silling Architects, the total project cost of the building, including project contingencies and furniture, came to $9,951,096. Design development will take seven weeks, bidding is expected to be done by January, and construction is hoped to be complete by June 2024.

The new building will occupy the spot currently held by the health department, the nearby building which once housed the Moundsville Journal, and part of the parking lot near the Marshall County Magistrate Court. Magistrate’s parking will move across the street.

County Administrator Betsy Frohnapfel said the aging building, built in 1955, was no longer meeting the needs of the health department. The new building will include significantly more space, allowing for expanded storage space, more exam rooms, and greater privacy. Additionally, Frohnapfel said, the building will have a more discrete entrance, promoting a sense of privacy when entering a medical office.

Weirton Medical Center has agreed to pay $1.5 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting or causing the submission of claims to Medicare in violation of the Physician Self-Referral Law (commonly referred to as the Stark Law).

“Health care decisions should be based on patients’ medical needs, not physicians’ financial interests,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The department will continue to investigate financial relationships that may improperly influence physician decision-making.”

“Improper compensation arrangements between hospitals and physicians will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney William Ihlenfeld for the Northern District of West Virginia. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will be aggressive in its pursuit of those who violate the Stark Law and we strongly encourage whistleblowers to come forward.”

“Patients trust their health care providers’ decisions are made based on their individual medical needs and not to increase providers’ profits,” said Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG).

Members of Wheeling City Council this week approved measures designed to help spur private investments to put vacant upper floors of the city’s multi-level buildings back into use.

By unanimous votes, council approved both a resolution creating a new Upper Floor Incentive Program and an ordinance amending the city’s fire code to loosen a previous requirement of having at least two exits on every floor of a building.

Members of the Development Committee of Council had proposed these measures and worked with officials from the Wheeling Fire Department to bring legislation before City Council to get them approved.

“The Upper Floor Incentive Program is being structured similar to the Facade Improvement Program,” Vice Mayor Chad Thalman said. “Our goal for the program is to incentivize the development of upper floors in the city’s numerous historical structures.”

Officials have noted that many of Wheeling’s multi-level buildings may be occupied on the first floor, but strict fire codes or costs associated with bringing upper-level floors up to current fire code compliance — including installation of fire escapes — have often discouraged private developers from investing in the redevelopment of buildings in the city.

Preston Commissioners came one step closer to a plan for distributing its American Rescue Plan Act funds this week that preliminarily calls for most requests to be at least partially funded.

Commissioners’ discussions at this point lay out a plan to spend about $4,316,717 of the available $4,828,071. No vote was taken Tuesday, and the figures have yet to be finalized. More discussions are expected at the July 12 meeting.

Preliminary discussions were that only three requests for ARPA monies would not be funded: A request from Chaplin Inc. for $19,597 to make up rent lost during the pandemic, a request from RDVIC for $179,948 to make up loss of grant funds and a request from Assessor Connie Ervin to give county employees who worked during the pandemic hazard pay of up to $13 per hour.

Commissioners said they believe the federal government has made other options available for the first two to seek reimbursement. They did not discuss Ervin’s request, which she first made during work on the 2022-2023 budget. She reminded commissioners of the request Tuesday, saying they had promised to discuss it later.

— Preston County News and Journal

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has issued two notices of violation to the town of Rowlesburg for an illegal sewer discharge point.

The violations were issued in March and May, when inspectors looked at a discharge point at the end of the Rowlesburg Park parking lot. The second violation was at the lagoon pond.

According to the state report, inspectors observed the sanitary sewer pipe overflow into the Cheat River and said that this occurs daily. They were informed a blockage in the sewer line in the park was the cause of the overflow.

The inspectors were told a company that previously cleared the line declined to come back, and an alternative company had not been found.

The first stages of a $7.5 million project for the Rowlesburg sewer system are expected to begin soon. Bids on the project were opened June 26.

The sewer project was one of three Preston County projects approved as part of the omnibus spending package signed by President Joe Biden on March 15.

Rowlesburg Mayor Eric Bautista is looking forward to the project finally coming to fruition.

The town hasn’t been able to connect to any new businesses without a special permit, due to the existing system’s limitations.

— Preston County News and Journal

The Monongalia County Commission plans to spend more than $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act money on electrical upgrades for the Morgantown Industrial Park.

Tom Aman, the commission’s bond counsel from Steptoe & Johnson, presented the commission with two agreements for consideration on Wednesday. As the item was left off the agenda, it could not be acted upon.

The first agreement would have the county commission spend up to $3,104,600 on electrical improvements in the Harmony Grove TIF district, which the park is a part of. Any costs exceeding that would come from the TIF bonds the commission previously issued and are funded by the developer, Enrout.

The money used will be from the county’s revenue replacement dollars because regular ARPA funds weren’t eligible for the project, Commissioner Sean Sikora said.

“It was not as easy as we thought it would be,” Commission President Tom Bloom said.

The commission previously planned to invest in water and sewer improvements but after getting a grant, it was discovered ARPA funds couldn’t be used since both are federal money.

With this type of major improvement, depending on usage of the upgrades there could be reimbursement payments from Mon Power, Aman said. After discussion, the agreement states that money will come back to the county commission to be used in paying down property TIF bonds issued last year.

A West Virginia University engineer is leading research aimed at developing cutting-edge coatings for the blades of turbines used in large-scale power generation.

These protective layers would be able to withstand the extreme heat and corrosion of hydrogen combustion but work with the principles and technologies of existing natural gas turbines, primarily in power plants.

Most of the funding for Xingbo Liu’s project comes from a $2 million Department of Energy grant geared toward decarbonizing the U.S. power and industrial sectors, advancing clean energy manufacturing and improving America’s economic competitiveness.

“There are several ways to turn a turbine and generate power,” said Liu, professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and also associate dean for research and endowed chair of engineering at the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.

“All the most popular ways today use heat. Today, in about two-thirds of turbines, we burn coal or we burn natural gas to turn a turbine, with coal contributing about 20% and natural gas about 40% of the total power we generate in the U.S. Less often, we use a nuclear reaction to heat water and generate steam.”

After nuclear energy, he added, hydropower is the next most common source of electricity, with other clean energies such as wind and solar power bringing up the rear.

Northrop Grumman Corp. plans to build a 113,000-square-foot facility in West Virginia to support production of up to 600 strike missiles per year, according to information released Wednesday by the company.

The facility, planned for completion in 2024, is expected to include “expanded manufacturing workforce skill-sets,” adding engineering and manufacturing jobs to the area.

“Our new missile integration facility is a factory of the future, designed to affordably produce high quantities of missiles to meet increasing customer demand,” said Mary Petryszyn, corporate vice president and president, Northrop Grumman Defense Systems. “Northrop Grumman’s investments in manufacturing capacity, digital processes and emerging technologies translates into the rapid deployment of capability into the field.”

West Virginia Secretary of Economic Development Mitch Carmichael applauded the announcement on Twitter Wednesday morning.

“Outstanding announcement from an outstanding company,” he wrote.

Rebecca McPhail, president of the West Virginia Manufacturers Association, said it’s exciting to see a company like Northrop Grumman investing in innovation and expansion in West Virginia.

“This is a further sign that the business-friendly environment state leaders are building is taking hold and producing real results in the manufacturing sector,” McPhail said.

Recent problems with grease clogging up a downtown sewer line has prompted the Piedmont City Council to adopt an ordinance requiring all businesses to have a grease trap between the business and the city’s sewer.

Council member Greg Harvey held the first official reading of the ordinance during Wednesday’s council meeting, and the second reading is slated for the July 20 meeting as the officials move toward adopting the new law.

Harvey said the recent clog was the fifth time the city has had to clear the Ashfield Street line due to grease being allowed to flow into the sewer system.

This time, they had to enlist the help of the city of Keyser with its large vacuum truck.

Harvey said he was advised that even though it’s a state law that businesses must have a grease trap to prevent such a problem, it is up to the town to have an ordinance in order to enforce it.

Using Keyser’s ordinance as a guide, he crafted the Sewer Protection Ordinance for Piedmont, which states that businesses are “solely responsible for keeping and maintaining the sewer pipe leading to the community sewer line clear and free of obstruction.”

The business is therefore required to have a “grease, oil and sand interceptor” on their line.

— The Mineral News and Tribune

The first meeting of the Greenbrier School Safety Task Force was held July 6 by Sen. Stephen Baldwin.

“In tough times, our community has always worked together. Whether it was the derecho, the flood, or COVID, we all came together to protect our community. After talking with several of you after the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, it was clear we needed to begin a task force to protect our kids here locally,” Baldwin said.

The task force includes law enforcement, schools, health care providers, and nonprofits.

Members include Seneca Health Services’ Marcie Vaughan and Monica Bowyer, Communities in Schools Director Brittany Masters, GCS Superintendent Jeff Bryant and Vince Deeds, Rainelle Medical Center’s Director of School-Based Health Terra Skaggs, and Sheriff Bruce Sloan, along with his leadership team.

The first meeting took inventory of all ongoing school safety and mental health programs available at the county’s schools. Agencies communicated their needs, which range from local volunteers to state law changes to federal funding.

“I’m proud of the comprehensive approach our local professionals are taking. Each and every day, they are nurturing and protecting our students,” Baldwin commented after the meeting.

Greenbrier County Courthouse renovations are moving along as scheduled, now some 17 months into construction.

“Everything is going along very smoothly,” Greenbrier County Commissioner Tammy Shifflett-Tincher told The Register-Herald on Monday evening. “We’re on schedule, and they (contractors) are almost finished drying-in the new addition.”

In February 2021, the Greenbrier County Commission began taking measures to prepare for the upcoming courthouse-renovation project. On March 5, White Sulphur Springs-based Lynch Construction officially began full-demolition. Two-weeks later, on March 22, the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Department vacated the courthouse complex, temporarily relocating their offices to a facility on Randolph Street.

The current construction, which includes the new addition, as well as renovation of the current courthouse facility, represents the third major renovation-project in the complex’s 185-year history, with the most recent additions being completed in 1963.

St. Albans-based SQP Construction Group is serving as “general contractor” for the project, which is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2023. The total cost for the project is estimated at $12.6 million.

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., spent much of June 28 in Mason County, learning more of the success stories of the county and region and the potential for further growth.

Capito visited Point Pleasant and Apple Grove, W.Va., where she met with local leaders to discuss potential economic development in the region and toured the future site of Nucor Corporation.

Nucor is locating its new multi-billion dollar steel mill facility in Mason County. The project will create thousands of new direct and indirect jobs and will be responsible for significant additional opportunities and investments in the region.

“Nucor’s future presence in West Virginia is welcome news and will have a major impact on our state’s economy,” Capito said. “I enjoyed the opportunity today to not only see the future site of Nucor, but also meet with members of the leadership team to discuss the impact this development will have in the region.

“As I’ve said before, I’m incredibly proud of this announcement for a number of reasons, but primarily because it shows what we can achieve when we work together at the federal, state and local levels for solid, long term successes.”

Marshall University President Brad D. Smith was also on hand for the tour of the facility.

— River Cities Tribune and Register

West Virginia Junior College has expanded its Hybrid Online Nursing Program to Wood County to help solve health care disparities and worker shortages through a partnership with WVU Medicine Camden Clark.

“We launched the Hybrid Online Nursing Program in 2021 in response to the nursing shortage the state was experiencing and to adapt education to serve our rural areas,” said Chad Callen, CEO at West Virginia Junior College. “After the initial program launch with rural hospitals, we began collaborating with non-rural hospital systems across the state to expand the communities we can serve with our nursing workforce expansion efforts.”

Students who participate in the Wood County program will take classes online and attend lab and clinical experiences at WVU Medicine Camden Clark during evenings and weekends.

The Mobile Nursing Lab — a 38-foot RV retrofitted with two simulated hospital rooms with high-fidelity simulation technology — will help supplement education offered in the program curriculum, giving students a place to hone the skills necessary for success in the nursing field.

Every municipality and county in West Virginia will be given the opportunity to become part of Project Mountaineer.

At the July 6 meeting of the Jackson County Commission, West Virginia State Auditor JB McCuskey, along with Skylar Wotring who heads the project, spoke regarding this innovative program which allows transparency in government.

“This will allow the public to access financial records online,” Wotring, Transparency and Oversight Manager, explained. “Citizens want to know how you use the money they entrust you with and it also allows you, as commissioners, to get up to date information immediately. It will make your county clerk’s job easier, and it will work with your current software.”

McCuskey spoke to the efficiency and accountability of the program.

“This is real time accounting,” he said. “Too often, decisions are made on the ‘if we do this, what will the impact be financially.’ This program will allow you to put data in, for example a raise for employees, and you’ll immediately see if it’s something you can do or not. It will help you make wise decisions.”

The state auditor also said all county data can be provided to the Legislature.

“They can see the impact their decisions make on the counties before they make them,” he said.

Gov. Jim Justice announced Thursday that he has awarded $1,073,538.00 in STOP Violence Against Women program grant funds to 24 projects across West Virginia.

The purpose of these funds is to establish or enhance teams whose core members include victim service providers, law enforcement, and prosecution to improve the criminal justice system’s response to violence against women.

The grants provide personnel, equipment, training, technical assistance, and information systems for the establishment or enhancement of these teams.

Additionally, statewide projects are funded to provide training and educational opportunities for all victim service providers, law enforcement, prosecution, and court personnel throughout the state.

These funds are provided by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women, and are administered by the Justice and Community Services Section of the West Virginia Division of Administrative Services.

A federal judge on Monday ruled in favor of three major U.S. drug distributors in a landmark lawsuit that accused them of causing a health crisis by distributing 81 million pills over eight years in one West Virginia county ravaged by opioid addiction.

The verdict came nearly a year after closing arguments in a bench trial in the lawsuit filed by Cabell County and the city of Huntington against AmerisourceBergen Drug Co., Cardinal Health Inc. and McKesson Corp.

“The opioid crisis has taken a considerable toll on the citizens of Cabell County and the City of Huntington. And while there is a natural tendency to assign blame in such cases, they must be decided not based on sympathy, but on the facts and the law,” U.S. District Judge David Faber wrote in the 184-page ruling. “In view of the court’s findings and conclusions, the court finds that judgment should be entered in defendants’ favor.”

Cabell County attorney Paul Farrell had argued the distributors should be held responsible for sending a “tsunami” of prescription pain pills into the community and that the defendants’ conduct was unreasonable, reckless and disregarded the public’s health and safety in an area ravaged by opioid addiction.

The companies blamed an increase in prescriptions written by doctors, along with poor communication and pill quotas set by federal agents.

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