— Story by David Walsh, Photo gallery by Will Wotring

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Divisions I and II are going as expected after Thursday night’s opening round in the 78^th West Virginia High School State Wrestling Tournament at Mountain Health Network Arena. University, seeking a third straight large school title, and Parkersburg found themselves in the top two in the standings on a night dominated by pins as No. 1 seeds would beat up on No. 4 seeds.

University started the event minus two competitors. One did not make weight and the other, who won a state title a year ago, is not competing as he’s recovering from a football injury.

One competitor delivering big for the Hawks is Maximus Fortier, a junior who transferred in from Fairmont Senior. While there, he won the state title as a freshman at 144 with a final record of 41-1. He competes at 165 now and is 36-2 after winning with a first-round pin Thursday night.

“Come down, support the team and try to win,” Fortier said of his battle plan. “Wrestle the way we know how.”

Fortier and the Hawks won the Ron Mauck OVAC title, the WSAZ Invitational and West Virginia Duals during the season. He competed in two major tournaments as well. He went 2-2 in the Ironman and won his weight class in the Powerade Tournament which attracts the top teams in the nation.

“Wasn’t ready,” he said about the Ironman. “Did my thing at Powerade. It was big.”

Fortier said support at his new school grows every day.

“They treat me like family,” he said.

Strategy for the State Tournament is simple.

“Wrestle the way we know how to wrestle,” Fortier said.

University capitalized on a strong finish in the heavier weights and leads with 47 points. Parkersburg, which finished second here last year, trails with 39.5. Cabell Midland is third with 37.5 and Huntington fourth with 32.5.

Ripley is in year two in Division II. The Vikings placed sixth a year ago. They came to town as the Region 4 winner and qualified 11 with nine taking first and the other two second. Ripley leads after Thursday with 38 points thanks to wins by pin or major fall. Independence is second with 27 and Keyser third with 25.5. Cameron is the leader in Division III with 16 points.

The tournament continues Friday with sessions at 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, the girls have their state with action starting at 8 a.m. The boys begin at 10:30.

Championship finals are Saturday night at 6:30. Wrestlers are now seeded prior to the tournament and the pill breaks deadlocks.

During the season, Ripley won the West Virginia Duals, beat Herbert Hoover twice, Point Pleasant and also got wins over Parkersburg South and Huntington.

DALLAS – Dallas City Council members approved a measure to explore options for leaving Dallas City Hall while, but left the door open to staying in the iconic building.

Resolution to explore leaving City Hall passes

What we know:

The resolution approved will explore options to buy or lease a new City Hall building. It was amended to include a plan to pay for repairs to the current building that would be compared side by side to the options to leave.

Dallas City Council approved the resolution by a 9-6 vote. The vote came around 1 a.m. Thursday morning after 14 hours of debate.

Councilman Chad West told FOX 4’s Lori Brown that if the city decides to stay or leave City Hall, the resolution includes proposals to redevelop the land around the building.

“We still should be looking at redevelopment options to tie it into the convention center later on, because otherwise it just equals ghost town, which is what we have now,” West said. “And of course, if we decide to move and City Hall itself gets repurposed or demolished and something gets built there, we need to have a projected plan for what that could look like as well.”

Debate on City Hall’s future

Local perspective:

Around 100 residents spoke about their desire to keep the current Dallas City Hall, the historic structure designed by architect I.M. Pei.

“The thought of losing this land to private hands is disheartening. A paid-off asset, unfair to taxpayers, built on what is here,” Meredith Jones, a Dallas resident, said.

“The decision belongs to the people, not the city council,” David Boss, the former manager of Dallas City Hall, said.

Several questioned why the price tag for a repair is public knowledge, but the cost for a move isn’t.

“The public deserves to know the value of the land we are giving up. Dallas deserves a careful decision, not a rushed one,” resident Azael Alvarez said.

Future Mavs arena looms large

Dallas City Council went back and forth on the resolution, amending it before it finally passed. Much of the conversation revolved around the Dallas Mavericks’ potential interest in the site for a new arena.

Mayor Eric Johnson lamented that conversation revolved around the Mavs’ future and not City Hall itself.

“A  conversation about a particular sports team and where you want them should never have been part of the conversation because that was not what was infront of us,” Johnson said. “I’ve never seen such vehement opposition to gathering more information.”

Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn wore a Mavericks T-shirt to a recent hearing due to the continued conversation around them.

“We’re talking a lot about the Mavs. They’re the elephant in the room, but they’re actually not here, so let’s at least let them have a seat at the horseshoe,” Mendelsohn said on Monday.

Residents were also upset at the idea of City Hall being bulldozed to make way for a new Mavs arena.

“The Mavericks were ridiculed nationally, and still are. Worst trade in the history of the NBA,” one resident said Monday. “The decision to knock this building down without all the facts and allowing the people to make the decision is your Luka Dončić trade.”

A potential 10-digit repair cost

The backstory:

Experts who assessed Dallas City Hall said the 47-year-old building’s mechanical, plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and electrical systems don’t meet modern standards. 

It put a $906 million to $1.4 billion price tag on keeping the iconic building, which was designed by the famous Chinese architect I.M. Pei, for another 20 years.

Downtown Dallas Inc., an advocacy group for Downtown Dallas, said last week they support leaving the current City Hall site.

“We believe Dallas City Hall is no longer serving its intended purpose. The important functions that happen and must continue to be evolved and innovated within our city government are inefficient and truly stymied in that space,” said Jennifer Scripps, President and CEO of Downtown Dallas Inc. told the crowd. “Our board called a special called meeting and voted unanimously in support of pursuing options to relocate City Hall and redevelop the site. We were we feel that the opportunity is huge.”

A mother in Miami Gardens has been sentenced to five years of probation after her 2-year-old son accidentally shot himself with a gun he found in her purse.

According to police, the incident happened last summer at an apartment complex in Miami Gardens. Authorities say the toddler grabbed his mother’s firearm from her purse and accidentally pulled the trigger, shooting himself in the leg.

Video captured at the scene showed the child being rushed to the hospital on a stretcher. The boy survived and has since fully recovered.

The child’s mother, 35-year-old Christina Monique Doyle, was arrested and charged with child neglect and culpable negligence for allowing easy access to the weapon. Prosecutors said those charges carried a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

During a court hearing, the presiding judge, Alberto Milian, emphasized the responsibility that comes with gun ownership.

“I am a very pro-gun person, but along with the right and the privilege of having a gun comes responsibilities,” Milian said.

Doyle ultimately accepted a plea deal where she pleaded no contest, allowing her to avoid jail time. Instead, she was sentenced to five years of probation.

Her attorney, Dustin Tischler, said Doyle has no prior criminal record and described the incident as a mistake.

“She’s 35 years old, never been in trouble whatsoever in her life,” Tischler said. “She’s a very good mother, a very caring mother to several children. This has been a nightmare, and she’s happy to get it behind her.”

Tischler also said the case should serve as a warning to gun owners about keeping firearms secure around children.

“Even though she had it in her purse and thought it was secure, the child was able to get to it when she was distracted,” he said. “If you have a firearm, it’s important to keep it locked away.”

Tischler said Doyle has completed a parenting program through the Florida Department of Children and Families and how she is allowed to have contact with her children, including her son who is now doing well after recovering from the injury.

NBC6 reached out to DCF about the case but we haven’t heard back yet.