CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A lengthy state Community and Technical College Council meeting Thursday included the approval of three new school presidents across the state.
Chris Treadway
The council unanimously approved Dr. Chris Treadway as the fourth president of BridgeValley Community and Technical College. Treadway had been serving as vice chancellor with the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.
Treadway, a Kanawha County native, was chosen by the BridgeValley Board of Governors last week following an interview process that included eleven remote candidate interviews, and three finalists visiting campus for in-person interviews.
Treadway was appointed to be BridgeValley president on a one-year contract. He’ll begin in the role July 1 and serve through June 30, 2027. His base salary was set for $192,500 annually, in addition to some benefits.
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BridgeValley Community and Technical College is based in South Charleston that has a second location in Montgomery.
Michael Waide
The council approved Dr. Michael Waide as the full-time president of Pierpont Community and Technical College as well. A former provost at the school, Waide had been serving as interim president since March 2025 following the resignation of Dr. Milan Howard. Pierpont elected to remove the interim tag from Waide’s title this March.
Waide was given a two-year contract, with options to extend for three additional years. Waide’s base salary will be $185,000 per year. Pierpont’s main campus location is in Fairmont.
West Virginia Northern Community College also received council approval for its new president, Andrew Lengehr. Lengehr’s base salary was set for $215,000 annually with an $8,000 deferred compensation at the conclusion of each fiscal year. Lengehr comes to WVNCC from St. Louis Community College in Missouri after 25 years there.
Andrew Lengehr
Lengehr is set to begin on August 17 and serve an approximately two-year term through June 30, 2028.
WVNCC has three locations: Wheeling, Weirton, and New Martinsville.
There was an added wrinkle to the WVNCC presidential appointment. The council approved an extension to outgoing president Dr. Daniel Mosser’s contract, allowing him to continue serving in the role for the time being. The move was made to smooth out the transition period until Lengehr assumes the position.
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The CTC council also rubber-stamped presidential compensation contracts at four other institutions: – Blue Ridge Community and Technical College President Dr. Peter Checkovich’s new term from July 1 of this year through June 30, 2031. – Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College President Dr. Thomas Striplin’s six-percent contract increase, around $10,000 per year. – Mountwest Community and Technical College President Dr. Joshua Baker’s three-year contract from July 1 of this year through June 30, 2029. – New River Community and Technical College President Dr. Bonny Copenhaver’s five-year contract, with evaluations and renewal after each year, starting July 1, 2026.
The council approved individual school budgets for the next fiscal year during their three-and-a-half hour meeting.
PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WCHS) — Records show containment issues predated a massive warehouse fire in Wood County, West Virginia.
The facility, formerly REO Processing West Virginia, is now Peoples Cartage. The company states it acquired the operation in September 2024, although the regulatory responsible-party name was not updated until May 2025.
County commissioners say they’ve learned to deal with disasters like this, including the Ames plant fire in 2017.
“They can shed light on what, to answer that to other people too,” said Jimmy Colombo, a county commissioner and former mayor in Parkersburg. “We are very interested in the health and well-being of our community just as you are and it’s a major concern for us that we do follow through what we’re supposed to be doing too.”
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According to documents from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, the company, the buildings and others under their umbrella have had several issues over the last half-decade plus.
In June of 2025, the state spill hotline got a call about a fire at the facility that involved the combustion of calcium hypochlorite hazardous waste, which is often called Cal Hypo for short.
That’s a powerful and unstable solid chlorine that’s commonly used to sanitize swimming pools and clear bacteria.
This underlying issue led to the West Virginia DEP inspecting the facility. They found an accumulation of Cal Hypo in floor sweepings.
The agency said the company failed to minimize the possibility of fire, explosion or any unplanned sudden or non-sudden release of hazardous waste or waste constituents to the environment.
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Last September, Peoples Cartage submitted a plan of corrective action that outlined how and when they would become compliant with all the issues.
The WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Rural Health Clinic is now accepting newborns at its Buckhannon office, with two providers — Rachel Burns, CPNP, and Sara Chipps, FNP-C — taking new pediatric patients. Read more →
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CHARLESTON, WV — The West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are reminding drivers that speeding has legal consequences. As part of the Speeding Slows You Down high-visibility enforcement campaign, drivers will see more law enforcement on the roads. West Virginia’s mobilization runs from July 6 through July 31, 2026.
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This campaign is designed to underscore the grave consequences of speeding and urge motorists to reduce their speed. This mobilization emphasizes the commitment of law enforcement to curb speeding behaviors and raise public awareness regarding the increased presence of officers on our nation’s roads during this mobilization period.
Speeding-related fatalities affect communities nationwide every year. In 2024, there were 11,288 speed-related traffic fatalities, accounting for 29% of all traffic fatalities. Young drivers have a higher chance of being involved in speeding-related crashes. In 2024, 39% of male drivers and 20% of female drivers in the 15- to 20-year-old age group involved in fatal traffic crashes were speeding.
In West Virginia, in 2024, speeding-related fatalities decreased 8% from the previous year, from 85 to 78. Our ultimate goal is zero fatalities, which points toward the importance of campaigns like this.
“Speeders don’t just put themselves in danger of serious injuries and death, they put other road users, including passengers, pedestrians, and bicyclists, at risk as well. We are asking drivers to please slow down; our goal is to save lives, and we’re putting all drivers on alert. The posted speed limit is the law. No excuses,” said Jack McNeely, GHSP Director.
The consequences of speeding can lead to a costly ticket, potential jail time, or worse, a crash resulting in injuries or death.
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For more information on speeding, visit NHTSA.gov/Speeding.
For more information about the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program, visit highwaysafety.wv.gov or call 304-926-2509.
