West Virginia
Power companies describe status of development sites in Mason, Mingo and Raleigh counties – WV MetroNews
Two power companies in West Virginia are describing their status on efforts to prepare promising sites for business development.
Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power filed an update with the West Virginia Public Service Commission. The two American Electric Power subsidiaries describe their efforts to support the West Virginia Business Ready Sites program, which was established in 2019.
That role is meant to be ensuring that construction-ready industrial sites are prepared with adequately developed utility infrastructure.
Mason County change
The power companies have been involved with utility infrastructure at the Raleigh County Memorial Airport Industrial Park, the Mason County Industrial Park, and the Harless Industrial Park in Mingo County.
To continue making progress, the power companies propose increasing rates already in effect for the sites program by about $2 million from June 1, 2024, to May 31, 2025. If that’s approved, residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt hours a month would experience an increase in monthly bills of 24 cents.
Under the business development readiness program, the power companies in 2021 started laying groundwork for construction of electric utility infrastructure at the Mason County site.
But the power companies report reflects a change in designation of the Mason County site from a business ready program to a High Impact Industrial Business Development District instead.
The state has two of those districts where an eligible industrial plant or facility is not required to connect with or use any public utility but instead can receive electric service through generation from renewable resources located within the zone.
That location was announced in August to be the site of a Fidelis New Energy project to include a hydrogen energy project and data center facility.
After the change of designation and the announcement about Fidelis, the power companies “decided to halt the previously approved scope of work, as it is unknown what, if any, retail electric service will be necessary to serve the site and future customers of the site,” according to written testimony by Randall Short, director of regulatory services for Appalachian Power.
The power companies are seeking recovery of costs from work at the Mason County site prior to the redesignation.
“All design and construction activities have ceased in the Mason County project, and the companies no longer plan to pursue completion of this project,” testified John Mark Neal, AEP’s supervisor of distribution system planning.
Raleigh County on schedule
At the Raleigh County airport industrial park, power company officials said construction of facilities is progressing and on schedule with 95 percent of transmission line structures in place and stringing of conductor underway.
A substation pad has been established with most below grade work complete, including a ground grid and equipment foundations in place. Work on erecting steel is expected to occur in November with equipment being placed in early 2024. A substation is expected to be in service by April 5.
The projected cost for the Raleigh County airport project is $33.2 million. That’s $2.4 million less than an earlier filing indicated.
Mingo County progress
The projected cost for the Mingo County project is $22.7 million. That is $4.3 million less than projected in the original filing.
Detailed engineering for the Mingo site is just about complete. Tree clearing to establish a clean right-of-way for the transmission line, as well as the creation of access roads to structure sites will begin in January. Construction work to develop a substation site will begin in February and continue throughout the year.
Transmission line construction is expected to start in the third quarter of 2024. The projected in-service date for the substation is April, 2025.
Losing to Kansas State wiped away all hope for West Virginia to make the NCAA Tournament. That seems to be the clear consensus in the Mountain State, but is there actually still a chance? Well, I guess so.
ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi still has West Virginia listed as a team to consider, the second team outside of the “next four out” grouping.
Lunardi’s current NCAA Tournament bubble
Last Four Byes: Missouri, Texas A&M, Texas, Ohio State
Last Four In: SMU, Santa Clara, New Mexico, Indiana
First Four Out: VCU, Auburn, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati
Next Four Out: San Diego State, USC, California, Seton Hall
Next: Stanford, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona State
How is this even possible?
Short answer? I don’t really know.
My best guess as to why? Two things: the respect for the Big 12 and the opportunities left on the table, and two, an incredibly weak bubble.
Should West Virginia beat UCF on Friday, it will give the Mountaineers a 9-9 record in Big 12 play. That’s not as much of a guarantee to make the dance as having a winning record, but still, it’s an impressive mark, especially when, in this instance, they would have wins over Kansas, BYU, and sweeps over Cincinnati and UCF.
If you ask me, they still have too many bad losses for it to matter. I mean, even if they got red-hot out of nowhere and made it to the Big 12 championship game next week, is that enough? Potentially, but that’s a big IF.
The one thing WVU does have on its side is the number of Quad 1 wins, which they have five of. Virtually every other team in college basketball that has a minimum of five Quad 1 victories is expected to make the tournament. In that previously mentioned scenario, they would add at least one more Quad 1 win in the conference tournament, giving the committee something to think about.
The bubble is just incredibly weak, though. Like, how in the world is Auburn, who is 16-14 currently, the second team out of the field? Cincinnati, which WVU swept and has the same record as, is the fourth team in the “first four out” grouping.
At this point, the only path I see is for the Mountaineers to cut down the nets in Kansas City — good luck with that. We could be having a very different conversation if they didn’t lallygag their way through the first 30 minutes of the games against Utah and Kansas State.
Buckle up, Upshur County. Starting Friday, March 6, law enforcement officers across West Virginia will step up seatbelt enforcement as part of a statewide Click It or Ticket campaign running through March 23.
The West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) announced the high-visibility mobilization as a warm-up to the national seatbelt campaign in May. The goal is to ensure every occupant — front seat or back, driver or passenger — is buckled on every trip.
“During this mobilization, law enforcement officers across West Virginia will be out in full force. They will be strictly ticketing drivers who are unbuckled or who are transporting children not properly restrained in car seats,” said Jack McNeely, Director of the GHSP.
The numbers behind the campaign are sobering. In 2023, 40% of passenger vehicle occupants killed in West Virginia crashes were unrestrained. The state’s seatbelt usage rate has also slipped — from 91.9% in 2024 to 91.6% in 2025.
Rural drivers face elevated risk despite a common assumption that country roads are safer. In 2023, 65% of the state’s traffic fatalities occurred in rural areas, compared to 35% in urban centers.
Under West Virginia law, wearing a seatbelt is required. A citation carries a $25 fine, though McNeely says the real point isn’t the penalty.
“Click It or Ticket isn’t about the citations; it’s about saving lives,” he said. “A ticket is a wake-up call. It is far less expensive than the alternative — paying with your life or the lives of your family and friends.”
For more information about the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program, visit highwaysafety.wv.gov or call 304-926-2509.
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WCHS) — A West Virginia man accused of threatening to attack President Donald Trump and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement workers was federally indicted this week.
Cody Lee Smith, 20, of Clarksburg was indicted on two counts of threats to murder the president, one count of influencing and retaliating against federal officials by threat of murder and one count of influencing a federal official by threat of murder, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia.
Smith is accused of making a series of public posts on Instagram encouraging and threatening the murder of Trump, those who support him, Israelis and “all government officials,” the news release said.
The indictment also alleges that Smith sent a direct message via Instagram to Donald J. Trump, Jr., stating he would kill his father by cutting his “jugular.”
In a phone call with the ICE tip line, Smith also threatened to kill ICE agents in Clarksburg and employees staffing the tip line.
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Smith faces up to 5 years for each of the presidential threat charges and faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each of the remaining counts.
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