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Putnam County Development Authority purchases 84,000 square foot warehouse for industrial leasing – WV MetroNews

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Putnam County Development Authority purchases 84,000 square foot warehouse for industrial leasing – WV MetroNews


CULLODEN, W.Va. — The Putnam County Development Authority (PCDA) is continuing to expand economic opportunities in the region– this time through the purchase of an 84,000 square foot industrial warehouse.

PCDA recently announced the purchase of the industrial property. It’s located at 2301 Virginia Avenue in Culloden.

Morganne Tenney

The West Virginia Economic Development Authority and Putnam County Bank assisted PCDA with the acquisition of this property by collaborating their funding resources.

Putnam Development Authority Executive Director Morganne Tenney said this purchase demonstrates a strong public-private support system for economic development in Putnam County and in West Virginia.

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“This has been many months in the making and we are just so excited we’re going to have property available for industry, it’s going to be prime for any type of distribution or logistics,” Tenney said recently on 580 Live with Dave Allen.

She said anyone who manufactures or distributes goods would be the ideal tenant.

Tenney said it’s located just a stone’s throw away from half the U.S. population.

She said not only is it ideally located near the I-77/I-79 interchange, but it has direct access to I-64, and is just a four hour drive from major population hubs such as Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio, Louisville, Kentucky, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Tenney said the area is rapidly growing and is on course to grow even more with the I-64 and Culloden interchange that’s currently under construction and is set to be complete in fall 2026.

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“This building is right in front of that exit, so our board of directors felt it was a really good move for PCDA to purchase it,” Tenney said. “You know, it’s great to tell businesses about why they should come to West Virginia, and why they should come to Putnam County, but if you don’t have anywhere to put them, you’re kind of a salesman without any product to sell.”

Tenney said Putnam County, and West Virginia as a whole, has for a longtime struggled with the lack of having readily available real-estate with adequate utilities, flat acreage, and transportation accessibility.

For a longtime, she said there has been a need for more residential real-estate in the area as well, but with the growth of new businesses such as Nuccor Steel in nearby Mason County, their mission to bring in more housing has been pushed into overdrive as more housing development makes its way in.

Tenney said she is proud to see how proactive her and her team at PCDA has been toward alleviating the housing shortage and creating more opportunities for economic development in Putnam County.

“We want to see holistic development in Putnam County,” Tenney said. “We have over a thousand units being built over the next three years in Putnam County for housing, we’re working on workforce development through starting an apprenticeship program, we have this Hometown Advantage campaign talking about skilled-trades in West Virginia, but we’re also working on site development like purchasing this property.”

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Tenney said one of their overall goals is to increase the tax base and create more jobs.

She said, however, that as they approach the attempt to increase the tax base, they are also keeping the number of senior citizens and veterans in the community in mind.

Tenney said by putting more into private investment, this helps limit the tax burden on the aging population that’s already in Putnam County,

“You know, that’s one of the reasons why we want to own this building, we want to lease the building, we want to make sure that we’re supporting the business community, but that we’re also supporting the residents of Putnam County as well,” she said.

Tenney said they have been reaching out to distribution industries and site consultants who could potentially lease the warehouse and so far, they have garnered a lot of interest.

She said the building was already previously being utilized as a distribution facility being formerly owned by U.S. Foods and then prior to that, Continental Can Company. Tenney said it comes complete with 12 dock doors and has more than enough space for laydown.

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She said it could start being used again by a new tenant as early as tomorrow.

“The distribution space is turnkey, somebody could move their goods in tomorrow, its office space is going to be built out according to what the tenant is wanting, but the distribution space is ready to go,” Tenney said.

She said organizations interested in leasing the warehouse are encouraged to contact the Putnam County Development Authority directly for more information and a tour of the building.

You can call Morganne Tenney at (304)-757-0318 for leasing inquiries or additional information regarding the warehouse.

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West Virginia

The Fontanas’ Holiday Road Trip: Ohio and West Virginia

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The Fontanas’ Holiday Road Trip: Ohio and West Virginia


’Tis the season, and there’s no better way to get in a festive mood than hitting the road with your family to check out the colorful displays that bring the holidays to life.

Come along as Amazing America’s Cameron Fontana and his family experience Christmas magic like never before on a weekend holiday road trip through Ohio and West Virginia.

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Night One — Steubenville, Ohio

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Cameron and his family take the highway east from Columbus to Steubenville, Ohio. Their first stop: a night at The Steubenville Nutcracker Village.

Nutcracker Village is the brainchild of business owner Mark Nelson and his son-in-law, Brodie Stutzman. To revitalize downtown Steubenville, they thought it would be a great idea to decorate storefront windows with small nutcrackers and turn the area into a must-stop holiday destination.

But that dream wasn’t big enough, so they decided to super-size it. Now there are more than 200 beautifully carved and unique nutcrackers on display throughout the city.

Day Two — Wheeling, West Virginia

Just a short drive south from Steubenville to Wheeling, West Virginia, Cameron and his crew make a stop at Oglebay Park & Resort.

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Oglebay Park & Resort is truly a winter wonderland, offering plenty to explore and enjoy. Cameron, his wife Katie, and their children, Chanel and Rush, escape to the North Pole at Santa’s Village and cozy up with some wild friends at the Oglebay Zoo before experiencing the drive-thru wonder of the Festival of Lights.

Day Three — The Trip Back Home

As with all good things, the journey must come to an end. The Fontanas have made new memories on their 2025 Holiday Road Trip and hope you will do the same. As they head back to their home sweet home in the Columbus, Ohio, area, they remind us that the greatest gift you can give your family is love and a sense of safety.

Happy holidays from the Fontana family, and Amazing America. Stay tuned as we celebrate America’s 250th in 2026 and hit the road to explore America, the Beautiful.

For more amazing stories, click here to subscribe to Amazing America TV on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

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Preliminary injunction halts enforcement of West Virginia food dye ban

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Preliminary injunction halts enforcement of West Virginia food dye ban


A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction order halting the enforcement of certain areas of recent West Virginia legislation that banned certain food colors and ingredients.

The International Association of Color Manufacturers originally filed a lawsuit over the state of West Virginia in October over the matter, saying that the legislation violates West Virginia and United States Constitutions.

The order was issued by United States District Judge Irene Berger. In the order, Berger said the law regarding dyes to be “poisonous and injurious” is likely written to be unconstitutionally arbitrary and vague.

Berger stated the following in her ruling:

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Without any clear standards, it is not clear how the WVDOH will determine if a color additive beyond those listed, is “poisonous and injurious,” meaning the WVDOH is free to arbitrarily designate additional color additives as such. What facts or data, if any, must the WVDOH rely on before determining that additional color additives are “poisonous and injurious”? Is it sufficient for the WVDOH to rely on any study when making its determination or none at all? If a parent notifies WVDOH that they believe their child is sensitive to a color additive, is that a sufficient basis for a color additive to be deemed “poisonous and injurious,” or must the WVDOH conduct a further investigation? It is far from clear. As such, because Section 16-7-2(b)(7) leaves such ad hoc and subjective decision-making to the WVDOH, it leaves the door open for arbitrary enforcement, and thus, is unconstitutionally vague.

IACM said that West Virginia law unlawfully took over the power of the United States Food and Drug Administration to make food safety decisions. IACM also said the law interfered with interstate commerce and caused economic harm to IACM member companies and their customers without providing any “substantial or rational basis” for deeming products unsafe.

The legislation, known as House Bill 2354, was signed by West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey in March, banning the use of certain food dyes, including Red No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2 and Green No. 3 in school meals beginning in August.

However, according to court documents, the preliminary injunction does not extend into school nutrition programs.

The preliminary injunction bars the West Virginia Department of Health from enforcing the ban – although the ban was not set to be fully enforced until 2028.

Morrisey disagreed with the ruling on social media, saying the decision is “both premature and wrongly decided.”

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“West Virginia will continue to defend its authority to protect the health and well-being of our citizens, especially children,” Morrisey said. “We are reviewing our legal options but will continue to press forward with our efforts to get harmful crap out of our food supply.”



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West Virginia DoHS reports decrease in children waiting for Wraparound services

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West Virginia DoHS reports decrease in children waiting for Wraparound services


The West Virginia Department of Human Services said it saw a significant drop in the number of children waiting on Wraparound services in 2025, reflecting progress its made in strengthening support for children in the Mountain State.

The average weekly Wraparound waitlist declined from 137 children in January 2025 to 14 by November, representing nearly a 90% reduction, according to a news release from the DoHS. Wraparound refers to intensive and individualized support in all areas of their life that aims to prevent children from being placed in out-of-home care.

The agency said the steady downward trend is the result of targeted efforts to expand provider capacity, improve timely access and better align services with family needs statewide.

“Reducing wait times for Wraparound services means children and families receive the right support sooner, when it matters most,” Alex Mayer, Cabinet Secretary of the West Virginia DoHS, said in the news release. “Every child deserves the opportunity to heal, grow, and stay connected to family and community. This progress reflects deliberate efforts to strengthen the workforce, expand provider capacity, and remove barriers that delay care.”

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The DoHS said it also expanded service capacity and strengthened coordination across the behavioral health system, including onboarding five new providers and expanding service areas with existing providers.

The Bureau for Behavioral Health further reduced waitlist pressure by providing Intro to Wraparound training to alternative service providers outside of the wraparound network, helping families connect with appropriate supports and further reducing waitlist pressure, the news release said.

To further address ongoing challenges, the DoHS said it is focusing on implementing Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics statewide, boosting provider recruitment and outreach, authorizing telehealth where capacity is limited and expanding the Safe at Home program in high-need counties.



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