West Virginia

Settlement reached in lawsuit over chemical spill into West Virginia creek

Published

6 months ago

November 30, 2023

Settlement reached in lawsuit over chemical spill into West Virginia creek

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A $500,000 settlement has been reached in a lawsuit over truck crash that sent a chemical into a West Virginia creek, according to a published report.

The Kanawha County Commission will get half of that and will decide how to spend it in future meetings, the Charleston Gazette-Mail reported. Commissioner Lance Wheeler said part of the total will go toward recouping taxpayer costs of litigation and testing.

The county sued a trucking company and the driver over the spill last year that dumped 3,000 gallons of the material into a tributary of Paint Creek, killing more than 30,000 fish. The chemical involved is a compound commonly used in cleaning detergents. The spill occurred on the West Virginia Turnpike near Pax.

The commission plans to continue to test to make sure all the chemical is gone from the area, Wheeler said.

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West Virginia

Water, Sewer Providers Must Assess Security Risks As Cyberattacks Rise – West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Published

24 mins ago

May 17, 2024

Press Room

Water, Sewer Providers Must Assess Security Risks As Cyberattacks Rise – West Virginia Public Broadcasting

In late 2023, reports of foreign cyberattacks targeting local water systems across the United States spurred calls for providers to strengthen their cyber protections nationwide.

Now, the Public Service Commission of West Virginia (PSC) announced it will require all water and sewer utility providers across West Virginia to complete cybersecurity investigations.

The investigations require providers to assess their cyber risks, with financial support from federal agencies like the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Water and sewer systems will also be required to develop long-term cybersecurity plans, and appoint an employee to oversee plan compliance.

“This is a seriously developing problem across the nation and the Public Service Commission wants to be in the forefront of helping assure the safety of data concerning utilities and their customers,” PSC Chairman Charlotte Lane said in a press release Thursday. “These attacks are widespread and will become more common, we fear, as we rely more and more on computers in our daily lives and in running our businesses.”

The PSC-prompted investigations mark another step in a months-long effort to reinforce water system cybersecurity in West Virginia as cyberattacks have continued to rise nationally.

In January, the Office of Environmental Health Services (OEHS) — part of the West Virginia Department of Health Bureau of Public Health — began coordinating cyberattack prevention initiatives with water providers across the state.

OEHS also coordinated with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to spread awareness about free cybersecurity assessments offered by the federal agency.

Water and sewer providers in West Virginia will be required to complete their investigations by July 15 — 60 days after the PSC order was released.

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West Virginia

West Virginia Falls Short in Ft. Worth

Published

8 hours ago

May 17, 2024

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Ft. Worth, TX – The Big 12 Conference leader in strikeouts, TCU junior starting pitcher Payton Tolle, kept the West Virginia bats at bey with 11 strikeouts to collected his seventh win of the season as the Mountaineers (31-20, 17-11) dropped game one to the Horned Frogs (31-17, 14-14) Friday night 6-3.

TCU took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning after freshman Sam Myers and redshirt sophomore Jack Arthur hit back-to-back singles before a sacrifice bunt and a slow groundball down to third from redshirt senior Kurtis Byrne for the sacrifice RBI put the game’s first run on the board.

The Horned Frogs added a pair of runs in the second when junior Brody Green lined a leadoff single up the middle and sophomore Anthony Silva drilled an RBI double into the gap in left centerfield. Then, freshman Ryder Robinson hit a sacrifice RBI groundball to first for a 3-0 lead.

Sophomore Benjamin Lumsden put the Mountaineers on the board in the third with a solo home run, his seventh of the season.

Anthony Silva lifted a two-run home run in the fourth to extend the TCU lead to four, 5-1.

West Virginia got back within three in the fifth after Lumsden worked a full count walk, sophomore Skylar King advanced Lumsden with a bunt and sophomore Logan Sauve smacked the 0-2 pitch through the left side for an RBI single.

In the bottom of the frame and with two outs and the bases loaded, Green hit a high chopping ground ball over the head of freshman reliever Chase Myer for the sacrifice RBI and a 6-2 Horned Frogs’ lead.

The Mountaineers loaded the bases in the eighth, and with no outs on the board, TCU head coach called to his bullpen for the team leader in saves, sophomore lefty Ben Abeldt. WVU senior Reed Chumley brought a runner across with a sacrifice fly to left field but that’s all the Mountaineers could muster as the Horned Frogs were holding onto a 6-3 lead.

Ben Abeldt struck out two in the ninth as part of a 1-2-3 inning to hold any potential of a Mountaineer rally for the 6-3 decision.

West Virginia will look to even the series on Saturday in game two. The first pitch is set for approximately 7:30 p.m. EST and the action will stream on ESPN+.

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West Virginia

Office of Energy warns West Virginians about new phone scam – WV MetroNews

Published

15 hours ago

May 16, 2024

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Office of Energy warns West Virginians about new phone scam – WV MetroNews

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — There’s a new phone scam that’s targeting homeowners in West Virginia.

The West Virginia Office of Energy (WVOE) is warning people of a scam where callers are claiming to be from a legitimate power company, including West Virginia Power Company, Appalachian Power and FirstEnergy, and are offering to perform free in-home services that are funded through federal grants. Scammers then will ask people for personal information like the victim’s full name and home address. This information could then be used to commit crimes like identity theft.

Energy officials encourage homeowners to ask for information like the name of the company and a phone number to call back later if they are skeptical about the legitimacy of the caller. A business license number can also be cross-checked on the Secretary of State’s website, sos.wv.gov.

“If the caller cannot provide their company’s West Virginia business license and details about the grant funding the project, it is likely a scam,” says Nicholas Preservati, director of the Office of Energy. “You should never give out personal information over the phone without first making sure the call is legitimate.”

There is currently no grant providing free service of this kind for West Virginia residents. The Office of Energy says they will inform the public of any such initiatives in the future.

More information about WVOE’s current and pending projects can be found at energywv.org.

Those that believe they’ve been a victim of a scam should contact the Attorney General Office’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-368-8808 or visit ago.wv.gov.

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