West Virginia

West Virginia woman struggles with massive sinkhole in front yard

Published

2 years ago

October 16, 2024

West Virginia woman struggles with massive sinkhole in front yard

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MARTINSBURG, W.Va. – A West Virginia woman is desperately seeking help after a large sinkhole, 15 feet deep and 6 feet wide, appeared in her front yard, leaving her fearful and frustrated.

La Sharn Newbill, who bought her home in a new development in 2020 after being recently widowed, said the sinkhole has turned her dream home into a nightmare since it emerged in August.

La Sharn Newbill says she’s run out of options trying to get help for a sinkhole that emerged in her front yard.

Despite reaching out to several entities, including her homeowners’ association, insurance, the developer, attorneys, and local utilities, Newbill says she’s been told that the responsibility to fix the sinkhole falls on her.

“I am scared because my bedroom is right at the front,” Newbill said, adding, “Heartbreaking, that’s all I gotta say. It’s very heartbreaking.”

She is afraid to use her driveway and fears that the sinkhole could eventually consume her home.

Planning documents from Berkeley County show the developer agreed to erosion and sediment control standards during construction in 2019, but no resolution has been offered to Newbill.

A neighbor mentioned that a smaller sinkhole had appeared in 2021 in the middle of the street, which the county repaired.

West Virginia woman struggles with massive sinkhole in front yard

Sinkholes are not uncommon in this area of West Virginia, which is known for Karst topography — a type of landscape where soluble rocks can be eroded by water, creating underground cavities.

Joe Lebold, a geology professor at West Virginia University, explained that sinkholes in this region are difficult to predict.

“You certainly can have a change in subterranean drainage that causes Karst Topography in the first place, a new channel opens up, or a cave gets a little bit bigger. Something that wasn’t detectable before can certainly cause problems,” Lebold said.

Newbill says she had no idea that sinkholes were a possibility when she moved in and wishes she had known the risks earlier.

For now, she continues to seek answers, hoping to avoid spending thousands of dollars on repairs.

FOX 5’s attempts to reach the developer and county officials were unsuccessful.

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West Virginia

Chemical emergency at Kanawha County plant – WV MetroNews

Published

7 hours ago

April 22, 2026

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Chemical emergency at Kanawha County plant – WV MetroNews

State Route 25 is blocked near the plant.

THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY AND WILL BE UPDATED:

INSTITUTE, W.Va. — The Institute Fire Department has called a precautionary shelter-in-place for those living in close proximity to the Catalyst Refiners plant.

According to Kanawha County Emergency Manager C.W. Sigman said there was an incident involving an acid-based material at around 9:30 .am. Wednesday.

According to Sigman, most of the material which was spilled was inside a building and it largely contained and the shelter-in-place is precautionary.

Emergency crews are on the scene treating multiple patents at the plant. The extent of injuries is not known.

A media briefing has been scheduled for 2 p.m.

CAMC/Vandalia confirmed they were preparing for patients as is WVU Medicine Thomas Hospital where they’ve activated their Incident Command Center.

The plant is located between Institute and Nitro. The roadway is shut down on 1st Ave S in Institute from New Goff Mountain Rd to Kilowatt Rd.

The shelter-in-place is for a one-mile radius of the plant and includes the West Virginia State University campus.

The shelter-in-place put into effect for St. Albans was lifted at 10:30 a.m.

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West Virginia

PSC hears public comments on possible WV American Water takeover of Lincoln PSD

Published

19 hours ago

April 21, 2026

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PSC hears public comments on possible WV American Water takeover of Lincoln PSD

CHARLESTON, W.Va (WCHS) — The West Virginia PSC held a public comment hearing on Tuesday regarding West Virginia American Water taking over Lincoln Lincoln Public Service District.

Only one person spoke out sharing what they’d like to see done if West Virginia American Water acquires the Lincoln PSD.

“If the company wants to get to folks who really need water, they should be looking at areas where drilling well is nearly impossible, like mine, which is actually closer to the lines than some of the places they mention in their filing. My neighbors and I live closer to the main water lines than the proposed Sugar Tree Road extension or the one and a half miles out to the campground that they plan on serving,” a Lincoln PSD customer shared during the meeting.

Lincoln PSD issued a boil water advisory on January 26th, and it wasn’t lifted until March 31st, leaving some customers not able to use what was coming out of their faucets.

Just last year, the Lincoln County Commission voted to move forward with the dissolution of the Lincoln PSD, but, in September, the district filed a petition to stop the sale to West Virginia American Water. Soon after in November, PSC staff submitted a request asking the applicants to give specific financial information.

West Virginia American Water issued the following statement at Tuesday’s meeting:

“West Virginia American Water has been working collaboratively with the Lincoln County Commission and the Lincoln County Public Service District Board regarding the possible acquisition of the Lincoln County Public Service District. The proposal would involve the purchase of the 2,532-customer system. We appreciate the opportunity for public input and look forward to continuing to work through the Public Service Commission’s review process.”

Lincoln PSD customers received a letter in the mail this week stating that the system violated drinking water monitoring requirements. The utility noted what was done to correct the situation and added that customers are not at risk.

Customers were also alerted Tuesday night of a boil water notice tonight due to a recent inspection concluding that the utility is not currently meeting the minimum disinfection requirements for surface water facilities.

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West Virginia

Former WVU QB Will Grier is Headed Back to Where His NFL Career Started

Published

1 day ago

April 21, 2026

Press Room

Former WVU QB Will Grier is Headed Back to Where His NFL Career Started

One of the best quarterbacks in recent memory to come through West Virginia, Will Grier, is approaching his eighth year in the NFL, which is quite the accomplishment for a backup. According to multiple reports early Tuesday morning, Grier is headed home, signing a free agent deal with the Carolina Panthers.

Grier was selected in the third round (100th overall) by the Panthers in 2019 and, at the time, was viewed as someone who could potentially be the future face of the franchise. That plan got messed up pretty early as Ron Rivera was fired during his rookie season, ultimately replaced by Matt Rhule. That offseason, the Panthers decided to cut ties with Cam Newton and bring in Teddy Bridgewater, giving Carolina a completely different direction at quarterback.

Following his second season with the Panthers, Grier was let go and began bouncing around the league. He spent time with the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, and then back to the Cowboys in 2024 and 2025.

Although he has only played in two regular season games in his career, Grier is widely viewed as a tremendous veteran quarterback who can bring depth to a room and serve as an extra voice for the starter to lean on. In this case, he and former Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett will fill that role for Bryce Young.

Where Grier ranks among WVU QBs in the NFL

Nov 23, 2018; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Will Grier (7) celebrates during the second quarter against the Oklahoma Sooners at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Statistically, he’s not going to catch anyone unless he somehow gets thrown into a starting role at some point, but as far as longevity goes, he’s been able to stick around in the NFL longer than most former Mountaineer quarterbacks.

Geno Smith (still active) is entering his 14th year in the league, and Jeff Hostetler made it 13 years. Those are the only two WVU quarterbacks who played longer. Marc Bulger played eight years, so as long as he makes it through this season and plays in 2027, he’ll surpass him. The others? Charles Seabright (six years), Oliver Luck (four years), Pat White (one year), and Fred Wyant (one year).

Grier will forever be remembered as one of the best to ever suit up for the Old Gold and Blue, tossing for 7,354 yards and 71 touchdowns in just two seasons in Dana Holgorsen’s offense. Following the 2018 season, he finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting, marking the highest finish for a Mountaineer since Steve Slaton in 2006.

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