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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. –“Safe actions save lives” is being stressed by state and local officials in West Virginia during National Work Zone Awareness Week.
Photo: MetroNews’ Jack Carlson
“It sounds simple but, in the field, it is a matter of life and death, work zones are temporary, but the risks are permanent,” State Transportation Secretary Steven Todd Rumbaugh said Wednesday during a work zone safety press conference. “Last year hundreds of people across the country lost their lives in work zone crashes and here’s the sobering truth the majority of those killed aren’t just workers, they are drivers and their passengers.”
Rumbaugh was joined by law enforcement, contractors, and state and federal officials to commemorate Go Orange Day, which is part of Work Zone Awareness Week.
In 2025, there were 800 crashes in West Virginia highway work zones, resulting in 301 injuries and five deaths. Those deaths included James Harper, 24, a West Virginia Turnpike worker who was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer on Interstate 77. The driver swerved to avoid a dump truck and struck Harper with the trailer.
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State and local officials used the news conference to urge motorists to pay attention in work zones.
Contractors Association of West Virginia CEO Jason Pizatella said everyone deserves to go home safely after working to ensure the roads are safe.
“These men and women, as the pastor said, are fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles who put their lives at risk to improve our highway system and they deserve to do so safely to benefit all West Virginians and those who visit here,” Pizatella said.
Go Orange Day was first introduced in Virginia in 1997 and became part of a nationwide campaign with Work Zone Awareness Week in 2000.
Governor’s Highway Safety Program representative Amy Boggs said they want motorists to follow a few key safety practices in highway work zones.
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“We need you to pay attention, we need you to not speed, we need you take responsibility for what you do out on the roadways, whether you’re driving, you’re a passenger, you’re on a bicycle or a motorcycle, whether you’re walking or in a wheelchair you need to take responsibility for what you can take responsibility for,” Boggs said.
Rumbaugh said officials ask motorists to put their phones down while driving, slow down in work zones, and expect the unexpected because work zones are always changing.
He said people need to ensure that work zone safety remains an everyday commitment.
“Work zone safety isn’t just a department initiative, it’s a driver’s responsibility, and while today (Wednesday) is Go Orange Day, as I’ve said before it isn’t a phrase we acknowledge for a day, for a week, or a month every year it’s a front of mind commitment,”
Pizatella said that if everyone puts in an effort to ensure work zone safety, they can make 2026 a safe year.
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“You’re efforts and everyone here today protect the men and women out there building a better West Virginia, if we all do our part, we can make the 2026 construction season the very safest on record,” he said.
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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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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.
