Several major projects and community issues are making headlines across the Ohio Valley.
WVU Medicine broke ground Wednesday on a new $56 million hospital campus overlooking Interstate 70 in St. Clairsville. The St. Clairsville Community Hospital will include a 24-hour emergency department, inpatient beds and advanced imaging services. CEO Douglass Harrison said nearly 40 percent of the health system’s patients come from Ohio. The hospital is expected to open in 2027.
In Belmont County, Barton residents attended Wednesday’s county commission meeting to seek help with recurring flooding along County Road 10 and Church Street. Residents pointed to aging culverts dating to the 1940s, accumulated mud and debris, and a storage building they believe is obstructing water flow.
The Jefferson County Land Bank has started construction on two new homes in Steubenville through Ohio’s Welcome Home Ohio program. The organization received more than $960,000 to build six homes throughout the county for income-qualified families.
Marshall County’s Board of Education has selected Waller Corporation of Washington, Pennsylvania, to build the new Riverside Elementary School in McMechen. The nearly $30 million project could take up to two years to complete. Plans include a gymnasium designed to serve as a community storm shelter.
Milton Jefferson Recovery has expanded from its original capacity to 84 beds since opening in November. The Jefferson County facility has also added outpatient services as demand for addiction recovery care continues to increase across Ohio.
The West Virginia Lottery Commission approved a new casino license Wednesday for The Greenbrier. Kennedy Lewis Investment Management, a New York-based firm, now controls 51 percent of the resort. U.S. Sen. Jim Justice and his family retain a 49 percent interest and two seats on the resort’s board.
Weirton Utilities Director “Butch” Mastrantoni will retire Oct. 16 after 35 years of leading the city’s water and sanitary services, according to the Weirton Area Water Board.
Weirton is also accepting applications for its new Youth Council. Students in grades seven through nine will advise city leaders on issues affecting young residents. Applications are due Sept. 1.
In Morristown, Jet Fuel Java has opened inside Papa D’s near Union Local schools and Interstate 70. The business serves coffee, Kirke’s ice cream, milkshakes and other food items.
