Originally published Aug. 6, 2024

BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Transportation’s sudden closure of the Blaine Hill Bridge Monday has left many Belmont County residents asking why this happened.

ODOT Statewide Press Secretary Matt Bruning addressed those questions with Dimitri Vassilaros on Dimitri – Live & Dangerously Local! on the River Radio Network Tuesday.

Bruning says the bridge was deteriorating and this played a major factor in ODOT’s decision to close it, but wrong-way drivers were also a big safety concern.

Unfortunately, we had a massive amount of people going around barriers, ignoring signs and creating a massive safety hazard for people who were trying to go the right way on that bridge, and we were not going to risk a head-on collision.

ODOT Statewide Press Secretary Matt Bruning

Bruning says safety is ODOT’s top concern and that overrides any travel or time inconvenience the bridge closure causes for people who work, live or travel in the area.

The bridge closure is now causing traffic tie ups in Bridgeport along Routes 40, 70 and 7.

Beginning July 3, ODOT allowed bridge traffic to travel eastbound traffic only following an inspection finding of deterioration. Many drivers ignored signs and traveled up the bridge, risking head-on collisions.

The Blaine Hill Bridge was closely monitored. Bruning explained that Ohio requires annual inspections of bridges, but ODOT began inspecting the Blaine Hill Bridge every three months due to deterioration. Still, Bruning says the bridge is not ready to collapse.

It’s not in danger of falling down immediately.

ODOT Statewide Press Secretary Matt Bruning

Bruning says installing a traffic light to manage traffic would not have worked on the Blaine Hill Bridge due to traffic backups on the hill and the side roads coming onto Route 40. He added that law enforcement officers issued multiple citations for wrong-way driving, so it does not seem that posting officers was a deterrent to illegal driving.

The Blaine Hill Bridge is currently the only bridge closed by ODOT in the state of Ohio, Bruning says.

You can see Dimitri’s full interview with ODOT Statewide Press Secretary Matt Bruning on Facebook here.

Originally published Aug. 12, 2024

BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Transportation will replace the Blaine Hill Bridge rather than attempting repairs, Lauren Borell of ODOT confirmed Monday.

ODOT planned to replace the bridge but has moved the project up.

We plan to replace the bridge rather than make temporary repairs. The bridge was originally scheduled to be replaced in 2030 but we are moving that project forward.

Lauren Borell

Public Information Officer

ODOT District 11

Borell says a timeline and details for the project, including reopening the bridge, is not available at this time.

ODOT closed the bridge totally August 5 due to deterioration and drivers ignoring closed signs and going the wrong way up the bridge facing oncoming traffic. ODOT had previously closed the bridge to westbound traffic beginning July 3.

Motorists have been inconvenienced by the bridge closure and resulting traffic snarls in the Bridgeport area.

The official ODOT detour for westbound traffic is I-70 from Marion Street to the U.S. 40 National Road/County Road 214 exit (Exit 220) to return to U.S. 40. Eastbound traffic will enter I-70 from County Road 214 to the U.S. 250/State Route 7 exit (Exit 225) to Marion Street to return to U.S. 40.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio – Ohio’s newest Congressman introduced himself to local residents at the Belmont County Commissioners’ meeting.

Congressman Michael Rulli (R) was sworn in on June 25 to join the 118th United States Congress. He is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing the 6th District of Ohio.

Rulli defeated Democrat Michael Kripchak at a special election June 11 following the resignation of incumbent Bill Johnson (R) in January. Johnson is now the president of Youngstown State University.

Rulli told Belmont County Commissioners he hopes to bridge the communication and service gaps between federal and local government.

I think Ohio has a flaw-the separation between federal and local government. I want to have synergy and be a part of your thoughts and needs. I want to be useful. I want to get Chavez and Ferguson here. We want to be part of your family. Millions in federal dollars are going to cities like San Francisco and Dallas. Why not go here?

Congressman Michael Rulli (R) 6th District of Ohio

In a statement to River News Network on Monday, Rulli said he wants to advocate the needs of rural areas at the federal level. He is also working to find solutions on the Blaine Hill Bridge, which ODOT now says they will replace.

The federal government has a long history of ignoring the needs of rural Appalachians. I intend to be a strong advocate for these communities in Congress, fighting for better opportunities, economic growth, and greater investment in rebuilding our aging infrastructure.

My office is currently researching any potential federal funding opportunities to assist in reopening the Blaine Hill Bridge, and I will continue working with the Belmont County Commissioners and the State of Ohio to find the best solution to this urgent matter.

Congressman Michael Rulli (R) 6th District of Ohio

Is federal money available to reopen the Blaine Hill Bridge?

Larry Merry Director of the Belmont County Port Authority, also says federal funds may be available for the Blaine Hill Bridge.

Originally published Aug. 16, 2024

HANCOCK COUNTY, W.Va. – Are cat colonies invading the Northern Panhandle?

Local animal experts say there are large groups of feral cats in Hancock and Brooke Counties.

A Chester man, Gregory Arner, was recently charged with felony animal cruelty for allegedly killing a cat in Hancock County.

Hope Sayre, Daily Medical and Operations Manager of the Hancock County Animal Shelter, tells River News Network that there is a serious feral cat problem in the area.

There is a horrible feral cat population. There are two feral populations in Hancock County and five colonies in Weirton.

Hope Sayre, Daily Medical and Operations Manager of the Hancock County Animal Shelter

A cat colony has a least 10 cats but the number can be much greater, according to Sayre.

Sayre says her shelter and groups like Church Alley are working on solutions to the cat problem. Church Alley recently took 30 cats out of one colony and gave them veterinary care and behavioral rehabilitation. Sayre says 90 percent of young feral cats can be placed for adoption after they are screened, and, of course, spayed or neutered.

Some farmers will adopt the cats to use them as mousers on their properties, Sayre explained.

What is the solution to the feral cat problem? Sayre says spay and neuter programs are essential. There are even grants available to help pay for the cost, she said.

The number of kittens that a breeding pair of cats can produce is staggering. Sayre says that in just eight years, a pair of fertile cats can produce 2 million kittens. Kittens can become pregnant at just 4 months old.

Feral cats can damage property and hurt the environment by killing birds and small animals.

People feed the feral cats regularly and even build shelters for them and provide straw and bedding in the winter, Sayre says.

The Hancock County Animal Shelter also handles stray dogs, but Sayre says almost half of those are reclaimed by their owners. Sayre says that, unfortunately, some people think of cats as “disposable” and do not care for them as closely as they do dogs.

The Hancock County Animal Shelter offers education programs for people interested in adopting pets to set the new owners up for success, Sayre says. For more information on pets available for adoption or spay and neuter programs, visit the shelter’s website, Facebook page, or call them at 304-387-4102.

Originally published Aug. 20, 2024

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio – Child custody disputes can turn into bitter legal battles, but what happens when the mother is fighting the Catholic Church?

A Steubenville mother has found herself in that situation as she fights to regain custody of her 2-year-old son from two Catholic priests he is living with at the St. Peter Parish rectory.

The boy’s mother, Jorden Edgar, is locked in a legal battle with the two priests, Father Timothy Huffman, St. Peter’s pastor, and Father Bradley Greer, priest-in-residence at St. Peter’s, according to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

Edgar told the newspaper that she and her husband, Edgar Pauley, moved to Steubenville from Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania and received babysitting help and supplies like food and diapers from the church and a local community center, the Friendship Room.

The priests reportedly became concerned over the child’s welfare due to alleged hygiene and neglect issues. They reportedly contacted Jefferson County Children’s Services in Steubenville.

In December 2022, the priests filed for custody of the young boy, which a judge granted. The judge reportedly specified the child would stay at the church rectory until the court made a final custody determination. The case was filed nearly two years ago with no final custody determination yet being made.

Jorden Pauley reportedly does not have an attorney and has set up a Go Fund Me page to solicit money for legal expenses and help in regaining custody of her child, as she states on the fundraising page:

Hi my name is Jorden Pauley and I am starting a go fund me page because I am in desperate need to get a attorney to help me get my son back from two catholic priest who were granted emergency custody on December 9 of 2022 of my child they are trying to say I am a bad mother.

They are trying to say that I’ve had drugs and many other bad things around my child I was never given the chance to raise my child. They were assuming to me and my husband that they were just there to help, but instead they took custody of my child.

Jorden Pauley, Steubenville mother in custody battle with priests for her son

River News Network reached out to Pauley for comment but she has not yet responded.

Dino Orsatti, Director of Communications for the Diocese of Steubenville, referred River News Network and radio host Dimitri Vassilarosto a statement that the diocese posted on its website that the diocese does not comment on pending legal matters but maintains that its priests are in compliance with its child protection policies and are the child’s court-ordered legal custodians.

The Diocese of Steubenville does not comment on pending legal matters. However, the diocese is confident that Father Bradley Greer and Father Timothy Huffman are in compliance with the child protection policies of the Diocese of Steubenville because they are the court ordered legal custodians of the minor child.

Diocese of Steubenville statement dated August 13, 2024 on pending child custody case

Bishop Jeffrey M. Monforton presided over the Diocese of Steubenville at the onset of the custody case in 2022. On Sept. 28, 2023, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Monforton as the 32nd auxiliary bishop of Detroit, according to the Diocese of Steubenville website.

River News Network contacted the Diocese of Detroit for a comment from Bishop Monforton on the case. Holly Fournier, Associate Director of Communications, Archiocese of Detroit said Monforton did not have an update.

Bishop Monforton’s ministry as Bishop of Steubenville concluded nearly a year ago, so he is unable to provide any comment or update on this matter.

Holly Fournier, Associate Director of Communications, Archdiocese of Detroit

River News Network reached out to the Jefferson County Department of Job & Family Services which oversees Children’s Services. Jefferson County DJFS Director Michelle Santin declined comment on the case.

The priests reportedly met the Pauley family at a community assistance organization, the Friendship Room, which is managed by St. Peter’s parishioner Molly McGovern, according to the Post Gazette. McGovern is listed as the founder and president of the group, according to their website. River News Network contacted the Friendship Room and spoke with a woman who identified herself as McGovern’s assistant. The woman said McGovern would not comment on the custody case. She added that the organization has no religious affiliation.

Follow Dimitri – Live & Dangerously Local!™️, River News Network online and RNN Facebook for updates to this developing story.

Originally published Aug. 20, 2024

WETZEL COUNTY, W.Va. – The group involved in a court battle to keep Paden City High School open has now filed a motion for contempt of court against school superintendent Cassandra Porter after an email asking football teams not to play on the school field surfaced, according to the West Virginia Record.

Secondary Education Director and County Administrator Paul C. Huston II sent this email to other Wetzel County school officials on August 14 asking them not to play football on the Paden City field due to ongoing concerns over chemical contamination:

If you have scheduled or plan to play MS or HS football games with PCHS they must be played either at your home field or on a neutral site.

You are not allowed to play on their field. This is a safety concern. This only applies to football. Volleyball and basketball are ok. We are currently in a legal battle concerning student safety, and the field is sitting on top of ground zero for pollutants.

We in good conscience cannot turn a blind eye and allow our students to risk chemical exposure from vapors coming up through the field.

Secondary Education Director and County Administrator Paul C. Huston II email reprinted in the West Virginia Record

Paden City High School sits atop a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site. According to the EPA, Superfund gives EPA the funds and authority to clean up contaminated sites. In July 2024, EPA received questions about benzene in the high school and completed vapor intrusion testing which they say showed no significant levels of contaminants.

Toriseva Law in Wheeling represents the plaintiffs and they argue that having a football team and football games on the Paden City Wildcats homefield within city limits is part of keeping the school open.

The plaintiffs are led by the Paden City Schools Athletic Association, according to the West Virginia Record.

A Wetzel County Circuit Judge C. Richard Wilson issued a temporary restraining order in July stopping school superintendent Porter from closing the school. Porter had planned to move students to Magnolia High School, which is also in Wetzel County. Porter appealed the Wetzel County judge’s decision to the West Virginia Supreme Court.

The West Virginia Record names plaintiffs listed in court records as the Paden City Schools Athletic Association; “football coach Nathan Anderson, art teacher and archery coach Matt Kinnard, teacher Samantha Smith, athletic trainer and parent Thomas Duncan, bus driver Chris McGinnis, football coach Josh Billiter, coach and PCAA President Jon Baker, school secretary and PCAA Vice President Penelope Baker, Alumni President Shauna Williams-Yoho, schools employee Mary McGinnis, school employee and mother Zoa Postlethwait, teacher and coach Trey Barcus, teacher and parent Stacey Yoho, teacher and Paden City Council member Bill Bell as well as other parents, grandparents and guardians of children who attend Wetzel County schools.”

Paden City High School students returned to classes in the Paden City building Monday, August 19.

Paden City High School has an enrollment of approximately 160 students in grades 7 to 12. It was built in 1951. 

Originally published July 24, 2024

BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio – Belmont County officials are asking residents to renew the children’s services levy which goes on the ballot in November.

Commissioners said there will be a reduction in the levy amount for taxpayers but the quality and amount of services for children should not decline.

Belmont County Department of Job & Family Services Director Jeff Felton and BCDJFS Fiscal Administrator Jack Regis Jr. attended the Wednesday commissioners’ meeting to explain why the levy is so important.

They explained the levy has been in place since at least the early 1970s and provides funds to help abused and neglected children in the county. It also allows the county to draw monies from the state.

It enables us to do a lot of things with direct support. We can also leverage other funds to bring to Belmont County.

Jeff Felton, Belmont County Department of Job & Family Services Director

Regis emphasized the importance of community in child welfare.

It takes a community to raise a child and protect children. It is all of our responsibility as citizens in this county to protect children.

Jack Regis Jr., Belmont County Department of Job & Family Fiscal Administrator

Commissioner Josh Meyer thanked the Belmont DJFS staff for its work and use of levy money.

Kudos to the DJFS staff. This is money spent wisely. They do a fantastic job.

Josh Meyer, Belmont County Commissioner

Belmont DJFS plans to provide additional information to the public about the levy in the coming months.

Originally published Aug. 1, 2024

NOBLE COUNTY, Ohio – A man with a nationwide warrant was arrested after allegedly leading sheriff’s deputies on high-speed chase with his beagle dog in the vehicle, according to the Noble County Sheriff’s Office.

Timothy Shawn Wines, 53, Washington County, Ohio, and his beagle dog reportedly fled from officers and embarked on an hours-long chase and search involving drones and a “driverless vehicle” and near-miss head-on crashes.

Wines and his beagle were finally apprehended at a vacant house, according to Noble County Sheriff Jason Mackie.

Mackie asked for the public’s help in locating Wines Wednesday.

Mackie says that on July 30, Detective Cory May and Deputy Dylan Guerrieri observed several criminal indicators when a vehicle passed them on Interstate 77 near milepost 23. Deputy Cory Baker was also on duty and in the area to observe the same indicators, according to the sheriff’s office.

A registration check showed the license plate of the vehicle did not match the description of the vehicle it was on. Deputies attempted a traffic stop but instead of complying, the driver allegedly exited the interstate and led the Noble County Sheriff’s Office on a high-speed pursuit through Belle Valley and Caldwell.

Deputies contacted Mackie who responded to assist. Mackie says that during the pursuit, “it became apparent the driver had no regard for the community or others.” The pursued vehicle allegedly went through residential areas, drove onto people’s properties and had near missed head-on collisions with deputies and passing motorists.

Mackie says the pursuit ended when the pursued vehicle drove behind a residence off Belle Valley Road and was blocked in by deputies. The driver allegedly fled from the vehicle with a dog while the vehicle was still moving and ran into a wooded area.

Deputies had to stop the driverless moving vehicle. Detective May used his cruiser to stop the suspect vehicle to prevent further property damage and anyone from being injured.

Once the vehicle was secured, deputies searched the area and attempted to locate the fleeing suspect.

Mackie contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office who sent their drone team to assist with the search. The suspect was not located but Mackie, along with detectives and deputies, continued the investigation, which led into the late hours of that following day.

Law enforcement officers obtained search warrants for the vehicle and a cell phone the suspect reportedly left behind, which led to Timothy Wines of Washington County, Ohio being named as a person of interest. Mackie stated.

“We learned that Wines has a nationwide warrant for his arrest, which explained why he ran from us.”

Noble County Sheriff Jason Mackie

Sheriff’s detectives had developed a place of interest where they thought Wines may have been hiding out on Belle Valley Road. Mackie along with detectives and deputies responded to the area and reportedly observed Timothy Wines’ dog on the property.

Officers reportedly located Wines while they were searching through the brushes around an unoccupied house. Officers apprehended Wines and his dog were apprehended. Wines was taken into custody and transported to the Noble County Jail. The dog traveled to the sheriff’s office with Wines and is being housed until an alternative custodian comes forward.

Mackie says he is proud of his agency and appreciates the assistance from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

Originally published July 25, 2024

MONROE COUNTY, Ohio – The village of Beallsville may be tiny but its contribution to the American experience is mighty.

And this week the village marks a major milestone with its Beallsville bicentennial celebration centered on Washington Street.

The celebration runs July 26, 27 & 28.

It features live music, a parade, food trucks, a scavenger hunt, a pedal tractor pull and fireworks. WOMP 100.5 will be on hand for a live radio broadcast.

Nestled in the rolling hills of Ohio Appalachia in Monroe County, Beallsville was founded by Mr. Citizen Beall in 1824. Town lore says Beall originally came from the Wheeling Creek area. Beall reportedly died while he was in church reaching for a song book, according to past newspaper accounts. He is buried in the old Methodist Church cemetery across from a former school and alongside his wife and daughter. His gravestone still stands.

According to past news accounts, village officials changed the name from Beallsville to Elva in 1835 but no one seems to recall the reason, and the name was switched back to Beallsville in 1851.

The town grew with the addition of a grocery store, general merchandise store and tobacco shop, according to a book researched by Alberts Crooks Vandyne for the town’s sesquicentennial celebration in 1974.

Beallsville gained national attention during the Vietnam War era in the late 1960s to mid-1970s for the loss of life suffered by its servicemen. Beallsville lost more than 1 percent of its population who were killed in the war. This was the highest loss of life per capita for those killed in action in Vietnam than any other town in America. A plaque in town commemorates the town’s sacrifice of its sons.

Raven Rocks, a spectacular rock formation, is also in Beallsville but across the Belmont County line. Visitors and Native Americans across the centuries have marveled at the site’s waterfall and natural beauty.

Beallsville is known for its rural setting and agriculture but also was home to two productive coal mines, the Murray Energy Powhatan No. 6 Mine which officially closed in 2017, and the Century Mine which closed in 2022.

The 2020 census counted 355 Beallsville residents, but the population is expected to dramatically grow, at least this weekend, for the monumental 200th anniversary of this quaint Ohio village.

For more information on the event, go to the Beallsville Bicentennial Event Facebook page.

Originally published Aug. 1, 2024

WETZEL COUNTY, W.Va. – School is back in session. That was the ruling late Wednesday night from Wetzel Circuit Judge Richard Wilson who ordered that Paden City High School will remain open for the upcoming school year.

According to the West Virginia Record, a group of Paden City residents and school employees represented by Wheeling attorney Teresa Toriseva had filed a petition asking the court to stop Wetzel County Schools Superintendent Cassie Porter’s planned closure of the school due, in part, to toxic chemical concerns.

Paden City High School is located on a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site. According to the EPA, Superfund gives EPA the funds and authority to clean up contaminated sites. In July 2024, EPA received questions about benzene in the high school and completed vapor intrusion testing which they say showed no significant levels of contaminants.

Porter had planned to move the Paden City High School students to Magnolia High School.

Plaintiffs in the case cited Paden City High School’s academic and athletic achievements and historic importance to the community as some of the reasons it should remain open. Students resume classes August 19.