WHEELING, W.Va. – The Wheeling Police Department’s Law Enforcement Memorial ceremony scheduled for Monday evening will move inside to WesBanco Arena’s Lobby due to a change in evening weather conditions.
The ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. today.
Wheeling City Council considers $40 million budget
WHEELING. W.Va. – Wheeling City Council concluded its final budget work session Tuesday night, setting the stage for next week’s vote on the 2025-2026 fiscal year budget. The comprehensive plan, now exceeding $40 million in operating expenses and revenues, reflects a notable increase of about $1.4 million over the current fiscal year.
Council discussed Centre Market finances. and its low rental fee revenues, especially the rent paid by the Artworks Around Town gallery.
In addition to Centre Market, council discussions addressed significant increases in other areas of the city budget. Notably, the budget for the Wheeling Police Department is slated to rise from approximately $8.8 million to over $9.7 million.
Mayor Denny Magruder pointed to the anticipated investments by WVU Medicine at the former Ohio Valley Medical Center site as a catalyst for broader regional development and improved market rental rates.
City leaders expressed cautious optimism about the fiscal outlook.
Will there be a Diocese of Steubenville in the future? Bishop’s report shows issues
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — In a press conference held at the diocesan pastoral center Tuesday, Bishop Edward Lohse, the apostolic administrator for the Catholic Diocese of Steubenville, unveiled a comprehensive report that raises serious concerns regarding the long-term viability of the diocese and outlines the challenges that lie ahead.
You can view the full press conference here.
The report, a product of extensive collaboration with diocesan consultors, finance council members, administrators, and priests, represents a self-study initiated to assess both the current state and the future prospects of the diocese. Bishop Lohse is evaluating whether Steubenville should merge with a neighboring diocese or continue as an independent entity. Previous reports said a merger with the Catholic Diocese of Columbus was possible. The Diocese of Steubenville comprises a 13-county area in southeast Ohio.
Bishop Lohse acknowledged the robust faith that persists in the region, but there is an expected decline in both the general and Catholic populations locally.
Financially, the Diocese of Steubenville’s net assets have grown from $18.2 million in 2023 to $19.8 million in 2024, a modest improvement that nonetheless falls short of supporting long-term growth.
Bishop Lohse confirmed that a timeline for completing the merger discernment process has been established, though its details remain undefined by church law. The next phase of this process will involve discussions among the bishops of Ohio, with recommendations to potentially modify the diocese expected to be considered as early as November.
Shadyside council will post your name on Facebook…if you make a FOIA request
BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio – Shadyside Village Council appears upset with people making Freedom of Information Act requests…and has passed a measure concerning it.
Council member Mike Meintel told council members he believes those requests, also called FOIA requests, take up too much of Chief Records Clerk Jerry Elliott’s time.
Meintel motioned to place the log with names of Freedom of Information Act requesters – which is public record – on the village’s official Facebook page.
Council voted to pass the motion unanimously.
There is no word as to how much time posting the FOIA requesters’ names to Facebook will take up for Shadyside officials.
Ohio expands free college credit program for students pursuing high-demand job fields
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Lt. Governor Jim Tressel and Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) Chancellor Mike Duffey announced Friday that more high school students will now be able to take College Credit Plus (CCP) classes and earn free college credit to pursue careers in high-demand fields.
ODHE recently established a waiver that eliminates barriers that previously prevented some high school students from taking part in Ohio’s CCP program. The goal of the waiver is to provide more students with pathways to earn an industry-recognized credential or certificate tied to high-demand career fields including advanced manufacturing and more.
“As we continue our work to strengthen Ohio’s workforce pipeline, one of our top goals is to provide as many of our students as possible the chance to gain experience in the jobs that will define Ohio’s future,” said Lt. Gov. Tressel, who announced the new waiver Friday during a meeting of the Governor’s Executive Workforce Board at Columbus State Community College. “The expansion of College Credit Plus eligibility will give more of our home-grown talent an affordable pathway to high-demand careers like advanced manufacturing and others, and will allow us, as a state, to be ready to fill the jobs we need to fill.”
The Statewide Innovative Waiver is available to all public two-year and four-year colleges and universities, as well as independent campuses.
Columbus State, Sinclair Community College, and Lorain County Community College are the first schools in Ohio to receive approval to utilize the waiver. For students who participate in CCP at one of these schools, the waiver will eliminate requirements that students achieve a cumulative unweighted 3.0 grade point average or pass placement tests before taking CCP courses.
“Ohio’s fastest-growing jobs include engineering technician roles connected to advanced manufacturing,” Chancellor Duffey said. “Our Statewide Innovative Waiver opens this opportunity to many more K-12 students who want to get a head start on the jobs of the future. Columbus State, Sinclair, and Lorain County Community College are already among the largest schools providing these credentials and, of course, do an exceptional job creating opportunities for Ohio students. Given recent announcements regarding growth in manufacturing jobs, this is an opportunity for students to earn technology-focused degrees – in many cases partially paid for by an employer.”
The waiver is also supported by JobsOhio, the state’s economic development nonprofit, and advanced manufacturing employers around the state.
“As more and more manufacturers choose Ohio to expand operations, the need for highly skilled workers continues to rise,” said JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef. “The College Credit Plus waiver accelerates and expands Ohio’s talent pipeline, such as technicians and other high-demand occupations. By earning college credit and industry-recognized credentials through applied learning, students gain a head start in the fields that are critical to Ohio’s economic growth.”
Belmont County Judge Hands Cleveland Man a 17-Year Sentence for Aggravated Meth Trafficking
BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO – A Cleveland man, 41-year-old Brandon Gaffney, was handed a 17-year prison sentence by Belmont County Common Pleas Court Judge John Vavra after a three-day trial on charges of aggravated trafficking of methamphetamine.
A jury found Gaffney guilty, and the judge cited his extensive criminal history as a key factor in the decision.
During the sentencing, Judge Vavra explained that Gaffney’s prior convictions played a significant role in determining the length of the sentence, emphasizing the need to address the seriousness of his offenses in light of his record. The case, which spanned three days of trial proceedings, centered on allegations of aggravated methamphetamine trafficking.
Hancock County Faces $2.1 Million Budget Shortfall for Fiscal Year 2026
HANCOCK COUNTY, W.Va. — Hancock County Commissioners have announced significant budget cuts to address a $2.1 million gap in the county’s fiscal year 2026 budget.
The shortfall is primarily attributed to the end of video lottery funding two years ago, combined with the revenue losses resulting from the Cleveland Cliffs shutdown.
Commissioners explained that the West Virginia Legislature was expected to restore the lost funding, but as of now, no reimbursement has been received.
Historically, video lottery funding contributed up to $1 million annually to the county’s revenues. With the elimination of this revenue stream, Hancock County was forced to rely on its rainy day fund, which has been reduced from $3 million to $1 million over the past two years. In response, commissioners have now set a $1 million minimum threshold for the rainy day fund to help ensure future fiscal stability.
The county’s projected revenue for 2026 stands at $9.9 million, making it imperative to enact budget cuts to avoid depleting essential reserves. Among the planned reductions is a decrease in the sheriff’s department’s share of the budget, which is set to drop from 36% to 32%.
The commission will continue to work through the details of the proposed cuts.
Wheeling Police Charge Man with Murder in Wife’s Death
WHEELING, W.Va. – Wheeling Police announced Thursday that a man has been criminally charged in connection with the death of his wife on Wheeling Island.
53-year-old Dwayne Herring of Wheeling has been charged with one count of murder following a joint month-long investigation conducted by the Wheeling Police Department and the Albemarle County Police Department in Charlottesville, Va.
On March 21, 2025, police were called to a home in the 400 block of South Front Street after a woman, identified as 56-year-old Kathleen J. Herring, was found deceased inside.
During the investigation, initial findings at the scene revealed that foul play was suspected. Kathleen’s body was taken to the West Virginia Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy, where preliminary findings indicated signs of a homicide.
On April 28, 2025, the Albemarle County Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit located and arrested Dwayne Herring on Woodlake Drive in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Dwyane Herring is currently being held in the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail, where he awaits extradition back to West Virginia later this month.
Ohio Senate Bill 1 Advances to House, Sparking Debate Over Higher Education Policies, DEI
COLUMBUS, OHIO – Ohio Senate Bill 1, a controversial proposal aimed at restructuring public university policies, has successfully passed the state Senate and now awaits deliberation in the House. The bill would eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, prohibit faculty strikes, and increase state oversight of university curricula and faculty evaluations.
Supporters argue that these measures are essential for ensuring that universities maintain political neutrality and concentrate on academic excellence. Proponents believe that eliminating DEI initiatives will foster a merit-based educational environment, while revisions to tenure and strike policies are seen as steps toward greater accountability in higher education.
The proposed changes also consider student-led organizations that focus on cultural identity and diversity, raising alarms that groups representing women, African Americans, and other minority communities could be disbanded.
The bill now awaits additional testimony in the House, where supporters and opponents are presenting their arguments.
West Virginia man charged with murder of woman following assault on Wheeling Island
WHEELING, W.Va. – Wheeling Police have charged a Fairmont, West Virginia man with murder in a 2023 malicious assault case that resulted in the death of the victim.
On July 28, 2023, police were called to the Fink Street area on the southern end of Wheeling Island for a woman who was found unconscious in a yard with physical injuries.
The woman, later identified as 49-year-old Christine Lynn King of Wheeling, was taken to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va., at the time of the incident to be medically treated but later died from her injuries at Wheeling Hospital on Oct. 20, 2023.
The West Virginia Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy of King, who, in October of 2024, ruled the manner of death as a homicide as a result of blunt force trauma.
After conducting multiple interviews, gathering information from the crime scene and forensic evidence, detectives charged 37-year-old Dennis Terrell Evans on May 1, 2025, with one count of murder.
Evans has been incarcerated since September 2023 after being arrested and later convicted on an unrelated felony crime (strangulation). He is serving a three-year prison sentence in Saint Mary’s Correctional Center and Jail, located in Pleasants County, W.Va.