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News and Sentinel •

Marietta City Schools Board of Education approved two faculty positions

MARIETTA – The Marietta City Schools Board of Education approved the hiring of two faculty members during their regular monthly meeting Monday.
Superintendent Mary Schaeffer said Alexis Coates has been appointed as the new Curriculum Coordinator to fill the vacant position. The position was originally titled Curriculum Director and was filled by Tim Fleming.
"We changed the title to Curriculum Coordinator because I wanted the position to be intentionally focused on instructional leadership," s...
News and Sentinel •

Measles case confirmed in unvaccinated Barbour County resident

BARBOUR COUNTY – A measles case was confirmed in an unvaccinated Barbour County resident Tuesday, according to a release from the West Virginia Department of Health.
Information provided by State Health Officer Mark McDaniel said officials are working with the Barbour County Health Department on the case to identify contact tracing.
The Department of Health has not identified any evidence of widespread community exposure. Regardless, Barbour County clinicians have been notified and asked to mo...
News and Sentinel •

Humane Society of the Ohio Valley says will have to close by end of the year unless county provides financial assistance

Board members with the Humane Society of the Ohio Valley said if there wasn't any increase in financial support from the county, they would have to close the doors by the end of the year.
"If we can't operate anymore as a humane society then the county has to take over as a dog pound," said Humane Society Vice President Esther Salem. "That's where we're at, at this point."
The board went to the Washington County Commissioners on Thursday to discuss options regarding financial support from the c...
News and Sentinel •

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and Mardel in Vienna closing

Closing signs are visible in the windows of the Mardel Christian and Education store in Vienna on Tuesday.
(Photo by Amber Phipps)Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen in Vienna is boarded up with closed signs above the building on Tuesday.
(Photo by Amber Phipps)Closing signs are visible in the windows of the Mardel Christian and Education store in Vienna on Tuesday.
(Photo by Amber Phipps)Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen in Vienna is boarded up with closed signs above the building on Tuesday.
(Photo by Amber...
News and Sentinel •

Multiple road closures in Washington County after Tuesday’s thunderstorms

Damage is visible on Third Street in St. Marys near the Hi Carpenter Memorial Bridge Wednesday morning following a severe storm Tuesday. (Photo by Amber Phipps)Crews work on removing tree limbs and debris from roads in St. Marys on Wednesday.
(Photo by Amber Phipps)Maintenance trucks were piled high with debris and large tree limbs in St. Marys Wednesday after the severe thunderstorms.
(Photo by Amber Phipps) The sign on Newport IGA was torn from the structure as a result of the severe thunders...
News and Sentinel •

Judge Joseph Barker Jr. House receives $100,000 in state grants for renovations

NEWPORT – Ohio State Representative Kevin Ritter (R-Marietta) announced last week $100,000 will go towards supporting the historic Judge Joseph Barker Jr. House.
Located in Newport, the Barker House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, according to a state press release. Barker was an early Washington County settler and civic leader.
"The Barker House has significant, historical meaning for the people of Washington County, and I'm glad to see resources allocated to en...
News and Sentinel •

Washington County Commissioners approve letter of support for school-based health clinic at Fort Frye

MARIETTA – The regular Washington County meeting on Thursday consisted of the approval of a letter of support for the school-based health clinic at Fort Frye Local Schools, proceeding with two renewal levies to appear on the November ballot, and updates from a few county officials.
The commissioners added the letter of support to the agenda after district Superintendent Stephanie Starcher reached out to the commissioners to request support on obtaining a grant.
Starcher said Thursday the purpose...
News and Sentinel •

Waterford resident asks Washington County Commissioners for ‘help’ regarding data center project

MARIETTA – Waterford resident Amber Peck asked the Washington County Commissioners for help regarding the data center project that is planned around her home near Sparling Road.
During the regular commission meeting on Thursday, Peck spoke to commissioners during the public comment portion of the meeting and said she’s concerned because properties around her are being sold but she has not received a “practical” offer for her home.
"From day one, they (developers) approached us in May 2025," she...
News and Sentinel •

Manufacturing workforce gathers at AOMC for ReImagine Appalachian discussion

True Pigments Director of Project Development Michelle Maciver speaks at the ReImagine Appalachia discussion series on Wednesday. The event was held at the Appalachian Ohio Manufacturers' Coalition office in Marietta. (Photo by Amber Phipps)Southeastern Ohio Port Authority CEO Jesse Roush speaks to the audience at the ReImagine Appalachia discussion series on Wednesday. The event was held at the Appalachian Ohio Manufacturers' Coalition office in Marietta. (Photo by Amber Phipps)Individuals in...
News and Sentinel •

Precautions advised for those living around fire site

PARKERSBURG -- Residents within a two-mile radius of the Peoples Cartage fire should take precautions with their garden produce, according to Wood County West Virginia Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources J.J. Barrett.
Barrett said local experts have been working on gathering samples, and further information regarding potential impacts of the fire on the local agriculture.
He said while that information is being collected, residents within the area are advised to take precauti...
News and Sentinel •

Peoples Cartage fire 95% extinguished

Hundreds of meals were prepared by members of the Parkersburg Area Association of Realtors in order to ensure students involved in the Summer Feed Program had access to food Monday. (Photo provided)Wood County Sheriff Rick Woodyard gives a briefing on the different aspects of the fire at Peoples Cartage before the Wood County Commission Monday morning. Commissioners had officials come in to give briefings on the fire along Camden Aveue, just outside the city limits of Parkersburg. (Photo by Bret...
News and Sentinel •

Bradley Cantwell of Walker sentenced to 80 years in prison on two counts of murder

Wood County Prosecutor Pat Lefebure asks Wood County Circuit Judge J.D. Beane to give defendant Bradley Cantwell the maximum sentence for the murder of Walker couple from 2024.
(Photo by Amber Phipps) Bradley Cantwell of Walker leaves the court of Wood County Circuit Judge J.D. Beane after his sentence was announced on Monday. Cantwell was sentenced to a total of 80 years in prison for two counts of second-degree murder.
(Photo by Amber Phipps)Walker resident Bradley Cantwell, right, and his a...
News and Sentinel •

Washington County Engineer Roger Wright announces completion of Devola Sewer Project

MARIETTA -- The Devola Sanitary Sewer Improvements Project has officially reached full completion, according to Washington County Engineer Roger Wright. The announcement was made during the weekly Washington County Commissioner meeting Thursday.
"All of the yards in Devola are now fully restored as of today," said Wright. "Today will be the last day that the contractor will be on-site."
After more than 15 years of work, the project concluded and homeowners are tasked with the responsibility of...
News and Sentinel •

Civil War Round Table hosts third annual History in the Park July 11

MARIETTA - History in the Park will return for its third year at East Muskingum Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 11.
Hosted by the Civil War Round Table of the Mid-Ohio Valley, the event is entirely free for the public to attend. Guests can expect vendors and historic exhibits from across multiple states.
Civil War Round Table President Nancy Arthur said the event continues to grow in attendance every year.
"We have over two dozen exhibits," she said.
Arthur said there will be exhibits comin...
News and Sentinel •

Mid-Ohio Valley under extreme heat warning through Friday

PARKERSBURG – An extreme heat warning remains in effect for the Mid-Ohio Valley until 10 p.m. Friday, July 3, according to the National Weather Service in Charleston.
The weather service reported "dangerously hot conditions with heat index values up to 108" and "heat-related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat and high humidity events."
The temperature is expected around the high 90s at the start of the week and will reach the 100s by Friday.
The National Weather Service advi...
News and Sentinel •

Marietta couple celebrate 100th birthdays, 75th wedding anniversary

Richard “Dick” and Phyllis Holley were recognized Monday at The Glenwood Community for both their 75th wedding anniversary and their 100th birthdays. They were born just a month apart in 1926, Richard on May 25 and Phyllis on June 29. The couple married July 7, 1951, and have lived in Marietta since. (Photo by Amber Phipps)Family gather around Richard and Phyllis Holley, front, for a photo at The Glenwood Community on Monday night to celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary and 100th birthdays....
News and Sentinel •

Volunteers help out during the United Way’s annual Day of Action

Micki George and Diana Hudkins with WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center clean the gardens and landscaping around the O’Neill Center on Thursday. The ladies were volunteering their time in partnership with the United Way Alliance of the Mid-Ohio Valley’s Day of Action. Micki George, Samantha Bates, and Diana Hudkins with WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center volunteer for the United Way Alliance of the Mid-Ohio Valley’s Day of Action. They clean the landscaping around the O’Neill Center i...
News and Sentinel •

Washington County Commissioners approve large gift for Washington County Home

The Washington County Commissioners approved a gift from Whipple resident Marjorie Adams for her property and land to be given for the benefit of the Washington County Home. The gift was approved during the regular commission meeting Thursday with Commissioner Eddie Place absent.
Washington County Job and Family Services Director Flite Freimann said after the passing of Adams' husband, she was brought to the county home where she has been taken care of.
Freimann said she made the decision, wit...
News and Sentinel •

Rain didn’t stop the 49th annual Safetytown at Phillips Elementary

MARIETTA – The 49th year of Safetytown at Phillips Elementary looked a little different for day six due to the intermittent rain storms on Monday.
The usual outdoor activities were brought inside but the kindergartens didn't seem to mind.
Safetytown at Phillips began June 15 and will conclude on June 25 with a graduation program in the evening.
There were nearly 150 kindergarteners who attended this year with the majority of the students in the morning session from 9 a.m. to noon and some att...
News and Sentinel •

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says the state should abolish the death penalty

COLUMBUS - Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Tuesday he wants to abolish the death penalty in Ohio. His announcement included a nine-page document with his personal accounts on the subject as well as statistics and detailed examples to support his conclusion.
His document included his experience with capital punishment as a former county prosecuting attorney, a member of the Judiciary Committee in the Senate and House of Representatives, a member of the Judiciary Committee in the U.S. Senate, Ohio...
News and Sentinel •

Washington County Commissioners approve public library tax levy for November election

MARIETTA – The Washington County Commissioners approved placing the public library tax levy on the ballot for the upcoming general election Nov. 3.
The proposed tax will not exceed 0.5 mill for each $1 of taxable value. This will amount to a maximum tax of $17.50 for each $100,000 of valuation certified by the county auditor.
Going before voters for the third time in a year, the levy would provide funds for the current expenses of the library and cover all branches in the county. The term woul...
News and Sentinel •

Tree collapses onto apartment in Williamstown Sunday

A tree falls on an apartment complex at W 4 1/2 St. near Highland Avenue in Williamstown Sunday night.
(Photo provided by Paul Jordan)Emergency personnel in Williamstown work to remove a large tree that fell during a storm Sunday night.
(Photo provided by Paul Jordan)A tree in Williamstown with parts of the tree torn away as a result of the storm Sunday night.
(Photo provided by Paul Jordan)A tree falls on an apartment complex at W 4 1/2 St. near Highland Avenue in Williamstown Sunday night....
News and Sentinel •

WCVSC Executive Director Darren Shearlock announces resignation

MARIETTA – Darren Shearlock resigned from his position as the executive director of the Washington County Veterans Service Commission effective at 9:30 a.m. Thursday morning.
Shearlock announced his resignation during the regular Washington County Commissioner meeting.
"Serving the veterans of Washington County has been one of the greatest honors of my professional career," said Shearlock in his resignation letter.
Shearlock said he wished the best to the staff of the WCVSC and for the succes...
News and Sentinel •

Parkersburg residents criticize single-item agenda during city council meeting

PARKERSBURG - Residents of Parkersburg criticized city council's agenda for having only one resolution item during the regular meeting on Tuesday evening.
The agenda for the Parkersburg City Council meeting also included no unfinished business. The resolution was to reappoint Tom Farrah onto the Utility Board for a four-year term to expire June 23, 2030.
The Parkersburg Utility Board works on improving and maintaining water and sanitary sewer systems for the city, according to its website.
Counc...
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