CLEAR May 2018

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Ices Ferry Bridge finally has its history back - Dominion Post
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 29 May '18

29 May '18

https://www.dominionpost.com/2018/05/28/ices-ferry-bridge-finally-has-its-h… Ices Ferry Bridge finally has its history back Submitted to The Dominion PostMay 28, 2018 1:15 pm The Ices Ferry historical marker at Cheat Lake. MORGANTOWN — Ices Ferry Bridge, a historical landmark and a vital part of the history in Cheat Lake got its history back. Two years ago, the historical marker for the bridge was destroyed due to an automobile accident. This Ices Ferry marker had been on display for many years and gave visitors to the area a brief history of the bridge. The damaged marker actually ended up in a garage of a local resident, where it sat for months before the local West Virginia Division of Highways picked the marker up and sent it to the DOH facility. It sat in the DOH facility for years, until that same resident thought it was important to do something. Nine months ago, Cheat Lake residents reached out to Pokey Weiss, of the Cheat Lake Rotary. They knew the Cheat Lake Rotary Club did community projects and hoped the organization could help get the sign restored. Since July 2017, Weiss has worked with Matthew McGrew, coordinator of Highway Historical Marker Program, and with the state Division of Culture and History in Charleston to have the marker replaced. McGrew and Weiss believed that having a new marker built was important to the local community and the Ices Ferry Bridge history. That history is unique. The first bridge was built to cross Cheat River in 1900, but an ice flow took it out in 1918. The bridge that came to be known as the Ices Ferry Bridge was built in 1922 by the Independent Bridge Co., of Pittsburgh. It spanned the lake along Monongalia County 857. Due to years of deterioration, the original bridge was dismantled and imploded in 2012, as a more modern version with wider lanes and lighting was constructed. The new bridge was named the Col. Garry Bowers Bridge. Bowers was the first president and one of the founders of the Rotary Club of Cheat Lake in 1979. On April 2, the state Division of Highways installed a brand-new marker at the end of the bridge; this will now give all visitors the chance to learn more about the bridge history as the first, and for many years, the only way to cross Cheat Lake.

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BUGS-27MayY2K18.doc
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 28 May '18

28 May '18

Sent from my iPhone

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Authorities recover body of man who drowned - Dominion Post
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 22 May '18

22 May '18

https://www.dominionpost.com/2018/05/21/crews-searching-for-possible-drowni… Authorities recover body of man who drowned 210 The Dominion Post May 21, 2018 11:25 am MASONTOWN — Authorities on Monday recovered the body of an Ohio man who drowned after being swept away by the Cheat River in the Bull Run area early Sunday. The body of Michael A. Lewis was found Monday afternoon in Cheat Lake. According to the Preston County Sheriff’s Department, at about 4:21 a.m. Sunday, deputies were dispatched to the Bull Run area to a report of a drowning. A deputy arrived and learned that Shane Nelson Forame, 23, was stranded in the water and another man, Lewis, 23, had been swept away by the swift Cheat River current. Both men are from Petersburg, Ohio, and were camping in the area. Preston Deputy 1st Class R.A. Stockett Jr. was able to reach Forame with a series of ropes tied together and the assistance of Aaron Williams, also of Petersburg, Ohio, and drag Forame to the shore. Lewis could not be located and an ongoing search by multiple agencies was conducted Sunday and Monday. On Sunday, a West Virginia State Police helicopter flew over the area, searching for a heat signature or sign of Lewis. A drone was deployed Sunday and Monday in the search, without success. The National Weather Service reported the Cheat River crested about 8-9 a.m. Sunday, Preston Emergency Management/911 Director Duane Hamilton said. State Division of Natural Resources (DNR) officers and boats were involved in the search from the area where Lewis entered the water to Cheat Lake. Hamilton estimated it is 7.5 miles from the Jenkinsburg bridge to the backwaters of Cheat Lake. Masontown Volunteer Fire Department deployed its boats on the river as well. Volunteer fire departments from Masontown, Reedsville and Newburg, along with KAMP Ambulance, West Virginia State Police, Mountaineer Area Rescue Group, Preston County Dive Team and a Grafton volunteer K-9 unit assisted in the search.

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Ohio man missing in Cheat River | News | wvnews.com
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 21 May '18

21 May '18

https://www.wvnews.com/prestoncountynews/news/ohio-man-missing-in-cheat-riv… Vehicles are parked at the Bull Run area for a search in the Cheat River for an Ohio man who was swept away early Sunday. Save MASONTOWN — An Ohio man remains missing after being swept away in the Cheat River, the sheriff’s department said Monday. Michael A. Lewis, 23, of Petersburg, Ohio, was in the Bull Run area when he was swept away by a strong current early Sunday, deputies said. At 4:21 a.m. Sunday, the sheriff’s department was alerted to a reported drowning at Bull Run. A deputy found Shane Nelson Forame, 23, also of Petersburg, Ohio, stranded in the water. With the help of Aaron Williams of Petersburg and several ropes tied together, the deputy was able to reach Forame and drag him to shore. Lewis, however, could not be located, and an ongoing search is being conducted with volunteer fire departments from Masontown, Reedsville and Newburg; KAMP ambulance; State Police; Mountaineer Area Rescue Group; the Preston County Dive Team; and the Grafton Volunteer K-9 unit.

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Fayette County gets $906K to extend trail along Cheat River | TribLIVE
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 09 May '18

09 May '18

http://triblive.com/local/regional/13625593-74/fayette-county-gets-906k-to-… Fayette County gets $906K to extend trail along Cheat River | TribLIVE Officials in Fayette County Monday broke ground for a 1.7-mile section of the Sheepskin Trail in Point Marion and Springhill Township. They also announced funding has been approved to develop another 2-mile segment extending farther east into the township. The Point Marion segment is the southernmost section of the bicycle trail and is slated for completion this year, to connect with the 48-mile Mon River Trail System in West Virginia. Fayette County Commissioner Dave Lohr noted the trail's interstate connection should provide economic as well as recreational benefits for the area. “We're only 9 miles from the economic hub of Morgantown, and more investments will be made to provide services to trail users and visitors alike,” he said. The county also has secured a $906,360 grant, through the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission's Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program, to construct the adjoining 2-mile Nilan Road trail segment. Running parallel with Nilan Road, that section will follow an abandoned Baltimore & Ohio rail corridor. It will offer trail users scenic views of the Cheat River and a glimpse into history, via remnants of the Cheat River Coke Works that once was a vital part of the local economy. “It's an amazingly beautiful meander of the river,” said Donna Holdorf of the National Road Heritage Corridor, which is partnering with the county and other entities to develop the trail. Design and engineering of the Nilan Road project have been funded through a previous $96,000 grant from the SPC. Planners have yet to negotiate some right-of-way agreements and easements for that segment, Holdorf said. Holdorf is seeking grants from two state funding sources that, together with some money in hand, would provide $840,000 to extend the trail nearly two additional miles east and north and through Springhill. A 34-mile route has been proposed for the Sheepskin Trail, which would connect the West Virginia biking paths to the Great Allegheny Passage trail, near Dunbar. South Union Township last year completed a 2.2-mile trail section from Pennsylvania Avenue to Hutchinson Park, incorporating part of a pedestrian bridge that used to cross Interstate 70 in New Stanton. Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-836-6622, jhimler(a)tribweb.com or via Twitter @jhimler_news.

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Community concerns expressed at Leadmine roundtable event
by Duane Nichols via CLEAR 02 May '18

02 May '18

https://www.parsonsadvocate.com/community-concerns-expressed-at-leadmine-ro… Community concerns expressed at Leadmine roundtable event From Matt Cloak, Parsons Advocate, April 30, 2018 The community of Leadmine hosted the Tucker County Commission’s fourth roundtable event. The event was held at the Methodist Church’s Fellowship Hall. The county roundtable provided a forum for different entities in the area to express challenges, opportunities, and items of interest. The last roundtable was held at the Hendricks Town Hall on November 13. This roundtable hosted a different batch of community actors. Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Director Kevin White provided an update on the ongoing debris removal project from the branch of the Cheat River that runs through Leadmine. The Human Resource Development Foundation is managing the project. The goal is to remove debris in order to clear up the stream and reduce the chance of flooding. The project began in response to the flooding of July 2017. Work began in April with a crew of about 10 working Mondays through Thursdays. “Currently, under the funding it will end in September,” White said. “It was started late, so we’re hoping that it may go for a year, we’re hoping for an extension.” “That stream is in the shape it’s in, when a tree falls across the stream, river material piles up,” Commissioner Lowell Moore said. “When you take that material out, Mother Nature will take care of itself by rerouting the stream,” Moore said. “I do think it’s going to help,” White said. “Anytime you remove debris that is deflecting water it’s going to help. We’re going to work hard to get other help, but this is step one,” White said. Community members questioned the effectiveness of the project. A frustration was raised about FEMA assistance being provided to Parsons to elevate three houses, when Leadmine has not received federal funds. “The county commission, all three of us and Kevin, we have done our best, we’ve talked to senators and legislators. We’ve talked to FEMA people, we haven’t forgotten you, we just don’t know where else to go,” Moore said. In July, the Department of Highways will work to fix the baskets on a bridge that spans over Leadmine Run. DOH is providing the manpower and equipment, and the County Commission is supplying the project materials. During that time, DOH will work on a bridge over Wolf Run. Steven Leyh updated the attendees on his progress as newly appointed executive director of the Development Authority. A tenant for the Corridor H industrial park signed a lease for the building. “We are getting ready to put a long term tenant in that building, and it will be announced very soon,” Leyh said. Leyh said expanding existing businesses, especially in Parsons, is one of the Development Authority’s main objectives. The Development Authority is co-hosting an entrepreneurial pitch contest to give away $15,000. “It’s an opportunity, if you have a business idea, it’s a chance to get money for it,” Leyh said. The tentative date is June 18 at the high school. The contest is open to new or existing businesses. Commissioner Patrick Darlington represented Tucker County Parks and Recreation. Plans are developing to erect a 30 by 70 feet multipurpose metal building as a practice facility and to host events such as flea markets. Camp Kidd is receiving revenue from a timbering project. “We plan on using some of the funds for an update to the camp itself,” Darlington said. Parks and Recreation is looking to host baseball tournaments as another prospective revenue generator. Other presenters included Tucker County EMS, Art Spring, Camp Horseshoe, St. George Medical Clinic, Hamrick PSD, and the municipalities of St. George, Parsons, and Davis.

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CLEAR May 2018