ebevins@newsandsentinel.com
PARKERSBURG – Parkersburg City Council members will gather Friday to discuss the issues they hope to focus on this year.
Council President Zach Stanley said he wanted to have a workshop similar to the forum former Councilman John Reed organized when he served as president in 2018.
“It was a good way to kind of get everybody on the same page,” Stanley said.
Everyone who runs for council has certain goals they want to accomplish or issues they hope to address, Stanley said. The workshop is a chance for the five incumbent and four new members of council to discuss these goals, see how they fit into the city’s role of providing essential services and set priorities in concert with the administration, he said.
ebevins@newsandsentinel.com
Parkersburg Municipal Planning Commission Vice President Eric Gumm, left, and President Charlie Matthews were re-elected to those positions by a unanimous vote during Friday’s meeting in Parkersburg City Council chambers at the Municipal Building. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
PARKERSBURG The Municipal Planning Commission on Friday approved a request from the city to abandon an undeveloped portion of a street to facilitate adding land to Johnson T. Janes Nature Preserve and Conservation Park.
The approximately 30-by-127.5-foot undeveloped portion of Foxhill Drive off Core Road is adjacent to five parcels comprising over half an acre of wooded land donated to the city about a year ago.
Mayor Tom Joyce speaks at Tuesday’s Parkersburg City Council meeting. (Photo by Tyler Bennett)
PARKERSBURG Parkersburg City Council appointed six new positions for the 2021 calendar year, naming council members Zach Stanley as council president and Sharon Kuhl as vice president, along with four other positions.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Stanley and Kuhl won in unanimous decisions, abstaining when voting for their positions occurred. Stanley was unopposed, while Kuhl faced fellow council member Mike Reynolds.
Council members also confirmed Blaine Myers as City Attorney, Debra Steed for Municipal Judge, Rickie Yeager for Development Director and Sondra Wallace for Personnel Director.
Gene A. Haynes
PARKERSBURG A proclamation was issued Monday by Gov. Jim Justice for flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of the late former West Virginia Delegate Gene A. Haynes.
All West Virginia and United States flags at the Capitol Complex in Charleston and all state-owned facilities in Wood County will fly at half-staff from dawn to dusk today in remembrance of Haynes.
Haynes, who passed away at the age of 93 on Dec. 19, was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1970 and served three terms.
Haynes also formerly served as an elected delegate to the Republican National Committee and he additionally served on Parkersburg City Council.
ebevins@newsandsentinel.com A fund title “Ciara’s Grace” was recently created by Boxers Bed and Biscuits in honor of Ciara Petri, a former employee who recently passed from cancer. This fund will help people whose pets are in life and death situations. (Photo Provided) Ciara Petri was an employee at Boxers Bed and Biscuits who recently passed from cancer. Her final wishes were to help animals so a fund was set up in her honor to help people pay for veterinary costs for their pets in life or death situations. (Photo Provided) Deanna “DeeDee” Rosalie Carver Parkersburg City Attorney Joe Santer, right, is applauded by Councilmen Zach Stanley, front, and Jeff Fox and City Clerk Connie Shaffer during Tuesday’s council meeting, Santer’s last after serving as city attorney since 1998. (Photo by Evan Bevins)