A local peer recovery coach and counselor was honored yesterday as a “Beacon of Hope” in the community, being awarded the 2024 Beacon of Hope award during a ceremony at Grant Memorial Hospital by the Mosaic Group.

Roger Dodd works not only with the Potomac Highlands Guild and the Russ Hedrick Resource and Recovery Center but also serves as a first contact for those hospitalized from overdose at Grant Memorial Hospital and Potomac Valley Hospital in Keyser.

“Roger’s commitment to patients is nothing short of extraordinary,” said Marla Oros, the CEO of the Mosaic Group. “He embodies the essence of a peer recovery coach, tirelessly dedicating himself to guide individuals on their path to recovery from substance abuse. Roger’s role is not just about providing support, it’s about promoting health and preventing harm. He stands as a guardian for those who may have lost their way.”

Read more: Peer recovery counselor honored as a ‘Beacon of Hope’ in the community

 Domestic violence is one of the most common violent crimes that passes through Grant County’s court system.

Over the past few months, one dangerous charge that has been appearing multiple times is strangulation. This is charged anytime a person “strangles, suffocates or asphyxiates another without that person’s consent and thereby causes the other person bodily harm or loss of consciousness.”

One of the more recent charges stem from an incident on June 14, when officers with the Grant County Sheriff’s Department were dispatched to a dispute at Shobes Trailer Drive in Petersburg.

Read more: Violent domestic dispute turns into charges

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