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A Pennsylvania man who attempted to rob a Hardy County resident at gunpoint will spend the rest of his life in prison after it was discovered he had already committed two similar crimes, one of which also included threatening someone’s life with a gun. Hardy County prosecutor and Grant County resident, Robert Ryan, secured the conviction and the sentence was handed down by circuit court Judge John H. Treadway Jr. earlier this month. Shawn Michael Davison was arrested in Hardy County in January after he pulled a gun on a Hardy County man in front of the victim’s home.

The Grant County Health Department issued a public notice last week warning residents that feeding stray dogs or cats without ensuring they receive a rabies vaccination could result in fi nes or, in serious cases, a jail sentence. The warning came after a rabid raccoon was discovered in the Patterson Creek Road area near Arthur. “It is important to make sure all pets are up to date on the rabies vaccine,” the department said in the release.

Two sexual offense cases from Hardy County were recently sent to circuit court. Gary Allen Shumaker faces two charges: fi rst-degree sexual assault and fi rst-degree sexual abuse. Both charges involve a victim under 12, according to court records. In Shumaker’s case, a felony complaint was fi led in Hardy County Magistrate Court on March 10. A warrant was issued on March 11. The bond was initially set at $100,000 on March 15 and later lowered to $25,000. Based on the latest fi lings, the bond had not been posted.

The Grant County Chamber of Commerce hosted a special Meet the Candidates event to introduce the community to local political candidates that will appear on the primary election ballots in May. The fi rst portion of the event included an update from the Grant County Fire Association on their levy that will help fund necessary gear and equipment for all four local departments. It also included important information about voting from Grant County Clerk Lora Bennett and candidate addresses from multiple federal candidates. For more information on this portion see last week’s edition of the Press.

The second portion included multiple state and local candidates with one of the more heavily contested topics covered being the proposed data centers, one of which may soon be located in neighboring Tucker County.

A former pastor from Seneca Rocks has been charged with nine counts of sexual abuse against a minor. According to the police report fi led on the incident in the Pendleton County Magistrate Court, local police received a call from an adult claiming that Brandon Stewart, 43, of Seneca Rocks, had made contact with their underage child. The victim in the case was interviewed by police and reported that Stewart had been sexually abusing them from around September 2025 until February 2026.