A Pendleton County man accused of cutting off his electronic monitoring device and fleeing supervision is among 10 individuals indicted by the grand jury during the March 3, 2026, term of Circuit Court, in a docket that spans violent offenses, drug crimes, and repeat felony charges.
Denver Franklin Bennett, of Upper Tract, faces five charges—including escape by a person in custody, burglary, and two counts of grand larceny.

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Grant Memorial Hospital has named Felicity Ours as its interim chief executive offi cer (CEO), following the previously communicated decision
by president and CEO John Sylvia to step down from his position to spend more time with his family.

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Grant County officially joined the Almost Heaven Swings initiative after one of the iconic landmarks was installed in Petersburg.

“It is truly a blessing to showcase our beautiful area in a new way,” said Grant County Commissioner Tyson Riggleman.

“With so many natural attractions already drawing visitors, this adds another unique experience that encourages even
more people to explore and enjoy everything Grant County has to offer. “

The Petersburg swing is located at the water access point near the city bridge. “We are thrilled to be the next location for a West Virginia Almost Heaven swing. It’s great timing to be included in the new statewide “Swingo” scavenger hunt where you download a Bingo card for the swings,” said Carla Kaposy, Executive Director Grant County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “This fun attraction adds another great reason to visit Grant County.” Grant County is one of 60 swing locations throughout the state of West Virginia. For a full list of locations and more information on the swings, visit www.wvtourism.com. 

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A Grant County man has pleaded guilty in a case connected to incidents that took place nearly 20 years ago, according to documents from Grant County Circuit Court.

On March 16, Timothy Elliot Wheeler entered Alford pleas to three counts of second-degree sexual assault during a hearing before Circuit Judge F. Cody Pancake III.

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Earlier this month, the Grant County Grand Jury returned indictments on the following cases:

Blake Michael Juker was indicted on one count of grand larceny, one count of escape from custody, one count of fl eeing from an offi cer, two counts of battery on a law enforcementoffi cer, one count of obstructing law enforcement, parole or probation offi cer, one count of destruction of property and one count of being a prohibited person in possession of a fi rearm. According to the indictment, Juker removed the electronic monitoring device he was wearing while on house arrest and escaped from custody.

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On March 10, the Grant County Grand Jury returned 19 indictments, with crimes ranging from forgery, malicious wounding, grand larceny and multiple drug violations. Among those indicted this month was Travis Mark Digruttolo, who was charged with one count of forgery and one count of uttering.

According to a police report fi led in Digruttolo’s case, he allegedly stole a blank personal check from a female victim’s bag and wrote it out to himself in the amount of $500. The victim told offi cers Digruttolo did not have permission to take the check and had successfully cashed it at a local bank.

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Early on Wednesday morning calls went out to emergency responders reporting a house fi re on Pierpont Street in Petersburg. According to information provided by a witness, the residents of the home were asleep when the fi re began.

A neighbor, identifi ed as Travis J. Borror, entered the burning home to ensure the young woman was able to escape from the fl ames. Borror then returned to help rescue some of her pets, as the resident was desperate to save the animals’ lives.

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Shaena Crossland, originally from Grant County and a current Tucker County resident, appeared before the council to express concerns about the controversial proposed data center that could be built in Tucker County. Crossland appeared before the council as a representative of the organization Tucker United, a grassroots effort founded last year to help spread awareness about the potential dangers of the data center. One of the initial founding issues concerned a heavily redacted air quality permit from a company named Fundamental Data.

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Petersburg’s offense stayed strong, with consistent contributions throughout the lineup. The Lady Vikings earned decisive wins, topping Moorefield 15-3 on Thursday and Berkeley Springs 22-2 on Saturday.
Ella Markwell and Ella Chew led both games, each driving in four RBIs and totaling several extra-base hits. Petersburg’s depth challenged opponents.
Against Moorefield, Markwell drove in four runs on three hits, including a fifth-inning homer and RBI singles in the third and fourth.
Chew opened with a three-run home run in the first, giving the Lady Vikings a lead they never lost.

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It was a week that showed both sides of Petersburg baseball—explosive offense early, followed by two tougher tests.
The Vikings opened the stretch March 31 with authority, rolling past Tucker County 14-2 behind a seven-run first inning that immediately flipped the game.
After Tucker County grabbed an early lead, Petersburg answered fast. Lukas Wolford delivered the key swing in the opening frame, driving in two runs during a long at-bat that helped ignite the rally. The Vikings never let up, adding runs in each of the next two innings to put the game out of reach.

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At Keyser, the Lady Vikings were led by a pair of relay victories. The 4x100 team of Isabella Reel, Jozelynn Appold, Joelle Boddy, and Bella Feaster took first in 53.28, while the shuttle hurdle relay team of Boddy, Reel, Jacy Weatherholt, and Feaster also claimed the top spot in 1:13.03.
Individually, Feaster placed second in the 100 meters (13.77), while Boddy added a third-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles (17.57) and fourth in the 200 (28.17). Reel cleared 4 feet, 10 inches to win the high jump and also placed in both sprint events. In the field events, Appold placed second in discus (93-2) and third in shot put, while Weatherholt recorded a season-best mark in the long jump.
On the boys' side, Colson Bobo turned in a third-place finish in the 100 meters (11.61). The 4x100 relay team of Reel, Doman, Halterman, and Bobo placed second in 46.72. Gabriel Funk placed in both the 400 and 800, while Isaac Martin set a personal best in the 800. Alex Halterman added a fourth-place finish in shot put (36-7) while competing across multiple events.

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Petersburg tennis split its road matchup with Robert C. Byrd on April 2, with the Viking boys securing the team edge behind strong singles play while the girls battled in a competitive showing.
The boys controlled singles, winning three of four matches to build momentum early.
Mark Lemon edged Jesse Oakerman, 8-6, at No. 1 singles. Sam Griffith followed with an 8-4 win over Jaxon Kile at No. 2, and K. Hollin delivered the most decisive result of the day with an 8-0 sweep of Zack Carlon at No. 3. RCB picked up its lone singles win at No. 4, where N. Wayman defeated Sam Yeager, 8-5.

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The spring season brings longer evenings, fresh grass on the fields, and the thrill of games under the lights. While the names on the jerseys may change from year to year, the excitement and traditions remain—basepath dust still flies, spikes still dig into the track, and the stands echo with familiar cheers.
Many have told these stories before. In the 1950s, “German” Clower signed off as Sportingly Yours. B.R. Dunn continued in the 1960s, and in the 1970s, Harold Garber’s From the Press Box became a familiar heading for local sports. Later in the early 1980s, through the mid-2010s, Tom Hencke carried on this work with Erin Camp taking over sports in Section B of the newspaper around 2017. Contributors such as Mike Chepley write “Chep Shots,” and Ann Wilson wrote about games set underneath those Friday Night Lights. Currently, contributors are Dave Rogers, Clay Fritz, Erin Camp, and TIffany Hess, along with many parents and grandparents who also support this tradition. Each of these voices has played a part in shaping the community’s sports narrative.
While these were different eras, each writer took the same seat.
We also can’t forget the many photography contributions over the years—from Tonya Rhorbaugh of County Charm Photography, to Victoria Seville of Sweet Lemon Photography, to Madelyn Johnson, the PHS student photographer. Their willingness and skill continue to help bring these moments to life.
As this brand new Spring season begins and every new name enters the lineup, we remember the groups who came before—teams that set standards and created moments still remembered today. In that spirit, now it is this group’s turn to contribute to the ongoing story.
This year’s Spring Sports Preview, a new initiative, will spotlight the teams, players, and storylines that will define the coming months. From a softball program aiming for another deep run, to a baseball team seeking consistency, to a tennis team with a fresh face, and track athletes pursuing faster times, each sport shares the same goal: compete, represent, and leave it better than you found it.
And as always, we will be there to cover every moment, both big and small.
Just like always.
— Tiffany Hess
Grant County Press Sports

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The Petersburg Lady Vikings couldn’t have scripted a stronger start to the 2026 season, rolling to a pair of decisive victories over the weekend behind explosive offense and solid pitching.
Petersburg opened the season Friday with a 17–1 win at East Hardy, then followed it up with a 9–0 shutout victory over Clay-Battelle in Saturday’s home opener.

Chew leads offensive outburst at East Hardy

The Lady Vikings wasted no time finding their rhythm in the opener, breaking the game wide open with a 14-run second inning on the way to the 17–1 win over the Cougars.
Ella Chew powered the offense with a perfect 3-for-3 performance, hitting for extra bases in every at-bat. She homered and tripled in the second inning before adding a single in the third, finishing as one of several Vikings to contribute in a balanced attack.

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The Petersburg Middle School Lady Vikings opened their 2026 season in dominant fashion Saturday, sweeping a doubleheader against Clay-Battelle and Pendleton County behind timely hitting, aggressive base running, and a standout performance in the circle.
In the opener, Petersburg rolled to a 13-2 victory over Clay-Battelle, powered by a big second inning and a strong day at the plate from Mady Ertel. Ertel led the way with three hits, including a double, while consistently putting pressure on the defense.

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The journey began long before tipoff. Four pep buses rolled out of Petersburg High School at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, carrying a student section ready for a moment years in the making. Decked out in Hawaiian gear, the buses were packed, loud, and full of anticipation as they made the trip to Charleston. By the first rest stop, the energy had taken on a life of its own. Chants echoed between buses, turning the ride into a full-on competition after Principal Jodie Long raised the stakes with a promise — the winning bus would earn ice cream back at school.

Grant County Press rode along, capturing a scene that felt less like a road trip and more like a community on the move. When the buses pulled into Charleston, that energy followed. Students lined up outside the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center, waiting to take their seats for a game that meant far more than four quarters of basketball. Inside, the Vikings were already there.

Players stepped onto the floor for warmups with a mix of smiles and quiet intensity, the weight of the moment just beneath the surface. Across the court stood Bluefield, but for Petersburg, this was about something bigger — a return to a stage the program had not seen in nearly a generation. When the ball went up, the atmosphere inside the Coliseum matched the moment.

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