Grant County’s effort to expand high speed internet is making a big step forward this month with an announcement from HardyNet Telecommunications that they will officially be signing new customers in the South Mill Creek Road area.
The project, which was a partnership between the Grant County Commission and HardyNet, will cover 117 new addresses and consist of five new miles of high speed fiber.

Read more: Latest broadband expansion project completed for 117 new addresses, HardyNet now available

A Petersburg woman is facing felony charges after allegedly stealing a leased vehicle that she had borrowed from a friend.

Veronica Danielle Tingler, of 514 Franklin Pike, Petersburg, has been charged with grand larceny after the alleged victim reported his leased 2021 Ford Escape Sport ECO stolen to the West Virginia State Police.

According to the police report filed on the incident, the victim told officers that he and Tingler were friends and that she had been having trouble with her older vehicle.

To help her out, he offered to let her use his vehicle for a week in October 2024.

The victim told officers that they had originally agreed to let Tingler use the vehicle for the next week but he had explained to her that the SUV was a rental so he would need it back after that time.

The victim told officers that he had multiple conversations with Tingler about needing to return the vehicle, explaining that he would get in trouble with the rental company if the SUV was not returned soon.

Read more: Petersburg woman charged with grand larceny for stealing a rental vehicle she had borrowed from a...

 The Petersburg City Council confirmed last week that this year’s Trick-or-Treat event will be held on Halloween night (Oct. 31) starting at 6 p.m.

The council asked that anyone interested in participating leave their porch lights on to let trick-or-treaters and their families know which households will be giving out sweets this year.

The announcement came during the council’s regularly scheduled Oct. 7 meeting.

Read more: Petersburg announces Trick-or- Treat date (Oct. 31, 6-8 p.m.)

 Grant County’s former ambulance director has filed a lawsuit claiming he was removed from the position due to whistle-blower retaliation and discrimination following an incident in which an ambulance driver illegally pulled a concealed firearm and physically punched a suspect during a domestic violence incident.

Robert Funk worked as the county’s Director of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) since August 2017 until February 2024 when he was removed from the position.

In the first section of his complaint, which was filed last month in the Grant County Circuit Court, Funk described an incident in 2020-21 when Grant County Ambulance was contacted by Grant Memorial Hospital and requested a mental hygiene patient be transported out of the county. After the transport, Funk contacted the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, Office of Emergency Medical Services and was advised not to transport mental hygiene patients in the future.

Read more: Former ambulance director files suit against the county, claims retaliation (Issue surrounding a...

 Grant County Schools will be hosting the Charleston Clay Center’s Clay2Go Outreach Exhibit, a large exhibit that offers interactive education and experience with scientific concepts.

Grant County Superintendent Mitch Webster said he saw the exhibit on display in another area and was impressed with the scientific interactivity and quickly began working to bring it to Grant County.

“There was a long wait list and a lot of work that goes into something like this, but I came back and went to Ms. [Linda] Carlson and asked if she would take this on and get it arranged, and she did, and I greatly appreciate that,” Webster explained.

Read more: Interactive science exhibit comes to Grant County from Charleston

 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

Read more: One Week Subscription