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Plea agreement calls for life imprisonment with mercy in the 2023 Sugar Grove death

Zachary Edward Mongold, a previous Grant County resident, confessed to first-degree murder for the 2023 death of Raymond Auville and a fire at a Grey Goose Lane property in Sugar Grove.

After much debate and multiple farmers sharing their opinion on the subject, the Grant County Commission voted last week to extend farmer contracts on the land at the Grant County Airport and Grant County Dog Pound from one year to two years. The two pieces of land in question are owned by the county but contracted out to local farmers through a bidding process each year. These farmers then harvest the hay from the land for their own usage. The conversation came from a request surrounded the soil quality of the land, with a farmer saying it would be more productive and healthful for the land if it was fertilized.

After years of delays, Lawrence “Grasshopper” Puffenbarger’s trial started in Hampshire County Circuit Court on Monday, February 23.

The delays resulted mainly from scheduling confl icts, pretrial legal motions and personnel changes, including the appointment of a new prosecutor.

The trial was moved from Pendleton County to Hampshire County to ensure fairness, given local publicity and concerns about impartial jurors.

Day One of Trial

Puffenbarger was being charged with three counts of First Degree Sexual Abuse. West Virginia State Code §61- 8B-7 defi first-degree sexual abuse as subjecting another person to sexual contact without their consent, when the victim is younger than twelve years old, or when the defendant is in a position of trust, authority, or supervision over a child. This charge refl ects the seriousness of the alleged offenses and the legal standards involved.

The Petersburg High School girls basketball team fell short in the WVSSAC Class AA Region II Co-Final Thursday night in Philippi. The Colts defended their home court with a 50–40 victory over the Lady Vikings.

A slow start by Petersburg gave Philip Barbour the cushion needed early. The Colts led 17–7 at the end of the first quarter. From that point on, the Vikings played the Colts nearly even the rest of the way.

Petersburg outscored Philip Barbour 12–10 in the second period to cut the deficit to 27–19 at halftime. Junior Miley Tingler scored half of the Vikings’ points in the quarter.

The visiting Vikings opened the second half with an 8–2 run to trim the lead to 29–27 with 3:18 remaining in the third quarter. A free throw by Ella Markwell pulled Petersburg within one point at 31–30 with 2:16 left in the period. Philip Barbour responded by closing the quarter on a 5–0 run to take a 36–30 lead after three quarters.

That would be as close as Petersburg could get. The Colts extended their run to 13–0 to begin the fourth quarter and created enough separation to secure the win. The Vikings continued to battle but could not overcome the early deficit.

Miley Tingler led Petersburg with 18 points. Shyane Tawney and Addie Day each added four points.

With the win, Philip Barbour advances to the WVSSAC State Tournament this week in Charleston.

Petersburg finishes the season with a 15–7 record. Coach Jon Webster’s team will look to make a splash in Region II next season, as they return a wealth of experience.