Latest news with #MercerCountyCommission
Yahoo
2 days ago
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Commissioners commit $100K to renovate Mercer County Day Report Center
princeton — In the past, farmers would get together and help a neighbor erect a new barn, but a new take on this tradition is scheduled to take place today when the community gets together for a 'community shred.' The Mercer County Day Report Center's attic is filled with old and outdated records and documents that can't be thrown into the trash, so volunteers are getting together and shredding them. Day Report Center Director Michelle Stewart said clearing out the attic is a step toward renovating a building that could be some 100 years old. Located at 1422 E Main St. near the Mercer County Courthouse, the building stands near the site of Princeton's old hospital. 'As best we can understand, this building was here when the old hospital was present here on the corner,' Stewart said. 'It could be 100 years old. That's what I'm thinking, but I'm not 100% sure. Everyone has speculated this building was here at that time based on the fixtures. It has old galvanized pipes that have burst and damaged the walls. We've had two major flooding events.' The building looks modern, but the exterior does not match the interior. 'The engineer that came through the building said it's like a decorative shell around a very old building,' Stewart said. 'We need enhanced [Americans with Disabilities Act] accessibility, new bathrooms, updated security and advanced entry control to provide security for the growing business that we have.' The Center is an alternative sentencing program the courts can use for nonviolent individuals who need less institutional custody or jail. When including the people undergoing drug testing for other agencies, the Center works with around 300 people, Stewart said. 'We need to expand our treatment and supervision space to meet the needs of our large classes and improve our technology,' she said. 'We're a little behind.' The Mercer County Commission voted on May 27 to provide $100,000 for the renovation project. Stewart said the hope is to find matching grants from local foundations. County Commissioner Greg Puckett said members of the Mercer County Opportunity Workshop would help today with cleaning out and shredding the old files so renovations can get underway. 'The day report center is essential in managing our incarcerations,' he said. 'We really don't want to incarcerate people for a number of reasons.' Having the center helps Mercer County reduce its monthly bill from the state's regional jail system, Puckett said. People in the day report system can provide labor for clearing trash from roadsides and doing other tasks for the community. 'It's a win-win for everybody,' he said. The day report center's former facility, located on South Walker Street near the Mercer County Courthouse, once housed local offices for Appalachian Power. Puckett said some of its interior has been demolished to see if it can be used for other purposes. Creating offices for the county's dilapidated structures program, emergency services and litter control are among the possibilities. Stewart said after the old documents have been cleared out, the hope is to get ventilation into the attic, then start demolishing parts of the building and renovating it. The plan is to keep space for the day report center while the work is underway. 'I have been here 18 years in both day report centers, so I'm excited to see this happen,' she said. 'I've been waiting for this a long time.' Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
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County commission asked to look at creating pawnshop ordinance
princeton – A ordinance connecting pawnshops to an easier way for reporting potentially stolen guns and other times to law enforcement has been proposed to the Mercer County Commission. Capt. Steven Sommers with the Mercer County Sheriff's Department spoke Tuesday afternoon with the commissioners about how pawnbrokers can better work with his department. 'This is just a request for the county commission to reevaluate, with some of the new commissioners, a pawnshop ordinance,' Sommers said. 'The ordinance would mimic state code, but what we're looking for is that ordinance designate the sheriff as the individual responsible for designating to the pawnbrokers how they are to electronically record. For the last nine years we have been using Leads Online, which as law enforcement, we have to pay for that; but Leads Online allows us to search names, serial numbers, description of any pawned items, scrapped items nationwide, regionally or within the county.' Pawnshops now report pawned items either on a paper form, an Excel spreadsheet or by fax, Sommers said. This includes reporting pawned firearms. 'Leads Online is connected to NCIC (National Crime Information Center) so any known serial number that is reported to NCIC is automatically reported as a post about a possible stolen item for investigation,' Sommers said. Pawnbrokers can sign up to Leads Online for free. 'Leads Online will accept and digest just about any format that a pawn broker has to get that information online and they can do it absolutely free,' Sommers said. 'The only people that pay are law enforcement, so I just ask that the county revisit and look at a pawn shop ordinance.' Sommers called Leads Online access 'a force multiplier' for the sheriff's department. 'Instead of making 100 phone calls or traveling five, six, seven, eight, 10 different pawnshops, if everybody's reporting from the computer in a keystroke, we can see if the item we are looking for is at any of the pawnshops and even initiate a case and initiate a request with the pawnshop from the computer and hey, this is stolen property and we believe it is and we are on our way,' he said. Commission President Bill Archer said that a county pawnshop ordinance had been addressed back in 2021, but one was never implemented. Archer asked Sommers if the commission could get sample ordinances from other places. Sommers said the commission should have a copy of Kanawha County's pawnshop ordinance and he could get a copy of the one used in Barboursville, a town in Cabell County. Commissioner Greg Puckett asked if the sample ordinances could be changed over to what Mercer County could use and then given to Prosecuting Attorney Brian K. Cochran for review to make sure the county is complying with state code. Once the commission is sure the proposed ordinance is in compliance, it could be presented for consideration. Sommers said the county's cities should be asked about participating in Leads Online, too. The ordinance could be presented in June and it would have to go through two public readings before it is enacted, Puckett said. Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
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New economic opportunity district approved for Mercer County
princeton – When July 1 arrives, a new district for economic opportunities and development will materialize in Mercer County and create a way to bring youth sports tournaments and other events to the region. During its Tuesday meeting, the Mercer County Commission unanimously approved an order creating The Ridges Economic Opportunities District. The goal of this project, also known as The Ridges, is to create a youth sports complex between Halls Ridge Road and Turnpike Industrial Road close to Exit 9 near Princeton. The travel ball sports complex will host baseball and softball games for traveling youth teams and host tournaments. The plan includes multiple athletic fields as well as lodging, shopping, restaurants and other features. Public hearings about the project were conducted in July 2023 and the West Virginia Legislature passed Senate Bill 1020 that same month authorizing the Mercer County Commission to levy a special district excise tax for the complex. Attorney Carrie Cecil, who has been working with the Mercer County Economic Development Authority, told the commission that there was only action left to create the new economic development district. 'What you have before you for consideration this morning is an order that is the last step in creating The Ridges Economic Opportunity Development District,' Cecil said. 'As you know, back in 2023, we started this process during a public hearing and we submitted the initial application to the state for approval; and the Legislature approve it initially, so we got through the initial steps and it became apparent that the Legislature was willing to add some additional acreage to the proposed district.' In March, the county received the final approval of a supplemental application from the West Virginia Department of Economic Development, so the order presented Tuesday to the county commission would create the new development district, Cecil said. 'You are authorized to impose a special district excise tax on the new businesses that would locate within the district that is equivalent to the state sales tax and it would be imposed starting on July 1 after we work with the state to get a special fund created for your revenues to be segregated,' she said. This excise tax is for new businesses coming into the district. The Ridges district will have 420 acres, Cecil said. Jordan Maynor, executive director of the Mercer County Economic Development Authority, said work on The Ridges could start this year. 'That's the hope. Before the year is out, we hope to see some progress being made,' he said after the meeting. 'Obviously, today was a big day – the official district established. We got the approval from the state. Now the final icing on the cake was getting the final approval from the Mercer County Commission to move on. This will start July 1 of this year and the district will be officially established.' 'All the other moving parts are subject to the developer that's on board and the tenants they get and the progress of the entire project, so I'd be hesitant to give you exact dates right now, Maynor said. 'My best guess is before the year is out you're going to start seeing some movement at Exit 9.' People living near The Ridges district can reach out to the Mercer County Economic Development Authority if they have any questions about the project. 'Absolutely. They can give us a call at our office,' Maynor said. 'It's all publicly posted. The website's available. The email and the phone number is available. They can reach out to us anytime and we would be happy to respond.' The Mercer County Economic Development Authority is located at 241 Mercer Springs Road near Princeton. The email address is mercereda@ and the phone number is 304-431-8521. Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
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Mercer County looking at paying bigger jail bills
princeton – Seeing the daily cost of housing an inmate jump by $12 is leading to a special Mercer County Commission meeting Thursday about how to keep the county's regional jail bill paid until the fiscal year ends this July. The Mercer County Commission's special meeting starts at 2 p.m., Thursday at the county courthouse. The commission will discuss the regional jail bill for April 2025 and the Glenwood Lake Dredging Project. Last March, the West Virginia Regional Jail system was holding 163 Mercer County inmates. In April, there were 129 county inmates. The daily cost of keeping each inmate started growing in April when an increase the Legislature passed in March 2023 went into effect, County Commission President Bill Archer said Tuesday. 'Because of the increases, the jail bill has gone up astronomically,' Archer said. In March, the county's jail bill was $127,474.81. By April, it had grown to $146,985.60, according to county records. 'So it's just been climbing constantly and we're having to look at some of the potential other funds in order to be able to do it,' Archer said. Archer flipped through an inmates list. 'It's all the people from around this area whether it was inmates taken in from the state police, from the county deputies and both the cities of Princeton and Bluefield,' he said. 'The county is responsible for those inmates. I understand it's a major increase but they (regional jail authority) are having space challenges there and that kind of thing and, of course, they went through that lawsuit of the inmates against the regional jail system.' The special meeting is for discussing how the county commission can pay the jail bill until the current fiscal year ends on June 30. Archer said a recent settlement in an antitrust lawsuit between West Virginia and a drug manufacturer could provide extra funding. Mercer County was among the counties and municipalities across West Virginia that shared nearly $3.5 million raised as part of a settlement agreement involving the cholesterol drug Lipitor, according to West Virginia Attorney General J.B. McCuskey announced May 1. The settlement was from an antitrust lawsuit against Pfizer Inc. and related companies and Ranbaxy Inc. The lawsuit alleged the two companies conspired to delay the introduction onto the market of a cheaper generic version of Lipitor for 20 months. Lipitor's original patent expired on March 24, 2010. Mercer County received $50,000 from the settlement. Raleigh County also received $50,000 from the settlement while McDowell County and Fayette County each received $30,000. Unlike funds raised by West Virginia's settlements with opioid manufacturers, counties have flexibility with how they spend their Pfizer settlements, Archer said. This means the funds could help cover the county's jail expenses for the rest of the fiscal year. Adjusting the county's budget is on the commission's May 13 meeting agenda. The budget is still being compiled Tuesday. 'It's really difficult times and that kind of hit us,' Archer said about the jail bill. 'That's expected, but unexpected in how draconian it is. Thankfully we've got good people in the county clerk's office who are constantly looking at the funds we have coming in and constantly looking at ways we can make adjustments so we can meet our requirements. It's a day-to-day right now. We're having to clamp down on stuff. This is a challenge; again, we'll talk about that next Tuesday.' Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Yahoo
Tragedy of child abuse highlighted by Children's Memorial Flag Day
princeton – Children lost to violence and those still suffering violence were remembered Friday with the ringing of a bell and the raising of a special flag during the 2025 Children's Memorial Flag Day. Supporters met outside the Mercer County Courthouse for the annual event to remember seven children across the region lost to child abuse and neglect in 2024. Bill Archer, president of the Mercer County Commission, rang a bell outside the courthouse seven times in their memory. Besides music and a march around the courthouse, Friday's ceremony included awards and recognitions for professionals and volunteers who worked to aid children in need. Child Protect of Mercer County presented service awards to Eden Scruggs, Sgt. K.L. Ross of the Bluefield Police Department and Amanda Ennis for work in aiding and protecting the community's children. One award presented for the first time went to the person who got the county's child protection agency underway almost 20 years ago. Shiloh Woodard, Child Protect of Mercer County's chief executive officer, became the first person to receive the new Beacon of Hope Award. 'If you have ever met Shiloh Woodard, even for five minutes, then you know why I am up here singing her praise and celebrating her commitment to this work,' said Beth Sizemore with Child Protect of Mercer County. 'Shiloh will be leaving her post as executive director of Child Protect after 19 years of impeccable service. She is starting a new and exciting role as chief executive officer of the West Virginia Child Advocacy Network.' Sizemore said that when Woodard joined Child Protect of Mercer County, she was its sole employee and had an annual budget of around $50,000. 'In those years since her humble beginnings, the agency has grown to employ 15 people and have a budget of over $1 million,' Sizemore said. 'That is all because of one person, Shiloh. She will try to deflect the credit, but everyone knows that is true.' Woodard, who knew she was the scheduled keynote speaker but not a scheduled award recipient, said Friday was the last time she would be attending Children's Memorial Flag Day as a member of the community's strong force of child protection professionals. 'And with that in mind, I want to spend my few moments of time in front of you all saying what seems to me to be the most important thing,' Woodard said. 'And that is encouragement.' Woodard urged everyone present to rededicate themselves to the protection of children within their sphere of influence whether it is through their work, their families or the circles in which they find themselves. 'I encourage you to go above and beyond what is expected to create safety nets and supports for the vulnerable children and families in your life – both professinally and personally,' Woodard said. 'I encourage those of you who have dedicated yourselves, your careers and at times your own wellbeing to the cause of child welfare and child protection to continue to fight the good fight.' In 2024, West Virginia's Child Protection Services received 41,227 referrals and 24,301 of them moved on to investigations, according to Allison Kelly with the state Department of Health and Human Resources. Mercer County had 1,412 referrals and 931 moved to investigations. Mercer County had the seventh highest number of referrals in the state. West Virginia had 7,034 children in custody during 2024 and currently has 5,955. Mercer County has 170 children taken into custody during 2024 – the sixth largest in the state – and currently has 231 in custody. Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@
