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Dominion Post
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Dominion Post
Making new connections: Uffington trailhead open for recreation
MORGANTOWN — It was sunshine and smiles Wednesday morning as community members, trail advocates and local students gathered to celebrate the ribbon cutting of a new trailhead and connector path at the Uffington Monongahela River Access site. 'This has been a vision for two decades,' said Ella Belling, executive director of the Mon River Trails Conservancy, to a cheerful crowd. 'And today, we finally get to see it come to life.' Executive Director of the Mon River Trails Conservancy Ella Belling addresses the crowd during the ribbon cutting of the new Uffington Monongahela River Access site. Cassidy Roark/ The Dominion Post The new connector links the Mon River Rail-Trail to a Division of Natural Resources boat access site along Route 73, turning what was once just a river launch into a full multi-use recreation spot. With more than 20 new parking spaces and shaded trail access, the updated site is now a beautiful destination for runners, bikers, paddlers and nature lovers. 'This site has always been a great place to fish or get on the water,' Belling said. 'But now you can also start your bike ride, take a jog or meet up with a group for a walk — all from one place.' Among the attendees was Morgantown High School's cross country team, led by head coach Mike Ryan, who brought his runners out for a morning workout to embrace the new site. Morgantown's cross country team gathered together for an early run before joining the ribbon cutting on Wednesday morning. Cassidy Roark/ The Dominion Post 'We've got about 60 kids, and this makes a huge difference,' Ryan said. 'Before, we had to run along the road just to get to the trail, and that was dangerous. Now we can meet here, get right on the path, and not worry about traffic. Plus, the shade is a big win on hot days.' The project was a true community effort. The Conservancy worked closely with the DNR, the State Rail Authority, and contractor Mountain Valley Resources to make it happen. Funding came from the Oakland Foundation, individual donors like Stephen Wetmore and Mary Wimmer, and local businesses including Central Supply Company of West Virginia. The West Virginia Land Trust also played a supportive role, co-hosting the Blue Jean Ball fundraiser and partnering with the Conservancy on other trail connectors in the region. 'It does take more than just the dream of it, it takes a lot of effort to see it to completion,' Belling added, while recognizing all who contributed. Attendees and contributors on the Uffington trailhead access during the ribbon cutting on Wednesday morning. Cassidy Roark/ The Dominion Post The connector has been open for about a month, and already trail users are taking notice. The trailhead sits at mile 13.5 of the Mon River Rail-Trail, which is just 3.5 miles from Morgantown's Wharf District and about 15.5 miles from Pricketts Fort State Park. With its expanded parking, easier access and riverside view, the new trailhead is already becoming a well-noticed launch point for the community. 'This is just one more piece of our bigger puzzle,' Belling said. 'Our vision is a 238-mile trail system connecting Parkersburg to Pittsburgh. But every connection like this one brings us closer to that goal and gives our community a new way to get outside and move.' After the ribbon was cut, visitors enjoyed light refreshments and of course, took a stroll across the new path. 'We've reached Hall of Fame trail status,' Belling said with a smile. 'And this is exactly the kind of project that shows why.'
Dominion Post
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Dominion Post
COLUMN: The top 10 things that makes a WVU fan's blood boil
MORGANTOWN — You walk into a grocery store to buy a pack of gum and the person in front of you has a full cart, won't let you skip ahead and then their debit card won't register on the swipe machine. If that doesn't tick you off, then your frustration tolerance is to be commended and maybe the rest of this column won't exactly be your cup of tea. The idea was simple: Who or what makes a WVU fan fly off the handle the most? We'd like to tell you that an extensive study was applied to this subject, but that just wouldn't be our style. Instead, the question was posed to fellow sports writers here at The Dominion Post, as well as to some accomplished WVU beat writers around the state and a top 10 was born. Here's the interesting part, though, a few of the answers are quite obvious and need little explanation, but most of them have branches that branch off into other similar branches. When it comes to who or what WVU fans love to hate, it's not exactly a black and white topic. Take ESPN for example. People in West Virginia obviously watch the network, which makes one wonder how anyone could actually rationalize that WVU fans hate ESPN. The anger comes in numerous miniature bunches. The game commentators always talk more about WVU's opponent than the Mountaineers. That's a strong belief among WVU fans. Whenever the WVU-Kansas men's basketball game is stuck on ESPN+ rather than ESPN2, that's a big pet peeve. But yet ESPN is still very much a regular part of our personal TV time. So, without further delay here are the top 10 ideas we came up with that WVU fans love to hate. This one was so obvious, but let's talk about it. Whether it's 13-9, Dan Marino, Larry Fitzgerald or Dave Wannstedt, the school in Pennsylvania is just hated by WVU fans. But here's the question: Why is it just the school WVU fans hate and not the city itself? Does that make WVU's hatred for the Panthers unique? Michigan fans hate Ohio State, but I also seriously doubt people in Ann Arbor go out of their way to visit the city of Columbus unless absolutely necessary. Miami fans do not vacation in Tallahassee, Fla. Chapel Hill, N.C. residents don't rub a lot of elbows with the residents of Durham, N.C. Yet so many WVU fans love the Pittsburgh Steelers, travel to several Pittsburgh Pirates games over the summer and do a lot of shopping in the city of Pittsburgh. Does anyone else think it's weird to have a likeness for a city except for the one small part where the rival campus is located? There are some other branches to discuss here. Let the WVU football team start 5-0 this season, but then check out the reaction on social media when all College GameDay discusses is Alabama and Georgia. 'ESPN hates West Virginia' has actually trended on social media in the past. One interesting topic that came up was WVU fans absolutely hate noon kickoffs. It's not always ESPN setting the time for WVU kickoffs, but the network always gets the blame. The other perception is ESPN and its analysts favor the Big Ten and the SEC over the Big 12. That one may not be that far off base. This one is pure hatred. Quick review: Dakich was hired in 2002 as WVU's men's basketball coach. After assessing the program, he left after eight days and went back to Bowling Green. He later became an assistant coach at Indiana and eventually ventured into radio broadcasting. His radio broadcasting time has been, in some small part, twisting the knife into the back of WVU and its fans. He's taken numerous shots at former WVU men's hoops coach Bob Huggins, claimed that former WVU President David Hardesty threatened him and boasted he would have had WVU at an elite level had he remained at the school. He once tweeted: 'Watching hoops thinking how badly me resigning from WVU destroyed that program …. Bless their little hearts.' A Dakich sighting in Morgantown … I don't even want to venture a guess as to what would happen. OK, this one has real branches, because the feeling here is WVU fans don't truly hate Marshall. At least not anywhere near the same level they hate Pitt. What WVU really hates about Marshall is when the Mountaineers lose to the Thundering Herd in anything. What WVU fans really hate is Marshall's constant yapping about the two schools being on the same level. Remember when former Marshall men's hoops coach Dan Dan D'Antoni accused Huggins of being too scared to play the Thundering Herd? That's the thing, it's a rivalry where one side is pushing way more harder than the other side. Do Marshall fans hate WVU? Likely so, but there are only certain aspects of Marshall that WVU fans can't stand. Not sure you can call that all-the-way pure hatred. This is the all-time conspiracy theory on the list that goes back further than just the Mountaineers being snubbed from the tournament in 2025. That snubbing led to an announcement of an 'investigation' from West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey. There's more, like when WVU won the 2010 Big East tournament. The Mountaineers not only weren't awarded a No. 1 seed, they got stuck in the same bracket with a loaded Kentucky team. So, yeah, there's not a lot of love right now for the committee from WVU fans. Just the Black Diamond rivalry itself sort of fits the bill here. But, there's also Michael and Marcus Vick, who in their own ways forever ticked off WVU faithful. Michael did it with a last-second drive that led to the third-ranked Hokies' 22-20 victory inside Milan Puskar Stadium that kept WVU from pulling off a monumental upset. Marcus went as far as flipping the bird to WVU fans after getting run out of bounds during Virginia Tech's 34-17 win in 2005. The former Pitt men's basketball coach is now a foe in the Big 12 as TCU's head coach. There is truly no other opposing coach than Dixon that WVU fans love to hate, but there is also a good story of compassion in that relationship. Dixon's sister, Maggie, died of a heart condition in 2006, and Dixon has told the story of how he received many heartfelt letters of support from WVU fans. 'When my sister passed away 18 years ago, my two parents in California said, 'Jamie, why are so many of these notes, and emails, and letters that we got from West Virginia?'' Dixon said last season. 'So, people of West Virginia made two people in California going through a hard time feel a little bit better. So, that's what I remember about West Virginia.' Dixon is 20-17 all-time coaching against the Mountaineers. Maybe time does not heal all wounds, because WVU fans still hate the Atlantic Coast Conference. The whole reason WVU competes in the Big 12 right now is because of the ACC's raid of the Big East in 2004. The ACC took Miami and Virginia Tech first, and then later went after Boston College, Pitt and Syracuse. Not for one second did the ACC consider adding WVU, which also plays a role towards the hatred against the ACC. To be truly honest, Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self is pretty much hated by everyone in the Big 12. It's not because he is a bad guy. It has more to do with his success and the perception of how much help he gets from the refs in order to reach that success. Self is 21-8 all-time against WVU. Remember Feb. 17, 2018? No. 13 Kansas attempted 35 free throws, while WVU was awarded only two. Huggins got ejected and Kansas won, 77-69. That's the No. 1 example of why WVU fans can't stand the Jayhawks. Honestly, if Rich Rodriguez had not decided to return to WVU to be its football coach, would DeVries have made this list? It's debatable, but there is no doubt DeVries is not well-liked by WVU fans at the moment. Not after bolting for Indiana after just one season as WVU's men's hoops coach. Not after never giving WVU athletic director Wren Baker a chance to make a counter offer. And certainly not after he never officially told his players he was leaving.
Dominion Post
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Dominion Post
Neighbors helping neighbors: Nonprofit launches to tackle flood recovery across West Virginia
MORGANTOWN — In the wake of devastating floods that struck Marion and Ohio counties in mid-June, a new, community-based initiative is rising to meet the moment. The West Virginia People's Flood Relief Fund held its inaugural fundraising event Wednesday at 123 Pleasant St. in downtown Morgantown — marking the beginning of what organizers hope will become a powerful, statewide network for flooding relief. Appalachian Bands prepare to perform at 123 Pleasant St. on Wednesday evening to raise funds for flood relief across the state. (Benjamin Powell/ The Dominion Post) The benefit event, organized in partnership with Ohio Valley Mutual Aid, brought together a crowd of supporters and featured performances from local Appalachian artists and bands. Ohio Valley Mutual Aid, known for its on-the-ground relief work throughout the upper Ohio Valley area, is currently helping to coordinate aid for flood-affected residents in Wheeling. All proceeds from Wednesday's event are going directly toward flood recovery efforts in Wheeling, where families are still reeling from significant damage caused by last month's flash flooding. A sign outside the front doors of 123 Pleasant St. on Wednesday evening announces the fundraising event. (Benjamin Powell/ The Dominion Post) 'It really will be neighbors helping neighbors,' said Becks Lipshultz, co-organizer of the West Virginia People's Flood Relief Fund. 'And so, as we expand our nonprofit, we'll partner with mutual aid and flood relief organizations in places across the state so that when these floods happen — whether it's in Wheeling or McDowell or anywhere else that has flooding — we will be able to allocate funds to them to help with their flood relief efforts across the state.' The event also served as a celebration of Appalachian culture, resilience, and unity. Local musicians and artists took the stage not just to entertain, but to inspire a collective sense of purpose in addressing the increasing frequency and intensity of flooding across the region. 'We're in Appalachia, and it's such a culturally and musically diverse and creative place,' Lipshultz said. 'Community is so important. We thought, what better way to not only raise funds but also gather the community around this cause — and continue to gather the community around this cause.' Organizers say this is just the beginning. The West Virginia People's Flood Relief Fund plans to host benefit concerts and even larger-scale festivals on a quarterly basis, using art, music, and entertainment as tools to sustain long-term relief efforts across the Mountain State. As the organization works toward securing its official nonprofit status, it is already building partnerships and planning future events. The goal is to ensure that when disaster strikes anywhere in West Virginia, help will already be on the way, powered by neighbors, artists and communities. For more information or to support current relief efforts, donations can be made through Ohio Valley Mutual Aid's online platforms ( while the West Virginia People's Flood Relief Fund finalizes its own donation systems and website.
Dominion Post
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Dominion Post
CLOSING THE GAP: Lawmakers present $20,000 for community building project
BROOKHAVEN — Excited to grow the community together, state lawmakers and local leaders gathered at the Brookhaven Community Building on Tuesday evening. State Senators Mike Oliverio and Joey Garcia stopped by to present a $20,000 check to help the center build new ADA-accessible restrooms — a project they say will make the building more welcoming to every neighbor who walks through its doors. From left to right, Senators Joey Garcia and Mike Oliverio and Commissioner Jeff Arnett look over the Brookhaven Community Building's construction plans with council members Alice Wilmouth and Elena Dennis, right, on Tuesday evening. Cassidy Roark/ The Dominion Post 'Today we want to present you $20,000,' Oliverio said. 'We are excited about what you guys are doing, we know the hurdles you face in raising money.' Garcia said backing community projects like this one is easy, 'when Senator Oliverio came to me about this, it was an easy yes.' The check brings a boost for the project, which recently secured a $126,000 loan to get started. But, the Brookhaven Community Building still needs to raise about $106,000 to see it through. Board members hope the community will help close that gap in a way that feels personal. A raffle is happening in memory of Cindy Blosser, the beloved board president who helped keep the building alive for years before her passing. The raffle winner will take home $3,000 in cash this October, but the real prize is knowing Cindy's legacy will live on in every gathering the center hosts. 'It's not easy raising money,' Oliverio said. 'But this place matters. We hope folks will hear about this and remember what the Brookhaven Community Building means to them.'
Dominion Post
04-07-2025
- Business
- Dominion Post
NASA IV&V in Fairmont faces drastic funding cut
dbeard@ MORGANTOWN – NASA's Katherine Johnson Independent Verification & Validation Facility in Fairmont could see a drastic budget cut under President Trump's Fiscal Year 2026 Discretionary Budget Request. But members of West Virginia's Congressional delegation are working to prevent it As part of an overall proposed NASA budget cut, Johnson IV&V would see its funding fall from its current $43.3 million (from FY 2024) to $13.8 million in FY 2026 – just one third of the current budget. NASA is working on answers to questions from The Dominion Post about the ramifications of the cut and will provide those next week. In its 2026 Budget Technical Supplement, the agency says, 'In FY 2026, NASA plans to significantly reduce and restructure both the NASA Engineering and Safety Center and Independent Verification and Validation program as part of the effort to consolidate the overall Agency Technical Authority program. In FY 2026, NASA will allocate $9.9 million for IV&V to ensure the program can provide software assurance support to the future Moon to Mars programs.' The Dominion Post reached out to Sens. Shelley Moore Capito and Jim Justice, and Rep. Riley Moore for comments on the proposal. Capito spokeswoman Kelley Moore (no relation) said Capito 'is aware of the proposed cuts to NASA that would impact the mission and the facility at Katherine Johnson IV&V.' She has been in contact with leadership at the facility, Goddard Space Flight Center, which oversees the work at IV&V, and NASA Headquarters. 'It has also been conveyed to NASA and to the Senate Appropriations Committee that Sen. Capito will oppose any cuts to this facility that would impact workforce or its mission,' Moore said. Moore noted that since NASA does not have an administrator or a nominee at this time, there has not been a budget hearing where this topic could be raised. 'Regardless, Sen. Capito is working hard to protect this facility that she so proudly helped name around this time in 2019.' Justice did not respond to several requests for comment. Moore said, 'I am closely tracking the proposed cuts to NASA's Fairmont facility. I have been in constant communication with the appropriations subcommittee chairman who oversees its funding, and will use my position on the Appropriations Committee to fight for the important work being done there.' Here's a breakdown of the numbers that factor into IV&V's budget – with several layers of authority above IV&V. IV&V overall falls under NASA's Safety, Security and Mission Services. That budget was cut from $3.131 billion in FY 2024 to $3.092 billion in FY 2025 and will fall to $2.118 billion in FY 2026 the federal fiscal year begins Oct. 1). Under SS&MS, is Engineering Safety & Operations. Its budget will fall from $1.088 billion in FY 2024 to $620.3million in FY 2026 and $446.5 million in FY 2027. And under ES&O, the Agency Technical Authority funding will fall from $196.1 million in FY 2024 to $69.6 million in FY 2026. 'The Agency Technical Authority program protects the health and safety of NASA's workforce by evaluating programs, projects, and operations to ensure safe and successful completion. ATA capabilities provide expert technical excellence, mission assurance, and technical authority agency wide.' IV&V falls directly under the Agency Technical Authority, with funding from several accounts. Funding from the Safety, Security and Mission Services account will be cut from $39.2 million to $9.9 million – for software assurance support for Moon and Mars programs, as mentioned above. Funding from the Exploration account will go from $3.3 million to $2 million. Funding from the Space Operations account will go from $800,000 to $700,000. One account source will see an increase: Science account funding will go from $0 in FY 2024 to $1.2 million for FY 2026. A footnote hints at some flexibility: 'The IV&V program will work with Mission Directorate to adjust FY 2026 allocations as the FY 2026 operating plan is developed.' Some information provided to The Dominion Post noted that cuts to IV&V have been proposed in the past, but not to this extent.
