The Weirton City Council voted 6-1 on June 9, 2026, to appoint Bob Kolanko to the Weirton Area Water Board, filling the seat previously held by George Ash, whose term expired on May 31. The appointment concluded a process that had generated significant public discussion over the last several months. A previous nominee, Lawrence Wright,…
The City of Weirton is preparing to appoint a new member to the Weirton Area Water Board. Under the city charter, Water Board members are appointed by the Mayor with the approval of City Council. The appointment will fill the seat previously held by George Ash, whose term expired on May 31, 2026. The process…
Under West Virginia Code §24-1-1(b), the Public Service Commission (PSC) is charged with balancing the interests of utility customers, the state’s economy, and the utilities it regulates. That responsibility is especially important because electric utilities operate as regulated monopolies. Unlike businesses in a competitive market, customers cannot simply choose another provider when prices rise. That…
The Monongahela Power Company (Mon Power) and The Potomac Edison Company (PE) filed a joint petition (CASE NO. 26-0508-E-42T ) to the Public Service Commission (PSC) on May 15, 2026 to increase electric rates and chargers for its customers. According to filings the companies are seeking additional revenues on a combined basis of approximately $188,.4…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a new proposed rule that could significantly reshape federal drinking water standards for several PFAS chemicals. The proposal, announced May 18, 2026, focuses on regulations adopted in 2024 under the Biden Administration. Those earlier rules established legally enforceable Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for several PFAS compounds in…
Submitting written comments related to the proposed EPA’s proposed rules is a relatively simple process. Comments may be brief or detailed (up to 5,000 characters) and supporting attachments can also be included. Most importantly, the public comment period gives individuals an opportunity to make their voices heard on the proposed changes. Comment Period Deadline Calculating……
In West Virginia, the relationship between government and the public is grounded in the Open Governmental Proceedings Act. Known as the “Sunshine Act” and codified in Article 9A of the West Virginia Code, this law affirms the public’s right to observe and evaluate the actions of its government. The Act’s policy declaration states that, “public…
When we think of government cybersecurity, we often picture sophisticated firewalls protecting massive federal databases. However, one of the most significant vulnerabilities in our local and state infrastructure is much more mundane: the daily use of personal and private business email accounts by public officials. While the practice might seem like a harmless convenience, conducting…
When a catastrophic main line break depleted Weirton’s water system in late 2024, residents were plunged into a three-month crisis of total outages, painfully low pressure, and tap water that ran in disturbing shades of yellow and brown. The immediate culprit was a failure that rapidly depleted the city’s water reserves, a blow that the…
An inquiry by Bloodhound Media identified a systemic reporting oversight by the Weirton Sanitary Board (WSB) and the Weirton Area Water Board (WAWB) regarding West Virginia’s reporting requirements. Despite actively processing and resolving multiple public records requests, both agencies have failed to log the legally required entries into the West Virginia Secretary of State (SOS)…
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