All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

Breaking a sweat — and new ground for physical activity across West Virginia

Former WVU student Sarah Melanson runs on the Rail Trail, which stretches through Marion, Monongalia and Preston counties. The eastern end of trail will soon extend to Reedsville in Preston County as part to a grant from Take Back Our Health WV, a project spearheaded by the WVU College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences. (WVU Photo/ Raymond Thompson Jr.)

From Wheeling to Williamson, West Virginians will gain new and improved options to get active with a leisurely stroll or bicycle ride, thanks to a statewide project involving West Virginia University.

The Center for ActiveWV has announced a slate of inaugural grant funding for 13 projects that increase or improve pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure in communities, schools and health centers across the state. The funding comes part of the center’s Take Back Our Health WV initiative.

Spearheaded by the WVU College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, Take Back Our Health WV launched in 2019 with the goal of improving the lives of West Virginians through increased access to healthy foods and physical activity opportunities.

“We are excited to put wind in the sails of the physical activity champions across the state who are already doing great work,” said Sam Zizzi, associate dean for research at CPASS and coordinator for the Center for ActiveWV.

The grants, which range up to $5,000 each, will go toward the following projects:

City of Wheeling Parks and Recreation: Improve bike infrastructure in Wheeling with reinstallment and improvement of bike lane pavement marking.

City of Buckhannon: Connect the central hub of downtown Buckhannon and popular trailheads by mapping routes using kiosks, wayfinding signs and painting sidewalks and streets.

Monongahela River Trails Conservancy: Connect the Deckers Creek Rail Trail to a Reedsville neighborhood and community park by building a trail connector.

Williamson Health and Wellness Center: Improve trail awareness and signage, and establish a Storybook Walking Trail in west Williamson through a student-led project and community volunteer workdays.

City of Oak Hill: Increase signage and mapping on the White Oak Rail Trail, Harlem Heights Loop Trail and trails in Needleseye Park to promote recreational trail use.

Kanawha State Forest Foundation: Install a wheelchair platform swing and other ADA-complaint playground equipment as well as a Braille activity board at the trail entrance.

WVU Medicine Potomac Valley Hospital: Create community track in Mineral County and encourage use through clinical physical activity prescriptions and referrals.

Shenandoah Community Health Foundation: Restore an existing trail in Martinsburg and encourage usage through clinical physical activity prescriptions and referrals.

City of Sistersville and Sistersville General Hospital: Repair a walking trail in Sistersville that connects Prigga Park and a sporting field, and install outdoor walking equipment.

Healthy Berkeley and University Healthcare Foundation: Improve and map trails in Poor House Farm Park and WVU Medicine Berkeley Medical Center, including a handicapped-accessible trail.

WVU Medicine Walk with a Future Doc: Encourage patients to walk for 60 minutes through organized group walks in which patients can talk with medical students and physicians.

Warwood School: Add a bike rack, provide helmets and bike locks and encourage use through student-led bike safety and bike-to-school programs.

CHANGE Inc. and Weirton Elementary School-Based Health Center: Improve a trail at Weirton Elementary School and install exercise equipment on the trail for use by the school and community.

Grant recipients expressed gratitude for the funding, which will enhance physical activity and the overall well-being of their communities.

“The wheelchair-accessible playground at Kanawha State Forest will be the first of its kind in the West Virginia State Parks system,” said Jennifer Bauman, volunteer coordinator, Kanawha State Forest Foundation.

A wheelchair-platform swing will be installed on a solid rubber foundation to facilitate visitors in wheelchairs, she added.

“This funding is very strategic for us not only from a financial standpoint but for West Virginia as a whole to create access for everybody to get outdoors and to have recreational options,” Bauman said.

The Storybook Walking Trail in Williamson will not only benefit physical health but provide an educational experience for youngsters, as well.

“Through the implementation of a health ambassadors’ program at Williamson PK8, we are engaging our youth to become community champions through co-designing solutions,” said Amy Dearfield Hannah, community resource network director, Williamson Health and Wellness Center. “The Storybook Trail will provide an opportunity for all students to be engaged in physical activity while completing classroom assignments or while simply reading a book.”

One of the primary goals of Take Back Our Health WV is to help shrink obesity in West Virginia, which leads the nation in adult obesity at 39.5 percent, according to nonprofit Trust for America’s Health.

A key ingredient to reversing that course is by empowering communities to take charge of their health, Zizzi said.

“Some of our community partners will create new or enhanced locations for residents to walk, and others will create policies promoting shared use of facilities or incentivizing physical activity in some way,” Zizzi said. “The reason that policy and environmental changes are so important is that those changes affect almost everyone equally, especially if all types of users, kids, older adults, people with a disability, are considered. We want being active to be the easy choice in all West Virginia communities and these projects help us move closer toward that goal.”

“The mission of the Center for ActiveWV is to successfully impact a physically active culture in West Virginia through collaboration, research, policy and practice,” said Eloise Elliott, Ward Distinguished Professor at CPASS and director of the center.

To learn more about the Take Back Our Health WV initiative go to facebook.com/BeActiveWV or contact Rachel Byrne at rbyrne2@mail.wvu.edu.

Share this story:

Local Businesses

RECENT Stories

Summer basketball league begins week two

The Upshur County Summer Basketball League entered its second week with standout performances from top scorers including Cory Harper, Dalton Hamrick, Cordell Nicola, and Vinny Snuffer leading their teams across multiple games.

Buckhannon City Council Special Meeting Agenda: July 15, 2025

The Buckhannon City Council has released the agenda for its special meeting scheduled for July 15, 2025.

BCT to light up the stage with Mamma Mia starting this weekend

Buckhannon Community Theatre will present the musical Mamma Mia! at the Colonial Arts Center starting July 12, featuring ABBA hits, lively performances, and a cast assembled from across the region.

St. Joseph’s Hospital supports healthy habits with mile-long midday walks

WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital has launched a noon walk initiative, inviting staff and community members to join daily one-mile walks to promote physical activity and improve health outcomes.

John Paul Ingram

John Paul Ingram, 83, a beloved Buckhannon resident, ordained minister, and avid outdoorsman who shared his faith and kindness with many, died July 6, 2025, surrounded by his family.

Wesleyan finishes seventh in MEC Commissioners Cup standings

West Virginia Wesleyan finished seventh in the 2024-25 Mountain East Conference Commissioner’s Cup standings, while the University of Charleston captured its eighth consecutive and tenth overall title for all-around athletic excellence.
Summer basketball

Summer basketball league wraps up week one

The Upshur County Summer Basketball League completed its first week at West Virginia Wesleyan College, featuring high-scoring performances from Dalton Hamrick, Cooper Sanders, Derek Sevier, Manadji Tokindang, and Austin Upton.
BUHS Girls Soccer Feature Image

Kelley calls soccer camp a success, has sights on leading B-U girls program to new heights

Logan Kelley, newly named head coach of the Buckhannon-Upshur Lady Buc soccer team, helped oversee a successful youth camp and aims to bring stability and new achievements to the girls program.

Wesleyan professor collecting first-hand accounts, photos to commemorate 1985 flood

A West Virginia Wesleyan College professor and librarian are collecting first-hand stories and photos from the 1985 flood to create an anniversary exhibit preserving campus and community memories of the disaster.