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

Commission gives sheriff the greenlight on $5,000 sign-on incentive for certified police officers

Upshur County Sheriff Virgil Miller at the Upshur County Commission's Feb. 11 meeting.

BUCKHANNON –The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office will start a new sign-on incentive to encourage certified police officers to join – and potentially remain – at the county law enforcement department.

The Upshur County Commission on Thursday approved the program, clearing the way for the sheriff’s office to save money on training new deputies, as Upshur County Sheriff Virgil Miller explained.

“We’re looking to eliminate our cost in hiring and training new officers, and I know we have some interest in surrounding counties from certified officers looking coming to work here in Upshur County and this is a little more incentive for them to do so,” Miller said.

The agreement states the employer, the county, will give the employee $5,000.

“What this agreement will entail is a one-time sign-on bonus of $5,000 if they wish to be employed by the Upshur County Sheriff’s office and if, for whatever reason, they should fail to remain with the sheriff’s office for more than one year, they’ll have to repay the entire amount of $5,000 to the Upshur County Commission. If the officer is employed by the sheriff’s office for more than one year but less than five years, then that scale will be pro-rated,” Miller said.

Miller delineated the total cost of training and paying a new, uncertified officer. He said the cost of enrollment in the West Virginia State Police Academy is $2,000, supplies for the academy is $450, 120 days of pay before the academy is $16,800, the cost of regular pay during the academy is $7,000, the cost of overtime and weekend pay during the academy is $4,200 and the county’s cost for benefits such as Social Security and retirement is $6,482.

The total cost of hiring a brand-new deputy, Miller said, amounts to $36,932.

“That’s not an inflated figure – that’s a realistic figure based on the last three candidates we had in the county that didn’t make it,” Miller said.

Commissioner Sam Nolte said the program would be a good way to keep officers long term.

“I think it’s a good way forward,” Nolte said. “All of us get kind of frustrated when the officers that we have for a long period of time don’t make it to the academy or quit prior to starting at the academy and then we’re having to start from scratch again.”

Commission President Kristie Tenney asked Miller if a certified officer would be able to start immediately, without more training.

“It depends on the officer, but I can speak from experience because I came here in April 1980 as a certified officer, and the only thing I had to do was learn the roads and the people in the county, which was a learning curve, but not too bad,” Miller said.

Nolte made the motion to approve the new program and commission Terry Cutright seconded the motion.

Prior to adjourning, the commission also:

  • Approved and signed correspondence supporting the 26th Judicial Community Corrections Day Report Center for inclusion in their FY22 grant application.
  • Approved Lewis-Upshur Animal Control Facility volunteers Anna Cardelli, Maggie Kovalch and Kevin Metz.

Share this story:

Local Businesses

RECENT Stories

Buckhannon Banter: Get the local lowdown for July 2, 2025

This week in Buckhannon, local organizations plan events and clinics — including a big July 4th celebration — and several community initiatives aim to engage residents of all ages.

Emergency agencies stress need for coordinated incident plans during large events with road closures

Emergency officials emphasized the need for incident action plans and coordination with public safety agencies for large events that close major streets, citing upcoming car shows and other street-closure events to ensure fast, safe emergency responses.
BUHS Sports

B-U now in Class AAAA in all sports; moved to new South Region after WVSSAC restructuring

Buckhannon-Upshur High School will compete in Class AAAA — the highest division — for all sports and has been moved to the new South Region under a two-year realignment by the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission.

Stockert Youth and Community Center Board Meeting Agenda: July 3, 2025

The Stockert Youth and Community Center Board will meet July 3, 2025, with an agenda set to discuss organizational matters and upcoming events.

Buckhannon Waste Board Agenda: July 3, 2025

The City of Buckhannon Waste Collection Board has released the agenda for its upcoming meeting on July 3, 2025.

Woman arrested on six felony charges after allegedly shooting at a man in Upshur County

Jocelyn M. Krum, 28, of Charleston, was arrested on six felony charges after allegedly entering a Mt. Lebanon Road residence in Upshur County with a rifle and shooting at a man before fleeing the scene.

Buckhannon man sentenced to 11 to 21 years for Bailey Ridge Road shootout

Austin W. Arbogast, 26, was sentenced to 11 to 21 years in prison after pleading guilty to four felony charges stemming from a March 2024 shootout on Bailey Ridge Road while attempting to retrieve his child.

Mountain East Conference extends invitation to Shawnee State University

The Mountain East Conference has approved Shawnee State University as its 12th full-time member, with the school set to join in 2026 pending NCAA Division II acceptance and expanding league competition in 19 sports.
Davis and Elkins College

Davis & Elkins College students recognized for high academic honors for Spring 2025 semester

Davis & Elkins College has announced the Spring 2025 president’s list, for students earning 4.0 GPAs, and dean’s list, for those earning 3.6 to 3.99, honoring academic excellence campus-wide.