BUCKHANNON – The Upshur County Commission on Thursday appointed attorney Bryan S. Hinkle – currently the assistant prosecuting attorney in Lewis County – to the position of Upshur County prosecuting attorney to replace retiring Upshur County Prosecuting Attorney David Godwin.
Godwin’s retirement will go into effect at 11:59 p.m. Nov. 30, and Hinkle, who has also served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Braxton County, will take over at 12:01 a.m. Dec. 1.
Upshur County Commission President Sam Nolte said they were happy to appoint someone with so much prior experience.
“We are excited to have him come on board,” Nolte said. “He has a lot of experience with the prosecuting attorney’s office in Braxton, Lewis and Upshur County. He was the only applicant, so we were happy to get someone who has as much experience as him.”
The person tapped to replace Godwin was required to belong to the same political party as Godwin, who is a Republican.
Hinkle received his law degree from West Virginia University College of Law in 2005. After earning his degree, he was a law clerk for the 26th Judicial Circuit Court – which covers Upshur and Lewis counties – under retired Judge Thomas Keadle from August 2005 to August 2006.
He also served as assistant prosecuting attorney for the Webster County Prosecuting Attorney’s office and from 2008 to October 2010 and was the assistant prosecuting attorney for the Upshur County Prosecuting Attorney’s office. Meanwhile, Hinkle opened his own firm in August 2006, the Law Office of Bryan S. Hinkle in Buckhannon West Virginia.
In April 2019, he stepped into his present role as assistant prosecuting attorney for Lewis County.
Hinkle will serve as county prosecuting attorney for the remainder of Godwin’s term, which ends Dec. 31, 2020.
In other Upshur County Commission news, the commission declared November Lung Cancer Awareness Month. According to the proclamation read aloud by Upshur County Administrator Carrie Wallace, lung cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men and women with an average of 2011 new cases each year.
“Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in West Virginia with the goal to increase national awareness and early prevention … and West Virginia has a higher rate of lung cancer than the nation as a whole, with nearly one in three of all cancer deaths in West Virginia [being a result of] lung cancer,” the proclamation states.
The proclamation notes early detection and treatment are important in preventing and slowing cancer.
Prior to adjourning, the commission also:
- Approved and signed a correspondence to Sen. Shelly Moore Capito and Sen. Joe Manchin III expressing appreciation for their support of the Lands and Water Conservation Fund and requesting that they cosponsor a measure what will permanently fund the program before the end of the year.
- Approved and signed a correspondence to all wrecker service providers participating in the wrecker rotation within the county clarifying provisions contained within the “Procedures to Dispatch Wrecker Services,” which was most recently updated Sept. 19, 2019.
