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

Man arrested after allegedly breaking into cabin, eating sausages

Linger

BUCKHANNON – A homeless man who allegedly broke into a cabin on Blackford Road was arrested last week.

Dale W. Linger, 37, of Buckhannon, was arrested Thursday, Feb. 17 for burglary, a felony, after allegedly admitting to breaking into a residence and eating some sausages.

According to the criminal complaint in the Upshur County Magistrate Clark’s office filed by investigating officer T.R. Collins with the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, Collins responded to a breaking-and-entering complaint Feb. 17. When Collins arrived on scene, the property owner said his camp had been broken into and he had seen a male wearing all black walking toward the Hall Road.

The owner also said it was apparent someone had forced their way into the cabin via the front door.

“He also stated someone had eaten Vienna sausages that [were] stored inside the cabin,” Collins wrote in the report. The owner subsequently found a black coat in the driveway that didn’t belong to him.

Collins then talked to the owner’s neighbor who said he witnessed a man dressed in all black with scrapes on one of his legs sitting on the owner’s porch. The neighbor also told police the man dressed in black, whom Collins later identified as Linger, had asked him how to get to Buckhannon and what year it was.

Using his game camera, the neighbor had captured photos of the man on the porch which he shared with Collins, according to the police report. With help from Buckhannon Police Department officers, who had previously interacted with Linger, Collins was able to identify the man in black as Linger. Collins found Linger staying at a relative’s house on Sedgwick Street.

The relative identified the black coat left in the property owner’s driveway as Linger’s, and Collins asked Linger to come to the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, where he placed Linger under arrest for breaking-and-entering.

After Collins transported Linger to the Tygart Valley Regional Jail, Linger agreed to answer questions and told law enforcement that another man, who was not the property owner, had given him permission to enter the cabin in the event that a key was not under the front doormat.

“Mr. Linger admitted to using his shoulder to gain entry into the cabin at the end of the dirt road,” Collins wrote in the file. “Mr. Linger then admitted to eating the Vienna sausages … and entering the cabin the night prior and staying there until daybreak.”

The person Linger said had given him permission to enter the property did not have authority to grant him access, Collins noted in the file.

Upshur County Magistrate Alan Suder arraigned Linger for burglary and set bond at $15,000 cash or surety.

The penalty for a conviction of burglary is imprisonment in the state penitentiary for one to 15 years.

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.