Community Bulletin
Hank Ellis Insurance Agency in Buckhannon is urging drivers to ask about an auto insurance rate lock — a way to hold a rate steady as premiums climb. The independent Erie agency, owner-operated since 2006, writes auto, home, life and commercial coverage. Read more →
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The Pomeroy-Mason Bridge, which crosses the Ohio River between the communities of Pomeroy, Ohio, and Mason, West Virginia, is closed following a mid-afternoon barge strike on Friday, March 6, 2026.
A runaway barge hit a support pier on the bridge a little after 2 p.m. Bridge inspectors were on the scene Friday afternoon assessing damage to the structure.
Runaway barges were still headed downriver late Friday afternoon. As the barges approach, officials in both Ohio and West Virginia planned to preemptively close the Silver Memorial Bridge temporarily to allow the barges to pass.
The West Virginia Department of Transportation will update the public as more information becomes available.
