My Buckhannon’s top stories from the last week

Brian Bergstrom
May 1, 2022

Here’s a quick look at the top local news headlines brought to you by the team at My Buckhannon over the last week. Never miss a story with our exclusive Daily Dispatch email digest, one of many benefits available to our premium members. Subscribe to My Buckhannon today!

In education news, a group of administrators from Charleston – including the state superintendent of schools – visited Upshur County to tout the new “Grow Your Own” teacher education partnership with West Virginia Wesleyan College. The school system also announced a partnership with St. Joseph’s Hospital to offer an exploratory healthcare experience to high school students.

We also reported on some of the top students at Fred Eberle Technical Center, who won several events at the state Skills USA challenge and will be headed to nationals this summer, and we talked with a diesel equipment graduate from the school about his path to a successful career.

The arts are coming alive as the pandemic wanes. ART26201 announced it will be holding a Young Storytellers Camp and a Young Filmmakers Camp in June. Buckhannon also welcomed a new piece of public art on the Fish Hawk Acres building by acclaimed textile artist Suzan Morgan, and local filmmaker Bryce O’Loughlin earned the Best of West Virginia award at the Mountaineer Short Film Festival in Morgantown.

In local government news, the Upshur County Commission debated how to use millions more in federal ARPA funding, as we reported here and here. The Upshur County Firefighter’s Association responded to questions about the organization’s legality, and the City of Buckhannon gave an additional $10,000 to the Strawberry Festival due to a scheduling snafu with the carnival.

In healthcare, St. Joseph’s Hospital recognized their laboratory and administrative professionals and welcomed Krista Flesher to the Primary Care Clinic; Davis Medical Center revised their visitation guidelines and announced new outpatient mental health treatment options; Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital introduced new nursing managers; and Community Care said goodbye to their longtime Chief Financial Officer.

In crime news, a man was arrested for allegedly stealing an AK-47 from a juvenile, and deputies also arrested the dump truck driver involved in a fatal wreck on April 20.

Also locally, the Leadership Upshur program is looking for participants and sponsors as it prepares to launch in the fall; the Healthy Grandfamilies program is set to return in June; and West Virginia Wesleyan College hosted a panel discussion on climate and the environment.