KANAWHA FALLS, WV (WOAY) – The Kanawha Falls Public Service District says it will approve the sale of its assets to West Virginia American Water.
In a letter to the Public Service Commission, Kanawha Falls’s attorney says the board voted to move forward with the sale at an emergency meeting last week.
The sale is part of a larger deal reached by the Fayette County Commission with West Virginia American Water. The private water company is seeking to acquire four Fayette County public service districts.
It comes after a long regulatory battle over the proposed sale. Kanawha Falls consistently voted against the sale for the last year and a half.
This month, the Public Service Commission opened a general investigation into the utility over alleged inadequate service and sought removal of its board chairman, Jonathan Grose. Grose resigned from the board last week.
The Kanawha Falls board plans to hold a required public meeting and formally approve the sale at its next meeting on July 23.
RICHWOOD, WV (WOAY) – The Richwood Fire Department is organizing an extensive foot search for an elderly woman with dementia this weekend.
Sixty-two year old Mary Catherine Green has been missing since June 18. She was last seen at her house on Greenbrier Road in Richwood. She was wearing a cream colored sweater, grey sweatpants, plastic shoes, a gold necklace, and rings on each finger. She is five feet, three inches and weighs 130 pounds. She has reddish-brown hair and green eyes.
The search is happening Saturday, June 27. If you would like to participate, be at the fire station by 8 a.m., where organizers will assemble groups, brief them, and then send them out on the search.
Anyone participating in the search should be prepared to hike extremely rugged terrain with extremely steep areas.
Make sure to wear appropriate clothing and footwear for a long hike in the woods, and bring food and water.
If you have any information about Green’s whereabouts, contact State Trooper Bowen and Senior Trooper Tallamy at 304-256-6700.
CHARLESTON, WV (WOAY) – The Public Service Commission has ordered a general investigation into Kanawha Falls Public Service district following allegations of poor management and told legal staff to petition a Fayette County Circuit Court Judge to appoint West Virginia American Water as a receiver to run the system.
It comes after PSC staff alleged that Kanawha Falls’s water and sewer services are “inadequate, inefficient, and unreasonable,” saying the district has been unresponsive to the needs of its customers and has not complied with commission orders.
“[Staff requests] the Commission find the District is unwilling or unable to adequately service its customers, that the District’s management is grossly and willfully inefficient, irresponsible, and unresponsive to the needs to its customers, and that it is in the best interests of the District’s customers that WVAWC be appointed as a receiver to operate the District’s system and assets in the best interests of the District’s customers,” the petition reads.
Specifically, the petition alleges that Kanawha Falls has not complied with the Public Service Commission’s rules for the government of sewer utilities, has not maintained a working capital cash reserve, and refused to comply with an order that it enter into an operations and maintenance agreement with West Virginia American Water.
“The Kanawha Falls Public Service District was determined to be a distressed water utility in Commission Case No. 22-0631-PWD-DU,” the petition states. “As a result of water outages, the Commission entered an Order dated June 2, 2025, requiring the District to enter in an Operations & Maintenance Agreement with West Virginia-American Water Company (WVAWC), which has not transpired.”
PSC staff will now petition a Fayette County Circuit Judge to appoint West Virginia American Water as a receiver. Neither West Virginia American Water and the Fayette County Commission opposed the sale.
The Public Service Commission noted two related cases where Kanawha Falls admitted it “lacked internal funds to repair a pump station where untreated sewage is spilling onto the ground.” The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has filed a petition in Fayette County Circuit Court, charging the system with water pollution and violation of groundwater laws.
OAK HILL, WV (WOAY) – We are tracking strong to severe storms that are moving through the region through early Tuesday morning. Most of the storms are moving to the east or east-northeast at around 30 miles per hour. The speed that the storms are moving was helping us a bit, but the combination of heavy rain from last week and training rain (meaning rain that moves over the same areas multiple times) has led to possible flash flooding in some areas tonight.
The storms are very efficient rainfall producers since there is quite a bit of moisture coming into the area from the Gulf courtesy of a southwesterly flow. Later tonight, areas that have picked up rain today (which is just about everyone) will see patchy fog. In addition to standing water on the roads and flooding in low lying spots, that’s the main travel concern as we start our Tuesday morning. Lows tonight will be in the lower 60s.
Tomorrow will start off with more showers and storms as the low continues to impact the region.
None of tomorrow’s storms will be severe, but additional rain could cause some possible flooding issues as the soils are saturated from the rain that we saw both late last week and today. Skies will clear a bit during the afternoon, but behind the cool front, highs will only be in the lower 70s.
Tomorrow will also start a brief stretch of dry days as high pressure takes charge of our weather. Temperatures will gradually climb into the lower 80s by Thursday before another system comes into the eastern Great Lakes by Friday and gives us more chances for showers.
It appears that system will stall out to our north and we’ll see several days of rain and mild temperatures towards the end of the forecast.
Raleigh County, WV (WOAY) – Appalachian Power crews are still working to restore power around the viewing area.
As of 5 p.m., 1,300 people were without power in Raleigh County. The company estimates that it will take until tomorrow night at 11 p.m. to restore power to those customers.
Continued rain and wind are hindering repair operations, but progress has been made.
BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – The executive director of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority has resigned.
Jina Belcher submitted her resignation to the board of directors today. She assumed the role in December of 2020.
The New River Gorge Regional Development Authority is a major economic development organization in southern West Virginia. The organization says it secured $24 million in government funds in 2024.
In the interim, the board has appointed Amy Showalter as acting executive director.
In a statement, Belcher said she is proud of the work the organization has done so far, and she believes the organization will continue to be a leader in economic development.
“As the organization continues to evolve alongside changing opportunities and priorities, I feel this is the right time for me to transition to more strongly align with my purpose and passion for impact,” Belcher said. “I step away knowing the NRGRDA will remain an economic development leader in West Virginia.”
NRGRDA board chair and Fayette County Commissioner Allison Rae Taylor thanked Belcher for her service.
“Since her transition to the role of Executive Director in December of 2020, Jina has been instrumental in bringing countless businesses and jobs to the four New River Gorge counties she served,” Taylor said. “Jina’s expertise and dedication to the NRGRDA’s mission is unparalleled and we are grateful for her service to our communities.”
OAK HILL, WV (WOAY) – We’re tracking some strong and severe storms off to our northwest this evening as they make their way towards the region.
Some of the storms will be on our doorstep by tomorrow morning. The good news is that the storms will not be as strong once they get here, but they could still produce damaging winds and flooding rains. Lows tonight with the southwesterly flow will be very mild, only dropping into the middle 60s.
Tomorrow, more strong to severe storms will roll through the area.
There is plenty of moisture for the storms to work with from the Gulf, partially due to the presence of Tropical Storm Arthur. The storms tomorrow will come in waves, starting with the ones mentioned above during the morning. There will then be later rounds of strong to severe storms in the afternoon and evening. How strong these later rounds of storms will be dependent on whether the sun breaks out or not between the rounds of storms. If it does, the intensity of the storms will be greater. The CAPE (a measure of the fuel that any storms that develop will have to work with) is high enough to support some severe weather.
The chance for storms takes us through the early portion of Friday before ending.
In response to the possibility for severe weather, the Storm Prediction Center has placed the area in the “Slight” risk (Level 2 out of 5) from tomorrow through Friday morning.
Over the next couple of days, we’re expecting decent amounts of rain.
While these amounts are not that high, as we mentioned above the speed that it falls at could produce some flooding in low-lying spots and poor drainage areas. With that in mind, the Weather Prediction Center has placed all of the area in its Excessive Rainfall Outlook, meaning that flash flooding is possible. I think the chances for that are small but are there.
The bottom line: here’s what we think will happen over the next 24 hours. The main threat is for damaging winds, with localized flooding also possible. The chance for large hail is very small, and the tornado threat is near zero.
We’ll definitely have to keep our eyes on the skies and stay tuned to the weather tomorrow.
Click below to see a video version of the forecast…
KANAWHA FALLS, WV (WOAY) – Staff at the Public Service Commission have filed a petition asking the commission to open an investigation into both the water and sewer side of Kanawha Falls Public Service District.
The petition alleges that Kanawha Falls’s water and sewer services are “inadequate, inefficient, and unreasonable,” saying the district has been unresponsive to the needs of its customers and has not complied with commission orders.
“[Staff requests] the Commission find the District is unwilling or unable to adequately service its customers, that the District’s management is grossly and willfully inefficient, irresponsible, and unresponsive to the needs to its customers, and that it is in the best interests of the District’s customers that WVAWC be appointed as a receiver to operate the District’s system and assets in the best interests of the District’s customers,” the petition reads.
Specifically, the petition alleges that Kanawha Falls has not complied with the Public Service Commission’s rules for the government of sewer utilities, has not maintained a working capital cash reserve, and refused to comply with an order that it enter into an operations and maintenance agreement with West Virginia American Water.
“The Kanawha Falls Public Service District was determined to be a distressed water utility in Commission Case No. 22-0631-PWD-DU,” the petition states. “As a result of water outages, the Commission entered an Order dated June 2, 2025, requiring the District to enter in an Operations & Maintenance Agreement with West Virginia-American Water Company (WVAWC), which has not transpired.”
The petition alleges that Kanawha Falls board president Jonathan Grose no longer lives in the district’s service area and asks that he be removed from the board.
Staff are asking the Public Service Commission to petition a circuit court judge to appoint West Virginia American Water as a receiver of the district.
This petition comes amid the potential sale of Kanawha Falls and two other Fayette County public service districts to West Virginia American Water. Kanawha Falls has been routinely opposed to the sale.
West Virginia American Water and the Fayette County Commission filed a report with the Public Service Commission today, asking the Public Service Commission to proceed in an effort to find the fastest resolution to the sale.
“The Company and the County Commission are not opposed to a receivership and the efforts to remove the board member and they agree to participate in and support these efforts should the Commission respond favorably to Staff’s petition. This process is likely to be lengthy, and in that time sewage will still be running down Cannelton Hollow and Mount Olive Prison will remain at risk of losing water service. Therefore, the Company and the County Commission believe that the Commission should also proceed in an effort to find the fastest way to resolve these important service issues — whether it be by a receivership, a change in the Kanawha Falls PSD board that allows an agreement that includes all three
districts, or by the acquisition as initially filed in Case No. 25-0927-W-S-PC,” it reads. “The Company and the County Commission diligently prepared a revised asset purchase agreement and provided it for review, revision and ultimately agreement to all three public service districts. While Armstrong PSD and Page Kincaid PSD positively engaged with the Company and the County Commission, Kanawha Falls PSD did not. Without meaningful and productive engagement from all of the districts, regrettably the Company and the County Commission must recommend that the Commission proceed with the case as originally filed.”
Mike Teaney contributed to reporting in this story.
Fayette County, WV (WOAY) – We have new details about a crash on US-19 near Bradley earlier today involving an Oak Hill city police officer.
First responders say they got the call at around 6:55 p.m. Both lanes at Maple Fork Road were closed and have since been reopened.
A media representative for the Mount Hope Police Department told Newswatch that utility trailers came off the hitch of a tow truck and crossed the median, hitting the officer and causing injuries.
The officer was airlifted to Charleston General.
Multiple agencies responded, including Bradley and Prosperity fire departments and the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office.
The Mount Hope Police Department and WVSP are investigating the accident.
We will continue to track this story as we learn more.
Fayette County, WV (WOAY) – We have details about a second accident this evening, this one involving a motorcycle and a truck on Mall Road off of US 19 in Fayette County.
The driver of the motorcycle was airlifted out to a Charleston hospital.
Belle, WV (WOAY) – We have an update on the Belle bank robbery.
Following their investigation, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office has charged Richard Donald Brisson in connection with the June 4 robbery at Whitesville State Bank in Belle.
Investigators allege Brission is the suspect who entered the bank with a handwritten note demanding money from the teller.
Deputy B. L. Shamblin and his K9, Bingo, started their search from the bank. This led them to 114 East Dupont Avenue, where deputies recovered black clothes, a hat, glasses, and a wig believed to be worn by the suspect, based on security footage.
Neighborhood security footage allegedly shows Brisson in the area before the robbery in the same black clothes found by K9 Bingo.
Brisson was arrested June 8 on an outstanding Kanawha County Magistrate Court arrest warrent and was incarcerated at South Central Regional Jail.
An interview with Brisson’s girlfriend, Shana Pettry, on June 10 confirmed she wrote the robbery note for Brisson, and was living at the house the K9 discovered.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Kanawha County Sheriff’s office at the number here, (304) 357-0556, or on their website here.
Kanawha County, WV (WOAY) – The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department needs your help in finding a suspect.
Security footage from June 10th, around 2:30 a.m., shows a person breaking into King Cut Rate Liquor and Tobacco by throwing a rock through the glass doors.
The suspect has been described as a white male wearing all black clothes, a face covering, one glove on his right hand, and carrying a luggage bag.
Investigators believe the glove was used to hide a hand tattoo or scar.
The suspect stole multiple mini-sized liquor bottles. Police say he didn’t take much in merchandise, but cost the business a high bill for door repairs.
If you recognize the suspect or have any information on this incident, please call Detective Burks at 304-357-0556 or submit an anonymous tip online at Www.Kanawhasheriff.Us
Lincoln County, WV (WOAY) – A Lincoln County man is dead after a lawn mower accident.
According to a media release from the West Virginia State Police, 62-year-old Barry Brunty of Branchland, WV, was pinned under a zero-turn mower on Saturday, June 6, 2026.
Brunty was operating the machine when it slid over an embankment and landed in a creek.
EMS crews administered CPR on scene before transporting Brunty to St. Mary’s Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries.
At this time, no foul play is suspected. The incident remains under investigation by the West Virginia State Police.
FAYETTEVILLE, WV (WOAY) – A Fayetteville businessman has been booked in Southern Regional Jail in connection to domestic battery charges.
Lewis Rhinehart, who was identified as president of Secret Sandwich Society in Fayetteville as of a 2025 filing with the West Virginia Secretary of State’s office, was booked into Southern Regional Jail shortly after 1 p.m. on May 27. A bond revocation hearing was held that morning.
We have not been able to confirm the details of what happened in that meeting, but his $2,500 bond was revoked.
Rhinehart is facing a misdemeanor domestic battery charge in connection an incident last August. A criminal complaint says that Rhinehart threw the alleged victim to the ground, dragged her by the hair around the house, and threw her down the stairs.
A plea hearing has been scheduled for May 29 at 11 a.m.
Fayette County, WV (WOAY) – Currently, 230 customers in the Deep Water Mountain Road area are without power due to a tree falling on the power line.
Here is what our reporter on the ground captured.
The outage started around 6:19 p.m. Thursday evening. While Appalachian Power began work, they blocked off Deep Water Mountain Road. It has since reopened.
As of the time of this web article being posted, power is estimated to be restored by 2:00 a.m. Friday, May 22.
FAYETTEVILLE, WV (WOAY) – A man is in custody following a brief shelter in place order was issued in the Fayetteville area today.
Fayette County Sheriff Jess McMullen says that deputies were dispatched on an “active shooter investigation” to a business located on Wolf Creek Road after receiving reports of a man armed with a handgun inside.
Law enforcement secured the area and evacuated the business. The suspect was taken into custody without incident, and nobody was hurt.
The suspect was identified as Max David Johnson, a 32 year old man from Fayetteville.
The sheriff’s department was assisted by Fayetteville and Oak Hill police departments, along with the state police. McMullen thanked all agencies involved for cooperation, rapid response, and professionalism.
The investigation is still ongoing, and McMullen says that information will be released as it becomes available.
FAYETTEVILLE, WV (WOAY) – Preliminary results indicate Fayette County Assessor Tara Tyree has held off a primary challenge in the Republican primary.
Tyree was appointed as the first female Fayette County Assessor in 2025, taking over for the retiring Eddie Young. She has been campaigning in this election to keep the job, drawing on 18 years of experience at the assessor’s office.
“I’ve had a lot of support because I’ve waited on the citizens of Fayette County for the past eight years. They know me. They’re comfortable with me. The majority of them like me and support me. And so it’s really been a pleasure getting out and talking to people who support me because I have supported them for almost two decades,” Tyree said.
Tyree said that although politics aren’t always fun, campaigning was necessary to keep serving the people of Fayette County.
“It’s not about a job, it’s not about a fancy title. It’s about doing what’s right for our county and going and doing the job every day and doing it right and helping people. I mean, that’s the best part of my job is actually helping the people of this county,” Tyree said.
Tyree thanked voters for their support and said regardless of the outcome, she wanted to continue to serve the county.
“Thank you for all the support that you’ve given me. Win or lose, I will be there for this county. I was born and raised in this county. It means the world to me, and I look forward to serving for many years to come,” Tyree said.
With preliminary results headed her way, Tyree said she plans to get right back to work.
“I plan on going to work tomorrow and continuing to do the job that I’ve been doing for the past 18 years,” Tyree said.
HINTON, WV (WOAY) – Incumbent Commissioner Mike Gore has won the Republican primary for the Summers County Commission New River District seat, according to preliminary results.
Gore was first elected to the commission in 2020 after defeating then-incumbent Democrat Bill Lightner. He is a long time volunteer firefighter and a former business owner in Summers County.
County commissioners in West Virginia serve six-year terms. No Democrat filed for the seat.
