MedleyStory

Moundsville names new City Manager

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:00:08 -0500

MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. --

Moundsville City Council voted Monday night to appoint Deanna Hess as the city's permanent City Manager.

Hess has currently served in the interim position since former City Manager Allen Hendershot retired Dec. 31, 2011.

Hess has been the officer supervisor in for the city for many years.

Stick with NEWS9 and wtov9.com for continuing coverage.

Gas industry moving into Ohio Valley

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:00:18 -0500

WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The natural gas industry is slowly moving into the Ohio Valley and while some might question its ability to create local jobs and rejuvenate the economy, a quick glance at Washington County, Pa. shows what the future could hold.

In Washington County, thousands of local jobs have been created and millions of dollars have already been spent by drilling companies. Several drilling companies are opening offices in the region and even businesses not directly tied to drilling are seeing an economic windfall.

Washington County Commissioner Larry Maggi said local jobs were slow to develop when the industry first moved into the region in the early 2000's.

"That's true," Maggi said. "[They don't employ many local workers] for the first couple years. But now we are employing our own people. And that trickles down."

He said that thought both private and public efforts, workers were eventually trained to fill job openings when the companies started hiring.

"People whose children in the 1980's and 1990's that had to move away are coming back here for good paying jobs," he said.

Range Resources is one of the companies hiring local workers.

"[We are hiring local workers] not because it's the right thing to do, but because the talent is here," said Range Resources spokesperson Mark Windle. "A lot of phenomenal people from this region are looking for a job or just looking for a better job."

Windle said that Range Resources has a long history in the region and just recently opened a new regional headquarters which employs 400 local people.

"We started with one employee here in this region – southwestern Pennsylvania – in 2007," he said. "Now we have 400 employees – local employees – working here in this office every day."

Local residents not working in the gas industry are also feeling the economic boost. Both residents who leased their land and business owners have all seen increased income.

"I was a dairy farmer!" said Dawn Hamilton who now has three wells producing on her property. She now owns and operates the Hopewell Diner where she serves meals to an ever-growing customer base, mostly composed of gas workers.

"It was a really, really bad mile year when the wells went online," she said. "So it was a windfall. And it's been amazing."

The gas boom is also changing the way some people do business.

"I employee close to 30 people now," said Frank Puskarich who owns Hogfathers BBQ in Washington. "Probably 15-20 of them are directly related to the gas business."

Frank began delivering meals directly to the rig sites and says his kitchen has never been busier.

"The opportunity isn't just the guy that's actually drilling the hole," he said. "It's everyone servicing the gas business."

So, What does this mean for the Ohio Valley? If you ask local business leaders, it means a lot.

"I think that the impact they've seen there is what's coming out way," said Progress Alliance Executive Director Ed Looman. "From what I can see, it's all positive."

Looman estimated that the boom being felt in Washington County right now is headed into West Virgnia and eastern Ohio and that dramatic changes are coming in 2012 and 2013.

"We're really getting started now," Looman said. "And it's going to continue this year and on into next year … We're a lot closer now that we were a few months ago when we were described on national TV as being the next boomtown."

EPA approves most of W.Va.'s water quality rules

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:10:40 -0500

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. --

Regulators say the Environmental Protection Agency has approved all but one of West Virginia's proposed water quality standards.

The Department of Environmental Protection must review its standards every three years. It said Tuesday the EPA found most consistent with federal regulations.

The exception was language allowing the state to use what it calls "weight of evidence" in determining whether nutrient levels are high enough to declare a waterway impaired.

Water standards chief Kevin Coyne said DEP doesn't want to declare impairment
unless a waterway has elevated phosphorous concentrations and corresponding chlorophyll levels.

The EPA proposes making the declaration on phosphorous levels alone.

Coyne said the agencies have been working on a compromise. He says several other states are having similar differences of opinion with the EPA on the issue.

Protesters gather outside of Ohio gov.'s State of the State address

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:15:35 -0500

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio --

As Ohio Gov. John Kasich gave his annual State of the State address inside Wells Academy on Tuesday, at least 200 protesters gathered outside for what they called the "State of the 99 Percent Rally."

Protesters had a number of messages for the governor including concerns like jobs, the economy, education, drilling and the effects drilling could have on the environment.

Many of the protesters were from the Youngstown area, but others came from across the state. State Rep. Robert Hagan, a Democrat from Youngstown, led the rally and gathered at least two busloads of people to make the trip from his area.

Steubenville police said the city did not grant the protesters a permit to assemble and school was still in session, so they could not block the streets, block sidewalks nor use any public address systems.

Protesters were kept back from the entrance of the school about a half-block by barricades. In response, they raised their voices as loud as possible to make sure their messages were heard.

Hagan said, "People are not happy with what's going on in their government, from the federal government down to the local government, too."

Bruce Bostick, a protester from Columbus, said the government is "attacking retirees. They're cutting funds going to nursing homes and to poor people. And it's a wide unity of everybody that says it's time to stop doing everything just for profit and do things for regular working people and bring jobs back. And if people have jobs and money to spend, the economy grows. Yeah, it supports the whole economy."

Findley, Ohio, resident Shane Hanley said, "We need to let the governor know that what he's doing is wrong. It's completely wrong to affect working families like this."

Bostick added, "What they're doing is it just supports the millionaires and billionaires. We want policies that support regular people and stop like they did with (Senate Bill) 5. Stop scapegoating regular people, get funds for regular people so that we'll have a decent economy that can support real people."

Several of the signs held up by protesters dealt with drilling and the effects of drilling on the environment.

Hagan said, "The people that just got off that bus are my constituents from Youngstown where there were 12 separate earthquakes. All of us believe very surely and very certain that they were caused by the injection wells."

Patti Gorcheff, of North Lima, Ohio, said, "We have farmers right over the state line in Pennsylvania with black water in their ponds. There are cows being born dead. The ones that are born alive are blind. They have no pupils. If that's doing that to an animal, what's it going to do to us?"

Another protester, Ed Hashbarger, of Bloomingdale, said he was concerned about his rights.

"This law strips individual landowners like myself of my liberties by taking my minerals and giving them to a private business for profit. … I am a veteran and this is not what I defended my country for," Hashbarger said.

Hagan said he and his constituents want drilling jobs to be safe.

"We want to make sure that they do it in an environmentally safe way. That's not happening right now when you refuse to have hearings about these issues of earthquakes about injection wells about toxic chemicals that are being shipped in. So, I'm not against the drilling, but I'm against the fact that they refuse to have the hearings. They refuse to make sure it's done in a safe manner."

Wheeling City Council considering design contract for sports complex

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:49:47 -0500

WHEELING, W.Va. --

Wheeling City Council is expected to decide Tuesday night if it will use an architectural firm to design what will soon be the East Wheeling Sports Complex.

City Manager Robert Herron said planning the redevelopment project is moving forward, but slowly. Officials are still waiting to officially acquire three properties on 15th Street that were part of an eminent domain ruling last month. Aside from that, Herron said the city is ready to move full steam ahead.

With regard to the architectural firm, Herron said, "They've already done some site surveying work on their own and they are anxious to get started, but the next key phase in this project is determining at what elevation the complex will sit so that we can appropriately design our demolition package.

Council is expected to pass an agreement with Alpha Architects & Engineers from Morgantown, which is the first step in a long process ahead.

"We would anticipate having final designs sometime in May or early June, and that final design will include bid documents for construction," Herron said.

He said whether or not they will be ready at that time to construct is still in question and there is still a lot of prep work that needs to happen.

"All the buildings in the project area have basements, so we need to figure out at what elevation to drop the basements. And, the foundations on each building and on each one will be different," he said.

Currently, demolition will be put on hold until they get the site work done and all properties have been acquired.

The plan also calls for the Elks Playground to be part of the sports complex; therefore the playground will get a major upgrade.

Stay with NEWS9, WTOV9.com and WTOV9 Mobile for continuing coverage.

Martins Ferry teacher's aide off job after incident involving student

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:32:33 -0500

MARTINS FERRY, Ohio --

A teacher's aide in Martins Ferry is off the job after an incident at a school involving a student.

Police Chief John McFarland said officials received an initial complaint about a teacher at St. Mary's regarding improper contact with a child.

McFarland said investigators are contacting parents whose children may also have had contact with the teacher's aide throughout the day.

Officials told NEWS9 the prosecutor's office is aware of the investigation and is waiting for a full police report before taking any action.

Stay with NEWS9, WTOV9.com and WTOV9 Mobile for continuing coverage as details become available.

Wheeling Park using finger scanners for students to get cafeteria food

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:27:54 -0500

OHIO COUNTY, W.Va. --

An Ohio County high school is doing away with plastic IDs and cash in the cafeteria and using new technology to scan students' fingers instead.

Wheeling Park High School recently started a finger scanning program at the school, and administrators said it makes it faster and easier for everyone to get breakfast or lunch.

"Every day it's an issue when students forget their ID numbers or cards. It takes longer to get students through the line. This is a fast and easy way to get students through the breakfast or lunch line," said County Child Nutrition Coordinator Renee Griffin.

The system was implemented a few weeks ago, and Griffin said starting the system wasn't easy. She said the school worked with its technology coordinator to scan 1,700 students' fingers into the system.

Now, students walk up to a computer, which scans their fingers. Griffin said the system doesn't scan a fingerprint, so there is no reason to worry about identity theft.

"It turns certain points in that actually finger scan into binary numbers," she said.

"Identimetrics have made it clear that even for the purposes of law enforcement, nothing could ever be recreated. So once the student graduates, the numbers are taken out of the system, just as they would prior if they had an ID number," Griffin said.

With a packed lunchroom and a popular system, officials said they're convinced the system is a go. About 95 percent of Wheeling Park students are using the system, and administrators said their goal is to have the system up and running in all Ohio County Schools by the beginning of the next school year.

Ohio gov. focuses on economy, education in State of the State address

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:23:03 -0500

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio --

Ohio Gov. John Kasich delivered his State of the State speech in Steubenville on Tuesday, marking the first time the address has been delivered outside the Capitol.

Kasich says he knew a year ago that he would move his annual State of the State speech out of Columbus.

Kasich, as he started the speech Tuesday, said he chose the city of Steubenville because of its top-ranked elementary school, Wells Academy. The governor highlighted Wells Academy as a school that's been able to hit achievement marks without a big budget.

Kasich is known for an unorthodox approach to being governor, including not following prepared remarks for big speeches.

During the speech, Kasich said it's wrong that felons who have served their time aren't able to work in certain professions. He said he's pushing to reform Ohio law to allow felons to do jobs such as cutting hair and driving trucks that they're not allowed to do now.

He and Republican lawmakers changed Ohio's sentencing laws last year to keep more nonviolent offenders out of prison, where they're more likely to pick up bad habits that could lead to new crimes.

Kasich says the state also needs to crack down on human trafficking, calling it a scourge in the state.

Steubenville City Schools Superintendent Mike McVey said the district is honored the governor chose Wells to deliver the State of the State address. Several local businesses put out welcome signs for the governor, and Vapor Jet on Adams Street decorated its building and street with red, white and blue balloons.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is handling security inside the building while Steubenville police and Jefferson County sheriff's deputies monitor the streets.

Some lawmakers grumbled openly over the decision to move the speech from the capital, saying the decision inconveniences some of them. Several said they would not attend. In addition, several Ohio Supreme Court justices have said they couldn't make the three-hour car trip to Steubenville because court is in session that day in Columbus. Last week, their representatives said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine can't go and Secretary of State Jon Husted has a schedule conflict.

But political experts said moving the speech to Wells Academy allowed Kasich to reconnect with the public after last fall's bitter collective bargaining battle. Kasich spokesman Rob Nichols said the speech's location was important to the governor's jobs message.

Stay with NEWS9, WTOV9.com and WTOV9 Mobile for continuing coverage.

Police investigate armed robbery at Steubenville pharmacy

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:20:39 -0500

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio --

Steubenville police surrounded the Rite Aid at the corner of Lovers Lane and Sunset Boulevard on Monday night after an armed robbery.

It happened around 7 p.m. Police said the man got away with cash and prescription drugs.

Police describe the robber as a white male, 5 foot 9 inches, carrying a silver handgun.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation assisted in the investigation.

No arrests have been made. Anyone with information is asked to call police or the NEWS9 Lauttamus Security Crimebusters Tipline at 800-862-BUST.

Stay with NEWS9 and WTOV9.com for continuing coverage.

State legislators and local community leaders gather night before address

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:25:42 -0500

Dozens of the state legislators and local community leaders gathered inside the Steubenville Visitor's Center on Monday night.

On the eve of the Governor's State of the State address, many of the Ohio's top legislators are taking the time to get to know the area -- and the local leaders who represent it.

"I'm looking forward to this opportunity to host my colleagues from around the state and show them what we have to offer here in Jefferson County," said Sen. Lou Gentile, D-Steubenville.

Local leaders understand that this is a golden opportunity to showcase the area and all it has to offer.

"It's good to put the focus on the county and show the positive things that are going on here and will be going on here in the next several months and years as we move forward," Rep. Jack Cera, D-Bellaire, said.

Gov. John Kasick on Tuesday will deliver his speech at the Steubenville High School auditorium and local leaders are just thrilled to be a part of it.

"For so long we felt that the three C's, Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland were receiving all the attention," said Steubenville's Mayor Domenick Mucci. "Right now the governor along with the state legislators recognizing our workforce, our skilled labor, and of course our rich history."

And Steubenville's problems aren't much different than the problems cities throughout the state face.

"The working families in Cincinnati are just like the families in Steubenville and we need relief and we need new ideas to move our state forward," said Senate Minority Leader Eric H. Kearney.

"I'm from Youngstown and we have the same problem the bigger cities get all the publicity," Senator Joe Schiavoni, D-Youngstown, said. "And places like Youngstown and Steubenville get left out. This is important for a city like Steubenville."

All of them said the main thing they want addressed is job creation.

They are hoping the governor can bring some new ideas to the table and can spark a discussion about how Ohio can help the country get back on its feet.

5 men accused in connection with dozens of burglaries

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:13:30 -0500

BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio --

Officials have released the names of five suspects believed to be involved in dozens of burglaries in Belmont County.

Police said three men worked during the daytime hours: Lawrence Henry, Dustin Childers, and Brian White.

Another man, Steven Richards, was indicted on 15 counts of burglary and other charges. Police said he committed his crimes at night, moving quickly and quietly through homes. In some cases, police said, Richards was in and out of a home in less than 60 seconds.

A fifth suspect, Bellaire resident Benjamin Primis, is charged with one count of receiving stolen property.

The string of burglaries in Belmont County started just before the holidays last year and investigators kept uncovering more evidence.

Sheriff Fred Thompson said, "We've been working at this daily for about the last three months."

Martins Ferry police Sgt. Chip Ghent said the burglars would case a victim's home sometimes for days before deciding to break in.

"Most working-class people were at work and if they were at work, they made money and they had stuff to steal," Ghent said.

In the eight years he's been prosecuting attorney, Chris Berhalter said burglaries have never been higher than they are currently. Thompson said he can only speculate why burglaries are on the rise and if factors are the economy, drug addiction or a combination of both.

Thompson said the Martins Ferry Police Department teamed up with Belmont County Sheriff's Office investigators, which led to the arrests.

The investigation is not over and more indictments could be coming down from a grand jury in the near future, officials said.

Stay with NEWS9, WTOV9.com and WTOV9 Mobile for continuing coverage.

New DNA test can help determine child's athletic ability

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:48:11 -0500

What can an 8-year-old's DNA tell his parents and coaches about his future in sports?

Colorado-based Atlas Sports Genetics offers a genetic testing kit that identifies a gene called ACTN3 that determines whether a person will have fast-twitch explosive muscle makeup. The company cites research suggesting that the level of ACTN3 in a person's DNA can determine what type of sports that person is best suited for.

--Web Extra: Interview With Atlas Sports Genetics' Mike Weinstein

Last fall, NEWS9 obtained one of Atlas Sports' genetic testing kits and tried it out on Trevor Carman, 8, a young athlete from Hopedale who has played nearly every team and individual sport.

The company returned the results and NEWS9 shared them with Trevor and his father.

"I think it's pretty cool," said Trevor.

But his father, Dan, believes his son is more than the sum of his genes.

"Athletic ability is more determination and how good he wants to be than anything else," said Trevor's dad.

Via video conference, NEWS9 asked Atlas Sports' Mike Weinstein what a parent should do with the information provided by ACTN3 testing.

Weinstein said it should be used as a guide and not as the final word on whether a certain child should play a certain sport.

"For example, if a trainer knows that a person is born with fast-twitch muscle makeup, they might be able to alter a training program to develop that athlete," said Weinstein.

For the Carmans, the results were more a curiosity than a determinant of Trevor's future in sports.

"I don't care one way or the other," said Dan Carman. "He's Trevor and he's going to be who he's going to be."

Juveniles accused of crashing stolen cars; 1 apprehended after foot chase

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:35:31 -0500

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ohio --

Two juveniles stole and crashed cars overnight, and one was apprehended after he led officers on a foot chase in Jefferson County, police said.

Another suspect remained at large as of Monday afternoon. Police would not release the suspects' names because they are minors.

Investigators with the Mingo Junction Police Department said the incident started around 6:45 a.m. when two vehicles were reported stolen in the village.

Later, Ohio State Highway Patrol officers found one of the stolen vehicles crashed into a guardrail on U.S. Route 22 near Lover's Lane. After crashing the car, a boy fled on foot and ran up Powells Lane onto state Route 43 in Wintersville, officers said

State troopers, sheriff's deputies and police from Wintersville, Cross Creek and Mingo Junction were all involved in the pursuit. Officers said the driver was seen walking along Garden Drive. Then several officers chased him down and arrested him.

An hour or two later, a second crash was reported at the intersection of Wilson and McLister avenues. Police said the driver, who was also a juvenile, fled from the crash and disappeared into a wooded area near Wilson Avenue.

Mingo Junction Police Chief Steve Maguschak said the incidents remain under investigation and it was not immediately known what the boys will be charged with. Anyone with information is asked to call police or the NEWS9 Lauttamus Security Crimebusters Tipline at 800-862-BUST.

Stay with WTOV9, WTOV9.com and WTOV9 Mobile for continuing coverage.

W.Va. texting bill evolves, heads to House

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:38:20 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. --

The West Virginia Senate has approved a bill that would allow police to ticket drivers for texting or talking on their cellphones while on the road.

Monday's unanimous vote sends the bill to the House of Delegates, which is considering its own measure to curb distracted driving on West Virginia's roads.

Police could stop drivers seen texting, but they would need a primary offense, such as speeding, to stop drivers seen talking on cellphones. Drivers would be allowed to use hands-free technology to make calls or send texts. Police and commercial drivers using radios would be exempt.

Violating the prohibition on texting or talking on handheld cellphones would cost drivers a $50 fine.

Marshall Co. man pleads not guilty to 16 counts of animal cruelty

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:34:13 -0500

MARSHALL COUNTY, W.Va. --

A Marshall county man pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of animal cruelty after officials said they found dead and starving cattle on his property.

Kevin Strope was arraigned before a magistrate judge on Monday and had little to say about the misdemeanor charges against him.

In January, officials with the Marshall County Sheriff's Department said they found cattle -- some dead of starvation and others malnourished -- on Strope's property on U.S. 250 near Cameron.

Prosecutor Jeff Cramer said, like in every case, the prosecution had 14 days to present evidence to the defendant.

Strope is scheduled to be back in court on Feb. 28 for a pre-trial hearing. Stay with NEWS9, WTOV9.com and WTOV9.com Mobile for continuing coverage.

Mailed-in filings adjust W.Va. candidate roster

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:07:02 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. --

More than 100 mailed-in filings have increased the unofficial roster of West Virginia's 2012 candidates.

The filing deadline was midnight on Jan. 28. State election officials said the additional filings were postmarked by then.

A number of these new candidates joined legislative races. The majority Democrats now have 30 contested primaries out of 67 races in the House of Delegates, and six out of 17 in the Senate.

Republicans have enough candidates for 17 contested House primaries and one in the Senate.

But at least three legislative candidates have withdrawn in the past week.

Around half the additional filings were from Republicans seeking to become delegates to their party's national convention.

Of the 194 convention delegate candidates, 48 are pledged to Mitt Romney. Newt Gingrich has 43, and Ron Paul, 28.

AAA: Ohio gas prices climb for 2nd straight week

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:58:56 -0500

   COLUMBUS, Ohio --

Ohio motorists are paying slightly more for gas for the second week in a row.

   Monday's survey from auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express puts the average price for regular gas at $3.45 a gallon. That's up 6 cents from a week ago.

   Drivers were paying an average of about $3.15 at this time last year, before prices climbed to record highs.

   Prices have remained high for this time of year, partly because of concerns overseas. Some analysts have been worried about tensions in Iran and potentially weak demand for crude oil in Europe, which is dealing with hefty economic concerns.

-- More information at AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report

Ad campaign targets Ohio painkiller abuse

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:37:11 -0500

COLUMBUS, Ohio --

A new public service ad campaign is targeting prescription painkiller abuse in Ohio using stories of people affected by addiction.

   The initiative features ads on websites and social media networks, posters in convenience stores and billboards in counties with serious abuse problems.

   Some ads feature recovering addicts, and others use the relatives of people who died of overdoses.

   Drug overdoses fueled by painkiller abuse now top car crashes as the leading cause of accidental death in Ohio.

   The epidemic has also led to a sharp increase in the number of children born addicted to drugs.

   The ad campaign is sponsored by the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services and the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities.

New W.Va. online directory helps residents find recycling centers

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:21:14 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. --

The West Virginia Division of Energy is making it easier to find a recycling center.

The Division's online West Virginia Recycling Directory has been updated so residents can now use the directory to find recycling centers near them.

Searches can be made by county and by the type of waste to be recycled. Officials with the division said some recycling centers may require waste to be dropped off, while others may pick up items.

The directory can be accessed at wvcommerce.org/directory/recycling/default.aspx.

Ohioans hit deadline to register for March primary

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:51:02 -0500

COLUMBUS, Ohio --

It's a presidential election year, and Ohio residents are running out of time to register to vote in the March 6 primary.

   Monday is the deadline for registration forms to be turned in or postmarked, and for voters to submit any name or address changes that have taken place since they last voted.

   Registration forms can be downloaded from the Ohio Secretary of State's website and mailed to county boards of elections. Voters also can submit the forms in
person at a variety of sites, including the Secretary of State's office, local elections boards, public high schools or public libraries.

   Early voting began last week and continues until March 2, the Friday before the election. The primary determines the respective Republican and Democratic nominees for office.

For more information about registering to vote, visit the Ohio Secretary of State's website at www.sos.state.oh.us.

Breaking News: New York Giants Win Super Bowl XLVI

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:49:21 -0500

The New York Giants win Super Bowl XLVI, beating the New England Patriots 21-17.

Steubenville Country Club vandalized, expensive repairs needed

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:27:36 -0500

Steubenville Country Club members were left with a damaged golf course after vandals targeted the club sometime Saturday night.

Club members discovered tire tracks throughout the golf course Sunday and through the yards of nearby houses.

"This morning when I woke up, actually, we were heading out to play some racquetball. I got a phone call from one of the members on the golf course that noticed some tire tracks on our golf course," said John Denholm, the Steubenville Country Club golf pro."So, we decided to come up here and take a look for ourselves and came upon a disaster out here. Our eighth green is ruined."

Denholm said the tracks cover the entire golf course, and it appears the vandals eventually got stuck. Denholm said it appears the vandals used mats under their tires to break free, leaving behind a trail of expensive damage.

"Greens are thousands, $50,000 for our green, and our sand traps with all the new sand we just put in them," said Denholm. "It's all over the place now, so it could be a lot of money."

But it doesn't stop there. Someone also hit the yards of nearby houses in Cara Place, and a resident's surveillance camera caught it all. The video showed the vehicle driving through about five yards before hitting Aldo Crisante's family snowman.

"Then I realized that it couldn't have melted. I looked in the yards, and I saw tire tracks all through the neighbor's yards and through our yard," said Cristante, whose yard was vandalized.

It left club members very surprised.

"(I thought) maybe somebody had just did something crazy and everything, but they obviously caused a lot of damage and hurt a lot of people," said Cristante. "I don't think they realized what they did."

Denholm said it will take months to get the course back into shape before the season starts, and some of those areas won't be ready at all.

The country club will be offering a reward to catch the alleged vandals while Steubenville police handle the incident.

Pedestrians hit by car, recovering from injuries

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 09:39:26 -0500

Two people are recovering from injuries after being hit by in car in Wheeling Saturday night.

Police said a car struck two pedestrians near the Sunoco gas station on 29th Street about 9 p.m.

Police said the driver stopped after the accident, and both people were transported to the hospital for their injuries.

Their injuries aren't believed to be life-threatening, police said.

3 injured in crash, transported to hospital

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 09:37:45 -0500

Three people were transported to a local hospital following a car crash in Belmont County Sunday morning.

Ohio State Highway Patrol dispatchers said the one-car crash occurred about 8:30 a.m. on Route 7 Southbound near milepost 7 in the Dillies Bottom area.

Troopers said the car lost control due to wet roads and hit the median.

The people injured have minor injuries, dispatchers said.

Power restored for residents in Ohio County

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 23:01:10 -0500

OHIO COUNTY, WV----

Power is back on for residents in the Bethlehem area of Ohio County.

Officials with America Electric Power said a car hit a utility pole around 2:45 p.m. Saturday, causing a blackout for 1,300 people.

Crews worked all afternoon and evening to replace the pole and restore power.

All power was restored by 9:45 p.m. Saturday.