Talk of the Town August 26, 2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:11):
This is the Talk of the Town from Morgantown to Clarksburg.
If it's happening, we're talking about it. Call the show
toll free at one eight hundred and seven sixty five
eight two fivey five. Now Here is your host for
the Talk of the Town, Mike notting Well.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Good Tuesday morning. It is a nine oh six fair
ski's fifty nine degrees in the University City and welcome
to Tuesday Metro News. Aki Weather says, absolutely, I guess
we'll call it a chamber of commerce like day sunshine.
I have seventy two degrees tonight, partly cloudy, and that's right,

(00:47):
we're gonna dip below the fifty degree mark. Low temperature
of forty nine degrees tonight, so certainly falls in the air.
And WVU football gets things started on Saturday, so we
can definitely say that we are on the doorstep of fall.
Let's take a look at a couple of headlines and

(01:08):
then we'll lay out the roadmap for the program today.
Oh by the way, Ethan Collins is our producer today
and you'll be able to make contact with Ethan at
eight hundred seven six five eight two five five. We
also have the text line, We'd love to hear from you.
That number is three oh four talk three oh four oh.

(01:29):
This morning, university police and other law enforcement agencies responded
to a shots fired hoax near the Wise Library on
the downtown WVU campus in Morgantown. Now, those initial calls
happened just around seven forty this morning, and the all
clear was given at eight six a m our. Director

(01:51):
of Strategic Communications at WVU, SHAWNA. Johnson, She released the
following statement. She says, WVU police responded to a false
report shots fired at the downtown library on the West
Virginia University Morgantown campus. Investigators have determined that this was
a hoax. There was and is no threat to campus.

(02:14):
Officers are investigating and those with information are asked to
call three zero four two nine three three one three six.
I took a little I took a look at some
of the other hoax reports and know I was familiar
with the one uh at the University of South Carolina.
Then there was another one in Villanova that I was

(02:36):
familiar with. But why do you hear this list? So far?
Just this fall, shooting hoaxes have been reported at the
University of Arkansas, University of Colorado, Boulder, Iowa State University,
Kansas State, University of New Hampshire, Northern Arizona University, as

(02:58):
well as they of South Carolina, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga,
and also Villa Nova University. So I guess that is
the that's the latest flavor of hoax. We expect to
hear opening statements in the first degree murder trial of
twenty four year old Jonathan Ramirez today. Jury selection wrapped

(03:23):
up on Monday. Ramirez of Texas, is accused in the
January twenty twenty four stabbing death of twenty six year
old Jacob Low in his Milford Street home. Ramirez has
been held in the North Central Regional Jail since his
arrest shortly after that crime. Also on trial this week

(03:43):
in Montagelia County is Thomas Horner the Third. He has
been charged with two counts of negligent homicide and one
count of reckless driving causing serious bodily injury. Once I
jog your memory, I'm sure you'll remember this particular ular situation.
This crash happened January third of twenty twenty four at

(04:05):
the one forty nine mile marker of I seventy nine
at the time. That crash forced the closure of both
sides of the interstate for just about five hours. Tragically
killed in that crash were Maggie Erdi and Zaikwon George.
They were burned to death in that crash, and once

(04:26):
again Thomas Horner. He is on trial as well in
Montgelia County. This week will be following that particular trial
as well. Testimony continues this morning in a Harrison County
murder trial. Dennis High is accused of kidnapping and killing
Dallion Lewis in February of twenty twenty four. He's won

(04:47):
of five defendants charged in that crime, and as I
understand it, Dallion Lewis wants a very promising athlete at
Univern Versity High School. How the State Public Service Commissions
received its first notice of intent in connection with the
mid Atlantic Resiliency Link. Potomac Edison filed that notice on Monday,

(05:11):
saying it'll seek approval to build a fifteen point four
miles of line in Jefferson County at a cost they
say will exceed twenty million dollars. And finally, acting on
a tip, deputies in Harrison County found a child who
had been left alone in a garage for a week

(05:33):
without food, water, or any kind of care. The child
told deputies that neighbors did provide some help during the day,
but at night he was left alone. Arrested in that
case as Juan Jose Benitez Chicone. He was arrested and
charged with child neglect creating risk of injuries. Currently being
held in the North Central Regional Regional Jail on a

(05:56):
one hundred thousand dollars bond program. Today, we're going to
spend some time with your Community Foundation the Educator Mini Grants,
who are a great opportunity for educators throughout the area
that they service in order for them to get a
couple hundred dollars in their pockets to bring in some

(06:18):
teaching aids and other things into the classroom to kind
of brighten things up, make things a little bit funner
to learn. We'll hear about that, We'll hear about their
other grants that are also available. The applications are available
at their website. We'll do that at nine point fifteen.
Then at nine point thirty, I've got State Senator Joey

(06:38):
Garcia from Marion County and we're going to talk with
Joey about the Peia proposal that has been floated by
the governor. Now, although nothing is really set in stone,
we're going to find out what Joey thinks about this
initial four point plan that was relei or that was

(06:58):
I guess, a topic of discussion between the governor and
some lawmakers, and the topic of a Metro News story
by Brad mclhaney, which you can view at wvmetronews dot com.
Coming up next, we'll spend a few minutes with your
Community Foundation right now in the University City Fairs, guys

(07:21):
and fifty nine degrees. We'll be back with more on
AM fourteen forty FM one oh four point five WAJR.

Speaker 1 (07:43):
Join the conversation at one eight hundred seven sixty five
eight two finy five. This is the talk of the town.

Speaker 2 (07:49):
Well, good Tuesday morning, Fairskuys and fifty nine degrees. Your
Community Foundation serves Harrison, Marion, Montaguilia, Preston and Taylor Counties.
And in studio we've got LORII a build zo Lauri.
Good morning, ma'am.

Speaker 3 (08:04):
How are you I'm too them well, Mike, how are you?

Speaker 2 (08:06):
I'm doing very well? Thank you very much. Now, Laurie,
if we could, let's start here. You serve one, two, three, four,
five counties correct, Okay, Now what is your goal in
those five county counties?

Speaker 3 (08:18):
So basically, we are the community foundation that serves north
central West Virginia and our mission is to promote philanthropy
and build endowment funds to benefit the community. So, you know,
we have donors who are interested in supporting causes that
are meaningful to them, and so we have about six
different types of funds that they can set up with us.
Most people know us for our scholarship funds, but we

(08:40):
do have many grant making funds and that's where we
are this time of year is in our competitive grant cycle.

Speaker 2 (08:47):
Yeah, we're in a grant application season. Tell us what
all is available? Sure?

Speaker 3 (08:53):
So we have community grants and so this year our
focus for those community grants is on base needs and
addiction prevention. So our board of directors is very thoughtful
about how to direct those discretionary dollars. And Patty R
YCF President and I we met over the spring with

(09:14):
several nonprofit leaders in this region to assess, you know,
what's happening in the nonprofit community and what are the needs,
and you know, with the economic climate right now, the
focus really is on basic needs. You know, people are
worried about food and shelter, paying utilities, and so our
community grants will focus on those basic needs. If there

(09:37):
are nonprofits that are providing those kinds of services, food,
utility assistance, rental assistance, they can apply for funding and
we have up to five thousand dollars per agency available.
And then also as part of that, the focus is
on addiction prevention, so grassroots types organizations that really are

(09:58):
trying to engage the communit in alternative behaviors, you know,
things like family events, movie nights, those kinds of grassroots efforts.
We can provide funding up to twenty five hundred dollars
per organization.

Speaker 2 (10:13):
Now you talked about you're hearing the need for just
basic type life items from the non profits. Is that
maybe up from last year year over year.

Speaker 3 (10:25):
That's what we're hearing. You know, inflation, people are worried
about jobs and just the economic climate. So yeah, there
is a real fear for you know, what's going to
happen this fall, as you know, people are trying to
heat their homes and the money's just not there.

Speaker 2 (10:41):
Now you can follow along with us at y CFWV
dot org. Now, how long is the grant application window open?

Speaker 3 (10:50):
So we opened in early August and applications will be
accepted through September twenty second, so there's about another month
left to get those applications in.

Speaker 2 (11:00):
Now, there is one that I didn't know if you
wouldn't mind talking about a little bit, but the STEM
for Girls Fund. What can you tell us about it?

Speaker 4 (11:08):
Sure? Sure?

Speaker 3 (11:09):
So this opportunity is available throughout our five county region
and really the focus is on promoting the STEM Fields
for Girls, so ages you know, grades K through twelve.
And it could be a school project. So if there's
a teacher that has maybe something like a Girls who
Code club, I know those are gaining in popularity, they

(11:30):
can apply for funding. And so I can give you
an example too. At mylam Park Alamentry, we have funded
a program to help girls loan learn how to program
drones and enter competitions with those drones. So that's pretty exciting.

Speaker 2 (11:45):
That is exciting. Now you know something else I wanted
to ask you. There's the Stephen D. Tanner Children in
Richmond Fund, Children's in Richmond Fund grant and now this
is to benefit underprivileged children run throughout your service area. Now,
could I maybe apply on behalf of someone in that

(12:06):
particular case.

Speaker 3 (12:08):
Yeah, So the target of this is schools primarily, so
preference is given to Title I schools the low socioeconomic status,
but also nonprofits who serve those under resource communities. So
we've provided grants to say the Shack neighborhood House for
their summer programs, for their after school programs, to provide,

(12:30):
you know, support for materials and things they would need
to engage those children.

Speaker 2 (12:34):
And if anyone would have a question, the number you
can call is three zero four two nine six three
four three three and that website again is YCFWV dot org.
Now let's talk a little bit about the educator many grants,
what are they, how much can they be and who

(12:55):
can apply for those?

Speaker 3 (12:57):
Sure, So we started this program three years ago and
it's been immensely popular. Teachers throughout our five county region,
and it doesn't actually just have to be teachers, anyone
who is interacting with students. So we have had counselors apply,
school outreach staff and so if someone in the education
system has a project that they would like to do,

(13:18):
that they need just some extra funds. They can apply
for up to seven hundred and fifty dollars and we
have seen a wide variety of projects. Can give you
an example at North Elementary, Miss Fritch has done a
project where she ordered soil and items like mushroom sportes
so students could actually watch in their classroom day by

(13:39):
day the progress of the mushrooms growing and then at
the end they could take them and cook with them,
you know, have a recipe and actually get to taste
the products that they interacted with. Very nuch, It's very
cool project.

Speaker 2 (13:51):
Now, I think, correct me if I'm wrong, But didn't
one of those educator many grants go to fix or
buyas stove?

Speaker 3 (14:01):
Yes, yes, I believe that was at Suncrest, So yeah,
to help kids learn how to cook, so important life skills.

Speaker 2 (14:09):
That I thought that was. I thought that one was
particularly interesting because I know that the students and teachers
that were talking about it, they were talking about making pies.

Speaker 3 (14:21):
Oh yeah, well yes, who wouldn't want to be a
Hiye me up?

Speaker 4 (14:26):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (14:27):
Okay, So the educator minigrants, you know, we were talking
off the air and really, truly, you can't live in
Morgantown without not knowing or having an acquaintance that's either
an aid, a teacher or professor, an administrator or a staffer. Correct, yes,
so how do you apply for these? And I guess

(14:47):
the deadline also is the twenty second of September.

Speaker 3 (14:51):
Yes, So so that way to get access to those
is to get in touch with me. So you could
call that number on three or four two nine six
three four three to three. We have accounts set up
in our grant portal for each of the schools, so
then if there's an educator who is interested, I can
set them up with an account and then it's all
an online application process and we've tried to make it

(15:12):
very simple. We know how busy educators are. It's not
a very involved application. And we've even received that feedback
from teachers that you know, they've been scared to apply
for grants, but that this process was super simple.

Speaker 2 (15:26):
That's good to know. Your community foundation they serve Harrison, Marion,
mont Angelia, Preston and Taylor counties and they have I
guess going through memory, let's see, you just did arts
grants recently and then you have your big presentation, so
about maybe three times a year, you guys have an event,

(15:46):
and more often than not, those events seem to always
fall on a Tuesday morning or a Tuesday evening that
runs right alongside Morgantown City councils. Oh yeah, you know
that that kind of precludes our participation, which we regret that.
But talk a little bit about the arts grants sure recently, yeah.

Speaker 3 (16:09):
That was about two weeks ago. We have an organizational
arts grant program for Moninglia County and this is a
collaboration with the Arts Council of Greater Morgantown. The funding
comes primarily from the City of Morgantown and the Monngelia
County Commission. We also have several YCF funds targeted towards
the arts, So the Douglas H. Tanner Memorial Fund for

(16:31):
the Arts contributes and several other funds. And basically it's
any arts and culture organization or any nonprofit organization that
does an arts related project can apply for funding. And
if the mission is just to enhance the arts opportunities
in Moningalia County. So two weeks ago we gave out

(16:51):
grants to fourteen nonprofits one hundred and thirty seven thousand
dollars very exciting. So since this program began, since the
coll oberation began in twenty eighteen, over one point three
million dollars has been awarded to support the arts. And
you can see it if you drive around Morgantown, Mond County.
You can see the murals, you can go to the

(17:12):
Botanic Garden and experience a concert, lots of opportunities for
kids to theater programs, you know, music programs. The Summit
Chamber Music Series is another one that we've supported.

Speaker 2 (17:25):
Now, let's see. I'm sure that you get in touch
or a lot of people get in touch with you
at all times throughout the year, whether it's to make
a donation, maybe to establish a fund, or maybe they
need help with a grant application. So what's the best
way to get in touch with you? Email? Phone, What

(17:46):
do you prefer?

Speaker 3 (17:47):
I'm an emailer, so that's probably best. So the general
email is info at YCFWV dot org. But certainly people
can call three oh four two nine six three four three.

Speaker 2 (18:00):
Okay, And one last thing, and we've talked about this before,
but you brought up the fact how other educators have
talked about the ease of the grant process. But part
of What makes it easy is that you and Patty
make yourself available, you know, to answer a question or
to you know, sometimes somebody just needs a little just

(18:24):
a little push.

Speaker 4 (18:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (18:25):
Absolutely, we are a small but mighty team. We also
have Christy. If people call that office number, primarily they'll
speak with Christy first and we're all happy to help.

Speaker 2 (18:34):
Okay, good deal, Loria Bildzo, thank you very much for
coming in.

Speaker 3 (18:39):
Absolutely, thank you for having me.

Speaker 2 (18:41):
Absolutely your community foundation. Hey, Sir Harrison, Marion, Montaguelia, Preston
and Taylor Counties. You'll find him online at YCFWV dot org.
You can give him a call at three zero four
two nine six three four three three. Coming up next,
Governor pat Trick Morrissey has been talking about a four

(19:03):
part plan with a limited amount of lawmakers. Portions of
that plan have been released. Brad mcllanney writes about it
at wvmetronews dot com. And coming up next, I'm going
to spend a few minutes with Marion County State Senator
Joey Garcia. Joey, as you know, in the past, has

(19:24):
attended some of the Peia public open houses and has
heard some of the calls from public employees to preserve
their healthcare benefits. So we're going to talk with Joey
about how he feels about this four part plan. Maybe
there are some parts of it that Joey could go
along with, and maybe there's none of it that Joey

(19:46):
can go along with. We'll let him speak for himself.
That's coming up next right now. Fair skies and fifty
nine degrees in the University City.

Speaker 1 (20:07):
Now back to the talk of the town.

Speaker 2 (20:19):
A good Tuesday morning. It is nine thirty five fair skies,
fifty nine degrees in the University City. Well, recently, Brad
mcelhaney has written a piece about a four part plan
released by the governor to a select group of lawmakers
that would make adjustments to the Public Employees Insurance Agency.

(20:39):
Among those proposals are to remove coverage eligibility for spouses
who are offered health insurance through their own employer. Another
one it would be establishing a new plan for new employees,
establishing a PEIA fraud unit, and greater leverage over pharmacy

(21:00):
see BENEFNF managers, and negotiating drug prices. On the phone,
we've got Marion County State Senator Joey Garcia Joey, Good morning, sir.
How are you.

Speaker 4 (21:11):
Hey, Mike doing good? Thanks for having me.

Speaker 2 (21:14):
Absolutely, it's a pleasure to have you on board. Now.
I briefly just covered those four parts very very quickly. First,
I'd like to know, I know we went through this
with the sale of the hospitals, but what communication have
you had with the governor, the Governor's office about any
PEIA changes or a special session regarding pei A.

Speaker 4 (21:40):
Well, I've had none. I've had I have heard about
this secondhand. I read read McElhinney's article, which is very good.
But the Conor's office has not reached out to me
about this. And my understanding is from talking to some
of my colleagues in the Senate. I mean that they're
you know that that it's certainly not a sure thing.

(22:01):
I don't know whether at the end of the day,
the governor will get the votes at a special session,
whether that be in September or otherwise. But there are
I've heard about discussions going on, but those discussions have
not been had with me.

Speaker 2 (22:14):
Okay, all right now, if we could, Joey, would it
be all right if we went through each part of
this proposal, maybe get your reaction that we're absolutely okay,
all right, let's take that first one, removing coverage eligibility
for spouses who are offered health insurance through their own employers.
That one is that could equal into a twenty one

(22:38):
million dollar savings for the state. What do you think
about that?

Speaker 4 (22:44):
I don't think that's a smart move. I think number one,
we're just coming off of the change to spouses being
able to have insurance coverage but paying a fee, pretty
substantial fee if their employer is offering that coverage right now.
But when I think about this, I think about a

(23:06):
number of different public employees who have continue to be
public employees or maybe are attracted to being, whether it
be teachers or do H workers or correction workers because
of what that benefit of pei A can do for
their family, not just for them, and that helps with

(23:27):
you know, those dollars. I think it was potentially step
backwards to have this fee that we currently have, and
this is just another reason for a public employee to say, well,
maybe I choose something else. And we are certainly not
at a point in time where we can afford to
lose more teachers where we can, we've been trying to
gain correctional officers. We've been trying. We're certainly when you

(23:49):
look at the roads and popoles that takes duh workers
and those are just a few examples. So to me,
that is going to make government less efficient and less productive.

Speaker 2 (24:00):
State Senator Joey Garcia is with us. Now, Joey, this
next proposal, the one to establish a new plan for
new employees, that that kind of strikes me similar as
to what the state has set up with pension plans,
whereas maybe new employees can go to the new pension

(24:20):
plan that does it has different requirements, that does save
municipalities a little bit of money. What do you think
about that part?

Speaker 4 (24:30):
I mean, again, I think this is also this is
creating issues when it comes to attracting a new workforce.
And I mean, if we're going from this idea of
eighty to eighty twenty to a seventy five twenty five split,
you know a lot of the issues last couple years
as far as why our current public employees have had

(24:52):
to see increases in their premiums decreases in their benefits
is because of the lack of flexibility with eighty twenty rule.
And so it sounds like this is going to be
even a further swing as far as what's going to
be put on the backs of employees. And again, we've
got to look at this too in the context of

(25:12):
we've got higher grocery bills right now, We've got inflation,
a lot of tariffs and other things have pushed up
the cost on average individuals, and it's making the paycheck
work less and less to these public employees.

Speaker 2 (25:26):
And of course we just had Luria Bildzo in here
the from your Community Foundation. She says that nonprofits throughout
their five county area are reporting just that an increase
in the costs for basic necessities in life. But moving
right along, what about the what about establishing a pe

(25:49):
I a fraud unit. Does that then automatically create a
situation where you have to find the fraud to justify
its existence or is there that much fraud to worry about?

Speaker 4 (26:03):
Well, my question to that is twofold number one. Why
don't we already have a PEI fraud unit? And can
the governor do that without legislative approval? If so, then
I think we always need to look at accountability. But
you know, the point that you make as far as

(26:23):
whether we're just looking for fraud to justify cutting costs.
I mean, I think if it's there, we need to
root it out. But again, I don't understand how that's
not already a part of the process.

Speaker 2 (26:38):
And I'm sure you might feel the same way about
having more ability to negotiate drug prices.

Speaker 4 (26:45):
Well, we've passed bills over the years as far as
negotiations go with certain medications. I think when it comes
to different FORMULAITI you know, there there's the use I
think of private hebms in certain situations to also try
to negotiate those costs that in a way that's going
to help the state. I wonder, I mean, what does

(27:07):
this mean is this Governor Morsey's death panels? I mean,
are we going to take a more active role from
the executive branch deciding what medications will cover and what
we won't? You know those are And again that's part
of the problem here is a lot of these issues
are not really fleshed out and there's not been that
level of transparency. And maybe that's just because there's not

(27:28):
an agreement on it yet.

Speaker 2 (27:29):
Now. Brad Wright's in his piece that some of the
reactions from lawmakers have been Number One, they're skeptical for
two reasons. A couple of changes could be accomplished administratively
strictly by the Governor's office, and then the second is
that the remaining proposals could result in a public backlash.

(27:51):
Don't really have clear legislative support. Are those the same
things that you're hearing from the lawmakers that you speak
with regularly?

Speaker 4 (28:03):
I think so then, and you know, and more so
than the law factors. I think it's what I hear
from my constituents. And I've heard this ever since we
did nothing. At the end of the twenty twenty five
regular session last spring, they asked me, what are you
going to do about PEIA and what are you going
to do to fix pei A? These these suggestions are

(28:25):
not fixes. A fix would be, and I'll tell you
the easiest one right now would be retirees their benefits
or their the cost of their care and their premiums
win up. I believe that costs somewhere in the range
of you know, ten to fifteen million dollars to fix
that for this year, that's easy. I think we have

(28:46):
a surplus of that amount at least. So why can't
we do something that's called a fix? I think similarly,
if we're talking about issues with funding of pei A.
I know my colleagues Democrats in the House and the Senate,
we've offered a bill that would regulate recreational cannabis and
that would put that money towards PEIA. If we're lacking funding,

(29:10):
you know, that may be something we need to look at.
And whenever you look at taxes, and this has been
I think the wrong way we've looked at the last
couple of years. It's just been about flatlining government spending
and it's been about lowering taxes all the way to
getting rid of the income tax. I think this really
should be about a balance. You have to have a
balance of how much tax money you need in order

(29:32):
to provide the good public services that everybody believes they
need to have in the state of West Virginia. And
those are things we could look at, but we're not
according to these recommendations.

Speaker 2 (29:42):
Now, Joey, let's see the next set of INTRA meetings
are set for September seventh through the ninth in Charleston.
Have you heard anything maybe about have you heard anything
about what might be on that call?

Speaker 4 (29:57):
So the governor can always call us in doesn't mean
that the legislature will do what he wants. So I
don't believe at this point in time, at least from
what I've heard, that there is a appetite on behalf
of the legislature to move forward. Now that can change
minute by minute, day by day. But if he wants

(30:20):
bills to move rather than the legislature to gabble in
and gabble out, the governor is going is going to
have to convince some people. And I for one, am
not convinced with the plan that he's put forward because
that plan is only going to hurt West Virginian public
employees and it's only going to hurt our services.

Speaker 2 (30:39):
You know, Joey. Last thing I got for you is
back about oil February March April. There was talk that
it was going to be a quote long hot Morrissey
summer filled with special sessions to get done with the
lawmakers didn't get done during the regular session. I guess

(31:01):
you got a comment on that.

Speaker 4 (31:03):
It was a great meme, but the quote, I don't
think the quote actually came to fruition. So I again
that I remember hearing that when the governor I think
it was either a press release, or maybe it was
a statement the governor made or maybe it was on
X or Twitter, but we haven't seen that. We haven't
seen anything. And that is where the lack of communication

(31:26):
between the Governor's office and the legislature means something, because
if we are talking and collaborating, I think there's always
the opportunity to get things done, and there's lots of
things that we need to do to help economic development,
childcare people in general. So that's what I think.

Speaker 2 (31:44):
State Senator Joey Garcia from Marion County, Joey, really do
appreciate your time today, sir.

Speaker 4 (31:50):
Thank you anytime. Mike, thank you.

Speaker 2 (31:53):
All right, you take care of yourself, have a great day.
Let's see. It is a Tuesday. The seats Natan Morgan
City Council. They will hold their regular meeting and tomorrow
Mont County Commissioners will be holding their regular meeting Wednesday
morning at ten o'clock. The work session that is planned
for the Mont County Commission that will happen at eleven

(32:17):
am tomorrow, and it includes the town of Blacksville and
some of the sanitary sewer issues that they have been
having there. And of course we talked with Joe Statler
last week about the fact that they definitely have a
wide range of problems and certainly the problems have not

(32:37):
been fully diagnosed. Now among those problems appear to be
the possibility of water logged lines or from the rains
that we've had this year, some rain water seeping into
the system. Also, there's a question about the pumps that
operate the tanks as to whether or not the backup systems.

(33:00):
Do know that the town of Blacksville has had several
blackouts during the course of this summer and the course
of all the storms through Father's Day of the month
of June and July, and there has also been some
questions about the possibility that maybe there's a clog in
the system. So I'm sure that tomorrow eleven AM, during

(33:23):
that work session they'll get down to brass tacks when
it comes to maybe hiring a consultant or an engineering
firm to take a closer look at that system in
order to be able to map a plan forward. And
then of course, once you have that map, you'll be
able to figure out exactly what it's going to cost

(33:44):
you to get point A to point B. And of
course the biggest customer on that sewer line, Clay Betel
High School, Mond County Schools, and they are doing their
part in pumping out their holding tanks in order to
take that load off the system. It is nine forty

(34:04):
nine fair skies, fifty nine degrees in the University City.
We'll be back on top of the town on AM
fourteen forty FM oneh four point five WAJR. Right after this, we.

Speaker 1 (34:30):
Are talking about your town. Now back to the talk
of the town.

Speaker 2 (34:35):
Well, good Tuesday morning. Well this morning, just about seven
forty the WVU campus alert system issued a warning about
an active shooter situation. By eight o six, it was
determined that that was in fact a hoax, following a
trend of those type of shooting reports all over the country.

(34:57):
Those have been reported at the University of our Saw,
University of Colorado, Boulder, Iowa State, Kansas State, University of
New Hampshire. I think you get the picture. This particular
report was around the Wyse Library on the downtown WVU
campus and once again, those initial reports came in at
about seven point forty. I know that we got several

(35:21):
calls in here to the newsroom which allowed us to
kind of get ahead start and start to check and
run our traps to figure out what happened. So we
certainly appreciate the involvement of listeners in getting that information
to us so we could get our feet on the

(35:42):
ground and start to put those facts together. Executive Director
of Strategic Communications SHAWNA. Johnson released the following statement this morning,
right after the all clear. She wrote, WVU police responded
to a false report of shots fired the downtown library
on the West Virginia University Morgantown campus. Investigators have determined

(36:06):
it was a hoax. There was and is no threat
to campus. Officers are investigating and if you have information,
please call three zero four two nine three three one
three six. We'll be back to wrap up the program
coming up after this on AM fourteen forty FM one
oh four point five w A Jr.