Talk of the Town July, 30, 2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
This is the Talk of the Town from Morgantown to Klucksburg.
If it's happening, we're talking about it. Call the show
toll free at one eight hundred seven sixty five eight
two five five. Now Here is your host for the
Talk of the Town, Mike Nolting.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Good Wednesday morning.

Speaker 3 (00:21):
It is nine oh seven clouds, some fog depending on
where you are in seventy three degrees Metro Newsaki Weather
says today we will see some sunshine that'll burn that
fog off. It's gonna get hot too, ninety with heat
indexes into the one hundreds. Welcome to Talk of the Town.

(00:41):
This is the program where it's all about you, your
family and the community at large. And Mike Nolting. You'll
find me on x as your news guy. Now when
you have input to the programmer, something that you just
got to say, textas at three oh four Talk three
oh four. Kyle Wiggs is our producer today and Heat
is at eight hundred seven six five eight two five five.

(01:03):
It is a wanted Wednesday in the University City. And
on the phone, we've got mon County Sheriff Toyed forb Sheriff.
Good morning, sir, how are.

Speaker 4 (01:12):
You good morning, Mike? Doing great?

Speaker 2 (01:14):
Thank you excellent. That's good to hear.

Speaker 3 (01:17):
Okay, first off, the Sheriff's department website is Montengelias sheriff
dot gov. You'll be able to see all the people
that we're talking about at that website. Now, last week, Sheriff,
you presented five felons and four of those have been captured.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
What about that fifth, Well.

Speaker 4 (01:39):
That's fifth we're still looking for. But I wanted to
take this opportunity to thank all the citizens for the
tips and everything they need to help us apprehend those individuals.
As we know that getting those getting those fellons folks
and charges telling me is off the streets is always
going to be a good thing for our community to
help keep help keep it a little bit safer. So
we do appreciate to help.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
The get absolutely well.

Speaker 3 (02:01):
You can always count on Talk of the town listeners
for that kind of support.

Speaker 2 (02:05):
So, Jriiff, who are we looking for today?

Speaker 4 (02:08):
So this week we have a young lady, well I'm
not sure so sure. She's young. I think we've been
chief nurs since I was a younger debuty. Her name
is Anna Bore. We're looking for her for transferring or
seeing a stolen vehicle. Her picture will be on the
website here momentarily. Another individual that we're looking for this
morning is Sean Washington. He's wandered for possession of a

(02:31):
felony position of controlled substance with intended to deliver, also
failure to appear. Our third guy today is Bobby Lee Moore.
He's wondered for felony strangulation, so we certainly are interested
in getting him in custody. Next up is a young
lady by the name of Brittany Sue High. She's wonder

(02:51):
for burglary, felony, a felony burglary and misdemeanor battery. And
the last person we're going to feature today is Gary Nale,
the third he's wanted for playing an officer and farrier
to appears. County tips that we can get on them,
we really appreciate it absolutely.

Speaker 3 (03:07):
That's mon County Sheriff Todd Forbes. This is a Wanted Wednesday,
and you'll be able to see profiles of all these
folks suspects at Montengilia Sheriff dot gov.

Speaker 2 (03:18):
What's the best way to get a.

Speaker 4 (03:20):
Tip to you, Sheriff, Well, we have a tip line
on the website. That's that's well, get those immediately. Also
obviously call nine one one or call Pleazero four seven
six oh to get our direct office here. Well, we
don't want anybody to one is trying to interact with
these folks who're trying to take them into customer or
anything like that themselves, for the safety of everybody involved.

(03:41):
Just pick up the phone or hit that hit that
button for the for the tip line, and go from there.

Speaker 3 (03:47):
I guess if those folks do get word that they're
being sought, their demeanor could change drastically.

Speaker 4 (03:54):
Perhaps now that last week a couple of people I
think maybe heard the Herd the radio broadcast and they
turn themselves in within just a few minutes of being
on the radio. I hope would that kind of thing
happens today. That's the best solution for everybody, if that happens.

Speaker 2 (04:06):
Okay, perfect.

Speaker 3 (04:07):
Montaguelia County Sheriff Todd Forbes, Hey, Todd, really do appreciate
your time today. Anything else going on?

Speaker 4 (04:15):
Oh, there's always a lot of stuff going on here, Mike,
but we'll keep that in the reps for another day.
You got a whole show.

Speaker 2 (04:20):
To do, yes, sir, Hey, thank you. For your time, Todd,
have a.

Speaker 5 (04:24):
Good day, Yes, sir, thank you, you bet.

Speaker 3 (04:25):
You be safe right now, clouds and seventy three degrees.
Let's lay out the remainder of the program, because coming
up at nine point fifteen, we're going to talk with
Mont County Delegate Evan Hansen and former Delegate Barbara Evans
fla flash hour. They're going to join us and we're
going to be talking about the mid Atlantic Resiliency Link.

(04:46):
That's that high voltage line proposed to go through a
portion of the Mountain State from Pennsylvania to Virginia to
power a data center in the old Dominion State. Nine
point thirty have got Mont County Delegate Ginoshiarelli. He's gonna
join us and provide his insight on new GOP state
Party Chair Josh Holstein. Then at nine forty, I've got

(05:11):
the Director of Arts and Culture with the City of Morgantown,
Vincent Kitsch. Now the city they were just awarded a
thirty five thousand dollars grant from the Benedem Foundation for
repairs and enhanced programming at the historic Eastern Roller Mill.

Speaker 2 (05:28):
So we're gonna.

Speaker 3 (05:29):
Talk with Vincent about that. That's the roadmap for the program.
On this Wednesday, Clouds and seventy three, we'll be back
on top of the town AM fourteen forty FM one
oh four point five W A Jr.

Speaker 1 (05:59):
Join the Congress at one eight hundred seven sixty five
eight two fivey five. This is the talk of the town.

Speaker 3 (06:06):
Well, good Wednesday morning, and welcome back to the program. Well,
the mid Atlantic Resiliency Link is certainly at the top
of mind for many people. As a matter of fact,
at the top of the hour at ten o'clock, commissioners
here in Montngilia County, they'll be talking about that issue.
As a matter of fact, their counterparts over in Hampshire

(06:27):
County they would like for them to jump on a
letter of support opposing the proposed mid Atlantic Resiliency Link
high voltage transmission project. Now, the project is designed to
run from Green Green Mounty, Pennsylvania, through portions of Mann
and Preston Counties on the way to Frederick County, Virginia,

(06:48):
where it will power a data center there. Now, along
the way through the state of West Virginia, they'll take
a two hundred foot ride of way in order to
construct that line, and then there will be an additional
one hundred feet on either side of that that will
then be unusable because of the rules around high tension

(07:09):
power lines. In studio, we have former Delegate Barbara flesh
Hour and on the phone, I've got mont County Delegate
Evan Hansen.

Speaker 2 (07:19):
Hey, good morning to both of you. Good morning.

Speaker 3 (07:22):
That's a pleasure to have you both on. I guess initially, Evan,
what concerns Well, let me start here. I've yet to
find an elected official from mon County that's in favor
of this.

Speaker 2 (07:36):
Why do you oppose it?

Speaker 5 (07:40):
I have concerns because local landowners have reached out to
us with concerns about their property and the fact that
this could lower their property values and there could potentially
be eminent domain involved. But also concerned more broadly for
people across the state because it's going to increase our

(08:00):
electric rates and that's a big deal across West Virginia,
and we don't need to increase our electric grades for
a project that really has no benefits here in West
Virginia certainly.

Speaker 3 (08:10):
And now we've got former Delegate Barbara flesh Or she's
in studio with us.

Speaker 2 (08:15):
Good morning, Barbara.

Speaker 6 (08:15):
How good morning, Mike, I'm good.

Speaker 2 (08:17):
Good good. I guess, okay, give us give us your
bottom line on the link please.

Speaker 5 (08:23):
Oh okay.

Speaker 6 (08:23):
Well, actually I had the same experience as Evan. I
got one of the postcards and other people in my
neighborhood reached out to me and we're concerned, what does
this mean? Is this going to affect my property? But
I agree with Evan. I'm what people in the community
are worried about. Initially were the local effects, like it's

(08:45):
going to cross Cheat Lake, it's going to cut through farms,
it's going to cut through businesses and homes. So they're
local issues, but there are also statewide issues because as
this report that's been done shows, if this plan is adopted,
which we have next to no benefit from from which
we have next to no benefit, we will definitely have

(09:07):
a rate increase. Four hundred and forty million dollars over
forty years is going to hit us. And like Appalachian
Powers already asking for five dollars a month, what will
that be in a you know, that's that's another but
that has nothing to do and it's all to fund
these data centers which are owned like there are lots

(09:28):
and lots and lots of them in Louden County. They're
owned by the richest companies in the world, and they
want to take advantage of us poor old West Virginians
and have us put the bill.

Speaker 3 (09:38):
Now, tell me about the postcard that you're referring to.
I didn't get one, and I really haven't heard much
about that part of it.

Speaker 6 (09:46):
Well, they have a proposed route and they can decide
on different routes, and so people in the vicinity of
the route got a postcard. And I was one of
the people that got a postcard. And I had a
neighbor who his father owns the oldest farm or dairy

(10:07):
farm in Mont County. His dad's ninety five, and they
already have had they already have power lines over their farm,
and they've had cows electroccuted from the ones there. And
these are high Oh, actually, Evan helped me. What what
is the what is the exact name of these high
power They're really really tall and they're really really hot,

(10:29):
high amounts of electricity, right.

Speaker 5 (10:31):
Evan, the other high voltage power line.

Speaker 3 (10:34):
Okay, Okay, now that was hard. Okay, Now, between the
two of you, I've got a question for you. I'd
like for you to tackle.

Speaker 2 (10:41):
But what are the proposed routes? Do we know that?

Speaker 5 (10:48):
Yeah, there's the route. The proposed routes are published on
the web page for the mid Atlantic Resiliency Link, so
anybody could go online and look at them, and there's
different options. Several of the options go across Mond and
Preston County, like Barbara said, one of them goes across
Cheap Lake. Others go across the Cheap River or the

(11:09):
Mond River. But there's options where they could build this
line and not impact Mon in Preston County and go
primarily through Pennsylvania to Garrett County and Maryland, and so
you know, we don't necessarily need to have this line
impacting people in our county for it to be built.

Speaker 3 (11:29):
Now, Is there any particular reason that they're focusing on
this route and not the Pennsylvania route.

Speaker 5 (11:38):
Well, we don't know what they're going to file with
the Public Service Commission, So we expect, according to their timeline,
that they're going to make a filing sometime in the
next few months with the West Virginia Public Service Commission
to get approval, and that's when they're going to state
which of the possible routes is their preferred route, and
they're going to try to get approval for that route.

(12:00):
And that's why it's so important for the Mind County
Commission to pass the resolution, which I hope they do today.
So the Next Era, the company building the line, knows
that we don't thtickarly want them here in Mint County,
and that make his stronger consideration to move in into Pennsylvania.

Speaker 3 (12:17):
Now I've done just a quick scramble on the internet.
If you go to the Next Era Energy Transmission website,
that is Next Era Energy Transmission dot com, there is
a link there for the mid Atlantic Resiliency link, and
then from there, if you go to the project details,

(12:37):
you do get a pretty detailed map that shows you
the roots that Evan and Barbara both are talking about.
We've talked about property value issues, and I'm not sure
that we understand those quite enough, because when you're going
across a body of water like Cheat Lake and all

(12:57):
the businesses there, I'm not sure it's possible to be
properly compensated for that in terms of the loss of recreation,
in terms of the loss of entertainment and leisure type activities.

Speaker 2 (13:12):
Talk about that a little bit.

Speaker 6 (13:13):
Please, Yeah, Well, one thing I do want to mention
is that we a group of us and it is
not an organization or anything. It's a group of people
that are worried about this. Have scheduled a public meeting
for August fifth, Tuesday at six thirty pm at University
High School, and so we have four speakers and one

(13:36):
of them will be discussing the local effects. We'll have
an economist who's going to talk about these rate increases.
We will have a gentleman, the son of the mister
Hunter that owns the farm. He's going to talk about
the lingo, the acronyms. The final decision will be made
by the PSC, which is the Public Service Commission, and

(13:59):
there are other there's PJAM Transmission incorporated. He'll explain that
and he will also go over the route in detail.
And then we'll also have somebody talk about the process
before the Public Service Commission, an attorney who has been
involved in that. And so we really would like people

(14:21):
to come to that because if we don't, like I
said before, if we don't stop this, we will have
rate increases and it will affect our properties. One of
the business owners is Jim Preet, who owns a Christmas
tree farm that spans Pennsylvania and West Virginia and Beth
Bossio his stepdaughter. That's a big family business. And you

(14:46):
know they would just look at an aerial map and say, oh,
there's nothing here, We're just gonna go over that. But
he has one of the largest seed productions for Christmas
trees in the Old Country, and you know that they
are very worried about their business. But you know, if
you have a boat on a lake, do you really
want to park under a high tension power line or

(15:09):
you know, are people going to still come to your
docks or to your restaurants along the rute lake or
do you want to have your view of the lake
or of the river, depending on what they choose. So
it's very important what the County Commission is contemplating doing today,
and we're glad they're thinking about working with these other

(15:29):
county commissions, which uniformly regardless of party affiliation. They are
opposing this because some people describe it as an extension