Puffenbarger’s defense attorney also continued pushing for a venue change for the trial, arguing that Puffenbarger could not get a fair trial in Pendleton County because of the community sentiment against him.
Now with the dust settled, first responders and state agencies have gotten a clearer view of the full impact and have begun to review the response effort while investigating the cause of the fires.
The man accused of sexually abusing multiple children in Franklin, West Virginia was back in court on Monday. 61-year-old Lawrence Puffenbarger is charged with seven counts of first-degree sexual abuse.
A man accused of sexually abusing several minors was back in court on Tuesday. On Tuesday morning, 61-year-old Lawrence Puffenbarger appeared in Pendleton County Circuit Court for a bond revocation hearing. He was indicted on seven felony charges of first-degree sexual abuse in November.
Two years ago West Virginia State Police were led to human remains in the Monongahela National Forest that were believed to be those of missing hiker Cassie Sheetz. But since then their identity has not been confirmed and the investigation into Cassie’s disappearance is at a standstill.
Mike Alt, Chief of the Upper Tract Volunteer Fire Department said it is as important as having smoke detectors or Carbon Monoxide Detectors in your home.
As the new year approaches the American Cancer Society Action Network is urging West Virginia legislators to invest $16.5 million in tobacco use cessation and prevention programs in the next state budget.
A Franklin man accused of multiple counts of sexual abuse of a minor was in court on Tuesday. Lawrence Puffenbarger, the man known as ‘Grasshopper’ by many in the community, was indicted in Pendleton County Circuit Court on Tuesday.
As of Thursday morning, the U.S. Forestry Service Reported that around 900 acres were still burning but firefighters made major progress on Thursday. The USFS is optimistic that the worst of the fire is behind it.
" I am retired from the state police, so I date back to the beginning of my career with the state police in 1979. I can recall numerous severe tractor trailer accidents due to the trucks running away,” said Gillespie.
It has been nearly a year-and-a-half since remains believed to be those of missing hiker Cassie Sheetz were found deep in the Monongahela National Forest but the Medical Examiner’s Office still has yet to confirm if the remains are Sheetz.
Two weeks ago two massive wildfires broke out in Pendleton County, West Virginia. Now first responders there are reflecting on what they learned from battling the fires and how to improve going forward.
In West Virginia, Pendleton County Schools has addressed a pair of racially charged incidents that took place at Pendleton County High School in Franklin last week.
Radio employees in Fisher, West Virginia have been gathering support from across the community in an effort to save their local station. 101.7 WELD will be auctioned off on April 4.
VDOT is continuing to work to make road improvements to U.S. Route 33 on Shenandoah Mountain. The sharp curves along the road have made it a safety concern for years as large vehicles like tractor-trailers are sometimes unable to get around the curves and run off the road.
It’s been a year since West Virginia State Police were led to remains they believed belonged to missing hiker Cassie Sheetz but her friends and family are still without any answers. The remains were found deep in the Monongahela National Forest but a year later there has still been no DNA confirmation from the Office of The Chief Medical Examiner.
The number of monthly drug overdose deaths declined from April 2021 to September 2021 in West Virginia, despite increases in the national average and in other states like Virginia.
Investigators in West Virginia are still awaiting identification from a medical examiner on skeletal remains found last month that are believed to be those of missing hiker Cassie Sheetz.
COVID-19 cases continue to surge in West Virginia with 43 of the Mountain State’s 55 counties currently in the state’s red category of COVID transmission, including Grant, Hardy, and Pendleton counties.
It’s been over eight months since hiker Cassie Sheetz went missing at Spruce Knob in Pendleton County, West Virginia, and her family is still looking for answers.
November is Epilepsy Awareness Month, and one woman from Pendleton County, West Virginia has been sharing the story of her one-year-old son’s ongoing struggle with epilepsy and how she is working to raise awareness of just how common the condition is.
In West Virginia, COVID-19 cases have been rising in recent weeks. The Department of Health and Human Resources reported 50 deaths in a single day on Wednesday, including two men from Pendleton County.
On Sunday, people from all over the area came out to Spruce Knob in Pendleton County, West Virginia to help search for missing hiker, Cassie Sheetz who disappeared seven months ago.
Redeeming Grace Outreach Worship Center is asking for donations as they look to raise $350,000 to purchase the old Franklin Elementary School building as the new home of their ministry.
The library and county school division are forming a consortium to try and find another provider to try and speed things up for residents by applying for the second round of federal dollars.