UP: To the announcement noted character actor - and Wood County native - Paul Dooley will be the parade marshal for the Mid-Ohio Valley Easter Parade, scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, March 24. Dooley, best known for his work in such films as "Sixteen Candles," "Cars," and "Breaking Away," often returns to the Mid-Ohio Valley for visits.
UP:
To news a new West Virginia National Guard armory will be built on property owned by West Virginia University at Parkersburg. While the armory will benefit the entire area, since the site is outside of the Parkersburg city limits, a collaboration with the city for a convention center component to the project appears to be dead. The city had pushed for a location at Fort Boreman Hill. However, one negative aspect of this announcement was neither Maj. Gen. James A. Hoyer, West Virginia adjutant general, nor the WVU Board of Governors seems to have informed Parkersburg Mayor Bob Newell of the Guard's decision before it was announced. Since the city had so much invested in this project, it seems the mayor could have been afforded the courtesy of being told where the armory would be built before this announcement was made.
UP: To the 18 members of the West Virginia University Mountaineer football team who visited the area on Thursday evening for the 16th annual Boys & Girls Club of Parkersburg Dinner, held at the Grand Pointe Conference and Reception Center. The annual event raised $40,000 for the club's programs. Among the area's WVU players attending were Matt Lindamood and Josh Jenkins of Parkersburg High School and Cody Nutter and Michael Molinari of Parkersburg South High School.
DOWN: To FirstEnerrgy Crop.'s announcement this past week that the Willow Island Power Plant will close sometime later this year. The closing is one of three aging plants scheduled to be closed, affecting a total of 105 workers. The company cited the costs of upgrading the plant to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new Mercury and Air Toxics Standards.
