Starting on Oct. 3, more than half a dozen emergency rescue agencies participated in a two day search for a young hiker who lost her way in the Dolly Sods area.

Allison Paige Guy began her hike on Oct. 2 at Bear Rocks Trail just off of Jordan Run Road in Grant County. Friends and family reported to last hearing from Guy at 3 p.m.

Guy reportadly texted her family telling them she was lost before her phone died.

Last week, Sandra Mae Evans, 62, of Petersburg, was sentenced to five years probation for mail fraud in a United States court.

In her plea, Evans admitted to opening an IRA account at Pendleton Community Bank’s Petersburg branch in July 2018.

Friends, family and neighbors celebrated the official opening of QH Design’s new Petersburg location last week with a community ribbon cutting.

QH Design is a custom textile company owned by Colton Hardy, who took over the business from his father. Prior to their move, the business operated out of their home.

During the event, his father, Eric Hardy, said he was proud of his son’s commitment and hard work in growing the business. “He started helping me when he was 15, just small stuff, but when he turned 18 he said, ‘Dad, I want the business’ and I asked him if he thought he could handle it and he said he could. So I took all the money out of the bank and opened a new account with $2,000 in it. I told him then, if I ever have to put money into this account again, you aren’t going to make it. At the end of the first year by himself, he bought out Jamie Royce’s sign shop in Moorefield and brought all of that equipment up to our shop. Four months after that he bought this place and put $30,000 in that business account.”

Republican challenger Woody Thrasher visited Grant County last week to address local residents and promote his ongoing campaign against incumbent Jim Justice.

Thrasher and his team invited the public to attend a meet-and-greet on Oct. 2 at the Moomau-Grant County Library to ask questions about his campaign and to hear issues faced in the community.

One central issue Thrasher focused on during his visit was the need for growth in West Virginia, including continued improvement in the job sector.

“Last year, West Virginia lost 11,000 people,” Thrasher said. “That’s 20 years in a row we’ve lost population. We are the only state in the union that is losing our population. In that 20 years we’ve lost more people than anybody, any other state, and that is a problem. I built my company by driving around to the small communities, to the Petersburgs and the Moorefields and the Keysers and seeing these great, hard-working people whose children are having to leave home to find work and that isn’t fair to them.”

Grant County school administrators, local business leaders and chamber of commerce members came together last week for a leadership meeting to discuss the changing face of education in West Virginia.

One of the major issues discussed was the rising importance of technical and vocational opportunities for students.

Michael Corey Alt, of Elk Garden, was sentenced last week to more than a decade in prison for his role in a local drug ring. Overall, Alt was sentenced to 168 months incarceration for his involvement in a drug distribution conspiracy.

In the early morning hours of Sept. 23, the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Company was alerted of a structure fire burning in the center of town.

The fire, which was located at Third Base Sports Bar and Grille, was reported at approximately 2:17 a.m. and had visible smoke when emergency personnel arrived.

According to a report made by the PVFC, Rescue Engine 498 arrived on scene and began with fire attack under command of Deputy Chief 400, with Rescue Engine 495 soon following. The report said that, upon finding the fire, crews quickly got an initial knockdown.

Courthouse facilities topped the discussion in last week’s regularly scheduled Grant County Commission meeting. This discussion included the possibility of a new cell tower in the parking lot, the application of an improvement grant and the discussion of drainage issues faced in the area.

In the Sept. 24 meeting, the commissioners continued an ongoing debate about a potential new cell tower in Petersburg. The tower (which would be installed by AT&T) was originally discussed to be located near an existing tower next to the Grant County Courthouse.