Grant County Schools recognized Maysville Elementary School teacher Janie Pool as the 2027 County Teacher of the Year. Pool was presented the award by Grant County Superintendent Mitch Webster and MES principal Megan DiBenedetto. Pool will now compete for the West Virginia Teacher of the Year Award.

This section of the article is only available for our subscribers. Please click here to subscribe to a subscription plan to view this part of the article.

Planning to vote in the upcoming May Primary Elections? Take a moment to look at the ballot ahead of time so you will know what to expect before you step into the voting booth... see page 5B, 6B and 7B of this week's Press.

This section of the article is only available for our subscribers. Please click here to subscribe to a subscription plan to view this part of the article.

The Grant County Chamber of Commerce hosted a special Meet the Candidates event to introduce the community to local political candidates that will appear on the primary election ballots in May. The fi rst portion of the event included an update from the Grant County Fire Association on their levy that will help fund necessary gear and equipment for all four local departments. It also included important information about voting from Grant County Clerk Lora Bennett and candidate addresses from multiple federal candidates. For more information on this portion see last week’s edition of the Press.

The second portion included multiple state and local candidates with one of the more heavily contested topics covered being the proposed data centers, one of which may soon be located in neighboring Tucker County.

This section of the article is only available for our subscribers. Please click here to subscribe to a subscription plan to view this part of the article.

A former pastor from Seneca Rocks has been charged with nine counts of sexual abuse against a minor. According to the police report fi led on the incident in the Pendleton County Magistrate Court, local police received a call from an adult claiming that Brandon Stewart, 43, of Seneca Rocks, had made contact with their underage child. The victim in the case was interviewed by police and reported that Stewart had been sexually abusing them from around September 2025 until February 2026.

This section of the article is only available for our subscribers. Please click here to subscribe to a subscription plan to view this part of the article.

A Pendleton County teacher and head volleyball coach charged last week with multiple felony offenses is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday morning. Newly obtained court documents now outline further details regarding the events that led to these charges.
Madison M. Day, 29, of Pendleton County, was charged on April 14 in Pendleton County Magistrate Court with three felony counts: sexual abuse by a parent, guardian, or custodian; soliciting a minor via computer; and use of obscene material with intent to seduce a minor.

This section of the article is only available for our subscribers. Please click here to subscribe to a subscription plan to view this part of the article.

Judges, attorneys, social workers, and community leaders gathered this week to discuss challenges in West Virginia’s juvenile system and seek solutions.
Judge H. Charles Carl moderated the event, and Supreme Court Justices Thomas Ewing and Gerald Titus led the meeting, stressing collaboration, transparency, and justice at the Child Abuse and Neglect Juvenile stakeholders meeting.
Justice Ewing said the meeting’s value lies in bringing stakeholders together.
“These types of meetings are important because they create a productive dialogue — not an ‘us versus them’ or finger-pointing environment,” Ewing said.
He emphasized that these discussions matter most in juvenile abuse, neglect, and delinquency cases involving many agencies and professionals.
From the Supreme Court’s view, the meetings provide a broader look at developments statewide.

This section of the article is only available for our subscribers. Please click here to subscribe to a subscription plan to view this part of the article.

Those driving down Petersburg’s Virginia Avenue will have a little more art in their travels, thanks to the beautiful work of muralist Kelson Thorne and the America 250 Mural Project. The America 250 Mural Project was a statewide initiative in which all 55 counties could submit applications to receive a grant to fund an original piece of large-scale art in their community.

This section of the article is only available for our subscribers. Please click here to subscribe to a subscription plan to view this part of the article.

The Grant County Chamber of Commerce hosted a special Meet the Candidates event to introduce the community to local political candidates that will appear on the primary election ballots in May. The event opened with a presentation by the Grant County Volunteer Fire Association .

A county fi re levy is set to run on the May ballot, asking residents to approve a relatively minor tax rate increase to assist in funding all four local fi re departments. Deputy chief of the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Company, Hunter Whetzel spoke during the event and highlighted the need for a fi re levy. The levy is an effort to help bring funds to all four volunteer fi re departments in the county, including the Petersburg, Maysville, Mount Storm and Bayard volunteer fi re companies.

This section of the article is only available for our subscribers. Please click here to subscribe to a subscription plan to view this part of the article.

During last week’s reguarly scheduled meeting of the Petersburg City Council, a new municipal judge was sworn-in to offi ce.

Grace Ford, a graduate of Belmont University College of Law, took her oath of offi ce administered by mayor Gary Michael. Municipal judges preside over city courts, which have criminal jurisdiction when it comes to violations of city ordinances and similar criminal jurisdictions.

This section of the article is only available for our subscribers. Please click here to subscribe to a subscription plan to view this part of the article.

Eligible citizens have until April 21st to register to vote to participate in West Virginia’s May 12 Primary Election. April 21 is the same deadline for current voters to make any changes to your current voter registration. This deadline applies to updating information on current registrations such as a name change, your physical address, or party affi liation. Don’t wait! The process can be done in-person at your county clerk’s offi ce or online at any time by visiting GoVoteWV. com. Every vote matters. Register today!

This section of the article is only available for our subscribers. Please click here to subscribe to a subscription plan to view this part of the article.

Controlling the Bub Riggleman Memorial Tournament from start to finish, Petersburg didn’t just win it—they dominated every moment.
The Lady Vikings finished the weekend unbeaten at 5-0, powered by a relentless offense and steady pitching. Outscoring opponents 65-7.
From Friday’s opener to Saturday’s final, Petersburg set the tone early and maintained it throughout.

This section of the article is only available for our subscribers. Please click here to subscribe to a subscription plan to view this part of the article.