radioNOVO News WV News Roundup for July 14, 2026

Good morning.Our top story takes us to Capitol Hill, where West Virginia leaders are expressing deep condolences following the sudden passing of long-time South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham over the weekend. Graham passed away at the age of seventy-one following a brief illness. Outgoing Governor Patrick Morrisey and incoming Senator Jim Justice issued statements remembering Graham as a giant of American foreign policy who spent his distinguished career fighting to maintain a robust United States military. Graham's sudden passing leaves a critical legislative vacancy in Washington as Congress prepares to reconvene.Meanwhile, parts of the Mountain State are in a dry cooling period this morning as widespread weekend flash flooding finally recedes. Sudden, violent thunderstorms dropped multiple inches of torrential rain across southern West Virginia over the weekend, triggering flash flood emergencies and damaging local roadways throughout Huntington and surrounding rural counties. Forecasters with the National Weather Service expect dry conditions to hold today, giving way to clear, sunny skies tomorrow with pleasant temperatures resting in the high seventies.However, environmental tensions are boiling over in Mason County as property owners deal with structural runoff from the massive Monarch A-I Data Center compute campus. Heavy weekend rainstorms triggered extensive flooding across the ongoing industrial construction site, sending cascades of mud and stormwater rushing directly into the neighboring Meadowlands Estates residential area. This marks the second major structural flooding failure at the multibillion-dollar artificial intelligence development site this year, prompting tech developers to launch an immediate, comprehensive overhaul of their onsite drainage controls.Turning to public safety, detectives in Wood County have apprehended a high-profile medical professional wanted on a string of felony hidden-camera charges. Police arrested former hospital physician Lance Parks following an intense multi-county search. Parks faces a litany of charges, including criminal invasion of privacy and the distribution of computer-generated child pornography, after unsealed court documents revealed he allegedly hid microscopic digital recording devices beneath restroom sinks inside staff facilities at Ruby Memorial Hospital.In local riverfront news, the historic Sistersville Ferry is one step closer to returning to service after a major breakthrough this week. The city's primary aquatic crossing has been completely shut down since April after its main tow boat sank during severe spring floods. Sistersville Mayor Bill Rice announced that an insurance settlement has unlocked over one hundred and sixty thousand dollars to purchase a two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-dollar replacement vessel currently located in Pittsburgh. City council members are expected to hold a decisive vote later today to cover the final funding gap and restore the critical commercial link to Ohio.And finally, in sports, the Wheeling Miners are celebrating a highly successful arena football campaign despite falling just short of a national title. The Columbus Lions traveled into WesBanco Arena over the weekend and narrowly escaped with a thrilling forty-nine-to-forty-six victory to snap Wheeling's championship hopes and solidify an undefeated season for the Lions.For more news, download the radioNOVO app. I’m Codi Gaboff, radioNOVO News.