radioNOVO News WV News Roundup for September 04, 2026

Good morning.Governor Patrick Morrisey unveiled a historic economic development push at the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce Summit, announcing over eighty-one billion dollars in potential new private investments. The governor highlighted major energy and tech projects, including two massive data center developments planned for Mason County and a thirteen-million-dollar expansion by life sciences firm Randox in Jefferson County, which is expected to triple its local workforce.Meanwhile, motorists hitting the road for the Labor Day holiday weekend are facing elevated costs at the pump. A-A-A reports West Virginia gas prices are averaging just under three dollars and ninety-five cents per gallon amid record national averages. Traffic experts warn drivers to expect heavy congestion on state interstates through Friday evening as holiday travelers mix with peak commuter traffic.In the Northern Panhandle, former Ohio County E-M-A Director Lou Vargo is returning to public service. Just months after retiring, Vargo has accepted a part-time role as Emergency Management Liaison, working directly with Wheeling police and fire departments on regional safety coordination.Also in local business, leadership is changing hands at the Weirton Area Chamber of Commerce. Stephanie LeMasters has officially assumed the role of chamber president, stepping in following the retirement of long-time leader Brenda Mull.And across the river in Steubenville, plans to demolish four historic nineteenth-century buildings on Market Street are on pause. A court injunction has halted work on the site, which had been cleared for a proposed new brewery development.An eleven-point-eight million dollar restoration project is underway in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. The National Park Service broke ground on repairs to five historic nineteen-hundreds-era railroad trestles along the Rend Trail. Crews will replace deteriorated wooden bridges with durable aluminum treads, fully reopening the three-mile trail to hikers next year.For more news, download the radioNOVO app. I’m Codi Gaboff, radioNOVO News, a service of Seven Mountains Media.