January 11, 2025

Photo credit: Barb Godwin

*Snow has continued to blanket the region through Friday evening, but it is expect to stop by Saturday, giving much needed relief to local residents who are ready to get out of the house and resume regular activities. The rest of the week is projected to bring temperatures in mid-teens, with some rain and snow predicted for the next week, alongside temperatures in high 30s and low 40s.

*If you are looking for something to do over the weekend, Belington Bakery will host first anniversary party open house on Saturday from 6-8 p.m., while 17 North Event Center will have soup and WVU basketball game on Sunday, starting at noon.

*Next week, 17 North will host Trivia on Thursday, January 16, Philippi Public Library will have National Pizza Day celebration on January 14, and Preschool Story Hour on January 15. Rescheduled dedication of the basketball court at Battlers Knob will take place on January 18. We will update more with the full schedule of week's events on Monday.

*Two sign-up opportunities for young people - Strutters Baton and Dance team will have sign-ups on January 15 at 6 p.m. at the Fairgrounds, while Special Olympics basketball team will have theirs on January 17 at 6:30 p.m. at Battlers Knob gym.

*City of Philippi has dealt with some unforeseen water issues in the last couple of days. On Thursday, the crews were on their way home from long day of removing the snow from downtown when they got the call about busted water line in North Philippi. They managed to restore the service to customers in just under 4 hours in less than ideal weather conditions.

On Friday, City also issued water conservation notice for all its residents, as well as three Public Service Districts (Central Barbour, Chestnut Ridge, and Century Volga) due to decreased levels in the water tanks due to low temperatures. We inquired about what exactly would cause this since this is by far not the coldest winter the area has seen, and received the following explanation from the City officials:

"Water freezes around our intake, preventing us from drawing water from the river. As a result, we're unable to treat the water, which in turn stops us from delivering it to the tanks."

"This issue occurs every year, but in the past, we didn’t need to alert the public because we could simply increase pumping when the freeze thawed. However, we’re now pumping more water than ever, averaging over 20 hours of operation per day at the plant. Losing six hours of pumping creates a gap that doesn’t align with the ongoing demand. As a result, while water is being taken from the tanks, we’re unable to replenish it."

As mentioned before on Barbour Buzz, large part of the reason why City is pumping more water than ever, and also requiring more manpower than ever, is increased water demand by the local coal mine. While mine in Volga draws directly from the river, Arch Coal mine's water is supplied through the City of Philippi, increasing the need for more water to be pumped.

Another reason, also mentioned in the past on Barbour Buzz, is the increase in the population in the county, requiring more water to be provided. Barbour County has one of the fastest growing populations in the state, and even though financially, it's a great news for the county, it is simultaneously providing a new unique challenge when it comes to utilities and existing infrastructure.

*That is it for today's headlines. As always, if you have news, or an event you want us to promote and advertise, email us at thebarbourbuzz@gmail.com, or send us a message on Covered Bridge Media Facebook page!