Panhandle Live! 6-25-26

The Panhandle News Network The views and opinions on this station do not necessarily represent the Panhandle News Network WPM and WCST or West Virginia Radio Corporation. Welcome to Panhandle Live with Masha Kavalek and Luke Wiggs on the Panhandle News Network, WPM Martinsburg and WCST Berkeley Springs and podcasted on our Panhandle News Network Spotify. Here, local news and stories from local figures on our two-time West Virginia broadcasters association Talk Show of the Year. And now, from a Happy Curtable Building in historic Martinsburg, Panhandle Live is on the air. Welcome to Panhandle Live Live from the Happy Curtable Building, Masha Kavalek here with you. It is Thursday, that is Friday Eve, I'll take it. The weather has been lovely and I'm hoping you're having a great day. Thanks for spending part of it with us, pretty busy show today and a pretty wavy topic to get us started joining us in studio. Here in Newman, she is an advisor to numerous opposition groups around the country, but also a member locally of Volt and Wadi or West Virginians against transmission line in Justice. She joins us this morning. Good morning. Good morning. It's great to be here. Thanks for making the trip. No problem. One of the things that I think I want to start this conversation with because we are covering on our network as well as our Metro News affiliate network a lot about transmission coming in but also data centers. It just seems like there is a lot of information coming about development that could impact us and it's just it's almost like flooding the zone. It is really hard to think about what are the facts, what the impacts could be and how we can find good information. So I have you in to kind of talk about that and how you locally are mobilizing people. Well, we had a public information meeting Tuesday night in Charleston, actually in Ranson. And we had a bunch of people come out to find out some information about the Valley North project ahead of the company sponsored open house meetings that will begin next week. So the information that you were distilling might sound or look a little different than the company presentation. Absolutely. I've been working with transmission and grassroots groups for nearly 20 years now. And I've seen all of this before. It's always the same story. They do the same things. So I was just kind of trying to get people up to speed now one of the big things where I disagree with what Valley North is telling people is they are saying that this electricity this transmission line is needed for West Virginia. It's going to keep our lights on. It's going to power our homes and schools and hospitals. But that's not true. Where is this line expansion happening? Well, this giant line there are two actually two. So there's the PJM interconnector, right? PJM is our regional grid operator and planner. So we have the two ones who decide what we need and where and the need for this comes from data centers in Loudon County, Virginia's data center alley and other areas in northern Virginia. They have just exploded with AI. They use so much power. And they can't keep up in 2023 because the data centers could not get built because there wasn't enough power being generated in Virginia. PJM approved a new 500 kilo volt transmission line that starts in Southwestern Pennsylvania and ends in data center alley. And then we have the project PJM split that into two separate projects, although it is one continuous 500 kilo volt line. The Western part of that is called the Mid Atlantic resiliency link or moral. That project will need a new 200 foot wide right away its whole length. It starts in Pennsylvania and it ends in Frederick County, Virginia at Gore just over the West Virginia border where that project ends the second half begins and that once being built by first energy. And what they want to do is tear down and existing 138 kilo volt transmission line that's on those wooden H frame towers. The towers are about 65 feet tall. So they're going to tear that down and in its place are going to erect 185 foot tall steel modiples that's three times the size of what's there. And that location is from Gore or all the way to the data centers at place called goose creek, which is a substation in data center alley. So from the from the perspective of the power generation or the power transmitters. They are saying you know look that we need to upgrade our ability to transfer power from one place to another. You know we're largely using existing right of ways. But your groups are finding some ways to push back on that narrative. Oh absolutely. Think of these two because there's two there's another one valley north that just got rolled out the other day. So we're going to use giant extension courts instead of building the generation they need down there in Virginia next to all these data centers with all the load. Virginia chooses not to build generation. They have chosen not to use some of the fossil fuel oriented power generation modalities. And it's a little hard for them to do what they need to do to support those power hungry data centers. Yeah, they're building more load than they can support. So instead of the state of Virginia ordering more generation to be built to support this what they want to build. They go to PJM or connection and they say hey we got all this need. And you know if we plug this in the grid will crash. Well of course PJM can't plug in a bunch of need and crash the grid. So PJM uses the only tool it has which is transmission PJM cannot order new generation anywhere. It can only build transmission these extension cords. So PJM keeps coming up with new plans for extension cords from further and further away to dump power into data center alley. That's where these two lines go. The second one valley north begins in Putnam County, West Virginia. And it could go through up to 20 counties in West Virginia on its way to data center alley. So I know that you've sat with this for a while you were probably active with path right I was and and that was a in in terms of opposition to these pretty good success story right. Oh absolutely we won that battle it was canceled. So if folks are kind of just sitting with this and you know as homeowners sometimes we just get the notes from the power generators and they're saying hey you know here's what we're planning you can come to these open houses etc. What are you most concerned about in terms of these large transmission line expansions well valley north release their maps yesterday anyone can go and look at the maps on V L transmission dot com V L Valley link transmission dot com. And there are little route segments all over Jefferson County and parts of Berkeley like bunker hill Glen Gary Jared's town. It's all concentrated in that area and there are all these different options of where they could put this thing. So these are ideas that they have about places they could place these transmission course. And if people go look at the maps they may find it going right over their house and if that is the case and they have these maps out here already would they have already been contacted well valley links sent letters to everyone supposedly within a thousand feet of all of these route segments. Earlier in June I'm not sure exactly when it was and then they have released the maps and they're having what they call open house meetings there is one on June the 30th in Shepherdstown at the Shepherd College store ballroom. It begins at 4 o'clock and runs until 7 30 the second one is going to be held at the holiday in on Foxcroft Avenue here in Martinsburg. And that is July the 7th from 4 to 7 30 and these are from the power transmission line perspective and and they're showing you options this is not a public hearing. This is correct correct and open house it's not really a meeting. It is kind of a show and tell they have a big open room and they have little station set up in each little station there might be like mapping and environmental engineering and. And vegetation management little stations in each one has some poster boards or some kind of display and three or four employees and you're supposed to come into the meeting they want you to sign in and give your information so they can contact you later maybe if they want to send land agents out. And then you filter through all these stations and each one has a couple of employees and you can ask questions and. If you ask we found this that if you ask the same question to five different people at five different stations will get five different answers they're just going to tell you what they think you want to hear so that you will move on to the next station and when you finally get to the end of the stations they want you to fill out a comment. hard. So you could do that there or you could bring your own comments that you've already written and just dropped them off. I guess this morning is Karen Newman and she's active in Volt and Wadi, Jefferson County Volt and Wadi West Virginia against transmission line in justice. And we're talking right now about the expansion of a couple of different transmission lines, some ideas about where that those might be on the map. And then the process because as we've been talking about there's an open house, but then at some point the PSC will be involved. I'm presuming there will be some some open houses, but from it from an opposition standpoint, what is your group doing timeline wise as you mount opposition to this expansion and further can this could this potentially be altered in a way that is less impactful or stopped? Well, the schedule they're going to have these open houses right now and they want to hear what everyone thinks about these options. And then they will eliminate almost all the options and create one route that connects and goes through. And most of the option segments will come off the table. And then they are going to have another series of open houses later this year. They said late the year and they will show you this proposed route, this one single route. And then once they've done that, they can file an application at the West Virginia Public Service Commission. And when that happens, anyone that is impacted by the project can petition to intervene, which simply means becoming a legal party to the case. So that gives you the right to file testimony to question their witnesses to file briefs. And if the PSC approves the project, you will have the right to appeal. So that's important. And with the moral line, that is that filed their application back in January. And there's a group called West Virginians against transmission and justice or Wadi. And Wadi has been getting interveners and they have over a hundred citizen interveners in that case. Plus Wadi hired an attorney who is going to be putting forth experts and testimony and things like that. So there is a way that citizens can fight it. And it's with a group where you get one lawyer for the whole group and hire experts and or individuals that want to get involved. You know, of course, we're sitting here in a studio and we're using electricity and that we're under these electric lights. So, you know, we're not anti electricity here at WEPM. We are concerned though. And I think it's interesting when groups like yours come out and you read some of the threads and some of the social media posts about, you know, what folks stand to lose on their property and that. But if you could give a bullet point, just maybe three of the main factors that you your groups are very concerned about with these transmission lines. What would they be? Well, first of all, we don't need them for any need here in West Virginia. So we are being sacrificed for data centers in Virginia where they get the tax revenue, they get the benefits. Also, we get is the impacts and that's been going on in West Virginia for a long, long time and it needs to stop. So we the new transmission line, the Valley North project will take a new 200 foot wide right away on any property at crosses. Nothing can remain in that right away. So if you have a not just your home, but a barn, a shed, a pool, your kids play equipment, whatever is in there has to go and they're going to take all the trees down to the bearer to put that transmission line in there. These towers will be enormous, maybe as much as 200 feet tall. Some of the structures they've shown us have four giant guy wires holding them up. So the footprint of these things gets enormous when you have all these guy wires. And people are concerned about electro magnetic fields that come off them EMF and then there's also induced voltage, which is if you go and walk under a big transmission line at night in your bare feet and it's do we you're going to get shocked every step you take. Here in Newman, how can folks find out more because obviously we haven't had a chance to go through everything that you guys, you know, are concerned about, how can folks find out more? Well, you can go to our Facebook group, which is called Jefferson County Volt, which is the name of the local group here in Jefferson County. And we also have a website, Jeff co volt dot org to gfc ovalt.org. And we're probably going to be having some more public meetings. We're going to let these open houses go and we are going to be at the open houses. We will be outside. We will have petitions against the project. We will be having people sign up for our email. And we will bring a protest sign. We're going to be doing that too. Here in Newman, thanks for spending some time with us this morning. Thank you. Broadcasting from the Happy Curtival Building in Martinsburg. It's Panhandle Live on the Panhandle News Network. Back at it's second segment, Panhandle Live. It is Friday Eve, otherwise known as Thursday. And like I said, we got a pretty busy show this morning joining us via phone is James Sanders owner of Titan Roofing. Good morning. Hey, good morning. How are you today? I'm good. Thanks for calling in and sitting on hold for a bit. I apologize for that live radio. But thank you for being patient. So let's talk about the sixth annual veteran roof giveaway, which is going on now. Yes. So it's like you said, it's our sixth annual with given away 13 rows in the first five years. We try to do two rows a year. Sometimes we can't know it down to just two veterans. So there's been one year we've done four of us and another year we've done three rows. But anyways, yeah, it's our sixth annual. And what we're doing is looking to help a couple of veterans in our local community. So why veterans? Why not? They sign their name on a piece of paper that said, Hey, I didn't know you, but I would die for you if I had to. They, they, you know, they give a selfless sacrifice to protect us, not knowing us. So why not help somebody who, honestly, when they come back in the country, if they were in war, even if it wasn't in war, they don't maybe have all the resources that they should get from the country as a veteran. You know, I know we can help them a little bit. Let's, let's help them out. I know you see a lot of different houses, housing situations and all of that. I guess this is kind of an understated question, but how important is a healthy roof for someone who might be kind of struggling? Let me give you a real quick story of Jason J. G. Who won three years ago. He was a veteran. He was in the army. He's from Corksburg, West Virginia. This, this man and his wife, both served her country. They came back. He was working at the VA in Corksburg, the hospital. His wife had to actually quit work because there's some land in, at the age of 16 developed a bone cancer. The roof developed a leak and they started having mold growner house because land and was going back and forth to a couple of different hospitals for treatment and stuff. And his wife had to quit work and that when you have a son who is sick like at the one thing you're going to do is neglect yourself and stuff around you so you can put all your focus on that person. That's unfortunately fell ill and land in this past year passed away at the age of 19 years old. But the one thing Jason told me was he's like, when we were talking one day, he's like, "Hey, thank you so much. We have no idea the impact that you had on our family." And I'm like, Jason, I didn't do anything. He said, "You did because you allowed my son to stay at home for three years and travel back and forth to the hospital because if you wouldn't have been able to fix our roof, the house wouldn't have been able to be lived in because there was so much mold already starting in a couple of rooms upstairs." And it's just, it really caught me by surprise and I really had no idea the impact that we were having until he set back and told me that. So a safe house, a healthy house is this, it means so much. And a roof, something that's not cheap. I mean, the average reef in West Virginia, I'm going to tell you, is between 15 and $22,000 and there's not very many people just at 15 or $22,000 just laying around. Well, it's your first defense, right, from the elements. Yes. For sure. So in this, in this roof giveaway that we're going to talk about deadlines in just a minute, you're giving way to different kinds of roofs. Can you talk about that and you're, and who is, you know, helping out with this? Yeah, absolutely. So the first roof is a G A F, which is a single manufacturer, the largest single manufacturer in the US. It's all US made shingles. And they've been our core partner along with ABC supply, since we started this back six years ago. So we're going to give away at least one roof from G A F ourselves and ABC. And then one from a Morgantown metal supplier called core metal roofing. And this is their second year doing with us but um and then we might who knows we might get way a third like I said based on the nominations and us trying to narrow them down going the month of July. We might pick a third winner or even a fourth winner because we've done it before. And I know you've you're fairly new to the Martinsburg area but you guys are pretty established here so there's no reason someone from the Eastern Panhandle couldn't be on the receiving end of one of these. Oh absolutely I mean we've already had nominations coming in from the Eastern Panhandle. I love the Eastern Panhandle. My son's there living now. He lives in Martinsburg. He's been there for almost a year now which is crazy and I have a commercial company that before we start a roofing company years ago we do spray applied fireproofing and stuff and we've been in and out of Martinsburg for the last ten years on commercial projects. A lot of fireproofing at the VA hospital there as they continue to grow that facility in Martinsburg and we've worked in various hotels that were built like the home to Sweet Sare and Martinsburg and so we've been we've been entrenched in the community for at least ten years even though people don't know that we have been. Pretty incredible that you're actually giving away two roofs and this is to veterans or active duty militaries but time is running out. Can you talk about the deadlines and how folks can nominate? Yes so they can nominate on when a Titan roof dot com that's when W. I. F. N. A Titan roof dot com the website will be open until next Tuesday at midnight so they have to next Tuesday to nominate the forms real simple just fill out who you're nominating their information a little bit about your information and then just give a quick back to where you're nominating them. Maybe they're in need and need because of a loose leaking maybe they have just had a you know there's a lot of people that nominate people that they serve their servant overseas and they come back in their serving the community here whether it's being a baseball coach or or in the church or whatever I mean there's every single person that serves the country has the has the right to be nominated for this and or serving the country right now so it doesn't have to be a sad story it could be a happy story the website when a Titan roof dot com James Sanders owner of Titan roofing thank for thank you for all you're doing in the community and for this amazing opportunity that two veterans are active duty military members might have to get a new roof. Yeah thank you for getting this out there the way to work is we'll take the whole month of July we read every single nomination narrow it down to the top 10 and then we go out and we sit down and we talk to the veterans are the active military members during the month of July and then we pick our winner on the first Wednesday in August. Well I'm sure it's going to be a hard decision to make but James Sanders thanks for being part of handhand a live today. Hey thank you. We're talking about the issues that matter most to you now back to Pam handle live. Welcome back and to Pam handle live is the Thursday edition and I am playing phone tag with one Steve French hopefully I've got him on the line. Good morning back and forth. I don't know why the call kept dropping but thanks so I should say for people who aren't familiar friend of the program local author and historian Steve French joins us thanks for being on. Thank you. So we have been taking a big look at history the American 250 celebration is coming up very very soon and it's more than just the revolutionary war we you know we talk a lot about so the Civil War French and Indian War and you have a special event coming up it is today. So let's talk about Custer's last stand 150th anniversary remembrance. Okay it's it happens just before the Centennial celebration in Philadelphia that year on July the 4th and it was a big shock to the people of course the battle happens July 25th and 26th or June 25th and 26th 1876 and when the word got back to Philadelphia that sure put a damper on the celebration. So why is it important for us to look back at something that happened in 1876? Why is this significant? It's sort of a watershed event in the history of the West and Western civilization but our West and it was the of course the biggest victory that the planes Indians ever had over the US Army and it led to of course the planes Indians destruction within the next year and it has a lot of people in it who are famous in history course Custer won the biggest celebrities come out of the Civil War sitting bull later on favorite of the crowds in Buffalo Bill's Wild West shows but it's a it's a and sort of like because no one with Custer is a immediate command five companies that they survived a lot of mystery has been around it sort of like the JFK assassination more books or the only battle in American history that's been written about more is Gettysburg more published at tanks weather books articles than the little big horn so wait so what conspiracy theories do you lean into? It's not not really conspiracy it's just mysteries what really happened of course you have at the end you have Indian survivors of course of the battle but they they've given conflicting reports and that might be where people would interview them in the in the past up until even in the 1930s we're interviewing veterans Indian veterans of that battle a lot of cops are using sign language and it's the Indians of course didn't fight the same way as the Calvary did as a with structured and regimental fighting they fought more a grill warfare and their point of view would be a lot different so even though there's been archeological work on it and so on there's still a lot of mysteries about what really Custer had in mind and to try he was trying to win that fight of course seven of these companies did survive but his immediate command that he took off to try to strike the north end of the village with none of those men survived our guest this morning is Steve French he's a local author and historian so when you prepare for and we're gonna we're gonna set up this event that's happening tonight but when you prepare for something like this and I know you've sat with a lot of this history what are you going to as far as your research aids as much primary source materials I get to the water camp interviews of the survivors of the seven Calvary to survive and all the as much primary source materials I can come across and then of course the current current scholarship on it and that's that's the main thing to get in get into much primary primary source material that you can and like I said you have a lot of conflicting views especially when you get into the Indian account to the final of the final fight there on last San Hill well let's talk about how folks can hear more of this history to still down 7 p.m. today it's a Berkeley Springs church of Christ on South Green Street why you should go into town off of nine and just about a block back from the intersection of five twenty two and it's also going to be live stream on the Berkeley Springs church of Christ YouTube channel perfect so and is their cost to attend it's free this is just just fun just fun event there'll be people there I'm sure that will maybe argue me about that idea but like I said it's it's with no survivors on the American side it's it's created a lot of speculation and controversy over years I wonder what I want to slip in there just in Custard's family with him on last San Hill you have three brothers and also their brother-in-law so that family lost five five of their brothers and the nephew there that day two brothers and a nephew and then a brother-in-law and of course the Indians took casualties they say they were just trying to depend their way of life and it's really interesting I just got a call from South Dakota not too long ago 15 minutes ago by someone who lived close to the battlefield so he's going to listen in on YouTube tonight and we should say it will be live streamed and archived on the Church's YouTube channel. So that church again is the Berkeley Springs Church of Christ. Yes. Steve French will be there at 7 p.m. It is free and open to the public and importantly you're hosting the lecture but then you're gonna open it up to questions. So I think people will enjoy picking your brain about. I have a question for you. What's that? So we're getting ready to celebrate America's 250th and I've been trying really hard to absorb regional historical you know, reenactments and things like that. What is someone like you who is a historian? What are some of the bucket list places that you think really speak to America's history that you're like you know top five top three that you really want to go to if you really want to absorb some of the nation's history. For just an individual. Yeah. Yorktown. Gettysburg. Of course the little big horn. Let's see possibly the Alamo and let's see one more. You can't decide. Maybe Sarah Toga for this area because a number of men from here I believe were with Morgan. It's Sarah Toga, Daniel Morgan. So from this general area and that was a big victory in revolution. All right so what does someone like Steve French do in this upcoming week where we are actually celebrating 250 years of freedom? Are you gonna go to fireworks events or you're gonna be quietly reading history? What are you gonna be into? Well I have to I have a tour with a group from Baltimore from Williamsport and of Ascended Saturday so that's a big thing. Oh yeah. Maybe a firework I don't know. Love it. Okay so you can see Steve French pick his brain. He is talking about the customers last stand the 150th anniversary remembrance. It's happening tonight 7 p.m. Berkeley Springs Church of Christ. Anything else Steve before we have to let you know. I thought West Virginia should have had it should have an event on the customers last stand and I don't know how many West Virginians were in there. I'm pretty sure one but then a lot of times in the US Army in those days people would use names and lists John Smith Bob Miller things like that so you'll have a lot of pseudonyms in the record books. Which Bill Smith are we talking about that makes it a little difficult for right. Historians such as yourself. Steve French I if I don't say it enough I should say we really appreciate your help all through the year getting us great guests who help us look back into the region's history so thanks for that hopefully folks can come out and see you talk about customers last stand tonight. Okay thanks a lot. You're listening to Panhandle Live on WEPM Martinsburg and WCST Berkeley Springs. Look back into Panhandle Live, Marsha Cavalak here with you live from the Happy Courtsville building. I was rooting around on our website panhandlednewsnetwork.com and so I encourage you to head on over there at some point whenever you get a chance panhandlednewsnetwork.com on the splash page the first thing you see you can scroll down and there's a lot of local news we work really hard to update that and I'm going to be talking about some of the items that have made their way over there in a little bit but we also have there the link for 50% Fridays so if you're not familiar on on Friday sometimes we will run these promotions that you can get a coupon for a little bit of money and it's worth a lot more and so going live tomorrow which usually just causes a frenzy Jersey mics so the deal goes live tomorrow for Jersey mics at 9 a.m. there are 50 coupons available and they basically what you do is you you pay $25 I think there's like a $3 processing fee maybe and you get $5 $10 gift certificates and so that allows you to use them on subsequent trips and these are usually very popular they sell out so get on there June 26 goes live at 9 a.m. you can access it through our website panhandlednewsnetwork.com and when I clicked on 50% Fridays you can also see any other businesses that still have a few offers available so there are a few coupons for filthy fizz there are a few for glazed empire bakery and a few for pathfinder distillery that's what I can see just at a glance and then they have some other travel items too but the local companies filthy fizz glazed empire bakery pathfinder distillery and then tomorrow going live at 9 a.m. mark your calendars is the 50% Friday deal for Jersey mics so just letting you know let's talk about a little bit of the news that is making news this morning got a press release overnight from the Morgan County Sheriff's Office so Monday this happened around 7 30 at in the evening there was a traffic stop in the area of us 522 and so there was traffic violation deputy knots stopped this Hyundai Alontera during the stop the driver 42 Jody Godman and the passenger 71 identified as Gregory Godman were identified they the police had a probable cause search of the vehicle and located around 50 capsules of methadone several ounces of crack cocaine ventinal capsules gabapetan and other drug items they have been arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute some of those drugs as well as conspiracy they're currently lodged at the eastern regional jail on a hundred thousand dollars cash surety bond so that is one item making the news also overnight got this note Berkeley County prosecuting attorney Joe Kinzer has announced that he is putting his hat on the ring for the 27th judicial circuit bench so you may remember judge Stephen Redding announced his retirement that became effective at the end of May after that the governor's office released the timeline to say that they were accepting nominees or folks who would like to put their hats in the ring is it were folks who are interested in that job to become a judge in the 27th judicial circuit the deadline was yesterday afternoon also yesterday afternoon we here at the Panhandle News Network got an email from sitting Berkeley County prosecuting attorney Joseph Kinzer announcing that he is seeking that appointment you know obviously he's not the only one so there's a whole process that circuit serves Berkeley and Morgan counties that period to nominate yourself or be nominated is closed the interviews will take place in Morgantown Wednesday July 22nd the more see administration is disagreeing with the U.S. district judges ruling that blocks federal officials from barring the use of snap benefits to buy soft drinks and candy also speaking of federal judges ruling there are some weighty matters being considered by the United States Supreme Court and I believe we are expecting that some of those decisions may come out the Supreme Court is preparing to issue decisions on several major cases as the justices approach their end of June deadline the court is expected to release opinions today rulings are still pending on issues including transgender athlete bands president Trump's birthright citizenship order presidential authority to remove federal officers mail-in ballot deadlines campaign finance and deportation protections so decisions are expected today on those items the why am I bringing those up well one of them in particular is of interest to West Virginia attorney general JP McCuskey you may have heard him talk to us on PNN to live recently because he is part of one of the the items of litigation that brought this to the Supreme Court because as you may know a middle schooler in West Virginia who identifies as transgender was interested in participating in sports and that became a legal battle so now it is in the hands of the Supreme Court interestingly enough today if you tune in to talk line this morning one JB McCuskey will be on that's going to be in the 11 o'clock hour sometime it might be 11 30 but just tune in 11 just to cover your bases I'm sure there is a lot that they will be talking about ahead of those interviews because not only is it the 10th anniversary of that that just devastating flooding that happened in West Virginia in 2016 but also there is a fresh new round that happened the same day in several counties that now are under a state thanks for being part of handhand alive today we'll be back right at it 905 tomorrow you're listening to PNN alive We're proud to live here too.