Observer WV

08/08/2025

Industrial Solar Proposal Withdrawn ❌

In today’s Observer Weekly, we report that the application for a large industrial solar project in Jefferson County has been withdrawn.

The Observer regularly monitors regulatory and other public filings for changes to significant projects affecting Jefferson County - that's why we are able to bring the community this information.

Stay in the know: subscribe online now at ObserverWV.news. It's FREE.

Every week, The Observer digs into the details that matter in Jefferson County. Our content is free for everyone to read, but producing well-researched local news isn’t free.

07/28/2025

Observer Editor Steve Pearson appeared on TV10 / WRNR this morning to discuss the Jefferson County Commission's actions to re-organize the Jefferson County Development Authority.

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Local Sports and News from the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.

07/21/2025

𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 $𝟏𝟗𝟑,𝟕𝟖𝟎 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞.

The most recent Observer Weekly email newsletter looks at WV's enforcement action against the developer of the Blake Solar facility in Jefferson County. We also updated readers on the status of the lawsuit over the proposed water bottling plant in Middleway, and rounded up local events for your weekend fun.

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Every week, The Observer digs into the details that matter in Jefferson County. Our content is free for everyone to read, but producing well-researched local news isn’t free.

07/04/2025

Happy Independence Day!

Every week, The Observer digs into the details that matter in Jefferson County. Our content is free for everyone to read, but producing well-researched local news isn’t free.

06/20/2025

👀 Have you seen the Observer Weekly?

📰 The Observer Weekly is your free Thursday inbox fix for what’s happening around Jefferson County — local government, events, and more.

👉 Read the latest & sign up here:
https://observerwv.news/posts/county-commission-charles-town-council-prioritize-different-issues

06/15/2025

The community marked the 250th anniversary of the Bee Line March to honor the 98 volunteers who answered the call to defend liberty and fight tyranny as America's first organized army units to fight in the Revolutionary War.

SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — The community marked the 250th anniversary of the “Bee Line March” on Saturday, June 14 2025.

05/02/2025

Subscribers to the Observer Weekly (our free weekly email newsletter) saw this article yesterday, along with our Weekend Events Snapshot for Jefferson County.

If you haven't already, 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝘁 𝗢𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗪𝗩.𝗰𝗼𝗺 (look for "Newsletter Signup").

JEFFERSON COUNTY, WV — West Virginia lost between 300 and 400 community service jobs this week due to funding cuts to AmeriCorps programs.

04/13/2025

The West Virginia House of Delegates made a final amendment to the Data Center Microgrid bill (HB 2014) late in the afternoon on April 12 before passing the bill and returning it to the Senate. The amendment changed the property tax distribution again (see chart).

The Senate accepted the House amendment, and HB 2014 is now listed as "completed legislation awaiting Governor's signature."

Read more:https://observerwv.com/data-center-microgrid-bill-passes-wv-house-senate-to-governor-for-signature/

04/12/2025

The West Virginia Senate passed HB 2014, the Microgrid & Data Center bill, earlier today (April 11) after amending how the local taxes will be distributed.

The Senate version of the bill keeps the exemption from local zoning and subdivision regulations for all structures located in certified microgrid districts.

Full story: https://observerwv.com/senate-passes-data-center-bill-after-changing-tax-distribution-formula/

04/09/2025

The Data Center bill (HB 2014) will have a 1st reading this morning in the WV Senate.

Yesterday, a Senate committee adjusted the property tax split to allow counties to keep a percentage of the new revenues, but most of the money will still go to the state. The committee kept the provisions to strip county zoning control in the version of the bill it sent to the full Senate.

https://observerwv.com/wv-senate-committee-amends-data-center-to-adjust-property-tax-allocation/

04/08/2025

News: Kearneysville data center plan approved.

Plus: Data center bill in WV Senate today.

https://observerwv.news/posts/data-centers-coming-to-west-virginia

04/06/2025

https://observerwv.com/hundreds-rally-in-charles-town-during-national-hands-off-event/

CHARLES TOWN, WV — Hundreds of area residents joined the "Hands Off" protest rally in front of the Jefferson County courthouse on April 5 2025.