WHEELING – Ohio County commissioners said this week that, when the county called upon city of Wheeling officials for help during recent flooding, entities from both governments “worked well together” during the recent emergency.

Commissioner Randy Wharton commended Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron and others with the city who assisted with county needs when asked.

“They responded very well in the city and Elm Grove,” Wharton said of the city operations. “But i got to tell you, they helped out in the county, too.

“(Wheeling City Manager) Bob Herron didn’t tell me no, not one time,” Wharton added. “He sent their crews to Triadelphia and Valley Grove to help their water and sewer systems. He helped me help a very large business in Triadelphia get up and running again. We didn’t have the capabilities to do some of the things they needed done.”

He noted that, after he called Herron, crews were on the scene within an hour.

“They performed great mutual aid, and it’s great to have them as a backup,” Wharton said.

Commission President Zach Abraham thanked County Emergency Management Agency Director Lou Vargo, Assistant Director Tony Campbell and all the first responders in the area for their efforts during recent flooding emergencies in the county, as well as anyone who has been involved in the cleanup.

“It is overwhelming to see the amount of support our communities have seen during this flooding, and as it continues to flood in different ways and forms,” Abraham said. “We just want to thank everybody who has been participating, even those behind the scenes. It’s been a very big help to community members who desperately needed it.”

Commissioner Don Nickerson quoted a community member observing the volunteers helping as saying, “This is why we live here.”

“Most people don’t talk about what they do,” he said. “But just being in different places and watching what people do is just amazing. It is why we live here.

“It is just very impressive in such a sad time.”

Wharton also praised those coming to the scene – including local first responders from the county and city, volunteer fire departments, the West Virginia National Guard and volunteer groups.

“I don’t know where we would be without all the volunteer groups,” he said. “They have demoed out all these houses, and have done all this cleanup.

“Most of the people I know that I’ve visited with are probably incapable of getting the mud out of their houses and making them livable again. So they were just as important as everyone else.”

The County 911 dispatchers also had “a couple of rough nights,” Wharton added. County 911 Director Rick Pritt reported the three dispatchers on duty the night of the flooding on June 14 “did the most amazing job I’ve ever seen anybody do.”

In the first three hours, they took a total of 655 calls, according to Pritt.

During this week’s meeting, commissioners re-appointed seven members of the Ohio County Development Authority whose terms expired July 1. Those re-appointed were Don Nickerson, John McCullough, Robert Smith, Eran Molz, John Olejasz, Mark Griffin and John Gearry.

Sheriff Nelson Croft also gave an update on K9 Officer Cronos, who has now been on duty for 60 calendar days. During that time, the dog has been used 22 times, and had 19 positive hits, Croft said.

He reported that the hits resulted in the following seizures – 15.7 grams of methamphetamines, 16 grams of cocaine base, one gram of heroin, four grams of fentanyl, and $1,930 in U.S. currency.

The commission is next scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. on July 15 at the City-County Building in Wheeling.