WHEELING – The city of Wheeling is moving forward with action to acquire a new K-9 for the Wheeling Police Department, which within the past six months has mourned the unexpected deaths of two of its trained active-duty police dogs.

A new ordinance is slated for a first reading during tonight’s meeting of Wheeling City Council to authorize the expenditure of $19,000 with Merry K-9 Services LLC of Norwich, Ohio, for the purchase of a police narcotics canine and for training. According to the legislation, $15,000 of that cost will be charged to the Stanton K-9 foundation and $4,000 will be charged to the Wheeling Police Department.

This past September, Wheeling Police K-9 Jericho – the department’s longest tenured canine officer with nearly 10 years of service – suddenly fell ill while on duty and died after being rushed to a local veterinary clinic.

Last month, K-9 Sheik – the youngest and newest canine officer with the Wheeling Police Department – was struck by a vehicle and died as a result of her injuries. The driver of the vehicle was not at fault, police noted.

Philip Stahl, public information officer for the Wheeling Police Department, said there are currently two trained dogs on active duty in the department. If city council approves the legislation to purchase and train a new dog, this new K-9 officer will replace Jericho, Stahl noted.

Wheeling City Council is scheduled to hold its first meeting for the month of March today beginning at 5:30 p.m. Although city leaders were hopeful that renovations were winding down on the first floor of the City-County Building and that they may be able to move back onto council chambers, tonight’s meeting is slated to be held in the temporary space inside the second-floor courtroom.

Also on tonight’s agenda are first readings for a number of original propositions for the purchase of new city vehicles.

One ordinance would authorize the purchase of two 2026 Ford Super Duty 1-ton pickup trucks for the Operations Department in the amount of $101,430 ($50,715 per truck) from Woltz and Wind Ford Inc. of Heidelberg, Pa., to be charged to the city’s regular RCIP (Restricted Capital Improvement Project) fund.

Another purchase from Woltz and Wind Ford Inc. in the amount of $77,354 for the purchase of a 2026 Ford F-250 truck for the Vehicle Maintenance Department is also up for a first reading. This purchase, if approved this month, will be charged as follows: $50,000 to the city’s Project Fund, $13,677 to the Water Department and $13,677 to the Sewer Department through the vehicle replacement fund.

An ordinance authorizing the expenditure of $29,39 for the purchase of a 2026 Chevrolet Trailblazer for the Water Department is also up for a first reading. A purchase of a 2026 GMC Sierra pickup truck for the Water Department is also being introduced tonight. Both of these purchases are from Whiteside of St. Clairsville, and both are also slated to be charged to the Water Department vehicle replacement fund.

In other action tonight, city council is slated to hear a first reading of an ordinance to spend $201,456 with Cast and Baker of Canonsburg, Pa., for a previously announced street reconstruction project on Grandview Street, along with part of 12th Street. This project is being funded through Community Development Block Grant monies. Cast and Baker was the low bidder for the work. By comparison, Semper Fi Paving submitted a bid of $233,000 for the work, while Kelly Paving Inc. bid $369,946 and NLS Paving Inc. bid $260,541.

A first reading for a new ordinance to hire Top Notch Landscaping and Supply LLC of Wheeling is also on the agenda. The company is slated to provide grass cutting services this upcoming season at Stone Church, Peninsula and Mt. Wood cemeteries for a total of 11 cuts at each cemetery throughout the season. Top Notch was the sole bidder, according to the new ordinance.

Council is also slated to hear a first reading on an ordinance to spend $15,724 with C2G Engineering Inc. of Huntington, W.Va., for the purchase of a telemetry system for tank levels and alarms to be charged to the city’s Water Pollution Control Division.

As previously reported this week, a first reading is set tonight for an ordinance to hire Raze International Inc. of Shadyside to perform the long-awaited demolition of the former Clay School building in East Wheeling. With a $459,300 proposal for the demolition work, Raze submitted the lowest bid among six contractors vying for the project.