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Marshall County is sprinting toward the future after two announcements this past week that will significantly boost the county's economic landscape.
The first came when U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., revealed that Marshall and Belmont counties will see the benefits of $44 million in federal funds from the Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management for the development of a carbon storage hub that will be part of the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub.
The county has a deep and strong history in energy production, and this project would push Marshall County into a new area of the field.
"We are fortunate to have abundant natural resources and a skilled workforce, and have always been a leading producer of coal and natural gas," Marshall County Commission President Mike Ferro said. "This is one more significant project and resource that Marshall County and West Virginia can add to our growing energy portfolio."
The next came when Marshall County Schools and WVU Medicine unveiled plans for their collaboration on a $22 million aquatic center on the John Marshall High School campus. The center will include a 60,000-square-foot natatorium with a competition-sized pool, warm-up pool and quarter-mile indoor walking track. It is scheduled to open in 2027.
That project will not only give John Marshall a brand new facility for aquatic sports and physical education classes, but it also gives the Ohio Valley a big, beautiful site for the community to use for youth competitions and more.
JMHS swim coach Timmi Snyder said that the facility, when opened, already is being considered the new site for the high school regional swim championships. And officials said the surrounding community will have the opportunity to use the new center.
"First things first, we want to get the facility designed and then move on to construction," Marshall County Schools Facilities Director Michael Price said. "We want Marshall County taxpayers to be able to utilize the full facility, too, so there's much to do regarding scheduling and utilization so far."
These two projects will do nothing but lift the profile of Marshall County both in industry and recreation. It's also proof that the county is an attractive destination for businesses and other groups. Hopefully, these announcements will keep the county's momentum rolling and lead to more good news in later years.