Marshall County schools will have three major goals to undertake when the school year opens on Tuesday.

Superintendent Shelby Haines said the ultimate focus for the 2022-23 school year will be a positive impact on students, staff and community.

“Our top priority is our students, therefore, our first goal is to increase student achievement. We plan to do this by providing state-of-the-art technology and research-based instruction in all classrooms.”

The superintendent pointed out that books have been sent to the homes of students through the mail and this will continue throughout the school year.

“We have enrolled Marshall County into Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library so that children, birth to five, can also get books delivered to their homes,” she said.

Staff will continue to monitor general summative assessment data as well as benchmark assessments, using those to guide instructional practice.

The second goal is to provide support for current staff, both service and professional personnel. She said, “We want to support open lines of communication with administration at the building and county office levels. We have already provided a list of trainings available on professional learning days for service personnel, and monthly evening trainings for teachers.”

Haines said, “We will also provide a countywide book study for professional staff that we completed in the fall, and the same book study will be offered to service personnel during remote learning days. We are hoping all staff will see the importance of being lifelong learners.”

As to the third goal, Haines said, “It is to make a positive impact in the community.”

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“Blazing Series” will return to Grand Vue Park at 7 p.m. Thursday. This program will be held at Shelter No. 1.

The event will feature two popular local storytellers — Rich Knoblich and Judi Tarowsky. Both performers are well known for traditional folktales, humorous programs, and ghost stories.

The event is being sponsored by the Moundsville-Marshall County Public Library.

All of the materials will be family friendly thus everyone will have the opportunity to enjoy tall tales.

Anyone planning to attended is welcome to bring snacks and beverages. The event is free and open to the public.

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The annual Moundsville Community Day will take place today (Saturday) from noon until 4 p.m. at Riverfront Park. There will be no charge to attend. Hot dogs, chips, drinks and ice cream treats will be provided.

Activities will include inflatables, sand art, a duck pond, sports corner, Boy Scout shooting range, Sno-Biz, balloon animals, music, kids fire safety house, and a cardio drumming demonstration.

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Glass can be dropped off at the normal recycling location on north First Street. The hours for drop-off being Saturdays from 8 a.m. until noon.

Acceptable items are:

Pickle Jars, Baby Food Jars, Wine Bottles, Beer Bottles, Ketchup Bottles, Condiment Jars and Bottles, Applesauce Jars, Olive Oil Bottles, Pasta Sauce Jars, Jelly and Jam Jars, Beverage Bottles, Food Bottles and Jars, Perfume Bottles, Mason Jars, Clear Glass Bottles and Jars, Amber Glass Bottles and Jars, Green Glass Bottles and Jars and Blue Glass Bottles and Jars. Lids on any glass for recycling should be removed, and the interior of the bottoms of glass washed.

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A pre-construction meeting for the Fostoria Avenue Bridge Relocation Project was held recently. The bid opening for the actual bridge project will be Sept. 13. Once work starts Fostoria Avenue will be closed from just beyond the Fostoria property entrance to Walnut Avenue.

The work may take up to 60 days.

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Moundsville City Manager Rick Healy informed city council members this past week that the city is very close to having a bicycle rental program up-and-running.

Healy hopes that the bikes will be available for rental by the end of summer, and if so bikes should be up and running throughout all of this fall and early winter months.

Healy also announced that Police Patrolman First Class Alex Carnahan was promoted to the rank Corporal, effective Aug. 15. As a result of two vacancies the police department will be accepting applications until Sept. 2, with testing of those signing up to take place on September 10th.

The Moundsville Water System has been named the State Water System of the Year at the recent Rural Water Conference. The city hopes to have the superintendent Terry Roberts at council’s next meeting.

Healy said, “This is a huge honor, and it continues to bring Moundsville the recognition it deserved. “Congratulations to the entire department and the Water Board for this prestigious honor.”

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The Marshall County Commission this past Tuesday announced that 30 small businesses and non-profit organizations had been approved for a federal assistance program which came about because of COVID.

These businesses and non-profit organizations had to submit information stating they had lost money because of COVID.

A total of 45 businesses/and non-profit organizations submitted application in June. The grants for June awarded to date being $461,824. There are a few applications from June which have yet to be addressed.

Applications submitted in July will be addressed next month.