Community reaching out to aid firefighters
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WELLSBURG -- On Tuesday the Brooke County Commission learned of efforts to aid three local firefighters and noted they have installed a new tool aimed at deterring spread of the coronavirus.
Christina White, director of the county's 911 center, announced a prayer vigil for Brian Ritchie, a paid firefighter with the city of Weirton and volunteer firefighter for the Hooverson Heights department, will be held at 6:30 p.m. today at Edwin J. Bowman Field by the Weirton Municipal Plaza.
Since White's announcement, the Weirton and Hooverson Heights departments reported Ritchie's death, from COVID-19, with the vigil to continue as a memorial service for the late firefighter.
Weirton Mayor Harold Miller has announced U.S. flag's in the city will be lowered to half-staff.
Ritchie, who was 50, was a lieutenant and 13-year member of the Weirton Fire Department and assistant chief of the Hooverson Heights Volunteer Fire Department, where he had been a member for many years.
While Ritchie was being treated at West Virginia University's J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, a legal petition was filed on behalf of his family seeking unemployment compensation denied him since December, when he was said to have contracted the virus.
Other media have reported the state's unemployment compensation provider has rescinded its denial.
White said she also learned a spaghetti dinners will be sold from noon to 6 p.m. March 6 at the Hooverson Heights Fire Department to benefit three local firefighters and their families.
In addition to Ritchie, the three include Greg Salkovick and Rusty Morris, who face other serious medical conditions, said White.
The meals are $10 each and are available for take-out, Whether planning to eat in or take out, supporters are encouraged to call (304) 280-2802 in advance.
There also are plans for a Chinese auction and a 50-50 drawing.
Brooke County Sheriff Rich Beatty said he came to know Ritchie through his brother, Brian, who also was a Hooverson Heights firefighter.
Beatty said Ritchie divided much of his time between the two fire departments and spending time with his son, whom he raised alone following the death of his wife in 2014.
"That's just the kind of guy he was. He was the consummate firefighter. He lived and breathed it," he said while noting Ritchie was a die-hard Ohio State football fan and spoke of the team often.
"He was a great guy, a unique individual" and "a joker with a great smile and sense of humor," Beatty said.
The sheriff said the pandemic has been a difficult time for all, but the loss of Ritchie makes it even harder.
"When it hits this close to home, it hits really hard," said Beatty.
In related business, the county commissioners announced an automated contactless fever-detecting camera has been installed at the entrance of the county courthouse. One of many posted in public places, the camera is designed to measure the temperature of each individual who looks into its screen while standing still.
County Commissioner A.J. Thomas noted the camera's reading may not indicate a person has the coronavirus, only that he or she has a high temperature, and not everyone with COVID-19 experiences a fever.
But he said the goal is to help deter the virus' spread and no one with a fever will be permitted to enter. Thomas said those who refuse to comply also won't be admitted.
Thomas said the building's security guards have been equipped with hand-held temperature reader but a court official suggested the walk-up reader was more efficient.
The commissioners confirmed limitations on visitors have been loosened, with appointments only required for those wishing to do title searches because of the small area in which property records are stored.
Those planning to research deeds and other records should call (304) 737-3661 in advance.
In other business:
¯ The commission agreed to allocate $30,000 to the Northern Panhandle Community Criminal Justice Board. The board oversees alternative sentencing programs, such as home confinement and counseling for drug addiction, for criminal offenders in the county and others in the region.
¯ The commission is seeking applicants for a vacancy on the county's volunteer board of health. Those interested must be a resident of the Weirton Magisterial District and should submit a letter of interest to the office of County Clerk Kim Barbetta.
¯ Thomas said in observance of Black History Month, he will reflect on the life of a historic figure at each week's commission meeting. This week he shared details of Carter G. Woodson, a Huntington, W.Va. coal miner who overcame poverty and limited access to education to obtain a college education, including a doctorate in history.
Woodson was principal of a Huntington high school before moving to the Philippines to serve as an educational supervisor.
In 1926 he initiated Black History Week, which became Black History Month, and said, "Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history."
(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)