NEW CUMBERLAND — A representative of the Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center approached Hancock County commissioners for financial assistance Thursday, saying it is possible the museum will close within two years if it doesn’t receive support.

Ed Giacchino, president of the museum, appeared before the county commission during its regular meeting, requesting reimbursement of certain expenses from July 2022 to June o this year.

Specifically noting expenses for the museum’s utility insurance and other maintenance, Giacchino stated, without assistance in covering the costs, it is anticipated the museum will close sometime in early 2026.

Giacchino pointed to the services and activities offered by the Weirton Museum, located at 3149 Main St., Weirton, including organization of the Festival of Nations, events for West Virginia Day, hosting art events, serving as a meeting site for community organizations, offering special exhibits and more, in addition to being the home of a trove of artifacts related to the history and culture of the Weirton area.

“We bring a variety of events to the community,” Giacchino said.

According to packets provided to the commission following a meeting with museum officials in November, the museum is asking for a reimbursement of $7,000 for the period of July 2022 to June 2023, and an additional $7,000 for the period of July 2023 to last June.

Those expenditures included payments to the West Virginia Board of Risk and Insurance Management, the Weirton Police and Fire Service Fee, and utility costs from Mountaineer Gas Co.

No decision was made Thursday by the commissioners, with Commissioner Eron Chek moving to make the request a matter of record to be taken up at a later time.

The Weirton Museum can trace its history to 1984, with the idea of preserving the history of Weirton Steel and the community. The effort was reinvigorated in 2002, with community members applying for a non-profit status and actively collecting materials.

It opened in its first location on July 1, 2006, occupying an area at 3393 Main St, moving to its current location — the former Home Furniture building — in 2011.

In other business, Thursday, the commission approved:

• An amendment to the 2024 and 2025 holiday schedules;

• An order regarding a claim in the Estate of Betty Brown;

• Paying Floyd Schulte for unused, accrued sick or annual days, with commissioners noting most of that time will be applied to his upcoming retirement;

• A request to advertise for a deputy clerk in the Assessor’s Office;

• The hiring of Deanna M. Ashcraft as a full-time deputy clerk in the Circuit Clerk’s Office, effective Jan. 16;

• A request for a letter of support, on behalf of the Hancock County Animal Shelter, for the West Virginia Department of Agriculture Spay and Neuter Grant.