Jefferson Data Center Powers Water Expansion; Wolfe Honor

EP Digest — Eastern Panhandle, West Virginia

Welcome back to EP Digest. Every Thursday morning, the best local news, events, and happenings from Morgan, Berkeley, and Jefferson counties — tailored to what you actually care about. No doom-scrolling, no algorithm. Just the stuff that matters in the Eastern Panhandle. Let's get into it.

The Lead

A Data Center Is Reshaping Jefferson County’s Water Future.

A large data center planned by Ryan Stuart Development near Summit Point in Jefferson County is driving a major infrastructure decision: the Charles Town Utility Board (CTUB) is planning a regional water and sewer system with capacity equivalent to 1,000 housing units of demand. The Charles Town City Council voiced its support at its June 15 meeting. Observer WV.

The planning has been underway since at least mid-2025 — a feasibility study by Gwin Dobson & Foreman and a Water Development Authority grant application are already on file with the Jefferson County Development Authority, which maintains a dedicated project page. The infrastructure would serve the Summit Point development area and the communities of South Jefferson.

At a separate CTUB board meeting on June 24, board member John Maxey raised a related angle: extending the system to South Jefferson Elementary School, which a federal EPA program has flagged as eligible for PFAS/PFOA cleanup funding. The picture is clear: whatever gets built near Summit Point will shape how South Jefferson communities get their water for years to come.

Worth watching: data centers have a complicated track record with local infrastructure in WV. Berkeley County is still navigating the political fallout from its Bedington data center — a Mountain State Spotlight analysis this week drew a direct comparison to the 1980s “garbage wars” and noted that Martinsburg residents have already traveled to rally against their county’s project. Jefferson County is now in a parallel position, but the infrastructure stakes here are unusually concrete.

What are PFAS? Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of synthetic chemicals used in everything from nonstick cookware to firefighting foam. They don’t break down naturally and have been found in drinking water supplies nationwide. The EPA has been issuing new standards for PFAS in public water systems and routing cleanup money to affected sites — which is how South Jefferson Elementary landed on the eligibility list.

Quick Hits

• It’s dangerously hot through the holiday weekend. A “mega heat dome” has the EP forecast peaking near 102°F today and Friday, with heat indexes as high as 110. Drink water constantly, limit time outside midday, never leave kids or pets in cars, and check on older neighbors. Cooling centers are open in all three counties — see the county lists for Morgan (Berkeley Springs Senior Center, Paw Paw sites, the county library), Berkeley (St. John’s Lutheran Church, Martinsburg), and Jefferson (Ranson Civic Center, Bolivar Community Center, JCCM in Charles Town). Power outages: Potomac Edison, 1-888-544-4877. Spirit of Jefferson.

• Guilty on 14 counts in the 2024 Jefferson County attack. A jury took less than an hour to convict Isai Osmar Chinchilla-Guerra — a minor at the time of the May 2024 attack, 18 at trial — on 14 of 15 felony counts, including attempted first-degree murder and first-degree sexual assault. Jurors rejected a mental-illness defense; one breaking-and-entering count was dismissed during trial. Sentencing is set for Aug. 25. Spirit of Jefferson.

• SSgt. Andrew Wolfe received the inaugural Freedom 250 Hometown Hero Award. Wolfe — a WV Air National Guard Staff Sergeant who survived an ambush-style shooting in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 26, 2025 (his partner SPC Sarah Beckstrom died in the attack) — was honored Saturday, June 28, at the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office in Martinsburg by U.S. Attorney Matt Harvey. All three EP county prosecutors attended, alongside Col. Randall Wright, the new 167th Airlift Wing Commander, and hundreds of community members. The award is tied to America’s 250th anniversary. PNN.

• Berkeley County Prosecutor Joseph Kinser is running for circuit court judge. Kinser has applied for the vacancy on the 27th Judicial Circuit (covering Berkeley and Morgan counties) left when Judge Steven Redding retired in late May after 8 years. Candidate interviews are July 22 in Morgantown; Gov. Morrisey will choose from three names. If Kinser gets the seat, Berkeley County will be on its third different prosecutor in two years. WV MetroNews.

• Ranson City Council rezoned 7.4 acres along the WV-9 corridor, 4–1. Two parcels on Jefferson Terrace Road in the WV-9 Preferred Development Area were shifted from a retired mixed-use designation to Highway Commercial. Owner Unopaesano LLC is under contract with a commercial development group. The Jefferson County Foundation president raised concerns that the parcels are mapped as parkland in the city’s comprehensive plan — the council proceeded anyway. Spirit of Jefferson.

• Charles Town’s Hip Sips entertainment zone is getting bigger. City Council voted unanimously to extend the Hip Sips district — where adults can carry drinks on the street — to include the Depot District and the Farmers Market block. It previously covered only the downtown core. The newly expanded district will be in place for Hip After Six “Christmas in July” on July 24 (more below). Observer WV.

• Berkeley Springs Water Works is debunking Facebook. The Town of Bath released an official statement responding to circulating posts claiming the town’s water was unsafe. The bottom line: all recent tests show full compliance with state standards, no violations. If you’ve seen those posts going around, the utility says the water is fine. PNN.

• The Charles Town Memorial Park pool is on track to open this month. Council discussed the pool at its June meeting; an exact date wasn’t confirmed, but the word was “sometime in July.” Keep an eye on the city’s social channels for the official date. Observer WV.

• Missed the transmission-line open house? Residents, local officials, supporters and opponents got a first close look at Valley Link’s proposed “Valley North” project — roughly 260 miles of new high-voltage line through the region — at Shepherd University this week. If you couldn’t make it, public comments are still open at vltransmission.com/valley-north. PNN.

• Hope Scholarship payments are going quarterly. The Hope Scholarship board voted to switch from annual to quarterly distributions — meaning the $5,435 per-student award now arrives in four installments. More than 26,000 WV students are affected, including families in the EP using it for private school or home education. This is separate from last week’s report on record-high application volumes. WV MetroNews.

Real Estate Roundup

What homes are selling for across the Panhandle

$356K

Median sale price

288

Homes sold (June)

962

Active listings

The picture right now: Across the Eastern Panhandle, the typical single-family home sold for $355,500 in June, across 288 closings we logged. Prices still climb west to east: Morgan near $365,000 (24 sales), Berkeley near $329,000 (162 sales), and Jefferson near $414,000 (102 sales).

Worth watching: Inventory. 962 homes are listed or coming soon across the three counties — Morgan 81, Berkeley 484, Jefferson 397 — including 132 “coming soon” listings about to hit the market. On size, that pencils out to about $209 a square foot for a typical detached home. Brand-new construction accounted for 28 of the 288 sales.

One that caught our eye: An $825,000 home in Charles Town.

Based on information from Bright MLS for June 1–30, 2026. Single-family detached closings we logged; medians, not averages. Compiled by EP Digest.

Worth a Cheer

Two Counties, Two Diamonds, Plenty to Brag About

• Jefferson Eagles on the AAAA All-State Baseball team. Seniors Jett Gross (1st Team, Utility) and Andrew Rolfe (2nd Team, Outfield) represent Jefferson High School on the state squad. Also honored: Nayan Dominguez and Serf Guerra (Jefferson, HM); Jamere Brown (Martinsburg, HM); Mason McGill and Jay Viands (Hedgesville, HM); Rylan Swartz (Spring Mills, HM). WV MetroNews.

• Morgan County 9U girls softball went runner-up at the Jefferson 9U Showdown. The squad went 3–1 in Shepherdstown, winning three games before falling to South County Little League (Boonsboro, MD) in the championship. Not bad for a 9-and-under team playing cross-county. Morgan Messenger.

This Week & Upcoming

JUL

Shenandoah — Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races

8 p.m. • The Event Center, Charles Town • 21+ • America 250 weekend concert. Tickets & info.

JUL

The Oak Ridge Boys — Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races

7 p.m. • The Event Center, Charles Town • 21+ • The Fourth of July at Hollywood. Tickets & info.

JUL

CATF Opens — Contemporary American Theater Festival

July 10 – August 2 • Shepherdstown • Five world premieres this season. Full schedule and tickets at catf.org.

JUL

Live Music Fridays — Downtown Martinsburg

6–8 p.m. (happy hour 5–6 p.m.) • The Town Square, Downtown Martinsburg • Free • Every Friday through summer. Main Street Martinsburg.

JUL

Hip After Six “Christmas in July” — Downtown Charles Town

6–10 p.m. • N. Charles St., Historic Downtown Charles Town • Free outdoor event in the newly expanded Hip Sips district. Charles Town Now.

Got Tips?

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Story, event, business, government, school, neighborhood, weird-and-wonderful — if it’s local, we want to hear it. Saw a new sign go up? Heard about a meeting no one’s talking about? Know of a shop opening, closing, or expanding? Spotted something on your street that turned out to be interesting? Send us a note at [email protected] — tips of every kind keep the Digest sharper than any source list could. We protect our sources, and we verify before we publish.

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EP Digest — 2026.07.02