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.

Jefferson County Wants Its Towns at the Table on Growth

Jefferson County’s commissioners called a special meeting Thursday, Oct. 15, with one subject: how fast the county is growing, and who pays for it. Around the table were county staff, Charles Town Utility Board General Manager Paul Mantello, Ranson Mayor Ken Suits, state Sen. Patricia Rucker, Del. Joe Funkhouser, Schools Superintendent Chuck Bishop and two WVDOH District 5 engineers. Many of the towns that were invited did not come. The Journal covered the meeting.

The permit numbers came from Deputy County Administrator Roger Goodwin. In 2025, Ranson issued 942 residential permits, Charles Town 273 and the county 315. So far in 2026: Ranson 449, Charles Town 261, the county 233. Commission President Pasha Majdi put it plainly: “75-80% of the housing growth is approved by the cities, not the county.” He said the county is tightening its own zoning and wants the towns as partners.

The county collected $8.38 million in impact fees in 2026, $6.15 million of it for schools, $1.64 million for parks and $372,439 for EMS. Emergency Services Agency Director Todd Gorham and Fire Chief Ross Morgan reported more than a 30% increase in monthly calls, with longer response times. Suits said an ambulance fee may be the only real fix, and that $40 a household a year “is not going to cut it.” Bishop said the school system is already planning redistricting.

One tool the county can’t easily reach for: an adequate public facilities ordinance, which ties new building to road and school capacity. Goodwin said that is hard in West Virginia, a strict “Dillon’s Rule” state where counties can only do what the Legislature allows.

Early Voting Is Open Through Oct. 31

Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election runs Oct. 21–31, Monday through Saturday. In Morgan County, it’s at the courthouse, 77 Fairfax St., Berkeley Springs, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Berkeley County votes 8 a.m.–5 p.m. at three sites: the Dunn Building, 400 W. Stephen St., Martinsburg; Bedington Ruritan, 3947 Williamsport Pike; and the South Berkeley VFD main station, 7556 Winchester Ave., Inwood, which replaces the Pikeside substation. Jefferson County votes at the Government Complex, 393 N. Lawrence St., Charles Town, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. On Election Day, polls are open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The Journal has the sites.

In the 2nd District race: Republican Rep. Riley Moore and Democrat Ace Parsi debated Oct. 14 at WRNR in Martinsburg. Moore said he has brought more than $130 million in federal money to the district for “roads, water and bringing in new jobs” and defended the One Big Beautiful Bill Act as a tax cut. Parsi called the law “the biggest corporate tax giveaway in history” and a “slow-motion train wreck” for Medicaid and SNAP. Moore called Parsi a “professional protester”; Parsi says he wants three more debates. The News and Sentinel has the debate.

Berkeley Springs Lifts Its Boil-Water Advisory

Berkeley Springs Water Works lifted its system-wide boil-water advisory Tuesday, Oct. 20, after water samples came back satisfactory, the Journal reports. The advisory went out Oct. 16 after five leaks, the largest on Jimstown Road, cost the system water and pressure; customers south of Sheetz on Route 522 were never under it. Before going back to normal use, the utility suggests running your water for about five minutes to flush the lines. Mayor Greg Schene said the remaining repairs could bring more short boil-water advisories later this week or next. The leaks also hit Berkeley Club Beverages: its water comes from a spring, but it uses town water to wash bottles and run equipment, and the notice interrupted bottling, PNN reports. The all-clear • The bottler.

Also in Morgan County: the Morgan County Republican Executive Committee hosts a “Proud to be an American” rally Saturday, Oct. 24, noon to 3 p.m. at Berkeley Springs State Park, the first Saturday of early voting. It’s open to everyone, with free hot dogs and hamburgers while they last, music and a door prize. The county Democratic committee asked to join; “We are very happy to be included,” said Judith Shumate for the Democrats. The County Commission proclaimed Oct. 24 “Proud to be an American Day.” Details.

And at the state Supreme Court: the court heard arguments Wednesday, Oct. 21, in the suspension case of Morgan County Magistrate Vince Shambaugh, after September’s session was continued. The court suspended him in June over judicial-conduct violations it has kept sealed. It has not ruled. The court’s calendar.

Martinsburg’s Skate Park Goes Out to Bid

The long-talked-about Martinsburg skate park took a real step: City Council voted to put the project out for bids. The city has about $500,000 lined up from Berkeley County parks impact fees and quality-of-life money from the Monument Companies “Interwoven” PILOT agreement, against preliminary estimates of $500,000 to $670,000. American Ramp Builders did the design. The city already owns the site, near the Frog Hollow Trail’s South Spring Street entrance, so no land has to be bought. If bids come in on budget, construction could start in 2027, according to a memo from City Manager Andy Blake. In August, council voted to seek a grant of up to $1 million; the city has since dropped that route because it could have added two-plus years. The Journal has the plan.

Also in Berkeley County: the County Commission voted unanimously Oct. 15 to turn one of the Sheriff’s Office’s 73 funded deputy positions into a civilian evidence technician, freeing a uniformed deputy for patrol at no added cost. The technician will run the evidence room and help lead the crime-scene team. Chief Eric Burnett said the office has nine vacancies, with two more retirements coming. Details.

Seven Downtown Charles Town Buildings Are For Sale

With county offices moving to the new government center at 393 N. Lawrence St., Jefferson County has listed seven downtown Charles Town buildings for a combined $7.29 million, Observer WV reports. A recent change in state law dropped the requirement to auction county property, so the county can sell directly. Observer WV has the list.

The biggest tickets: the 1967 Mason building at 116 E. Washington St., now Engineering, Planning and Zoning, at $2.30 million; the Reinenger building at 108 E. Washington, $1.63 million; Hunter House, the former commission offices at 124 E. Washington, $1.39 million; and the Gray building at 120 S. George St., now the prosecutor’s office, $1.36 million. The Moffet ($318,798), the Smoot ($133,830) and a carriage house on N. Samuel St. ($161,190) round it out. All but the Mason building are contributing structures in the Charles Town historic district. The courthouse, jail annex and St. Margaret’s building are not for sale; the courts keep them until 330 N. George St. is renovated. The prosecutor and planning offices move in 2027, and how three county parking parcels get split is still being worked out.

Also in Jefferson County: the commission, which started working on rules for Flock-style license-plate cameras in August, has passed a “Protection from Mass Surveillance” policy covering camera systems like Flock on county property, the Journal reports. It bars mass-surveillance systems on county property and bars county officials from approving agreements for them; ordinary security cameras and traffic sensors are exempt. The vote was unanimous. “We do not have a Flock camera problem in Jefferson County,” Majdi said. Details.

And on the power line: Valley Link has redrawn its maps for Valley North, the proposed 260-mile, 765-kV line from Putnam County to Frederick County, Md. In Jefferson County, it dropped the option that entered south of Rippon from Clarke County, Va., and narrowed the two remaining routes: one enters southwest of Middleway and crosses Brucetown and Box Factory roads; the other follows the Dominion line across Route 340 north of Rippon. In Berkeley County, a single route comes up from Frederick County, Va., crosses I-81 north of the welcome center and runs past Specks Run and Hyslip Ford roads. The nearest of 12 open houses is Nov. 18, 4–7 p.m., at the Ranson Civic Center, 432 W. 2nd St. Observer WV has the maps.

In Harpers Ferry: the state Supreme Court was scheduled to hear arguments Wednesday, Oct. 21, in a group of Harpers Ferry residents’ challenge to the 2020 Tourism Development District Act. The law lets the state approve up to five districts in towns of 2,000 or fewer people, for projects of at least $25 million, and exempts them from local zoning, historic preservation, building permits and noise rules. The state approved one in 2021 for the $138 million-plus rebuild of the Hill Top House Hotel. The residents argue the law is an unconstitutional “special law” written for a single developer; state officials defend it as a constitutional general law. Lower courts ruled against the residents. WV News has the case.

Arrests in Berkeley Springs, on I-81 and in Charles Town

In Berkeley Springs: officers serving a search warrant at a Sunset Drive home the night of Oct. 16 found 13 automatic and semiautomatic firearms, several hundred rounds of ammunition and suspected methamphetamine, according to a criminal complaint reported by the Morgan Messenger. The Messenger reports that Shane W. Lechliter, 50, of Berkeley Springs, is charged with second-offense domestic assault, possession of a controlled substance and being a prohibited person with a firearm, and was jailed on $35,000 bond. The Messenger.

The charges are allegations — Lechliter has not been convicted.

On I-81: Berkeley County deputies say that early Oct. 15 they chased a speeding sedan on I-81 near Hedgesville at more than 110 mph before ending the pursuit with a PIT maneuver near mile marker 20. The car rolled and the driver was thrown out; deputies say the driver was taken to Berkeley Medical Center in stable condition, with charges pending. About 90 minutes later, a second, unrelated chase off Winchester Avenue ended on a dead-end street with an arrest. The sheriff’s office post.

Also on I-81, near Falling Waters: Berkeley County deputies say they helped Martinsburg police stop a car Oct. 15 at the end of an MPD drug investigation. According to the sheriff’s office, the car fled an initial traffic stop, and deputies boxed it in with a rolling roadblock before a chase could develop. Deputies say they found about 19.6 grams of suspected fentanyl, 7.9 grams of suspected cocaine base and cash. The sheriff’s office says driver Tyrik Williams and passenger Jade Bowins are charged with offenses including possession with intent to deliver fentanyl and cocaine base, transporting fentanyl into West Virginia and conspiracy. Williams, 25, of Baltimore, and Bowins, 29, of Hagerstown, Md., were jailed on $250,000 and $75,000 bonds. The sheriff’s office post.

The charges are allegations — neither Williams nor Bowins has been convicted.

In Charles Town: police are crediting “proactive policing” and community tips for a string of drug arrests, according to a department message reported by PNN. Police say Robert Flores Penaloza, 45, of Clarksburg, Md., was arrested Oct. 8 in the lot of a closed business and charged with felony possession with intent to distribute cocaine and misdemeanor marijuana possession. Police say Cedric Eugene Galloway, 57, of Charles Town, was arrested Oct. 12 after a traffic stop for an equipment violation, with a Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office K-9 assisting, and charged with possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and transporting a controlled substance into West Virginia, both felonies. And police say Michael Randolph Hughes, 58, of Charles Town, was arrested Aug. 24 after an e-bike stop and charged with felony possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, plus misdemeanor counts including fleeing on foot. PNN has the department’s statement.

The charges are allegations — none of the three men has been convicted.