Welcome back to EP Digest. Every Thursday morning, the best local news, events, and happenings from Jefferson, Berkeley, and Morgan 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

The Berkeley County Commission adopted its FY 2026–2027 budget this week: $57.2 million overall, with the county levy rate held at 13.39 — unchanged for nine consecutive years. The growth is happening inside the budget, not on top of it.

The headline line items are public safety. The county is funding 12 additional firefighters, and a new federal COPS grant from the U.S. Department of Justice is covering 5 new law-enforcement positions. That's 17 new uniformed jobs across fire and LE, without a tax hike. For a county that keeps adding rooftops, it's the rare "we grew our capacity to match" story.

The message is clear: Berkeley is using federal money and a fatter tax base (not a higher rate) to staff up for the population that's already moved in. The real tell will be how long the 5 COPS positions stay funded once the grant cycle ends — that's the conversation to watch at next budget season.

What's a levy rate? In West Virginia, the county levy rate is the multiplier — expressed as cents per $100 of assessed value — that the county commission applies to taxable property to generate county-level revenue. It's applied to 60% of assessed market value, and it's separate from the school levy, state levy, and any municipal levy on the same tax bill. Holding the rate flat means the dollar tax on a given property only rises if that property's assessed value rises (the "fatter tax base" above), not because the rate itself went up.

Development Watch

Here's what's on the books. Penzance, a D.C.-based real estate firm, announced on February 26 a plan to build a $4 billion data center campus on 548 acres in the Falling Waters District of Berkeley County (Bedington). The Governor's office put out the formal announcement on March 4, and the project is the state's first "high-impact intelligence center" designated under House Bill 2014, a 2025 state law written to attract this category of investment.

The scale is significant. At full build-out the campus would cover 1.9 million square feet and draw up to 600 megawatts of power. The developer says the project will create about 1,000 construction jobs and 125 permanent positions, with construction starting before the end of 2026 and the first megawatts of capacity coming online in late 2028. No state funding was used; the investment is private.

What supporters say: The project is one of the largest private capital investments in Berkeley County history. Proponents point to the construction-era workforce demand, the addition of 125 long-term jobs in a high-wage sector, the new property and business-tax revenue flowing to the county and state, and the broader case for West Virginia competing for tech-sector investment rather than ceding it to Virginia and Maryland. HB 2014 is designed to streamline that competition.

What opponents and neighbors have raised: On March 23, the Berkeley County Commission hosted a town hall at the 4-H Camp that drew more than 300 residents; roughly 25 people spoke. Concerns surfaced around noise, water-table and well impacts in a district that has historically flooded, property-value effects, use of eminent-domain authority for a private project, and transparency — including a WV Department of Commerce response declining a FOIA request for project details. Under HB 2014, counties and municipalities are prohibited from enforcing regulations that would limit a certified high-impact center, which shifts the forum for most objections from local to state.

Where things stand procedurally: Commission President Eddie Gochenour has said the Commission continues to request information from the developer and the state. The permitting pathway sits largely at the state level. The active conversations — infrastructure, water and sewer capacity, power transmission routing, traffic, and how project revenue flows to Berkeley County residents — are still in front of decision-makers and are where public comment is most likely to carry weight.

This is the biggest private development in the Panhandle in a generation. We'll keep tracking it — if you live in Falling Waters or Bedington and have ground-level information, reply to this email.

What's HB 2014? House Bill 2014, passed by the West Virginia Legislature in 2025, created a state-level classification called the "High-Impact Data Center" (or "High-Impact Intelligence Center"). Projects that qualify get streamlined permitting through the state, can use microgrids and multiple energy sources including coal and natural gas, and are shielded from local zoning or regulatory actions that would limit them. Supporters argue it makes West Virginia competitive for large tech investment. Critics argue it removes local governments and residents from the decision chain on projects that reshape their neighborhoods.

Quick Hits

• Lane closures on WV 9 & WV 901 in Hedgesville through November. The WV Division of Highways started nightly alternating closures Sunday, April 19 — 7pm to 6am daily, potentially running through November, for a new left-turn lane and signal. WV 9 is the primary east–west corridor for a big chunk of the panhandle. Plan around it.

• Governor signs horse-racing revitalization bill at Charles Town Races. Gov. Patrick Morrisey held the ceremonial signing of SB 1060 at Hollywood Casino on April 13, joined by Sens. Jason Barrett and Patricia Rucker. The bill aims to shore up the state's horse-racing industry — one of Jefferson County's largest private employers and tax generators.

• May 12 is a big Tuesday. The WV Primary Election and Berkeley County's $115.4 million school bond vote both land the same day. Voter-registration closed April 21, but anyone already registered is on the rolls.

What's a school bond? A school bond is a long-term loan the school district issues to pay for capital projects — new school buildings, renovations, major facility upgrades — that the annual operating budget can't absorb. Repayment comes from a dedicated bond levy added to property-tax bills over the life of the bond (typically 20–30 years). West Virginia law requires a 60% supermajority of votes cast for a bond to pass. Berkeley voters are being asked to authorize up to $115.4 million, paired with a $45 million commitment from the state's School Building Authority. What it would fund (per Berkeley County Schools and WV MetroNews): a new Hedgesville Middle School on district-owned land next to the high school off Cumbo Road (~150 students absorbed from Spring Mills); a standalone CTE facility at the former 115,000 sq ft Kmart on Apple Harvest Drive; the old Hedgesville Middle School repurposed as a daytime alternative school; additions/renovations at Martinsburg South Middle, Rosemont Elementary, Hedgesville High, and Tomahawk Intermediate; cafeteria upgrades at Musselman HS and Tomahawk; athletic upgrades at Musselman; HVAC at Martinsburg HS; and road improvements around Spring Mills. Full project detail at berkeleycountyschools.org/o/bond.

• Jefferson County offices are moving. The new County Government Center at 393 N. Lawrence St. in Charles Town is coming online in stages — the full Commission-offices move is expected to wrap by the end of 2026. Assessor and other Commission offices are in a phased relocation now; expect short closures and occasional service interruptions. We'll carry confirmed closure dates once the Sheriff's Office and Assessor post them.

• Martinsburg Farmers Market is open. The 2026 season kicked off April 18 with an Earth Day opening at 125 W. King Street. Saturdays 10am–2pm through October 31.

This Week & Upcoming

APR

23

5:30–6:30pm • Martinsburg Public Library • Open comment period on the region's transit planning. One of two this week (Charles Town session was Wednesday). Background on the Direction 2055 long-range plan.

APR

25

10am–4pm • The Depot, 310 Bell Place, Charles Town • Pet-and-plant community festival benefiting Margaret's Saving Grace Bully Rescue. Food, live music, moon bounce, petting zoo, adoptable dogs. Kid- and dog-friendly.

APR

26

9:30am–3pm • Cool Spring Preserve, 1469 Lloyd Road, Charles Town • Free drop-in at the Case Nature Center. Good Sunday if you want to get the kids outside.

APR

29

4pm • Morgan's Grove Park Pavilion, Shepherdstown • Community bag-stuffing event. Organizers are taking donations now. Bring gloves and an hour. Event details.

MAY

2

10am–3pm • Berkeley County Sheriff's Office • Family-friendly meet-the-deputies day with partner organizations on site. Good chance to see how the new LE positions start to show up on the ground. BCSO alert.

MAY

7

6:30pm • Jefferson County Extension Office, Kearneysville • Part of the WVU Extension statewide needs assessment (six sessions across WV in May). If you've ever wanted to tell the land-grant what the EP needs, this is the form meeting. Register.

MAY

12

Polls open statewide • Berkeley County voters also decide on the $115.4M school bond. Primary ballot includes contested school-board seats. See Quick Hits above for bond details.

MAY

29

6pm–10pm • N. Charles Street, Charles Town • Part of Charles Town Now's 2026 downtown series. Bring chairs; popcorn sponsored by Rezbar & Dee.

On the Agenda

PSC public hearings on the NEET MidAtlantic transmission line: The WV Public Service Commission has set public-comment hearings on the proposed NextEra Energy Transmission MidAtlantic line cutting across northern and eastern West Virginia. Anyone wanting standing as a formal intervenor files through the PSC. We'll carry the confirmed hearing dates and intervenor deadline in next week's edition once the PSC posts the public notice.

Berkeley County Planning Commission met Monday, Apr 20: The agenda included a concept plan for Grace Church in Inwood (an 8,000 sq ft expansion plus 92 parking spaces at 2249 Henshaw Rd), the Spring Mills Medical parking expansion, an Oak Leaf Meadows lot-width waiver, two detailed site plans (Superior Construction & Hauling and 184 True Apple Way), a preliminary plan for a 236-space trailer/RV storage lot at Clarissa Lane, and an update on the Comprehensive Plan. No Penzance-related items on this agenda — that project lives at the state level under HB 2014.

Jefferson County Commission, next meeting Thu, May 7: First-Thursday cycle. Agenda not yet posted.

Berkeley Museum project hires a firm: The Berkeley County Museum Commission retained Mills Group of Morgantown for what the county is calling a "key first step" on a regional museum project. Early-stage, but worth tracking — Mills Group's project page has concept imagery.

Spring Notes

The peach blossoms just wrapped, and the apple (white) blossoms at Orr's Farm Market in Martinsburg are expected to open around April 22 and last 10–14 days. That's this week into early May. The Shenandoah Junction satellite market is also open for the season — they restock produce every other day.

One safety note: the National Weather Service out of Baltimore/Washington issued a Red Flag Warning for the eastern panhandle and I-81 corridor on April 16, citing low humidity, dry fuels, near-record high temps, and wind gusts up to 25 mph. The outlook for continued dry, windy stretches has not cleared. If you're burning yard debris this season, obey state and local burn bans and check the NWS hazardous-weather outlook before you light anything. Dry spring is the kind of small detail that can turn into a real problem fast.

What's in the Permits

A weekly peek at what's moving through the county planning pipeline. Four highlights from the Berkeley County Planning Commission's April 20 meeting. (Jefferson and Morgan coming weeks they meet.)

Clarissa Lane Storage (Falling Waters) — 236-space trailer/RV lot. Preliminary plan approved. Panhandle Homes is developing a 15.73-acre gravel storage lot at the end of Clarissa Lane (east of Broad Lane, just north of I-81 and next to the WV Welcome Center). No utilities; gravel drive aisles and parking (waiver previously granted). File #2407-186.

Oak Leaf Meadows — Ryan Homes swaps villas for detached. Waiver granted for Section 1, Phase 1, Lots 1-10 & 142-147 on Sulphur Springs Road (Mill Creek District). Ryan Homes is taking over a parcel that was originally platted for Panhandle Homes-style attached villas and reconfiguring to single-family detached because the existing water-meter placement conflicts with Ryan's standard garage orientation. The 2025 subdivision ordinance lot-area requirements still apply. Practical translation: same lots, different floor plans. File #2603-156.

Grace Church — Inwood campus expansion. Concept plan approved. 8,000 sq ft building expansion and 92 new parking spaces on 5.28 acres at 2249 Henshaw Road, ~700 feet east of Gerrardstown Road. Served by public water and sewer. Next step: detailed site plan. File #2511-315.

Spring Mills Medical — parking expansion. Major plan change approved for University Healthcare Physicians at Campus Drive and US-11. A modest 0.45-acre lot expansion, but notable as one more signal the Spring Mills medical campus is still scaling. File #2407-199.

Got Tips?

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? Reply to this email — tips of every kind keep the Digest sharper than any source list could. We protect our sources, and we verify before we publish.