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PARKERSBURG -- The Wood County Commission discussed dilapidated properties on Monday and took action to begin the process of demolishing a couple.
Wood County Compliance Officer Sarah Robinson briefed the commission on properties where action may need to be taken and others where action will be taken to deal with trash and debris.
She was contacted by the Humane Society of Parkersburg after it was called to 3432 Elizabeth Pike in the Mineral Wells area in regard to animals, including chickens, that were roaming the property and inside the house there.
"There was trash all over the place," Robinson said.
She showed pictures and a video clip of trash and debris all over the property. Photos of the inside of the house also show trash and debris all about. It is believed five or six people live at the residence, relatives of the property owner, including young children.
Robinson said they found the remains of a partially burned pig. Robinson said the people who lived there said the pig died naturally and they were unable to bury it so they tried to burn it. It appears other animals were eating the remains, officials said, adding two other live pigs were found at the residence.
County Engineer Maria Hardy did a report on the property and the home and structures located there and recommended the county condemn the property and work up a plan with the property owner to have the residence repaired or torn down and cleaned up.
One of the residents has health concerns that make living on the property in its current state a concern, Robinson said.
Robinson has given the property owner five days to clean up the outside of the property.
Commission President Blair Couch was absent from Monday's meeting, but called in at one point.
The commission approved moving forward with tearing down the properties at 109 and 111 Crawford St. Being next door to one another, officials felt they could get a better price for doing both at the same time.
The county, which recently got permission from the property owners to tear down both houses, agreed to bid the project.
In other business, Wood County 911 Director Rick Woodyard updated the commission on efforts to upgrade communications and computer infrastructure in the area.
He talked about wanting to erect a monopole on Fort Boreman Hill that local law enforcement can utilize for communications. Woodyard said a number of local agencies were willing to contribute funding to do that. There is also an effort to upgrade microwave dishes in the area used in communications.
"Some of the dishes we have are older and we are putting more traffic through them," Woodyard said.
They have applied for grants to upgrade computer connections and more in their operations.
Woodyard said the area is getting ready to receive a big push of personal protective equipment. They have reached out to local nursing care facilities about where the need will be.
The PPE includes KN95 masks, N95 masks, surgical masks and gowns and protective gloves, some face shields and more.
"It is going to be an assortment of all kinds of different things," Woodyard said. "We want to get that out to folks so they can stockpile some stuff on their own, in case we have another issue it will already out in the field."
The commission nominated Steve Simonton to the Mountaineer Trail Network Authority
Wood County Prosecutor Pat Lefebure said his office is preparing to go to trial next week in a murder case, the first such trial since COVID hit last year.
"We will be doing it in the city building (city council chambers) and we are getting prepped and ready for that," he said.
It is the case of Chester Robert Lilly of 2900 Avery St., who is charged with the stabbing murder of 40-year-old Travis Shane Peters in 2019. Lilly was charged with one count of murder and one count of failure to register as a sexual offender.
The case will be presented before Judge Robert Waters.
"Trials are starting to pick back up," Lefebure said.
Contact Brett Dunlap at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com