Whats happened to parkersburg? (Ravenswood, Lewisburg: skatepark, crime, house)

[wvu1234]

I was bored on the internet and found this website and wanted to know if it was just me or if others think parkersburg has changed in the past few years. It seems like theres a lot more crime and the city just seems different. Is it just my imagination or do you guys think the cities changed too?

[Two-Rivers]

I've been saying that for about the last month. Don't have exact figures but I believe our armed robberies already equal last year's. People are out of jobs, there's nowhere to look for one, and some are getting restless and a little desperate apparently.

I saw a kid, with handcuffs behind his back, climb out the rear window of a police car and he took off up the street. Stealing copper. And the price of copper is way down.

COPS! Didn't get a video durn it.

Our Mayor is doing really well. He got re-elected and promptly gave himself a big pay raise. Now they are meeting so our water/sewer rates may go up, again. Tolls on one bridge may go up to cover the cost of the new sewer plant, just opened.

But hey, we're building a skatepark in the floodplain, and the riverfront park at the point is supposed to begin construction. Blue Cross is building a new office downtown, we may be plenty sick and tired soon.

I've lost track of some of the recent rounds of layoffs. I know a wholesale distributor just closed, Goldsmit-Black.

GE was sold to a Saudi company, I can't read the sign in that language. Excel Logistics laid off around 42 this week, PCI Industries - 30. The Ames shovel plant closed after 100+ years, Johns-Manville several years before that, along with Challenger Metal and A.B. Chance. Benson Truck Bodies, last year. Dodge dealership closed. GAP, Circuit City

Jackson county- Century Aluminum laid off 700 and closed for good. Next door, Alcan was sold to China and re-named China(something), wait till they get there and find out Century is gone. That affects P-burg, and Century was the largest electric customer so they said our electric bills will have to raise.

International Converter- 40 to 60 I believe, Nova Rubber, both Belpre, Ohio, right across the river.

There have been more, but you know how it is.

Corridor D is open for a quick exodus.

A rather jumbled mess of a post...

[RomanCatholic]

I'm trying to get out, just not sure where to go yet. Possibly Lewisburg, WV.

[WVUPharm2007]

Everything went to hell right after I left. Coincidence?

[Two-Rivers]

Originally Posted by WVUPharm2007

Everything went to hell right after I left. Coincidence?

Whatever it is you took with you, bring it back.

[Ceezer]

Man, that sucks to hear. I've not heard any reports from friends/family about an increase in crime but they all live outside city limits so maybe they're not being directly affected. I haven't noticed it on any of my trips home.

[harborlady]

two-rivers a convo I had with local officials here in charleston might be useful to you. The plan not just in charleston, but in the state, the region, and in some ways even USA; no plans for economic growth/expansion. Keyword is maintenence mode, and any $$ coming in will go towards that endeavor. It's actually a very wise strategy for the rest of america, but considering WV's unique economy, I'm not so sure that it's going to accomplish similar results.

Re: crime. We had some garbage come in from alabama down here. The sign says open for business, not Open to rob business.

Not all arrivals will mean good news, but something odd is going on up there. I had a friend from minnesota heading down to give me a hand with my house & install some of his custom stained glass. He got across the WV border and they pulled him over because "they didn't like the look of my truck". He turned back around and headed home, vowing he'll never come to visit even if we've been buddies for 20 odd years. I've not had that problem on the road but perhaps the troopers are cracking down up there & he just got caught in the middle? I have no idea what this is all about, but I can't help but wonder if they were aiming for the detroit connection importing drugs to the region.

International investors owning too much of WV is a horrible plan. Particularly utilities where it's inherently a monopoly. That's not capitalism. This could get very very ugly yanking prices around, cutting off the water and juice as political whim. It's already happened in south america where they cornered the market on water, jacked up the price beyond what people could afford, and a revolt occurred. That's not good for anyone.

[Two-Rivers]

In this area, they plan to widen Rt.2 towards St. Marys, build the Mineral Wells "bypass", pave some roads, and I know of one Interstate bridge that's getting redone. Right now that bridge doesn't have a very high weight rating, hence the large amount of truck traffic using Rt.68 north from Ravenswood.

The Mineral Wells "bypass" is simply a short road and bridge to bypass "The Junction", at Rt.14 and Rt.21. A new steak house was torn down and a church re-configured many years ago to start that job, and that's as far as they made it.

There was a little more on the list, but I don't have it.

[Roxx_012]

What is "Corridor D"? I just moved to Ravenswood about a week or so before Alcan closed. I moved here from VA b/c I lost my job there... I am starting to wonder if I jumped from the pot to the frying pan...
hmm...

[Two-Rivers]

Corridor D is the completion of US 50, four lanes, from I-77 westward to Ohio RT 7.

Now, instead of winding through Parkersburg, through traffic on US50 has a non-stop route to and from Ohio.