By Hannah Heishman
When the Moorefield Town Council met Tuesday, April 21, they found themselves with a full house.
The Council first heard a presentation from TaYare Meade and Morgan See about Child Abuse Prevention Month. They presented a banner to the Council with hopes it will be displayed on a flag pole not just this April, but for Child Abuse Prevention Months in the future.
The Council accepted the banner.
Shaena Crossland, from representing Tucker United, briefed the Council on impacts of data centers.
Crossland, who grew up in Hardy and Grant Counties, lives in Davis.
She said her community learned about planned construction of a power plant because of a legal notice for an air quality permit in the county’s newspaper. Research led to a permit that was, Crossland said, “heavily redacted.”
The company requesting the permit, Fundamental Data, has no build history, she said, and the name on the paperwork leads back to a land developer out of Virginia.
The power plant plans include construction across 500 acres and storage for 30 million gallons of diesel fuel on site as a back-up power source.
Crossland said the more citizens dug, the more upsetting information they discovered. The property will be between Davis and Thomas, and will have the ability to power a large data center, possibly up to 10,000 acres.
Crossland referred to West Virginia House Bill 2014 from the 2025 session, known as the Power Generation and Consumption Act. The bill establishes a ‘certified microgram’ program to attract data centers by allowing them to create independent energy grids.
Supporters say the bill will improve economies. Critics believe it’s another case of West Virginians paying for a program that offers little or no local benefit.
“We all know we need development,” Crossland said. “We know we need infrastructure and good paying jobs. We’re not against development: We need jobs. We want to know that what’s coming has West Virginians at the forefront, to benefit West Virginians.
“We have questions. We want to pass ordinances to protect water sources, children and gathering areas.”
Crossland said one of the biggest reasons she’s making the effort to talk to municipal and county governments arounds Tucker County is because when Tucker United sued the West Virginian Department of Environmental Protection for approving the permit and Fundamental Data, the company building the power plant, the defendants would not provide information that could prove they would not pollute air and water.
Testing indicated air pollution would not just blow away — and that if it does, Hardy County and Moorefield will be affected. An issue with fuel storage at the power plant would also affect water quality here.
Crossland also noted that, if a data center is the point, it does not bring jobs. A data center complex in the Eastern Panhandle provides a job for 1.5 people per every 100 acres.
“All these people from out of state come in and take our resources, and leave us with waste,” Crossland said. “West Virginia deserves better than that.”
The presentation was information only, and no action was taken.
Eric Schaeffer and Susan Garrett, representing McCoy’s Grand Theater, requested use of the Town Square at the intersection of Main Street and Winchester Avenue for the theater’s FallFest on Oct. 24 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Later in the meeting, the Council approved the request. (Disclosure: The reporter is also a member of the McCoy’s Grand Theater board of directors.)
The Council approved donating $500 to the Moorefield High School baseball team, to assist with a trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
They approved levy rates for 2026-2027. The levy has not changed in decades, and did not change this year.
Public Works Director Lucas Gagnon talked to the Council about extending the sewage main line to north side of the Old Fields bridge for the Crites Industrial Park. It will not cost the Town, but revenue is limited to five years.
Gagnon recommended the Town do the work: “I think any time we can extend the service, we’re better off,” he said.
He said the next phase after the industrial park would be the Ogden Farm Road development and river lots.
The Council opted to take no action until the industrial park is built.
The Council approved pool hours, and a staggered opening. Hours will be as follows: Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.; Monday through Saturday, 12 to 5 p.m. The pool will open on Memorial Day, but will be open on weekends until June.
The Council approved naming the walking trail at the Moorefield Town Park in honor of Elwood Williams, who was a key figure at Hesters Industries and was an advocate for the park.
The Council meets again May 5 and 19 at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall. The public is encouraged to attend. Meetings are streamed live on the Town’s Facebook page, and can be viewed there for up to 90 days after the meeting.
