#wheelingisland

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – A shots-fired investigation has resulted in a lengthy prison sentence for a Wheeling, West Virginia, man, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. Roland N. Copney, 37, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison for a methamphetamine offense. The investigation began in March 2024 after reports of shots fired on Wheeling Island led officers to a South Broadway Street residence linked to Copney. A search warrant executed at the home uncovered nearly 200 grams of methamphetamine, a 9mm shell casing, ammunition, and drug paraphernalia. A subsequent search of the property revealed additional methamphetamine, cocaine, two firearms, and more ammunition. Copney has a criminal history that includes domestic violence and assault. “Violent offenders will not be tolerated in the Northern District of West Virginia,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. “Protecting our communities is our highest priority. If you combine drugs and firearms, you will face a lengthy sentence.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Conklin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wheeling Police Department investigated. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration. U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided. Read the full article

WHEELING, W.Va. - The Wheeling Water Department will be flushing and testing hydrants on Wheeling Island beginning Wednesday, June 17. Residents may see discolored water. Please run cold water until it clears. Flushing/testing is expected to last several weeks. Read the full article

WHEELING, W.Va. — Around 7:40 a.m. today, Wheeling Police were called to the 300 block of South Huron Street on Wheeling Island for a report of an unresponsive man lying on the sidewalk. When officers and fire department personnel arrived, the man was confirmed to be deceased. Foul play is not suspected. Additional information is not available at this time as detectives continue to investigate. Read the full article

Wheeling Police arrested and charged a local man with felony gun and drug crimes after an initial overdose call on Wheeling Island last week. Around 1:40 a.m., Friday, Oct. 22, police were called to 300 North Front Street for an unresponsive woman who was suffering from an apparent drug overdose. The victim was taken to Wheeling Hospital for medical treatment, where she later died. After obtaining a search warrant for the house, patrol officers and detectives discovered multiple firearms connected to the occupant of the apartment, identified as Everard Kennith Prude, 49 of Wheeling. Wheeling police also discovered a large amount of drugs in the house, including 256 grams of methamphetamine, 80 grams of fentanyl and roughly 4 grams of MDMA (a.k.a. ecstasy) and drug packaging materials. Police have criminally charged Prude with three counts of possession with intent to deliver and three counts of prohibited person with a firearm. He was taken to the Northern Regional Jail and later arraigned by a magistrate, who set bond at $120,000. An exact cause of death for the woman, identified as Latahsa Collins, 43 of Wheeling is undetermined at this time. No charges have been filed regarding the death as detectives continue their investigation and await autopsy and toxicology reports. Read the full article

The Hope VI program was to transform public housing not just in Wheeling but throughout the nation in the late 1990s, and the leaders of the federal Housing and Urban Development worked with local decision makers to plan what was next for the people living at Lincoln Homes and Grandview Manor. No one involved with the decision, however, actually lived there so they didn’t realize what they were destroying. “When I first moved to Grandview Manor, I didn’t know what to expect because of the things that you heard about it,” said former resident April Schrump. “Of course, you heard about drugs and things like that, but you never heard about all of the people who lived there and made it the best that it could be.  You never heard about the grandmothers up there who weren’t just there for their grandkids but for all of the kids on that hill. “I only lived there for a couple of years, but I made so many friends while I lived at Grandview Manor, and I am still friends with them today,” she said. “Grandview Manor was nothing like what I had heard before I moved in, and I missed those people after I moved out. We took care of each other up there.” The city of Wheeling, according the press release distributed by HUD in August 1999, received a $17.1 Million Hope VI grant to make housing available to 150 families and to demolish 328 public housing apartments. Read the full article

It could have been a very large fire that caused damage to neighboring occupied properties on the south end of Wheeling Island, but not only was that catastrophe avoided thanks to the city’s firefighters, but Wheeling police officers also quickly apprehended a suspect now charged with first-degree arson. According to the press release distributed to media outlets, Jason Kincannon, 24, of Wheeling was taken into custody by police and is charged with first degree arson, and then he was transported to the Northern Regional Jail pending arraignment. According to the city’s report, “Neighbors reported to police they saw a man inside the house leaving moments after the fire started. Police were able to identify the suspect on a home video surveillance and make an arrest.” “As always, our Wheeling Fire Department showed their commitment toward saving lives and protecting property. The fire department was on the scene within minutes and was able to put out the fire pretty quickly,” said Ward 2 Councilman Ben Seidler. “I haven’t got the official word as to the extent of the damage yet, but it certainly appears that it could have been much worse. “The men and women with the fire department put it out quickly and safely and protected the neighboring properties to ensure the fire didn’t spread,” he said. Read the full article