The new flight school classroom at the Wheeling-Ohio County Airport is complete and has obtained certification from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Ohio County Administrator Randy Russell informed county commissioners Tuesday that the classroom has passed FAA inspection, and classes should begin there at the end of this month.
West Liberty University and Marshall University are partnering to offer aviation classes at the airport, which will serve as a satellite location for Marshall’s Bill Noe Flight School.
The classroom space constructed there is complete “except for some gingerbread work,” Russell said.
He added aviation students are expected to begin flying planes sometime after the “Wings Over Wheeling” air show on Aug. 24.
Classes begin at the school on Aug. 26.
In other matters, property tax collections exceeded 80% in Ohio County, and that means a bonus for Sheriff Tom Howard.
West Virginia State Code awards a bonus of $1,500 to sheriffs who meet collection requirements, and commissioners approved that bonus for Howard on Tuesday.
Russell also announced the emergency absentee voting policy in West Virginia followed by Ohio County, which establishes the instances under which a voter may ask to vote an emergency absentee ballot on Election Day.
A request may be made if a voter is hospitalized in the county, an adjacent county or within 35 miles of the county seat. They may also qualify if they are in a nursing home within the county.
Voters needing to vote an emergency ballot should contact the Ohio County Commission on the day of the Nov. 5 election. If they meet the criteria, two emergency absentee voting ballot commissioners will come to where they are to bring them a ballot.
Ohio County will begin accepting applications for mail-in absentee ballots on Aug. 13, and the drawing for order of names on the general election ballot will take place on Aug. 27.
The commission will next meet at 6 p.m. on Aug. 20 at the City-County Building, 1500 Chapline St., Wheeling.