State Parks & Tourism: Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced nearly $20M in upgrades to West Virginia state parks, including a new 34-site campground at Little Beaver State Park near the New River Gorge and $1M in snowmaking improvements at Canaan Valley Resort to boost winter visitation. Environmental Risk & Industry: DEP approved a Peoples Cartage fire site assessment plan warning of “vast contamination potential” near the Little Kanawha River, tied to a July warehouse blaze and a state of emergency. Banking & Local Economy: Peoples Bancorp and Capital Bancorp signed a merger agreement valued at about $728.1M, creating a larger multi-state banking platform with roughly $14B in assets. Energy & Power Regulation: A PSC hearing weighed opposing views on coal-fired power rules tied to House Bill 2014’s data-center push, with proposals focused on maintaining thermal baseload capacity. Home Energy Costs: West Virginia launched statewide home energy rebate programs funded with $88M in federal support, aiming to cut utility bills with low- or no-out-of-pocket options for eligible families. Data Centers & Local Governance: Putnam County adopted a resolution on data centers requiring developers to follow county ordinances and consider impacts beyond finances. Public Safety & Infrastructure: A Morgantown-area bridge worker was killed after a crane malfunction on an I-79 bridge project, underscoring ongoing construction safety concerns.