Leviticus 19:33-34
Website's content solely by the creators & content providers. This site is NOT affiliated with nor endorsed by the Town.
Website's content solely by the creators & content providers. This site is NOT affiliated with nor endorsed by the Town.
These Terra Alta area attractions provide a glimpse into the natural beauty and rich Terra Alta history, making it a charming destination for visitors:
These Terra Alta area attractions provide a glimpse into the natural beauty and rich Terra Alta history, making it a charming destination for visitors:
Terra Alta Veterans Memorial
Terra Alta, West Virginia, honors its veterans through several memorials located at 406 E. State Avenue. These include plaques and benches commemorating:
These memoria
Terra Alta Veterans Memorial
Terra Alta, West Virginia, honors its veterans through several memorials located at 406 E. State Avenue. These include plaques and benches commemorating:
These memorials serve as a testament to the service and sacrifice of local veterans.
Climate Change?
Winters can be extremely harsh, but in recent history it's nothing like it was back in the day!
Climate Change?
Winters can be extremely harsh, but in recent history it's nothing like it was back in the day!
Many have summarized the Terra Alta climate as: "It's like living under a damp mushroom."
Revitalization Progress
Slowly but surely... Recently, a new ice cream parlor, a new pizza shop, significant renovations to the town park and some eyesore properties demolished/cleaned-up. Coming soon... a new (another) dollar store.
A water distribution system and water treatment plant improvement project is currently underway. The projec
Revitalization Progress
Slowly but surely... Recently, a new ice cream parlor, a new pizza shop, significant renovations to the town park and some eyesore properties demolished/cleaned-up. Coming soon... a new (another) dollar store.
A water distribution system and water treatment plant improvement project is currently underway. The project is partly funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed into law on November 15, 2021, with support from the EPA and the West Virginia Water Development Authority. The total project cost exceeds $4.5 million.
During the spring and early summer of 2024, the town undertook a substantial renovation of the town park. The improvements included grading and drainage upgrades, repaving, and remodeling of the town's community building. Additionally, the park's basketball courts were renovated and some deteriorating structures demolished. The total project cost was reported to be approximately fifty thousand dollars.
A New Beginning?
The 2023 town elections resulted in the incumbent Mayor of the previous two years being defeated and a new reform/revival minded Mayor (Dan Hauger) taking office on July 1, 2023. It was a closer election result than many expected, but we were excited to see if this new reformer Mayor could make a difference. Mayor Hauger c
A New Beginning?
The 2023 town elections resulted in the incumbent Mayor of the previous two years being defeated and a new reform/revival minded Mayor (Dan Hauger) taking office on July 1, 2023. It was a closer election result than many expected, but we were excited to see if this new reformer Mayor could make a difference. Mayor Hauger campaigned on eliminating the "good old boy system" and equal access/treatment to all citizens of the town. He also espoused a "tough love" approach to getting noncompliant residents to clean up and properly maintain their property; we remember him saying in a social media post (paraphrasing), it's a get with the program or get out approach. We wholeheartedly support the new Mayor's efforts to "save" the town and to foster a "rebirth" of Terra Alta. That being said, we are also hopeful that these renewal initiatives are undertaken with FULL transparency and in a democratic (small "d") mindset.
Suggestions for Increased Transparency & Openness
All Government Proceedings OPEN to be the Public
West Virginia Code § 51-3-2 states:
"The sittings of every court of record shall be public, and every citizen may freely attend the same, except in cases where the court shall, for special reasons, order the trial of a cause to be private."
Even though municipal courts are not courts of record, they are still part of the judicial system and are subject to the same principles of openness that apply to other courts in the state. This means that, unless there is a specific legal reason to close a proceeding (such as protecting the privacy of a victim, a minor, or sensitive information), the public has the right to attend municipal court hearings.
The general requirement for public access to court proceedings, including those in municipal courts, aligns with the broader legal principles found in the West Virginia Constitution and the West Virginia Code, which promote open government and transparency in the judicial process.
Terra Alta/East Preston School, located at 1103 East State Avenue in Terra Alta, West Virginia, serves approximately 310 students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. The school has a student-teacher ratio of 13:1, aligning with the state average. (U.S. News & World Report)
In terms of academic performance, Terra Alta/East Preston Sc
Terra Alta/East Preston School, located at 1103 East State Avenue in Terra Alta, West Virginia, serves approximately 310 students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. The school has a student-teacher ratio of 13:1, aligning with the state average. (U.S. News & World Report)
In terms of academic performance, Terra Alta/East Preston School ranks within the bottom 50% of all public schools in West Virginia. Specifically, it is ranked #243 among elementary schools and #84 among middle schools in the state. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school was ranked 252nd out of 368 West Virginia elementary schools by SchoolDigger.
Regarding proficiency, 31% of students achieved proficiency in math, and 39% in reading, both slightly below the state averages of 32% and 41%, respectively.
The school's student body is predominantly White, comprising 97% of the enrollment, with minority students making up 3%. Additionally, approximately 70% of students are eligible for free lunch, and 15% for reduced-price lunch.
!!! Coming Soon !!!
*EAGLE PRIDE ATHLETICS*
!!! Coming Soon !!!
!!! Coming Soon !!!
BANKING
DENTAL
EMERGENCY
HEALTH CARE
LEGAL
LIBRARY
LODGING
POST OFFICE
Don't Kill the Messenger
Citizens with pitchforks and torches at the ready? Perhaps a more constructive activity is to focus that ire on those who own the eyesores and continue to take no action year after year.
Q&A
Q: You're not even from here—what gives you the right? A: We've owned property, operated a business, and/or resided within t
Don't Kill the Messenger
Citizens with pitchforks and torches at the ready? Perhaps a more constructive activity is to focus that ire on those who own the eyesores and continue to take no action year after year.
Q&A
Q: You're not even from here—what gives you the right? A: We've owned property, operated a business, and/or resided within town limits since the late 1980s and have extended family going back decades before that.
Leviticus 19:33-34
Q: If you don't have anything nice to say, why say anything at all? A: This website is a sincere effort to bring new energy and ideas to Terra Alta. We have said plenty of nice things, but anyone in touch with reality has to agree that, over recent decades, Terra Alta has been allowed to decay. Whether it has rotted from the inside out, the outside in, or both is a subject for debate.
Q: Why don't you post or provide your personal identities here? A: Admittedly, the partial veil of anonymity is an attempt to avoid the inevitable threats to person and property that may arise via the Internet; or potential retaliation from Town Hall. However, anyone with genuine curiosity and a smartphone can figure things out.
Elon Musk (billionaire & Donald Trump supporter/advocate) says, "free speech is someone you DON'T like allowed to say something you DON'T like".
The Terra Alta Veterans Memorial is a tribute to all who served to protect & defend the U.S. Constitution. The first amendment of which guarantees the free speech rights of ALL citizens.
According to recent posts on the Mayor's social media page, a male pedestrian was struck by what is described as a "plow truck" somewhere along Shaffer St. near the intersection with E. State Ave. The driver did not stop and fled the scene. The victim sustained serious injuries, but is recovering. Again, relying on social media posts, the incident occurred in the late evening of Thursday, Jan. 16, into the early morning of Friday, Jan. 17. Anyone with information regarding the matter is encouraged to contact law enforcement.
According to WDTV News ( Jan. 17, 2025 at 4:11 PM EST ) - The city of Clarksburg, WV plans to use a nearly $400K grant received from West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection to tear down abandoned houses. “They (i.e. abandoned houses) are dangerous for fires, especially in the colder months, when homeless possibly inhabit the homes, and build fires to stay warm, they're an eye sore, so they are a nuisance to the neighboring property owners,” “These structures appear to be declining in property value as well as neighboring properties,” said Jason Lane, Clarksburg City Project Director.
According to WDTV News (Jan. 8, 2025 at 10:55 AM EST) - Two nurses have been criminally charged in connection with the death of a Hopemont Hospital patient. The patient was exposed for a lengthy period of time to scalding hot water. He was transported to a burn trauma unit of a regional hospital, but later died as a result of his injuries. Authorities continue to investigate the incident.
The year 2025 will be an election year for the town of Terra Alta. This includes elections for the offices of Mayor, Recorder and five Town Council seats. We do not believe the town of Terra Alta has enacted an ordinance which sets specific dates for a candidate filing period (we may be wrong). According to the West Virginia Municipal League and State Code, when a town or municipality has not specifically by charter or ordinance set a Candidate Filing Period the following applies:
State law requires candidates to file a certificate of announcement between the second Monday of January and the last Saturday of January before the election. The filing is made with the municipal recorder or clerk, and may be made by mail, but must be postmarked by the U. S. Postal Service no later than midnight of the last day of filing. The form of the certificate is set by law and must be notarized. A certificate of announcement that lacks essential information may be rejected. W. Va. Code § 3-5-7. (More details and information may be found in the "Secretary of State - State of West Virginia - Municipal Elections Guide - April 10, 2023", a copy of which can be obtained from a simple internet search.)
West Virginia Municipal Candidate's Certificate of Announcement Form & Instructions
Rumor has it the new Family Dollar store is set open in the February/March 2025 timeframe. However, from our observations it appears the new store will not be a dual-branded Family Dollar / Dollar Tree establishment, as originally planned. Workers were observed initially installing lighted signage on the front of the building that would indicate a dual brand store; but the next day they were replaced with a single larger Family Dollar sign. The original intent of the dual-brand store is still visible by the split red/green colored trim along the top of the building (right side is red & left side is green).
The town of Terra Alta is still collecting a separate $25.00 "Fire Fee" from anyone owning real property within town limits, even though Preston County voters passed/enacted a Fire Levy back in May of 2018. All Preston County real property owners pay the fire levy as part of their property tax bill. According to the Preston County News & Journal, the county fire levy provides up to $40,000 per year to each of the county's 12 volunteer fire departments and up to $15,000 per year to the county fire association for training and other purposes. The county fire levy has been renewed by Preston County voters in 2022 and 2024.
The Terra Alta Police Department appears to have procured and is wearing/using body-cams. We infer this from the mayor's official social media page, which features a post about the Terra Alta Police Chief receiving the 2024 Best of Preston Law Enforcement Officer award. In a photo accompanying the post, we observed devices which appear to be body cams being worn by all three officers. The pervious sentence contains new news within itself; as the TAPD appears to have added an additional officer in training.
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