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It looks as though the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department will soon be on the move, as Wood County Commissioners approved the final lease agreement last week for the department to move into St. Joseph's Landing. "This is going to be a great place to work," said MOVHD Executive Director Eric Walker. "Thank you for doing this for us and the community." Meanwhile, St. Joseph's Landing Building Manager Jon Defibaugh is optimistic about what the addition of the health department will mean for the campus. "With the health department coming in it is now going to serve the community over and over," he said. "We hope that keeps expanding and keeps growing. It is becoming more of a one-stop shop for the community." As the health department prepares for a staggered move-in, Walker said he believes the new location will be a "significantly better space than what we have now," and better for the client base. That is wonderful news for all involved.
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Local residents already know we've got the best of the best serving us through the Parkersburg Fire Department, but it is encouraging to know the Insurance Services Office Inc. also believes their fire protection is only getting better and better. Parkersburg Fire Chief Jason Matthews told Parkersburg City Council last week the ISO has given the city a Public Protection Class rating of Class 2. "It's a great job for us to be able to say we're in the top 5% in the country," Matthews said. In fact, only 3% of fire protection areas in West Virginia are rated Class 2. Of course, Matthews and Mayor Tom Joyce are still looking for areas of improvement. That is as it should be. But the increase in class rating is to be celebrated, and residents are certainly grateful for the work that has already been done on their behalf.