At this week’s Wetzel County Commission meeting William Moon, general manager of the Wheeling branch of Frontier Communications, met to introduce himself to the commission and announce the official switch from Verizon to Frontier will happen midday Thursday. Moon stressed that current Verizon customers and Frontier customers should see no change during the switch, including the 911 Center. The only changes would be the appearance of the bill and new bundling services and other beneficial offers in the works for customers.

Moon oversees the high-speed internet operations from Hancock to Tyler County and encouraged the commission to contact him should there ever be any problems with service. Moon also stated Frontier Communications plans to spend over $300 million over about three years to take West Virginia from its lower standing to the top tier in high-speed internet access. As a business designed specifically for small communities and rural areas, Moon expressed the company’s ambition and excitement to be servicing this area and the state.

Also present at this week’s meeting was Cathy Smith of New Martinsville on behalf of 4 Paws for Ability, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing as many disabled people as possible with access to a qualified service animal trained specifically for their needs, regardless of age and severity of disability. The organization also works to reduce the number of unwanted animals by obtaining the majority of their animals from shelters and rescue groups.

Smith approached the commission requesting the use of two shelters at the 4-H Camp-one enclosed and one open to accommodate weather conditions-to hold a fund raiser for the organization on Sept. 25, 2010. The commission approved Smith’s use of the two shelters free of charge for the event.