In Around West Virginia: A body was found under a bridge in Wheeling, severe thunderstorms cause fatal accident, 23 were arrested in a warrant sweep in Huntington, and more.
n Huntington Police say they have arrested 23 in a warrant sweep targeting drug dealers in Cabell County, according to The Herald-Dispatch. The sweep is a result of a six-month-long sting. It led to 12 felony drug arrests between Tuesday and Thursday.
n Severe thunderstorms left dozens of downed trees, thousands of power outages and a fatal traffic accident in northern and eastern sections of West Virginia, MetroNews reports. Three tractor-trailers and 15 vehicles were involved in the wreck on Interstate 81 near Spring Mills in Berkeley County. Mon Power reported more than 36,000 customers without power in Monongalia, Harrison, Lewis and Randolph counties.
n Charges are pending in the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old Fairmont teenager, MetroNews reports. The shooting was determined to be accidental after another 16-year-old was reportedly playing with a handgun when it discharged striking Printess Winston IV.
n West Virginia's six national parks experienced an increase in visits and visitors spending from 2014 to 2015, The Register-Herald reports. The U.S. Department of Interior released its annual economic report for Fiscal Year 2015 showing that the state's parks received 1.6 million visitors in 2015, up from 1.5 million in 2014. Local visitors spent $69.9 million in the local economy, which is a $6.9 million increase over fiscal year 2014.
n Police recovered the body of a younger, white male found underneath the Fort Henry Bridge in Wheeling on Thursday afternoon, the Wheeling Intelligencer reports. Another man was riding his bicycle when he stumbled upon the body and called police. Wheeling Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger said the cause of his death is unclear at this time, and remains under investigation.
Reach Jennifer Gardner at jennifer.gardner@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5102 or follow @jennc_gardner on Twitter.