6:23 p.m. - Port development being discussed

Local officials are looking into the possibility of rejuvenating talks of the creation of a port district in the city of Weirton.

Several area government and development officials gathered at the Holiday Inn in Weirton today to hear from representatives of various companies involved in port development around the nation to hear their thoughts on the possibility of a Weirton-area port.

Those involved in the presentation discussed the possibility of utilizing local river, highway and rail systems to transport crate and other cargo, as well as continuing rail development from the East Coast into Ohio and waterway development through the Great Lakes. They said all of these developments, which were unavailable as little as two or three years ago, could prove beneficial to the establishment of a port in the Weirton area.

Some of those in attendance included representatives of national groups Vickerman and Associates, Spatial Integrated Systems and CSX Railroad, as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Local groups included the Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission, the Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle and the City of Weirton.

There currently are initiatives in five parts of West Virginia to create port districts.

For more information, see Wednesday's Weirton Daily Times and continue following www.weirtondailytimes.com