Mitchell Blahut
Reporter/Multimedia Journalist
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Hello, my name is Mitchell Blahut. I have been working at WTAP since January of 2020. I
was born in San Francisco, CA and got my education from the Perley Isaac Reed College
of Media at West (by God) Virginia University. I am a big cinephile and collect vinyl
records. I am currently enjoying my time in Parkersburg and enjoy covering anything that
sparks my interest.
Education
Updated: 10 hours ago
|By Mitchell Blahut
Jody Buskirk is being denied a reduction on his $75 thousand bond.
Updated: 10 hours ago
|By Mitchell Blahut
Patrick Morrisey discusses the lawsuit by GenBioPio to West Virginia over the abortion pill ban.
Updated: 10 hours ago
|By Mitchell Blahut
Discovery World on Market makes a new hire.
Updated: 11 hours ago
|By Mitchell Blahut
The Parkersburg Police Dept. is asking people to come out and help search for Gretchen Fleming. Fleming has been missing since early December. Police will be conducting a searching for her this Saturday here in Wood County. Gretchen’s family is hoping to find her this weekend and are speaking out to let people know who she is.
Updated: Feb. 1, 2023 at 6:19 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
An agency helping Judy Petty's family is looking into ways to raise funds for the reward in helping with the Petty cold case.
Updated: Feb. 1, 2023 at 12:11 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
Parkersburg police is holding a search party on Feb. 4 with the help of volunteers to search for Gretchen Fleming.
Updated: Jan. 31, 2023 at 6:56 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
Washington State Community College is partnering with the University of Cincinnati for a new career pathway.
Updated: Jan. 31, 2023 at 6:46 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine provides his state of the state address.
Updated: Jan. 30, 2023 at 5:20 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
With senate bill 262 passing the W.Va. senate, Sen. Azinger provides the reason as to why he voted yes on this bill.
Updated: Jan. 30, 2023 at 1:29 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
Jackson County Sheriff deputies arrest a minor who planned a school shooting at Ripley Middle School on Sunday evening.
Updated: Jan. 27, 2023 at 7:23 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
An academic competition in Washington County is back to being in-person for the first time in three years.
Updated: Jan. 27, 2023 at 5:33 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
With numbers in kids going into foster care going up, officials with foster care are saying a lot of this is linked to the drug epidemic.
Updated: Jan. 26, 2023 at 4:34 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
With no new public information being released, Parkersburg police is looking for people to provide any information they believe can help this case.
Updated: Jan. 26, 2023 at 2:29 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
A vehicle traveling on Grand Central Ave. struck a pole, causing power lines to go down.
Updated: Jan. 20, 2023 at 6:13 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
The W.Va. Dept. of Environmental Protection is providing grants to five Wood Co. entities.
Updated: Jan. 20, 2023 at 6:09 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut and Samantha Cavalli
Two men were arrested and charged with soliciting a minor after Parkersburg Police officers began chatting with the suspects online posing as a 15-year-old female.
Updated: Jan. 20, 2023 at 5:23 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
The W.Va. Senate is introducing a bill that would change the way high school transfers impact the eligibility for first-time transferring students in sports.
Updated: Jan. 20, 2023 at 12:45 PM EST
|By Andrew Noll, Henry Grof and Mitchell Blahut
A two vehicle crash occurred at the intersection of 30th street and Dudley Avenue in Parkersburg on Friday morning.
Updated: Jan. 19, 2023 at 8:46 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
The 100 Women Who Care of the Mid-Ohio Valley group came together again to provide funds for selected non-profits in the area.
Updated: Jan. 18, 2023 at 6:00 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
The Mountaineer Food Bank is looking into ways of addressing food insecurity in the areas it covers.
Updated: Jan. 18, 2023 at 5:33 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
A recent report on child abuse cases in West Virginia shows another increase in the year of 2022 for these crimes, as well as other glaring numbers.
Updated: Jan. 17, 2023 at 6:52 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
An Athens County drugs task force seized and arrested an Athens resident.
Updated: Jan. 17, 2023 at 6:43 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
Airports are continuing to see an increase with guns being detected at airports.
Updated: Jan. 17, 2023 at 6:30 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
After the ruling of Parkersburg firefighters to receive adequate holiday pay and back pay from the city, the firefighters say that they are still working on the next steps to be repaid for the damages of the last five years.
Updated: Jan. 17, 2023 at 2:52 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut and Samantha Cavalli
A deputy attempted a traffic stop on a 2022 Silver Chevy Malibu with Connecticut license plates.
Updated: Jan. 16, 2023 at 5:35 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
One Mid-Ohio Valley mayor says that 2023 will be his last year serving in his role.
Updated: Jan. 16, 2023 at 5:29 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
WVU-Parkersburg is providing a video tribute for Martin Luther King, Jr.
Updated: Jan. 16, 2023 at 5:14 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
With the search for Gretchen continuing, Parkersburg police are looking for any new information that can help with Gretchen's missing person status.
Updated: Jan. 16, 2023 at 5:03 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
More information is coming out about the city of Belpre's termination with the Belpre Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.
Updated: Jan. 13, 2023 at 6:01 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
A blues band called "Generation Gap" is going to be competing in an international blues competition.
Updated: Jan. 13, 2023 at 5:49 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
Marietta Community Foundation is providing six different partners with checks.
Updated: Jan. 12, 2023 at 7:42 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut and Phyllis Smith
The mayor wants to make it clear this will not affect anyone’s ability to get help during an emergency.
Updated: Jan. 12, 2023 at 6:49 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
The Parkersburg police department is continuing its search for Gretchen Fleming.
Updated: Jan. 11, 2023 at 5:28 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
A new novelty store is giving St. Marys residents a place to shop and more.
Updated: Jan. 11, 2023 at 5:22 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
The Pleasants power plant is transitioning to a short-term owner.
Updated: Jan. 11, 2023 at 5:14 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
As the search for Gretchen Fleming continues, many of Gretchen’s friends and family continue to remember the person Gretchen is.
Updated: Jan. 10, 2023 at 8:00 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
The city of Belpre has a new official chief of police.
Updated: Jan. 10, 2023 at 7:55 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
With the search for Gretchen Fleming still ongoing, we spoke with one of Gretchen’s friends, Jake Grim. Who says that he wants to see less speculation and more support for the Fleming family.
Updated: Jan. 9, 2023 at 7:46 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
A recent ruling by a federal judge is allowing for the West Virginia “Save Women’s Sports Bill” to remain in place.
Updated: Jan. 9, 2023 at 6:56 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut and Samantha Cavalli
The Wood County Sheriff’s Office posted on its Facebook page around 9 p.m. Monday night that Gabriel Casto had been found.
Updated: Jan. 6, 2023 at 8:02 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
With the Gretchen Fleming case continuing, Parkersburg police chief Matt Board wants to separate what is fact and what is rumor.
Updated: Jan. 5, 2023 at 7:37 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
With the passing of Pope Benedict XVI, Diocese of Steubenville Bishop Jeffrey Monforton reflects on his memory of the Pope.
Updated: Jan. 5, 2023 at 7:24 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
Kanawha Elementary is partnering with a company to help with STEM education.
Updated: Jan. 5, 2023 at 7:18 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
Two former employees of one of the bars Gretchen Fleming was last seen in talk about Gretchen.
Updated: Jan. 4, 2023 at 8:10 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
The Basilica of St. Mary’s of the Assumption is receiving a special visit its Diocese’s Bishop.
Updated: Jan. 4, 2023 at 7:11 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
Pleasants County Commission is continuing to look at ways to get a buyer for the Pleasants power plant.
Updated: Jan. 4, 2023 at 6:55 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
With Parkersburg police looking into a person of interest's residence involved in the Gretchen Fleming case, her father -- David is wanting the community to continue to help the police department.
Updated: Jan. 3, 2023 at 9:40 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
Fitness and health professionals provide help for those looking to stay healthy in 2023.
Updated: Jan. 3, 2023 at 9:36 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
Parkersburg police says that although there have not been any rises in drug overdoses like in neighboring counties, the department is staying vigilant.
Updated: Jan. 3, 2023 at 9:29 PM EST
|By Mitchell Blahut
WTAP spoke with Gretchen Fleming's father, David to comment on the search for Gretchen.
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