Bridge & Construction: The Pond Creek Bridge replacement on Route 68 in Wood County is delayed again, with a new target completion date of Sept. 12, 2026, after crews poured the first concrete layer Aug. 17 and the contractor was reportedly fined $1,600 a day for delays. Power & Rates: NextEra’s MidAtlantic Resiliency Link is drawing fire as a report says West Virginia ratepayers could be hit with $572 million in costs, while in West Virginia the MARL case got an 11-week delay in the certification schedule after regulators pushed for a tighter, revised process. Courts & Utilities: A Fayette County judge issued a default judgment on liability in a debt dispute involving E. L. Robinson Engineering and Kanawha Falls PSD, with damages to be set later; separately, the DEP is pursuing a separate default judgment motion tied to alleged Clean Water Act violations. State Budget & Taxes: West Virginia’s General Revenue Fund collections for August came in at $449 million, $34 million above estimate, and lawmakers are keeping FY28 budgets flat even as revenues run ahead. Energy Prices: Diesel prices in West Virginia averaged $5.33 per gallon for the week ending Aug. 22, with Fayette County’s low at $5.19 and Upshur County’s premium low at $4.59. AI & Data Centers: Anthropic debuted Claude Fable 5.1 and Mythos 5.1 and also signed a reported $35 billion cloud capacity deal tied to a Texas data center, adding to the broader AI buildout debate hitting the region. Legal Climate Fight: A federal judge struck down New York’s $75 billion “climate Superfund” law, a ruling West Virginia AG JB McCuskey backed as other states watch what it could mean for similar efforts. Workforce & Trades: A new virtual tour from the Nitro Carpenter Technical Center highlights training for concrete forming, flooring, welding, healthcare construction, and mill cabinet work. Retail Expansion: 7 Brew Coffee is building a new drive-thru location in Cross Lanes, with hiring underway and no opening date announced yet. Consumer Safety & Fraud: Charles Town tied for 21st among West Virginia cities in July BBB scam reports, with one report logged.