Photo Provided – This screenshot from the official City of Wheeling website shows new aerial drone footage taken by city resident Kyle Phair. The video clips filmed over various parts of the city were used in a recent update and refresh of the city’s website, providing a striking new look to the revamped homepage .
WHEELING – Wheeling officials announced the city’s recent official website upgrade, unveiling a clean, striking new look – and improved, user-friendly navigation – for online visitors.
The recent website refresh was completed as part of the city’s original contract with its website provider, and the remarkably dramatic improvements made by the upgrade bring attractive movement and a certain Friendly City neighborhood character to the revamped homepage at www.wheelingwv.gov.
“We removed the still images from the homepage and replaced them with drone images of every neighborhood in Wheeling,” said Michele Rejonis, marketing and community relations specialist for the City of Wheeling. “It gives a unique perspective of the beauty of the city. We’ve also placed the latest news and upcoming meetings at the bottom of the homepage, making them easier for users to locate. »
Eye-catching drone footage of various Wheeling neighborhoods was filmed by town resident Kyle Phair, who volunteered his time and donated use of the clips at no cost to the town, officials said. Images show aerial footage of the Ohio River, downtown Wheeling, Warwood, East Wheeling, Elm Grove, Edgwood, Wheeling Island, South Wheeling, Woodsdale and other city neighborhoods, with clips of flyovers from day and night.
“The update gives the site a cleaner look,” Rejonis said.
With links to everything from meeting agendas to city department phone numbers and more, the city’s website is a portal to a wealth of information relating to various aspects of Wheeling city government.
Updating the website is the result of a coordinated effort by several city staff members who all play a role in regularly maintaining and updating the information on it. These staff members include Rejonis, Wheeling Police Department and Wheeling Fire Department Public Information Officer Philip Stahl, City Clerk Brenda J. Delbert, Director of Construction and Planning Tom Connelly and IT manager Mike Lloyd.
“That job has been done, and city staff have done a great job with our consultants,” Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron said. “The city’s website has been refreshed and updated, and is now live.”
The city’s website also includes links to the enhanced 311 non-emergency reporting system, a resource that city leaders say promises to have even more upgrades in the near future.
One of the most recent content additions to the city’s website has been a new tab on the homepage that links to the city’s survey accepting suggestions from the public on how best to spend the allowance. of $29 million from Wheeling for pandemic relief funding through the American Rescue Plan Act.
“The changes to the city’s website not only improved the overall look, but made certain key elements easier for users to find,” Rejonis said. “The still images that appeared on the homepage have been replaced with drone footage of our beautiful city, and the video really adds a ‘wow factor’ that we didn’t have before.”
