Promotions advance; Berkeley County schedules open‑hire test, commission receives study guides from state

The Berkeley County Deputy Sheriff Civil Service Commission on June 18, 2025, finalized several internal promotions, set a date for an open‑hire physical agility and written examination, and noted the West Virginia Division of Personnel has begun distributing free study guides for promotional and open‑entry tests.

Commission documents and meeting remarks show Lieutenant Jarrett Jones earned the top score on the recent captain’s promotional exam and, after a physician certified his fitness, will be promoted to captain effective June 19, 2025. Sergeant Anaya and Corporal Steven T. Dobson were certified and promoted to lieutenant and sergeant, respectively, effective June 18, 2025. Multiple corporal promotions were scored; the commission kept that item open pending receipt of medical clearances.

The commission set an open‑hire physical agility and written examination for Saturday, August 23, 2025, at 9 a.m.; commissioners moved and approved the date during the meeting. Staff said a test location is expected to be a local high school and that staff will publish the official notice once the site is finalized. Later in the meeting commissioners authorized the commission president to work with staff to set or adjust a test date if scheduling conflicts arise.

The division personnel study guides released to the commission include sample test questions and an answer key for open entry and for promotional levels (corporal, sergeant, lieutenant, captain). A division personnel representative described the guides as PDF sample questions mirroring the subjects on exams (for example, open entry: basic math, interpersonal relations, English usage, accident diagrams and maps, reading schedules and forms, and reading comprehension). Commissioners noted the guides are free and could reduce candidates’ out‑of‑pocket study costs compared with commercially available preparatory materials.

The commission also moved to remove two applicants from the eligibility list after they failed to timely submit letters of intent: applicant Wyatt Roy and applicant Dylan Brown. Certified letters were sent to both applicants with suspense dates for responses; staff reported no reply by the stated deadlines and the commission voted to strike both names from the eligibility list so the next eligible names can be forwarded to Sheriff Blair for consideration.

Staff said test materials for recent promotional examinations were mailed back to the West Virginia Division of Personnel at a cost of $31.59 and that test results for several items were received by email on June 6, 2025. The commission handed certificates of recognition to promoted deputies and directed staff to finalize remaining medical clearances and publish promotion actions in the personnel files.