In a complaint filed on December 17th, 2025 by Sergeant KM Williams of the Grantsville WV Detachment of the WV State Police, a current and a former city official’s altercation has once again placed Calhoun County on the State stage of embarrassing debacles for Calhoun County citizens.
In his complaint, Sgt. Williams stated that on November 19, 2025, at approximately 10:30 a.m. he was backing into a parking spot in front of 362 Main Street, Grantsville, WV 26147, Calhoun County. At which time he observed Emily Collins and Marissa Staples in a verbal argument on the side walk between the Grantsville City Building and State Police Detachment. Mrs. Staples had a receipt in her hand at which time Emily Collins swung her right arm and struck the paper knocking the paper from Mrs. Staples hand.
Mrs. Staples picked the paper up and brought it to Sgt. Williams informing him that it was the receipt for which Mrs. Collins had requested.
As Mrs. Staples then started walking toward the City Building, Mrs. Collins then yelled at her and Mrs Staples then turned around and walked back towards Mrs. Collins and began yelling and pointing her finger at Mrs. Collins. This officer told them that was enough and separated the parties who then went their separate ways.
On December 3, 2025, this officer spoke with Calhoun Prosecutor who reviewed the incident and advised that both
parties needed to have charges filed for Assault and so it was.
Both Councilwoman Marissa Staples and Former Grantsville Town Recorder Emily Collins have been charged with assault according to WV Code §61-2-9b (b) which states that any person who unlawfully attempts to commit a violent injury to the person of another or unlawfully commits an act that places another in reasonable apprehension of immediately receiving a violent injury is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in jail for not more than six months or fined not more than $100, or both fined and confined.
Both Staples and Collins were arrested and released on $500 bonds. Hearings have been scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on February 2nd, 2026 for Emily Collins and 1:00 p.m. on February 2nd, 2026 for Marissa Staples.
Both defendants are innocent until proven guilty.
the only guilty party in this entire event was the CALHOUN PROSECUTOR that advised the charges be filed !!! neither party base on this editorial account could claim reasonable apprehension of immediately receiving a violent injury . Notice one thing !!!! neither party pressed charges against the other !!! PROSECUTOR , just because you don’t approve of their behavior ( no do I ) should you stretch the narrative to be punitive to the perpetrators of the behavior , But what do i know i wasn’t there to see or hear the body language tone of the discourse . To my point nor was the prosecutor ! we do know the officer sent them on their way witch indicates to me there was no immediate threat . just my thoughts