MONTGOMERY, W.Va. (AP) - An Ohio couple has purchased a West Virginia island for $60,000.
News outlets report James Ballor of Columbus, Ohio, and his wife, Laura, made the winning bid for Eastern Wheeler Island in the Kanawha River at an auction Thursday in Montgomery. Bidding for the island that was once a private airstrip started at $40,000.
The Ballors, who hadn’t previously vacationed in West Virginia, only recently became intrigued by the idea of owning an island when they found it on Craigslist. They decided to drive to Fayette County, where the 17-acre (6.9-hectare) island of woods and beach can be found. James says they took a boat around the island but have yet to set foot on it.
Laura Ballor says she is considering turning the island into a spiritual retreat.
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