Parachutists bail on West Virginia’s Bridge Day

FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia’s largest outdoor festival won’t have one of its main attractions this year: The dozens of thrillseekers who parachute off the nation’s third-highest bridge. Marcus Ellison, an organizer for a group of parachutists, told the Bridge Day Commission on Wednesday that the group won’t participate this year. News outlets report Ellison cited concerns about available health care in case of an emergency during the coronavirus pandemic. Some hospitals have been inundated in recent weeks with COVID-19 patients with a few saying their intensive care units are at capacity. The Bridge Day Committee has scheduled a Sept. 29 vote to decide whether the Oct. 16 event will continue.