Hope Gas drew the ire of its captive ratepayers by recently agreeing to pay $2 million annually for the next 10 years for the naming rights to West Virginia University’s basketball arena — after requesting a $79.6 million, 41% revenue increase to add to the state’s already uncommonly high gas and other utility rate bills.

But the former WVU Coliseum, now Hope Coliseum, wasn’t the only hoops hardwood on the mind of Robert Riggs, mayor of Pennsboro in Ritchie County, during a public comment hearing the West Virginia Public Service Commission held at its Charleston headquarters on the company’s revenue hike request Monday.

Riggs instead reported to the PSC that Hope Gas’ rate hike request threatened the availability of a gym where local youth played basketball whose winter gas bill cost to

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