Navy base sold

A 123-acre former Navy installation in Pendleton County has sold at auction. The Charleston Gazette reports the online auction for the former Navy Information Operations Command installation ended Monday night, after a bid of $11.2 million went unchallenged for a 24-hour period. The successful bidder was anonymous. The General Services Administration expects to close on the sale of the property within the next 60 days, according to a GSA spokeswoman. Last year, the government agency offered to transfer the property to the West Virginia Division of Corrections for free for use as a women’s prison, but Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin opted not to accept the gift, citing its remote location and operating costs. Before the site was closed last year, it was being used for intelligence gathering.