Opinion ID: 1281544
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sophia

Text: The relevant facts relating to the application of Sophia are less involved. Sophia filed its application for a certificate of convenience and necessity on June 5, 1998. After initial processing and information gathering, the PSC interpreted the application as requesting that Sophia be authorized to operate as a common carrier by motor vehicle in the transportation of passengers to and from the offices of physicians and other health care providers, between points and places in Raleigh County, on the one hand, and points and places in West Virginia, on the other hand. Sophia concurred with the above language and was directed to publish notice of its application. The notice specified that all objections to the application must be tendered to the PSC within ten days after the publication. After the ten-day period for objections had expired, Jan-Care and the Coalition filed a petition to intervene, asserting that the PSC did not possess jurisdiction to grant the authority requested by Sophia. The ALJ to whom Sophia's case had been referred observed that the authority requested by Sophia was in all essentials, the same as the authority requested in Interstate.  Due to this similarity, and because Jan-Care and the Coalition raised the same jurisdictional issue that had previously been addressed with regard to Interstate's application, the ALJ determined that the petitioners failed to provide a compelling reason to allow their late-filed petition. [4] There being no timely protests to Sophia's application, the ALJ entered a recommended decision granting Sophia the authority requested. [5] Jan-Care and the Coalition filed exceptions to the recommended decision. Thereafter, by order entered March 1, 1999, the PSC denied the exceptions and adopted the recommended decision as the PSC's final order. Jan-Care and the Coalition then filed a petition in this Court appealing the PSC's orders regarding Interstate and Sophia. We granted the petition and now affirm in part, and reverse in part, the orders of the PSC.