WV MetroNews
The Voice of West Virginia
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — WVU held its first campus conversation Thursday in preparation for the implementation of the Campus Self Defense Act on July 1.
WVU Associate Vice President Travis Mollohan said during the online event the rule, approved last week by the WVU Board of Governors, will apply to all WVU campuses throughout the state. The rule directs the campus community to resources, describes exception areas where weapons or deadly objects are never allowed, and outlines potential actions that can be taken against those who violate the provisions.
“Our campus here in Morgantown, both the Downtown and Evansdale campuses, applies to Beckley and Keyser campuses, as well as our Health Sciences campuses in Charleston, Martinsburg, and Bridgeport,” Mollohan said.
The financial impact on the university is expected to be about $1 million. The BOG has approved the sale of a little more than 4.5 acres near the University Police Department to meet some of that obligation.
“Being mobile (metal detectors), we can move them between facilities; that’s a cost-saving measure. Also, about $500,000 for the storage lockers that are in the process of being built and designed,” Mollohan said.
WVU Dean of Students Corey Farris said students living in dorms that wish to have concealed carry weapons will have access to secure storage lockers at either Brooke Tower or Summit Hall. Those students who wish to conceal carry will have to pay a fee to be determined for the use of the lockers.
“We will be sending notification emails to our students with housing contracts for next year with information on how they will log in and sign up for a locker,” Farris said.
WVU Deputy Legal Counsel Kevin Cimino said some venues or areas can become temporary exception areas after the measure goes into effect. The rules allow areas hosting a primary, secondary school, or private function to become exceptions for the period of the event when adequate notice is provided. Areas with enough security to ensure weapons and deadly objects “cannot be carried by the public into area” are also included.
“An example of something that fits that category is Fall Fest. It takes place on the field in front of The Towers; it’s not a stadium or arena, so it doesn’t specifically meet the exemption above, but the public entrances fit the definition because they are equipped with electronic equipment and armed personnel,” Cimino said.
Officials are also working on color-coded online maps that help people understand what is campus property, what is not, and where established exception areas are to include “sole occupancy” designations.
“We’ll have a link that will take you to the specific rooms that have been identified and are exempted from the act,” Cimino said. “We’re in the process of fine-tuning that right now, and it will be available in the near future.”
That law, approved by state lawmakers in the 2023 session and signed into law by Gov. Jim Justice, allows a person, with a valid license, to carry a gun concealed on college campuses with some exceptions.
West Virginia becomes one of 10 other states in the country to enact the policy.
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The Boone County Sheriff’s Department made a horrific discovery when they were called to a house in the Morrisvale community this week to investigate a reported death. They found the body of a 14-year-old girl on the bathroom floor.
The criminal complaint described the girl’s physical appearance as “shocking with an obvious emaciated, skeletal state.” It also said the child—identified only as KM—had an eating disorder and “has not been eating for months” and that her health had been deteriorating for months or even years.
Deputies charged the child’s mother, Anne Stone Miller, 49, with felony child neglect causing death because, according to the complaint, Miller “failed to obtain any medical treatment for (the child) for at least the last four years. It’s believed this neglect caused the death.”
This is a tragedy, and if the mother did neglect her child as is alleged, then she is the person most responsible for her death. However, the circumstances also prompt the question of whether anyone in a position of responsibility had any idea about the neglect or did this child fall through the cracks?
The complaint says the child had not attended school since late 2019 or early 2020. School officials are bound by law to report suspected cases of abuse and neglect unless the child was homeschooled.
Any report of abuse and neglect would have landed with the state’s Child Protective Services (CPS) agency, which is required by law to investigate or assess the allegation by interviewing household members separately, beginning with the child.
But we will likely never know whether anyone reported KM’s case because the state Department of Human Services will never say. Whenever the agency is asked about a case, it cites WV Code 49-5-101 which says that all records are confidential.
That law exists with good intent, to protect the privacy and emotional well-being of children. However, the law is so broad that it prevents the Legislature and even the Governor’s office from knowing whether a tragic case like this one was handled appropriately.
Remember last October when police found two young children living in a locked shed outside a house near Sissonville? Neighbors said they had contacted Child Protective Services, but it is unclear if CPS followed up or, if they did, what was found. Again, that was because of the overly strict confidentiality law.
Maybe CPS never knew about KM. Maybe there was a report, but CPS workers are so overwhelmed they never got to it. According to the Department of Human Services Dashboard, Boone County has 10 CPS workers and three vacancies. Boone County also has 94 children in the foster care system, which tells you their hands are full.
The West Virginia Legislature considered a bill (HB 4595) during the regular session earlier this year that would have empowered the Legislative Oversight Commission to investigate complaints of child abuse, nursing home abuse and other related issues in executive session. That would have provided some accountability. The bill passed the House, but it died in the Senate.
The Legislature could reconsider that bill or take a closer look at how other states handle these cases. For example, Montana law requires that child abuse and neglect cases be kept confidential. However, the law provides for exceptions including a child fatality and review team or a member of the Montana Legislature.
This is not about casting blame. However, it is fair to ask whether the tragedy could have been prevented and, sadly, that is unknowable if the state’s policy makers are kept in the dark.
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ST. MARYS, W.Va. — St. Marys softball coach Lacy Riggs is a firm believer that the mindset of Cali Masters helps separate her from many others.
In Thursday’s home game against Buffalo, Riggs’ shutdown mentality paid dividends and helped lead the Class A No. 1 Blue Devils to a 5-0 victory over the Bison.
Masters limited Buffalo (8-10) to four hits and recorded 14 strikeouts over a dominant seven-inning effort that allowed SMHS to remain unbeaten and improve to 19-0 in the process.
“Cali’s hard to contend with. She’s stellar,” Riggs said.
Buffalo got a baserunner into scoring position in the third inning and two in the sixth when the Bison loaded the bases, but otherwise hardly threatened against Masters.
“She’s very tough mentally. She’s very confident in herself and has a great arsenal of pitches,” Riggs said.
While Buffalo pitcher Kimmie Dillman did more than enough to keep her team well within striking distance, at times, the Bison were their own worst enemy.
With the game scoreless in the bottom of the second inning, Layne Kincaid led off with a double on a ball that was in the air plenty long enough to be caught, but appeared to be lost in the sun. An error allowed Kincaid to get to third and she score the game’s first run on an Ava Giovinazzo sacrifice fly to left field.
Later in the second, Brylee McGrady connected for a double that was also lost in the sun, and courtesy runner Anna Bennett came around to score the second run on the second Buffalo error.
“We made a few errors and some mental mistakes on the infield,” Buffalo head coach Bill Rasnake said. “I’m not going to say the sun got in their eyes, because they’re old enough to know to use their hand to block the sun. I’m not going to make excuses. They’re a good team and their pitcher is really good. We’re just hoping we can get back to playing them again.”
Masters worked around a one-out walk in the third — her third base-on-balls of the matchup — to keep Buffalo from scoring, and SMHS added to its lead on a bizarre play in which Ava Childers reached second base on an error, and a throw down to second on that play sailed into right-center field, enabling Childers to come all the way around and give her a team a 3-0 lead.
After Masters struck out each of the three batters she faced in the fourth, the Blue Devils connected for four hits in the home half of that inning and tacked on a pair of runs courtesy of a Kyleigh Rupert sacrifice fly and Bre Price’s double that brought home Ella Bullman.
“That’s normally how we are. We’re slow to start and as we progress, we hit a lot better,” Riggs said. “It’s getting through the lineup and seeing the pitcher. Having more confidence of what they think they’re going to see and they know what she throws and a little bit more of what to expect.”
Buffalo’s Morgan Cobb connected for a leadoff single in the fifth, but after Masters struck out two straight batters, Cobb was caught stealing second to end the inning.
BHS had its best chance to score in the sixth as Dillman accounted for a leadoff single, and after Masters struck out two straight batters, Bre Martin singled and Dara Harmon drew a walk to pack the bags.
But Masters never gave in and struck out Makenlee Null to keep her shutout intact, and she maintained it in the seventh inning to help the Blue Devils finish off their second win this season against the Bison. The first one came in extra innings in what marked the season opener for both teams back on March 14.
“We may have had a few more hits down there, but we had timely hits tonight and strung them together a little bit more,” Riggs said. “We were able to manufacture a couple runs early. We did the little things like tagging up when we needed to. They had a few more errors than they did down there, but Kimmie pitched great.”
Masters worked around four walks in the victory.
McGrady and Pullman had two hits apiece to combine for half of the Blue Devils’ eight hits.
Dillman scattered eight hits and struck out seven with one base-on-balls over six innings.
“We’ve maybe seen one or two pitchers that throw harder than her, but not many,” Rasnake said. “Most of them are that same speed. Buffalo’s goal is to always be at the state tournament and that’s our goal again this year, too. I think we have the team to get there. We have to tweak a few things and we’ll see how it goes.”
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Superintendent of Kanawha County Schools Dr. Tom Williams was excited to deliver the news during a county board of education meeting Thursday that West Virginia University will start providing up to 25 teachers the opportunity to earn their Master’s degree in reading.
“They have lowered their tuition and with ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds, we are going to be able to provide 25 teachers with a Master’s degree in reading and they will come out as a reading specialist,” Dr. Williams said.
According to Dr. Williams, the program will be a two-year, online program with the possibility of some in-person meetings. Right now, both sides are figuring out the criteria for what teachers are eligible. Upon completion of the Master’s program in reading literacy, the select teachers will have to commit to Kanawha County for a certain number of years.
“I think that will be a tremendous help to our students in those classrooms for years and years to come,” said Dr. Williams.
Talks of a collaborative effort between West Virginia University and Kanawha County Schools started two years ago. Dr. Williams said West Virginia University and President Gordon Gee wanted to have a bigger presence in Kanawha County. So, they came to an agreement. Dr. Williams told Gee that the county wanted more teachers for math, reading, special education, etc. Then, the announcement from Dr. Williams came this week of the Master’s program.
“25 of our teachers will be able to get a free Master’s degree in reading literacy.”
Autumn Cyprès became dean of the WVU College of Applied Human Sciences in May 2022. The School of Education is under that college. Williams spoke highly of Cyprès ever since they became familiar with each other at the beginning of the year. He called her a “go-getter.”
“They’ve been down here to visit our schools,” Williams said. “We’ve had several meetings down here with them and then last week they took some of us up to WVU.”
Williams said the program will better train teachers on how to better teach the reading material and students in those classrooms will benefit in the long run.
“I’m truly really excited about it,” he said.
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Army National Guard has welcomed it’s newest general officer.
On Thursday in the Drill Hall at Joint Forces Headquarters in Charleston, West Virginia, Maj. Gen. Bill Crane, the Adjutant General of the state, presided over the promotion ceremony for Col. Arthur J. Garffer, who becomes a brigadier general.
Col. Garffer currently serves as the Director Joint Operations (J3 M-Day) for the JFHQ, West Virginia National Guard. He is responsible for joint force development, joint doctrine, professional development, training, exercises, and assessments. He’s also accountable to the TAG-WV for the direction and control of all WVNG Homeland Defense (HLD), Homeland Security (HLS), Theatre Security Cooperation, International Relations and Civil Support.
It’s the first promotion for Garffer since he became a Captain in 2000. Only 0.25% make it to general officer.
Maj. Gen. Crane described Col. Garffer as “an incredible leader with a huge heart.”
“Every time he’s done something for us, I’ve received emails or letters from his commanders saying how great he did,” Maj. Gen. Crane said. “I can’t thank you enough for being a part of our Guard family.”
Col. Garffer was honored and humbled by the promotion.
“Thank you Major General Crane for your steadfast support, confidence and mentorship throughout the past few years,” Col. Garffer said.
The newest general had members of his family in attendance for the ceremony along with others in uniform.
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Delegate Amy Summers, chairwoman of the House Health Committee, says legislators would have benefited from hearing testimony about West Virginia health care facilities, in particular about the horrifying death of a resident at a long-term care facility.
However, Summers said in an opinion piece distributed to West Virginia news outlets, a legislative oversight meeting was canceled and lawmakers could not hear from Michael Caruso, secretary for the Department of Health Care Facilities, or John Pritt, a representative for Hopemont Hospital.
“When Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability (LOCCHRA) members were told the scheduled speakers for our April 16 meeting would not be available to discuss critical issues and long-term planning for our state-owned health facilities, I reached out to Secretary Caruso without success,” wrote Summers, R-Taylor.
She wanted to hear more about capital improvement needs at state-run facilities. That’s a timely question because human services allocations could be at the center of a special legislative session being considered for late next month.
“We have practically begged the newly separated departments of health to show and tell us where additional funds are necessary, and this most recent opportunity to do so was wasted,” Summers wrote.
Fixes for state-run facilities are also a focal point after an elderly, nonverbal man died after being placed in a hot whirlpool at Hopemont. The state Department of Health Facilities reported in early January that the resident suffered burns related to unsafe water temperatures resulting from the failure of a water tank.
Learning more about conditions at state-run facilities and considering how to help fix them is a key part of legislative responsibility, Summers wrote.
“How can the West Virginia Legislature comprehend the state’s most dire problems, let alone look for the solutions to them, without information?” she wrote.
“How do I know if the $90,000 increase in the budget line item for maintenance and repairs to Hopemont is enough to solve a problem that led to a patient burned so badly it resulted in his death? I refuse to accept this type of care as the care a West Virginia-owned facility, or any facility, provides!”
She continued, “Tears come to my eyes when I think of the pain a nonverbal, elderly man suffering from dementia must have endured sitting in scalding water for over 45 minutes. If we are expected to allocate and adjust state funds during a May special session, we should be clear about where those funds are desperately needed well before we gavel in.”
Summers wrote that she has asked legislative staff to coordinate on-site visits to all health facilities owned by the state, starting with Hopemont.
House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, speaking on MetroNews’ “Talkline” also described the desire for an on-site visit by lawmakers to Hopemont. Hanshaw said he wasn’t certain why the oversight committee meeting that had been scheduled for earlier this week was canceled.
“To be clear, I don’t know. My understanding is that one or more of the presenters we had on our agenda for the meeting earlier this week, for whatever reason or another, couldn’t testify at the time that we had set up to schedule with them,” said Hanshaw, R-Clay. “So without presenters being available to attend the meeting, we just didn’t have the meeting.
“We’ve decided instead to exercise oversight responsibility by actually going out to the facility.”
Michael Folio, legal director for Disability Rights West Virginia, had been one of the originally scheduled speakers for this week’s legislative oversight meeting.
Folio said state officials, including the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability, should focus on fixing substantive issues.
“If LOCHHRA is serious about getting to the bottom of the horrific avoidable death of the Hopemont resident, LOCHHRA should invite Sec. Caruso and me to appear before the commission and address under oath the criminal misconduct by state facility staffers, deficient patient care, and patient abuse and neglect,” Folio said after being asked about Summers’s public statements.
“If Sec. Caruso refuses to appear voluntarily, LOCHHRA should exercise its statutory powers and serve him with a subpoena to appear.”
Gov. Jim Justice was asked during a news briefing this week about the cancellation by reporter Amelia Knisely of West Virginia Watch: “Can you discuss why this meeting was canceled, and was it any effort to hide these details from the public? And what do you think needs to be done to prevent future incidents like this at our state-run hospitals?”
The governor said he was miffed by the question.
“I could take big-time offense about your question because I’m not going to cover anything up. There’s no possible way. No way. The other thing is, I don’t control and cancel legislative meetings,” Justice said.
“The other thing is, just this: From the standpoint of what’s going on and we lost a life and everything, it’s surely under investigation. From the standpoint of the legalities, I can’t talk about that and everything. But no one on the planet is going to take things like this more seriously than me, and there’s no chance on the planet that we’re ever, ever under any circumstances going to cancel something, cover anything up.”
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The Logan boys basketball team will take the court next winter with their third head coach in three seasons. Jeff Williamson stepped down after one year leading his alma mater. He made the announcement on social media Thursday afternoon.
“Earlier today, I submitted my resignation as the Logan High School Varsity Head Boys Basketball Coach,” Williamson said in a post on Thursday. “Thank you to everyone that supported the program during my tenure.”
Williamson led the Wildcats to the No. 5 seed in the Class AAA state tournament. Logan went 16-10, winning sectional and regional championships. After a 4-6 start to the season, Logan turned the page during the second half of the regular season schedule. The Wildcats brought an eight-game winning streak into the state tournament.
Prior to returning to Logan, Williamson was the head coach at Garden City High School in Kansas. He also coached in Oklahoma, South Carolina and at the college level at West Virginia Tech, Salem University and Rio Grande University.
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Gov. Jim Justice has endorsed Moore Capito to succeed him in the Governor’s Office.
Justice gained the endorsement of Moore Capito’s mother, Senator Shelley Moore Capito, when he announced his own bid for Senate last April 27. Moore Capito then endorsed Justice on Sept. 13. Then, when Moore Capito resigned from the House of Delegates on Dec. 21 to focus more on the gubernatorial race, he did so from the Governor’s Reception Room and on a statewide news briefing with Justice.
As recently as this Wednesday, Justice said in a news briefing that he was still considering his endorsement in the Republican primary for governor.
Late today, Justice rolled out the endorsement on official letterhead from the Governor’s Office:
“Today I am honored to announce my wholehearted endorsement for Moore Capito for Governor and that I will support him in every way. He is from a family of thoroughbreds: from his three-time-elected Governor-grandfather Arch Moore to his current United States Senator-mother Shelley Moore Capito. Moore has shown he has the vision and knowledge to elevate West Virginia, and I am proud to wish him success.”
Capito is a former House Judiciary Committee chairman, son of the U.S. senator and grandson of three-term Gov. Arch Moore.
West Virginia’s primary election is May 14. The early voting period for the primary election starts on Wednesday, May 1, and ends on Saturday, May 11.
The most recent MetroNews West Virginia Poll showed a very tight Republican race for governor.
In the lead was three-term Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, who showed support from 31% of registered Republican voters and independent voters who will request a Republican ballot.
Capito was just behind with 29 percent. The overall confidence level is +/- 4.9 percentage points, indicating a tossup at the point the poll was conducted.
Businessman Chris Miller, whose mother is Congresswoman Carol Miller, came in with 16% support. And two-term Secretary of State Mac Warner was at 12 percent. The poll had 10% of Republican voters still unsure, with the remainder saying they favor some other candidate.
In recent weeks, the race has featured escalating back-and-forth between Morrisey and Miller, with each camp accusing the other of supporting transgender issues.
Justice’s endorsement made reference to mudslinging and said it’s a major reason he’s for Capito.
“We have good candidates, and I admire each for their individual accomplishments. As I have watched this campaign mature, however, I am saddened by the ridiculous mudslinging,” Justice said.
“I have realized only one candidate is laser focused on continuing to keep us on the path of goodness for all of us. I think only one truly understands that we got here by pulling the rope together. Our great turnaround story still has chapters to be written, and I believe one candidate is prepared to keep the course.”
Morrisey’s campaign responded to the endorsement with criticism of Capito.
“If only politicians and swamp creatures voted, of course the liberal son of a senator would win. That’s Capito’s constituency,” said Taylor Van Virk, representing the Morrisey campaign.
“But West Virginia’s Republicans aren’t going to elect someone Donald Trump Jr. rightfully called a RINO. They are going to overwhelmingly elect Patrick Morrisey.”
Justice is a two-term governor first elected as a Democrat. He switched to the Republican Party in 2017 at a rally for Donald Trump in Huntington.
“We have a great opportunity to put President Trump back in the White House and have a unanimous Republican team from West Virginia working together in Washington,” Justice’s endorsement said. “That’s why it’s so important to have a ‘get it done’ Governor who will connect the pieces to help our Great State.”
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To say the last year has been a whirlwind for Mark Kellogg would be an understatement.
The West Virginia women’s basketball coach guided his team to 25 wins in his inaugural season, and came close to a stunning victory over No. 1 seed Iowa in the NCAA tournament.
In this episode, Kellogg joins the “Guys” to review the season and look ahead to the next step within the WVU women’s program.
Listener questions and comments complete the episode.
Three Guys Before The Game is sponsored by — Komax Business Systems —- GoMart — – Lou Wendell Marine Sales and the Conley Group.
Don’t forget to check out Three Guys merchandise.
Never miss an episode, it’s free, subscribe below.
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — WVU Medicine says it plans to invest $400 million in capital improvement projects that will stretch from Morgantown to Bluefield.
“It is $400 million in new capital projects over the coming years in different sites around WVU Medicine,” WVU Medicine President and CEO Albert Wright said on MetroNews “Talkline” Thursday.
“We’re stretching from Morgantown to Fairmont, Elkins, and all the way down to Princeton and Bluefield, so we’re making some big investments in just about everything we do.”
The largest capital investment is $233.5 million for a new WVU Eye Institute that will be built on the medical campus in Morgantown. The site of the current WVU Eye Institute will be the future site of the Hazel Ruby McQuain Comprehensive Cancer Hospital.
“We will expand our capabilities at the WVU Eye Institute in the size and scope of our clinics,” Wright said. “But we’re actually going to make it a one-stop shop with research and surgical suites, and it will be attached to a 1,600-space parking garage.”
Plans are in play to build a 38,000-square-foot facility, the WVU United Hospital Center, in the Elkins corridor to serve as a “hospital without beds.” The facility will be dedicated to walk-in medicine, urgent care in cardiology, orthopedics, oncology, and infusion services. The estimated cost of the facility is $37.3 million.
In the southern part of the state, $64.5 million will be invested to construct a comprehensive cancer hospital on the campus of the WVU Medicine Princeton Community Hospital. The work will also relocate the full-service emergency department, imaging, and lab services while adding 10 observational beds, MRIs, and ultrasounds.
“We need to be able to take care of folks in their communities, so if you can be all tied in on that same network of doctors, that same electronic medical record, then we want your infusions and radiation oncology to be in your home communities.”
As a non-profit organization, their priorities are to meet financial obligations, develop attractive pay and incentive packages, and meet the expectations of bond companies. Beyond that, the dollars remaining are used for facility improvement and income packages that ensure these new facilities can be staffed.
“Folks go to where jobs are,” Wright said. “If we’re creating great jobs and more jobs in local communities, we’ll be able to staff it.”
In addition to the enhancements in care, the infusion of $400 million into local economies to build the facilities will also advance the state economy.
“So, if we can get these construction jobs as we build these new facilities, if we can hire folks that are paying taxes and can stay here, that’s healthy for all of West Virginia,” Wright said.
The projects are all subject to regulatory approval.
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