West Virginia
Student winners announced in 2024 West Virginia Bridge Design contest
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WVVA) – The West Virginia Department of Transportation has announced the winners of the West Virginia Bridge Design & Build Contest that was held on April 6, at WVU Tech in Beckley.
Eastern Greenbrier Middle School and PikeView High School took home the most honors with several first-place wins.
WVDOT said that 38 teams form 21 counties competed. Middle and high schoolers competed in both computer software and balsa wood model contests to see who can come up with the most cost-effective and sturdiest bridge designs.
Eastern Greenbrier Middle School took home first place middle in the software design and balsa wood bridge competitions for the middle school division while PikeView High School took home first place in the same categories for the high school division.
Winners included:
Software – middle school:
- First place, Emma Vincent and Ellie Burns, team DumbleDores Army, Eastern Greenbrier Middle School.
- Second place, Laura Du and Riya Zenn, team In it for the money, Suncrest Middle School.
- Third place, Ben Kelso and Saja Huggi, team Scheming, Eastern Greenbrier Middle School.
Software – high school:
- First place, Ben Williams and Jacob Lafferty, team Infinity+2, PikeView High School.
- Second place, Landon Palmer and Landon Lester, team Landon_Squared, PikeView High School
- Third place, Larry Du and Max Chen, team LarryMax, Morgantown High School
Balsa wood bridge competition – middle school:
- Third place, Carley Coleman, team Tinker Belles, Andrew Jackson Middle School.
- Second place, Laura Du and Riya Zenn, team Initforthemoney, Suncrest Middle School.
- First place, Arabella Webb, team The Strawberries, Eastern Greenbrier Middle School.
- Most creative, John Williams, team Johniscool1000000000, PikeView Middle School
Balsa wood bridge competition – high school:
- Third place, Janie Gilchrist and Alex Gilchrist, team AsianInvasion, Morgantown High School.
- Second place, Parker Worline and Ethan Coleman, team PandE, Winfield High School.
- First place, Johnathon Scott Meadows, team UNcivil engineering, PikeView High School.
- Most creative, Madelyn Cole and Parker Shrewsbury, team Ihavethehighground, PikeView High School.
- Most creative, Connor Atkins and Lucas Messenger, team Negative Zero, East Fairmont High School.
To register for next year’s contest, download bridge design software, or find out more about the contest, visit https://wvbridgedesignandbuildcontest.com.
Copyright 2024 WVVA. All rights reserved.
Losing to Kansas State wiped away all hope for West Virginia to make the NCAA Tournament. That seems to be the clear consensus in the Mountain State, but is there actually still a chance? Well, I guess so.
ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi still has West Virginia listed as a team to consider, the second team outside of the “next four out” grouping.
Lunardi’s current NCAA Tournament bubble
Last Four Byes: Missouri, Texas A&M, Texas, Ohio State
Last Four In: SMU, Santa Clara, New Mexico, Indiana
First Four Out: VCU, Auburn, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati
Next Four Out: San Diego State, USC, California, Seton Hall
Next: Stanford, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona State
How is this even possible?
Short answer? I don’t really know.
My best guess as to why? Two things: the respect for the Big 12 and the opportunities left on the table, and two, an incredibly weak bubble.
Should West Virginia beat UCF on Friday, it will give the Mountaineers a 9-9 record in Big 12 play. That’s not as much of a guarantee to make the dance as having a winning record, but still, it’s an impressive mark, especially when, in this instance, they would have wins over Kansas, BYU, and sweeps over Cincinnati and UCF.
If you ask me, they still have too many bad losses for it to matter. I mean, even if they got red-hot out of nowhere and made it to the Big 12 championship game next week, is that enough? Potentially, but that’s a big IF.
The one thing WVU does have on its side is the number of Quad 1 wins, which they have five of. Virtually every other team in college basketball that has a minimum of five Quad 1 victories is expected to make the tournament. In that previously mentioned scenario, they would add at least one more Quad 1 win in the conference tournament, giving the committee something to think about.
The bubble is just incredibly weak, though. Like, how in the world is Auburn, who is 16-14 currently, the second team out of the field? Cincinnati, which WVU swept and has the same record as, is the fourth team in the “first four out” grouping.
At this point, the only path I see is for the Mountaineers to cut down the nets in Kansas City — good luck with that. We could be having a very different conversation if they didn’t lallygag their way through the first 30 minutes of the games against Utah and Kansas State.
Buckle up, Upshur County. Starting Friday, March 6, law enforcement officers across West Virginia will step up seatbelt enforcement as part of a statewide Click It or Ticket campaign running through March 23.
The West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) announced the high-visibility mobilization as a warm-up to the national seatbelt campaign in May. The goal is to ensure every occupant — front seat or back, driver or passenger — is buckled on every trip.
“During this mobilization, law enforcement officers across West Virginia will be out in full force. They will be strictly ticketing drivers who are unbuckled or who are transporting children not properly restrained in car seats,” said Jack McNeely, Director of the GHSP.
The numbers behind the campaign are sobering. In 2023, 40% of passenger vehicle occupants killed in West Virginia crashes were unrestrained. The state’s seatbelt usage rate has also slipped — from 91.9% in 2024 to 91.6% in 2025.
Rural drivers face elevated risk despite a common assumption that country roads are safer. In 2023, 65% of the state’s traffic fatalities occurred in rural areas, compared to 35% in urban centers.
Under West Virginia law, wearing a seatbelt is required. A citation carries a $25 fine, though McNeely says the real point isn’t the penalty.
“Click It or Ticket isn’t about the citations; it’s about saving lives,” he said. “A ticket is a wake-up call. It is far less expensive than the alternative — paying with your life or the lives of your family and friends.”
For more information about the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program, visit highwaysafety.wv.gov or call 304-926-2509.
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WCHS) — A West Virginia man accused of threatening to attack President Donald Trump and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement workers was federally indicted this week.
Cody Lee Smith, 20, of Clarksburg was indicted on two counts of threats to murder the president, one count of influencing and retaliating against federal officials by threat of murder and one count of influencing a federal official by threat of murder, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia.
Smith is accused of making a series of public posts on Instagram encouraging and threatening the murder of Trump, those who support him, Israelis and “all government officials,” the news release said.
The indictment also alleges that Smith sent a direct message via Instagram to Donald J. Trump, Jr., stating he would kill his father by cutting his “jugular.”
In a phone call with the ICE tip line, Smith also threatened to kill ICE agents in Clarksburg and employees staffing the tip line.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
Smith faces up to 5 years for each of the presidential threat charges and faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each of the remaining counts.
Heavy rain soaks central Indiana, but drought relief uneven across the state
Iowa women’s wrestling star Kylie Welker on competing for official NCAA championship
Former Kansas high school wrestling coach charged with producing child pornography
Kentucky Bill Filed to Legalize Fixed-Odds Wagering
Louisiana has the highest incidence of prostate cancer in the nation. See the parish data.
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Map: 4.9-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Louisiana
Paxton vows he’s ‘staying in this race’ even if Trump backs Cornyn in Texas GOP clash
Which Kurdish groups is the US rallying to fight Iran?
Man accused of plot to assassinate Trump testifies Iran pressured him, says Biden and Haley were other possible targets
DHS defends McLaughlin against allegations husband’s company profited millions from ad contracts: ‘Baseless’
-
World1 week agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Wisconsin4 days agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Maryland5 days agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Florida5 days agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Denver, CO1 week ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Massachusetts3 days agoMassachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
-
Oregon6 days ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling