West Virginia
Allowing the rusty MVP to go into service puts West Virginian lives and the climate at risk • West Virginia Watch
West Virginians are at greater risk of pipeline explosions, environmental pollution, and climate catastrophe than we were a week ago. Last week the Federal Regulatory Commission approved the Mountain Valley Pipeline to go into operation after a decade of community resistance, six years of delayed and costly construction, and numerous violations along the construction route.
The approval comes only one day after the developer, Equitrans Midstream, stated that the project was “mechanically complete.” By the end of the week, the developer turned on the pipeline to begin transporting the fracked gas. The $7.85 billion, 303-mile and 42-inch diameter pipeline resulted in costing more than double the initial proposal of $3.5 billion. A pipeline of this length and diameter has never been tried in our mountainous region. Yet, the present and future cost of this pipeline goes far beyond finances.
The federal green light comes just a year after so-called “climate” President Joe Biden signed legislation to raise the debt ceiling. Stemming from a deal with Democratic Senate leaders, the bipartisan debt ceiling agreement included a congressional mandate to expedite the completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline despite environmental compliance issues and associated legal setbacks. Beyond being a quid pro quo to advance Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito’s fossil fuel interests, this legislation demonstrated the fragility of our country’s government in both executive and legislative overreach of its regulatory and judicial decisions.
The Mountain Valley Pipeline poses unique risks to local communities and ecosystems going into service this summer due to the steel pipes used and then neglected in development. Steel pipes are particularly prone to corrosion when exposed to oxygen, sunlight, and water even coated with epoxy. Equitrans Midstream left sections of pipes out to the elements for years increasing concerns of explosion potential.
This safety risk is not theoretical — during hydrostatic testing on May 1 in Virginia, a section of the pipeline installed in 2018 ruptured and released water and sediment into local streams and properties. Residents near the burst shared that there is a lack of communication from federal and state agencies about the pipe failure. If the pipeline fails this standard pressure test mere weeks before requesting to go into service, can it truly be safe to transport highly flammable fracked gas through the places where West Virginians live, play and work?
Even more, the pumping of fracked gas through corroded pipelines poses an additional risk of groundwater infiltration of methane and radioactive materials produced in fracking, along with significant greenhouse gas emissions. This environmental pollution threatens the air and water of local residents, landowners, farmers, and business owners.
At a national and global scale, we know that climate change is not just a distant threat but happening now. It is well established science that extracting and burning fossil fuels are the source of human caused climate change. The only way to avoid even worse impacts is to stop approving and advancing fossil fuel projects. Even the International Energy Agency, an intergovernmental organization created in response to the 1973-1974 oil crisis and with deep roots in the oil and gas industry, made clear in 2021 that new oil and gas projects must stop immediately.
It should not be controversial to say that people residing along the Mountain Valley Pipeline deserve to live without fear of a pipeline explosion or the leakage of methane and radioactive waste, and we all deserve a livable future in the face of climate change. It is not too late for the federal government to remedy their rash decision to circumvent judicial review, dismiss the separation of powers, and expedite permits for a pipeline proven to cause harm.
The fight against the Mountain Valley Pipeline and fossil fuels, in general, is far from over. While the Biden Administration has taken more climate action than any president in American history, the bar of success is as low as the depths of the Marcellus and Utica Shale, where gas from the Mountain Valley Pipeline is said to be sourced.
By declaring climate change the emergency it is and following through on his commitment to address climate change as the “number one issue facing humanity,” President Biden has a responsibility to answer for his detrimental decisions shaped by fossil fuel interests. If he doesn’t, young voters, like myself, will ensure that his administration pays that price through this November’s election.
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West Virginia
Monongalia County Commission may intervene in MARL transmission case – WV MetroNews
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The heavily-publicized NextEra Energy MidAtlantic Resiliency Link (MARL) project being considered by the state Public Service Commission may have the Monongalia County Commission as an intervenor.
The county commission unanimously agreed earlier this week to consider the move.
The commission heard more more information at this week’s meeting from groups opposing the project that will encompass parts of three states and cut through nearly half a dozen counties in West Virginia.
Commissioner Tom Bloom read from a letter.
“On behalf of all the residents in the four affected counties, (the commission is asked) to please help us fight the proposed transmission line and consider Mon County becoming an intervener,” said Bloom. “So I did want to put that on the record.”
The approximately 107-mile-long MARL project would be powered in Greene County, Pennsylvania. The 500-kilovolt line would support data center development in Virginia and would also include crossings in parts of Maryland, with the state portion expected to cost approximately $482 million.
According to Monongalia County resident Juliet Marleer, one of many who have vocally opposed the project moving forward, aspects related to costs have continued to change in the negative as well as additional parameters that would make areas affected by the planned power line much worse. Aspects of the project that have been pointed out by organizations like West Virginia Against Transmission Injustice in recent weeks.
“It has gone up from the original $440 million to $1.16 billion (price tag),” said Marleer. “So right now, my question is, how do we find out exactly what’s going on here?”
Bloom said he’s concerned about recent adjustments about the width of property needed for the line.
“That’s the one that bothers me the most, the siding corridor width is 200 to 500 feet, however, with aerial easement blowouts, the maximum width could be 715 feet,” said Bloom.
The county commission plans to make a decision on intervenor status in the near future. The state PSC is expected to schedule public hearings on the MARL application as early as May or June.
“I think that the commission can play a part in helping with that lift in regard to making sure that we have competent legal counsel representing us and our citizens,” said Commissioner Sean Sikora. “It’s been on our list of things to do and something we’ll certainly have a conversation about.”
An informational meeting for those in opposition of the MARL project will be hosted at the Cheat Lake Volunteer Fire Department sometime later this month. A specific date has not been announced.
West Virginia
West Virginia Lottery results: See winning numbers for Mega Millions, Daily 3 on March 6, 2026
The results are in for the West Virginia Lottery’s draw games on Friday, March 6, 2026.
Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on March 6.
Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 6 drawing
08-19-26-38-42, Mega Ball: 24
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Daily 3 numbers from March 6 drawing
9-9-6
Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Daily 4 numbers from March 6 drawing
6-9-5-6
Check Daily 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 25 numbers from March 6 drawing
05-13-16-19-23-25
Check Cash 25 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the West Virginia Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 11 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10:59 p.m. ET Tuesday and Friday.
- Lotto America: 10:15 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Daily 3, 4: 6:59 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday.
- Cash 25: 6:59 p.m. ET Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
West Virginia
DNR Releases total deer whitetail numbers for 2025, down significantly from 2024 – WV MetroNews
DNR PRESS RELEASE
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) today announced that hunters harvested 92,553 white-tailed deer during the 2025-2026 seasons, which is a 17 percent decrease from the 2024 deer harvest of 111,646 and 14 percent below the 5-year average of 107,434.
This year’s decreased harvest was caused by an increase in hard mast production, which often results in decreased harvests due to the difficulty of tracking and targeting game species spread out over a landscape. Several counties also experienced an outbreak of hemorrhagic disease, which likely impacted hunter success, especially in the western part of the state.
According to preliminary numbers collected through the WVDNR’s electronic game checking system, hunters harvested 33,823 bucks during the traditional buck firearm season, 25,453 antlerless deer during all antlerless firearm hunting opportunities, 29,654 deer during the urban and regular archery/crossbow seasons, 3,102 deer during the muzzleloader season and 501 deer during the Mountaineer Heritage season.
Click here to download county-by-county 2025-2026 deer harvest numbers.
Antlerless Deer Season
Hunters harvested 25,453 deer during the 2025 antlerless deer season, which includes the youth, class Q and Class XS deer season. The harvest was a 23 percent decrease compared to the 2024 harvest of 33,057 and 13 percent below the 5-year average of 29,303. The top ten counties for antlerless deer harvests were Preston (1,442), Upshur (907), Greenbrier (877), Monroe (876), Mason (841), Lewis (836), Hardy (775), Randolph (774), Barbour (695) and Braxton (680).
Archery and Crossbow Deer Seasons
Hunters harvested 29,654 deer during the 2025 archery and crossbow season. The 2025 harvest was an 8 percent decrease over the 2024 harvest of 32,240 and 5 percent below the 5-year average of 31,139. The proportion of the archery harvest taken using a crossbow has stabilized and was greater than deer reportedly taken by a bow.
The archery and crossbow harvest does not include the 29 deer taken with recurve or longbows during the Mountaineer Heritage season. The top ten counties for archery and crossbow deer harvests were Preston (1,573), Raleigh (1,378), Wyoming (1,224), Kanawha (1,045), Fayette (1,032), Mercer (892), Nicholas (889), McDowell (876), Randolph (860) and Monongalia (842).
Muzzleloader Deer Season
Hunters harvested 3,102 deer during the 2025 muzzleloader season, which was 26 percent less than the 2024 harvest of 4,173 and 22 percent below the 5-year average of 3,979. The muzzleloader deer season harvest does not include the 472 deer taken with side lock and flintlock muzzleloaders during the Mountaineer Heritage season. The top ten counties for muzzleloader deer harvests were Nicholas (186), Preston (179), Randolph (158), Greenbrier (131), Upshur (115), Fayette (111), Raleigh (95), Mason (93), Barbour (90) and Kanawha (88).
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