West Virginia
New support group at WVU aims to help parents awaiting autism evaluation, services • West Virginia Watch
West Virginia parents may face long waiting periods to get their child services for autism, or even to see a provider for an evaluation. A new support and education group at West Virginia University aims to help them in the meantime.
The WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities is starting Mind the Gap in August. The group will be facilitated by Dr. Amy Kurowski-Burt, an occupational therapist and Heather Merritt, the center’s positive behavior support curriculum developer.
Burt said the idea for the program came about working with families at the center, noticing that parents can wait sometimes two to three years for an autism diagnosis or to get services for autism.
“Research tells us that early intervention is the most effective for really any pediatric diagnosis,” Kurowski-Burt said. “The sooner you get to it the better they will be long-term through teenage years and adulthood.”
The group will focus on supporting and teaching parents what they can do for their children while they’re waiting for evaluations and services like therapy or an individualized education plan for school, Kurowski-Burt said.
“It’s not just the therapist, it’s people who are with them all the time that can make the difference,” she said. “So that’s the parents, the siblings, the grandparents, the neighbors. So what information can we give them to help their child be the best they can be.”
Merritt and Kurowski-Burt did a survey and got more than 150 responses from parents about what topics they’re interested in learning about through the group.
“Across all age groups, we found parents all want the same type of information, and need the same type of support,” Merritt said. “And so, we took that coupled with the nationwide Mind the Gap curriculum and kind of just developed the plan to support families the best that we can here.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an average of one in every 36 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder. The disorder is characterized by ongoing social problems including difficulty communicating with others and repetitive behaviors as well as limited interests or activities. Symptoms typically are recognized by the time the child is two.
Due to a nationwide shortage of providers such as psychologists, psychiatrists and developmental pediatricians, parents can wait two or three years just to have their child evaluated for autism, Burt said.
Many parents are interested in learning what autism is and what it means for their child, along with how to get the child ready for school and what behaviors to expect.
“I’ve run a similar group like this in the past at a previous agency I was at, and I have found that the support alone, parent to parent or caregiver to caregiver is so valuable, because what may work at somebody’s house, somebody else might not know,” Merritt said. “And so when they share those ideas it carries on within the community, and so they can lean on each other not only for support, but also with ideas of how to help their child.
Kurowski-Burt said she’s excited to support families who are falling into a “gap” for services and to empower people with disabilities not to wait for a provider.
“If we give these families strategies of things that they can do in their home or community that’s going to make a difference,” she said. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be someone who’s specialized – they can do stuff too. Providers also are awesome, but families don’t have to wait for someone to tell them what to do.”
Mind the Gap will meet from 6 to 7:30 p.m. each first Wednesday of the month beginning in August. Participants can attend in person at the center in Morgantown or virtually.
The support and education group is free to attend, but registration is required. To register, visit https://cedwvu.wufoo.com/forms/mind-the-gap-parent-education-and-support-group/
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — This week, West Virginia hunters will get a chance to try hunting the way the original Mountaineers did it. The Mountaineer Heritage season is open from Thursday through Sunday.
The season allows hunters to use only primitive implements. Sidelock or flintlock muzzleloading rifles or pistols are the only firearms allowed. In-line muzzleloaders are not legal for the Heritage Season nor are scopes. Archery enthusiasts are allowed only long bows or recurve bows. You’re compound bow will have to hang on its hook for this time.
“It’s a special season and it’s kind of an all encompassing big game season,” said Vinnie Johnson, Biologist with the West Virginia DNR.
The season enables hunters to kill a deer, bear, or turkey provided they hunt with one of those primitive firearms or bows. The season started several years ago and has become a big hit with sportsmen for a variety of reasons. For some it cuts the monotony of cabin fever and gives them a chance to get back into the woods well after hunting season. The season also enables hunters to go after big game with snow on the ground which doesn’t always happen during the regular fall seasons.
The snowfall could potentially make killing a bear less likely, but not always.
“It really depends on where you’re at,” Johnson explained in a recent edition of West Virginia Outdoors. “Some of our areas that are heavy bear country, there’s still a good opportunity you’re going to see a bear.”
The bumper crops of mast across the West Virginia landscape this year will also keep bears out of hibernation longer. The sunshine and warm weather forecasted into the weekend may also be a plus for keeping bears active and moving in the upcoming season.
“If there’s food on the landscape, they’re gong to be out moving around. They go into their dens when there’s no food left and they need to reserve for the remainder of the winter season,” he added.
Killing a big buck may be tricky. Some have already started to drop antlers. The season allows for either sex, but for those who have already killed two bucks from this past fall’s hunting seasons, you cannot kill another buck. If a hunter shoots an antlerless buck, which turns out to be a buck that already dropped antlers, hunters can check that as an antlerless deer.
Turkeys are also legal. Unlike deer, turkeys and bears, do not count against the bag limit from last year. However, hunters to need to have their 2026 hunting license. Although a lot of the purists like to not only hunt with an old time rifle, they also like to dress the part and will go into the woods wearing buckskins. Primitive garb or not, modern safety is still the rule and since it’s a firearms season for deer, you’ll need to wear blaze orange.
UC Bearcats coach Miller, Houston coach Sampson, players on Cougars W
UC Bearcats coach Miller, Houston coach Sampson, players on Cougars Big 12 opening win
Two teams that started the Big 12 campaign against Top 10 opponents clash in Morgantown Tuesday, Jan. 6, when the Cincinnati Bearcats face the West Virginia Mountaineers.
The Mountaineers, now coached by Ross Hodge, who came from North Texas, got whirled by the No. 3 Iowa State Cyclones on Jan. 2, 80-59. A day later, UC had plenty of chances against No. 8 Houston, but the Cougars closed in the final minutes to win 67-60.
“We’ve got to learn how to finish, but we’re right there,” UC coach Wes Miller said. “The guys in the locker room know it. We’ve got to block out the noise and get ready to play.”
Neither team will want to start 0-2 in the treacherous league and UC has not yet won in Morgantown since being part of the Big 12. UC’s last road win in West Virginia goes back to Mick Cronin’s second Bearcat team (13-19) that pulled off a 62-39 upset of the Mountaineers in 2008. Diehard fans may remember the game for a mustard-colored suit Bob Huggins wore for the contest.
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Cincinnati Bearcats were swept by West Virginia last season
Last Feb. 2, West Virginia beat UC handily 63-50. Current Bearcat Sencire Harris didn’t score for WVU in the game but had four steals. Eighteen days later in Morgantown, the Mountaineers prevailed again 62-59 with Harris scoring six points and grabbing six rebounds against his future team. UC was led by Day Day Thomas in both games with 10 and 13 points, respectively.
Cincinnati Bearcats could be without Kerr Kriisa
Kriisa, a starter for 12 of the 14 games, got hit hard by Houston after a basket and left the game holding his shoulder. He came back to hit his lone 3-pointer, then had to leave again with pain.
Kriisa was recruited to West Virginia by Bob Huggins and played in 2023-24 for the Mountaineers, averaging 11 points and shooting over 42% on 3-pointers.
“Nobody’s dealt with more injury crap than Cincinnati,” Miller said. “We’re getting resilient and we’re getting tough because of that. We’re just going to keep coming. Injuries are tough. We’ve had more than damn anybody in the last four years in all of college basketball. This team’s had its fair share and we’re still right there.”
Miller was worried about Kriisa’s injury and he couldn’t lift his left shoulder after draining his only shot.
3 keys for Cincinnati Bearcats to win at West Virginia Mountaineers
1. Bring Houston intensity to West Virginia
UC had its best crowd experience at Fifth Third Arena against No. 8 Houston with a halftime lead and a 10-point cushion early in the second half. For just the second time this season, they lost a game when they had a halftime lead.
That’s now two games where they had a Top 10 team on the ropes and couldn’t finish (No. 6 Louisville at Heritage Bank Center and No. 8 Houston). They looked like a tournament team in parts of those games, but then lost to teams who showed why they are perennial tournament players.
2. Locate Huff, Floyd
It sounds like someone looking for a law firm, but Honor Huff and Jasper Floyd are both 40% marksmen from three-point range. Huff led the country in triples last season at Chattanooga and Floyd comes from Coach Hodge’s system at North Texas. The Mountaineers average over eight made 3s per game, which is how many Houston made vs. UC Jan. 3.
The Bearcats made only six of their 3-pointers against the Cougars, after making 11 in their previous game with Lipscomb Dec. 29. UC is 5-1 when making 10 or more treys, with the one loss being Xavier. Xavier also beat West Virginia 78-68 in November, shooting a torrid 16-for-25 from the arc.
3. Keep Mountaineers below 70
West Virginia has been held to less than 70 points in four of their five losses. The exception is the 89-88 double-overtime defeat at Ohio State. UC held Houston below their average at 67 and is in that ballpark for the season. The difficult thing is all of West Virginia’s wins have been at home and Hope Coliseum could have a crowd because, well, it’s Tuesday night in Morgantown.
Tip: Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. at Hope Coliseum (14,000)
TV/Radio: ESPN2/700WLW
Series: WVU leads 13-12 (Mountaineers won at Fifth Third Arena Feb. 19, 2025, 62-59)
West Virginia Mountaineers scouting report
Record: 9-5
Coach: Ross Hodge, first season 9-5 (55-29 overall)
Offense: 74.9 ppg
Defense: 61.6 ppg
Projected starting lineup
(Position, Height, Stats)
Treysen Eaglestaff (G, 6’6″, 9.1 ppg)
Honor Huff (G, 5’10”, 16.6 ppg)
Harlan Obioha (C, 7′, 6.3 ppg)
Chance Moore (G, 6’6″, 12.9 ppg)
Jasper Floyd (G, 6’3″, 7.9 ppg)
Cincinnati Bearcats scouting report
Record: 8-6
Coach: Wes Miller (90-65, fifth season; 275-200 overall)
Offense: 74.6 ppg
Defense: 65.6 ppg
Projected starting lineup
(Position, Height, Stats)
Day Day Thomas (G, 6’1″, 13 ppg)
Jizzle James (G, 6’3″, 11.5 ppg)
Sencire Harris (G, 6’4″, 6.9 ppg)
Baba Miller (F, 6’11”, 13.4 ppg)
Moustapha Thiam (C, 7’2″, 11 ppg)
Cincinnati Bearcats, West Virginia Mountaineers to watch
Guard Honor Huff helped Chattanooga win the NIT and nailed a record 131 trifectas last season for the Moccasins, shooting 41.6%. Now he’s West Virginia’s top scorer and is shooting at a similar rate from beyond the arc.
In their second games as starters for this season, UC’s “Buck” Harris and Jizzle James were off against Houston, shooting a combined 2-for-14. James had just four points and Harris two.
James played 36 minutes, and it’s doubtful he can be held down for that long again. Harris was a Mountaineer last season and should have some comfort in the arena.
Rankings
KenPom.com: Cincinnati is No. 66, West Virginia No. 72
NCAA NET: West Virginia is No. 93, Cincinnati No. 95
West Virginia residents may continue to see a rise in utility costs, according to a recent report by Move.org. The report ranks West Virginia as the state with the highest average utility bill, at $734 per month in 2025, surpassing the national average. Missouri and Alaska follow with $679 and $658, respectively. West Virginians are paying about $42 more per month compared to last year.
Delaney Eddy, state coordinator for West Virginia 211, a United Way helpline, noted the increased demand for utility assistance. “I can definitely tell you that the calls for utility assistance have definitely been high, that is one of our top needs that individuals call in for,” Eddy said. “We are seeing that individuals are needing assistance with that and have heard some individuals that have voiced that they have had an increase in their bills in the last couple of months for those utilities.”
The report also highlights that West Virginia residents face the highest water bill in the country, at $121 per month, well above the national average of $49. This increase may be due to a distribution improvement charge aimed at upgrading water quality.
Eddy encourages residents facing utility bill issues to reach out for help. “If people have questions about their utility bills and they have that termination notice, I would simply encourage them to dial 211 or they can text the zip code to 898211, speak with a call specialist and see what resources might be available to you,” Eddy said. “Also see if you might qualify for the dollar energy fund and we can provide that information to them and go from there to see about getting assistance on those bills.”
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