West Virginia
Steele out as WV House Judiciary chair following 911 calls alleging ‘drunk,’ ‘paranoid’ behavior • West Virginia Watch
Del. Brandon Steele, R-Raleigh, will no longer serve as chair of the House Judiciary Committee this session, according to a statement released Friday by House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay.
Del. J.B. Akers, R-Kanawha, who was announced earlier this month to be the vice chair, will now chair the major committee while Del. Jordan Maynor, R-Raleigh, will serve as vice chair.
“Del. Akers has acclimated quickly to the legislative process and has shown a thoughtful approach to consensus-building that will serve us well,” Hanshaw said in an emailed statement.
Hanshaw said his decision followed a “recent conversation” with Steele, who recognized he needed to “spend more time focused on matters outside the Capitol building,” according to Hanshaw’s statement.
Notably, the changeup comes after recordings of 911 calls placed in December by Steele’s wife were sent to media and legislative leadership on Jan. 7 — the same day Steele was named to head the Judiciary Committee. The Judiciary Committee can be tasked with vetting bills impacting the criminal justice system, including penalties for domestic violence.
In those 911 calls, Brianne Steele told a 911 operator that her husband, Brandon Steele, was drunkenly handling assault rifles and screaming at people in their neighborhood on Dec. 23.
She said he was “extremely agitated and very, very drunk” and that their three children, who were home at the time of the incident, were “terrified.”
According to a police report from the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, officers arrived at Steele’s residence following Brianne Steele’s second call. No arrests were made.
Brandon Steele, a lawyer by trade, told police that he was worried about “possible threats regarding trials that he is working” and admitted that he did approach two vehicles driving in front of their house while carrying AR-15 style rifles. The occupants in the first vehicle said they were looking at Christmas lights while those in the second quickly drove away, Brandon Steele told police.
Brianne Steele said she didn’t see any cars in front of their home that night. She did see her husband walk in and out of the house while carrying the guns and “screaming.” She told law enforcement that she believed her husband to be “extremely paranoid” and a “severe alcoholic,” though at no time did he threaten her or the children.
When asked about the incident — which has been verified through both a police report and recordings of two individual 911 calls — Brandon Steele told West Virginia Watch that the “rumors being spread” around it were “vicious and disheartening.”
In a joint interview with MetroNews, both Brianne and Brandon Steele spoke about the events on Dec. 23, 2024, where they agreed that Brandon’s behavior was poor but noted that he was not arrested for his actions.
“As much as I regret the 23rd, I wasn’t arrested. I wasn’t charged with anything. This getting spun into some domestic incident — that didn’t happen,” Brandon Steele said. “I felt threatened and approached a threat. Did I do it in the best way? Absolutely not. I really wish I could take that back, but I can’t. I’ve got to own it.”
The 2025 regular legislative session will start Feb. 12.
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— Story by David Walsh, Photo gallery by Will Wotring
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Divisions I and II are going as expected after Thursday night’s opening round in the 78th West Virginia High School State Wrestling Tournament at Mountain Health Network Arena. University, seeking a third straight large school title, and Parkersburg found themselves in the top two in the standings on a night dominated by pins as No. 1 seeds would beat up on No. 4 seeds.
University started the event minus two competitors. One did not make weight and the other, who won a state title a year ago, is not competing as he’s recovering from a football injury.
One competitor delivering big for the Hawks is Maximus Fortier, a junior who transferred in from Fairmont Senior. While there, he won the state title as a freshman at 144 with a final record of 41-1. He competes at 165 now and is 36-2 after winning with a first-round pin Thursday night.
“Come down, support the team and try to win,” Fortier said of his battle plan. “Wrestle the way we know how.”
Fortier and the Hawks won the Ron Mauck OVAC title, the WSAZ Invitational and West Virginia Duals during the season. He competed in two major tournaments as well. He went 2-2 in the Ironman and won his weight class in the Powerade Tournament which attracts the top teams in the nation.
“Wasn’t ready,” he said about the Ironman. “Did my thing at Powerade. It was big.”
Fortier said support at his new school grows every day.
“They treat me like family,” he said.
Strategy for the State Tournament is simple.
“Wrestle the way we know how to wrestle,” Fortier said.
University capitalized on a strong finish in the heavier weights and leads with 47 points. Parkersburg, which finished second here last year, trails with 39.5. Cabell Midland is third with 37.5 and Huntington fourth with 32.5.
Ripley is in year two in Division II. The Vikings placed sixth a year ago. They came to town as the Region 4 winner and qualified 11 with nine taking first and the other two second. Ripley leads after Thursday with 38 points thanks to wins by pin or major fall. Independence is second with 27 and Keyser third with 25.5. Cameron is the leader in Division III with 16 points.
The tournament continues Friday with sessions at 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, the girls have their state with action starting at 8 a.m. The boys begin at 10:30.
Championship finals are Saturday night at 6:30. Wrestlers are now seeded prior to the tournament and the pill breaks deadlocks.
During the season, Ripley won the West Virginia Duals, beat Herbert Hoover twice, Point Pleasant and also got wins over Parkersburg South and Huntington.
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.
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