CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Several state lawmakers say it’s past time to make Juneteenth an official state holiday.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey
House Minority Leader Sean Hornbuckle and Del. Hollis Lewis, both African American, led a news conference Thursday at the capitol after Gov. Patrick Morrisey decided against proclaiming the day a state holiday like former governor, now U.S. Senator, Jim Justice did for the past few years. State offices were open Thursday.
Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, became a federal holiday in 2021.
Morrisey did issue a proclamation about the day itself.
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“West Virginia has a proud founding as a free state during the Civil War and was built upon the principles of freedom and liberty,” Morrisey said. “Juneteenth is an important day in our nation’s history and serves as a reminder that all of us should be treated equally under the eyes of God and the law.”
A spokesman for Morrisey said a couple of weeks ago the day would not be a holiday, “due to the continued fiscal challenges facing West Virginia, state government will not be sponsoring any formal activities.”
Hollis Lewis
Lewis, D-Kanawha, said it’s time to change state code to make Juneteenth an official holiday, not waiting on a proclamation. He said he plans on reintroducing a bill to do just that.
“Reintroducing that bill that I introduced in 2024 again in 2026,” Lewis said.
He said several West Virginians played a key role in ending slavery.
“Booker T. Washington, Martin R. Delany and many, many more; these are West Virginians who fought for West Virginia and fought for freedom not only in the United States but all around the world,” Lewis said.
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Sean Hornbuckle
Hornbuckle said there are some that don’t like Juneteenth being made a federal holiday. He said there are efforts to deemphasize it.
“It’s going across the country to have things the same way,” Hornbuckle said. “We’re going to fight back. Respectfully, it is wrong”
He looked around the room at Wednesday’s news conference and noted the unity.
“We’re not going to stand for it and that’s why everyone is in here to do; red, yellow, black and white,” he said. “We’re going to stand tall and we’re going to stand together.”
County courthouses across the state were closed Thursday because it was a federal holiday. It’s guidance the counties received from state Attorney General J.B. McCuskey.
“So, if there is a federal holiday, it is our opinion that the courtrooms themselves be closed and we are working closely with the Supreme Court as they issue guidance on what that means and how it should be carried out in courtrooms across the state,” McCuskey said earlier this week.
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Friday is West Virginia Day, a day off for state workers.
Join the Main Street Morgantown family-friendly holiday shopping event from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday (Dec. 13) in Downtown Morgantown.
The event will feature a district-wide scavenger hunt for a chance to win prizes and the opportunity to explore holiday pop-up markets by Hoot and Howl, The Co-Op and Apothecary Ale House.
While exploring downtown shops, participants who spot DASH the Dog can collect stamps. Each stamp brings participants closer to the chance of winning prizes from downtown merchants such as gift cards and goods. To qualify for prizes, completed Downtown Dash Guides with five or more stamps must be turned into Hoot and Howl, The Co-Op, Apothecary Ale House or at Breezeline’s play-to-win tent on Courthouse Square.
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As a break from shopping, parents and their little ones can visit Kids Craft, Cookies & Cocoa Central at the WARD Building to enjoy a complimentary hot cocoa and cookie bar and children’s crafts provided by Hotel Morgan sponsored by Main Street Morgantown and Breezeline.
Visitors can also visit the beautiful 25-foot-tall holiday tree on display at Courthouse Square, a collaboration between the City of Morgantown, Monongalia County and Main Street Morgantown.
Sponsored by Breezeline, the Downtown Dash celebrates the holiday season, promotes walking and shopping throughout the downtown district, and supports local businesses by driving foot traffic directly to storefronts.
WHEELING, W.Va. — The West Virginia First Foundation visited the Wheeling Police Department to commend its efforts in addressing the area’s mental health and opioid crisis.
Wheeling Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger presented to the WVFF board, highlighting the department’s progress.
Schwertfeger attributed a 14% decrease in Group A crimes from 2024 to 2025 to the department’s crisis intervention program.
“Just another great partnership,” he said. “More collaboration in this area that we are very proud of and we want to keep the momentum going,.”
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WVFF Executive Director Jonathan Board praised the program’s success.
“This in particular, the CIT program, that isn’t just in the ether, but is showing success – actual scientific success about de-escalation, about bringing together services providers and to boots on the ground and first responders, this is vitally important to not only this region but the entire state,” Board said.
The visit was part of WVFF’s ‘Hold the Line’ tour across the state.
Now that you know about West Virginia’s2026 recruiting class, I figured it’d be a good time to give a little insight into those who were once committed to the Mountaineers and landed elsewhere.
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What happened, and where did they go?
QB Brodie McWhorter (Mississippi State)
McWhorter committed to Neal Brown and his coaching staff, but reopened his recruitment when the coaching change was made. Rich Rodriguez did recruit him at the beginning, holding several conversations with him before backing off and pursuing Jyron Hughley and Legend Bey. Hughley committed, Bey committed to Ohio State (signed with Tennessee), while WVU added two more quarterbacks in Wyatt Brown and John Johnson III.
RB Jett Walker (Texas)
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Walker fit the bill for what Rodriguez wanted in the backfield. A big, physical presence who could absorb contact and hammer it in between the tackles. With multiple backs committed and feeling good about a few others, WVU didn’t feel pressed to hold onto him. Walker flipped to Minnesota and then flipped to Texas just three weeks later
WR Jeffar Jean-Noel (Georgia Tech)
Jean-Noel was the second recruit to commit to Rodriguez in the 2026 class, but reopened his recruitment in mid-April. He then considered Purdue, Pitt, Kentucky, UCF, and Florida State before landing at Georgia Tech.
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OL Justyn Lyles (Marshall)
The Mountaineers had a number of offensive line commits, and with the late additions of Kevin Brown and Aidan Woods, and their chances of securing Jonas Muya, Lyles took a visit to Marshall and flipped his commitment.
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LB Caleb Gordon (North Carolina)
Gordon’s commitment to WVU was very brief. As a matter of fact, it was the shortest of the bunch, announcing his pledge on November 24th and then flipping to NC State on the first day of the early signing period (December 3rd).
LB Daiveon Taylor (Kent State)
Taylor was the first commit in the class; however, it was so early that he was committed to Neal Brown’s staff, announcing his decision in April of 2024. He backed off that pledge the very day Brown was fired (December 1st) and eventually signed with Kent State.
CB Emari Peterson (unsigned)
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Peterson decommitted from WVU just days before signing day, likely due to the Mountaineers zeroing in on a pair of JUCO corners in Rayshawn Reynolds and Da’Mun Allen. He will sign in February and currently has offers from Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Charlotte, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, FIU, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Kentucky, Liberty, LSU, South Florida, Southern Miss, Texas A&M, Toledo, Wake Forest, and a few others.
S Aaron Edwards (committed to Tulsa)
West Virginia chose to part ways with Edwards and ultimately replaced his spot with fellow JUCO safety Da’Mare Williams.
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S Jaylon Jones (undecided)
Jones decommitted in late October and did not sign during the early signing period. He will likely choose between Central Michigan, Hawai’i, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, and Texas State.
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S Taj Powell (Louisville)
Taj is the brother of former Mountaineer basketball guard Jonathan Powell, who is now at North Carolina. He decommitted the day after West Virginia lost to Ohio and flipped to Louisville that same day.
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