West Virginia
Highmark West Virginia awards $102,000 in grants to United Way programs
From left, United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley Executive Director Staci Stephen, United Way of the Mid-Ohio Valley Executive Director Staci Decicco, Highmark West Virginia President-elect Jay Sheehy and United Way of Central West Virginia President and CEO Margaret O’Neal pose for a photo Monday morning at the United Way of the Mid-Ohio Valley offices in Parkersburg. (Photo Provided)
PARKERSBURG — Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health awarded $102,000 in grants to United Way organizations across the state on Monday.
A release from the organization said this continues its commitment to supporting the health and well-being of West Virginians and marks the fifth consecutive year the organization has provided critical funding to community partners, totaling $506,000 in giving.
“We are delighted to contribute to the important work of United Way organizations across the Mountain State, helping them to create positive change in the lives of families and residents,” Jay Sheehy, president-elect of Highmark West Virginia, said in the release. “Through this fund, we’re committed to strengthening communities in all 55 counties, and our partnership with the United Way is a key element in achieving that goal.”
The release said the grants, ranging from $3,000 to $25,000, will support programs that address crucial needs within communities.
It said United Way agencies located in areas with a high concentration of Highmark West Virginia members receive $25,000 each, while the remaining agencies each receive $3,000.
“This generous support from the Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health allows us to continue providing vital resources and programs to individuals and families in need,” Stacy DeCicco, executive director of the United Way Alliance of the Mid-Ohio Valley, said in the release. “We are grateful for this ongoing partnership and the impact it has on our communities.”
A complete list of grant recipients is as follows:
* United Way of Central West Virginia – $25,000
* United Way Alliance of the Mid-Ohio Valley – $25,000
* United Way of Upper Ohio Valley – $25,000
* United Way of Southern West Virginia – $3,000
* United Way of Harrison and Doddridge Counties – $3,000
* United Way of the River Cities – $3,000
* United Way of Greenbrier Valley – $3,000
* Tygart Valley United Way – $3,000
* United Way of Eastern Panhandle – $3,000
* United Way of Monongalia and Preston Counties – $3,000
* Potomac Highlands United Way – $3,000
* United Way of Gilmer, Lewis, and Upshur – $3,000
The release said since its launch in 2021, the Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health has distributed close to $8 million in grant funding to West Virginia-based nonprofits, demonstrating its commitment to improving the health and well-being of the state’s residents.
A West Virginia National Guard member who was fatally shot last month in the nation’s capital was laid to rest with full military honors in a private ceremony.
Spc. Sarah Beckstrom’s funeral took place Tuesday at the West Virginia National Cemetery in Grafton, Gov. Patrick Morrisey said in a statement.
“The ceremony was deeply moving and reflected the strength, grace, and love of a remarkable young woman and the family and friends who surrounded her,” Morrisey said.
Beckstrom graduated with honors from Webster County High School in 2023 and joined the National Guard several weeks later. She served in the 863rd Military Police Company.
Beckstrom and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe were ambushed as they patrolled a subway station three blocks from the White House on Nov. 26. She died the next day.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who was also shot during the confrontation, has been charged with murder. He pleaded not guilty.
Morrisey has said Wolfe, who remains in a hospital in Washington, is slowly healing and his family expects he will be in acute care for another few weeks.
MORGANTOWN, WV (WVNS) — The West Virginia Agritourism Initiative and West Virginia University Extension Agency are coming together to create “Naturally, West Virginia.”
Naturally West Virginia is an Agritourism Promotion and Support Program designed to help West Virginia’s agritourism business grow and improve.
Dr. Dee Singh-Knights, Professor of Agribusiness Economics and Management, says businesses under this brand demonstrate a commitment to providing a high quality visitor experience and implement the best in agritourism practices.
To be eligible for the program, a business owner must have 10 hours of Agritourism Education and Professional Development Training, be reviewed by the Naturally West Virginia team to explore current practices, areas for improvement, and technical assistance, a West Virginia Agritourism Association Membership, and a completed verification form filed with WVU Extension.
During his two years and change in Morgantown, running back Jahiem White was one of the most, if not the most, dynamic players on the West Virginia football roster. Every time he touched the ball, you had the feeling that something special could happen, and oftentimes it did.
After not seeing the field through the first half of his true freshman campaign, he burst onto the scene in a road game against UCF, and from that point on, he became the electrifying back we all know him as. Injuries are a part of the game, but White is coming off a season-ending knee injury, marking the second straight offseason he’ll spend a good chunk of his time recovering. Last year, he suffered a lower-body injury in the Frisco Bowl against Memphis.
On Monday, news dropped that White plans to enter the transfer portal in January, which caught a lot of Mountaineer fans off guard because of the responses he had to fans earlier in the week on Instagram asking if he would be returning.
WVU has been holding exit interviews with players, discussing the report on them for the 2025 season, their future, and if they have a spot on next year’s roster. Pretty much every one of those talks will feature some time spent on money. Those figures are not generally made available to the media or public, but it’s within reason to assume West Virginia was a little weary of offering a decent-sized package to White, considering the injuries he’s had the past two years.
So, what now for West Virginia?
When a player of Jahiem’s caliber would depart in the past, everyone would panic and assume trouble lies ahead. Don’t get me wrong, losing White stings for WVU, but probably not as much as it would have in the past.
Rich Rodriguez signed five running backs during the early signing period, two of whom are going to have a chance to be significant contributors from day one in JUCO star Martavious Boswell and four-star recruit Amari Latimer, who flipped from Wisconsin. Those two, plus another incoming freshman, Christopher Talley, will be enrolling early. Big, physical back Lawrence Autry and the speedy SirPaul Cheeks will arrive in the summer
Goin’ shoppin’
Yes, WVU has to beefen up in the trenches and address other areas of the roster, but don’t think for a second that Rodriguez will ignore the running back position. After seeing the position decimated by injury in 2025, he’s going to do everything in his power to make sure that doesn’t happen again. West Virginia will add another running back to the mix once the portal opens next month, and likely one that has played meaningful football.
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