BECKLEY, W.Va. — The 2025 fall enrollment report presented to the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission shows 57,017 students enrolled which is 942 more students than last year.

The student enrollment is not growing at WVU Tech in Beckley, in fact, it shows the most significant decline in enrollment in the last five years at 25 percent. Enrollment has dropped to just more than 1,200 students.

More specifically, enrollment has decreased by 408 students in those five years including 66 fewer students this fall than last fall.

WVU moved WVU Tech from Montgomery to Beckley in 2017. The Montgomery campus had about the same number of students then that the Beckley campus has now.

WVU Tech Dean of Enrollment Kent Gamble said despite enrollment challenges the school’s programs are doing well.

“They’re attractive and students are coming to them,” Gamble said last week on WAJR’s Talk of the Town. “Now, some of the other programs we may need to get out and recruit a little more and do some marketing.”

Gamble said high school enrollments in the area are falling. He said Tech must put more emphasis on the dual credit (enrollment) program involving high school students. He said it’s a positive starting point for any student considering post-secondary education and can be an important confidence builder for first generation students.

“It’s a great introduction because you can say to the students that you can be successful, you can do well in college look how you did in this in course while you were in high school for dual credit,” Gamble said.

WVU Tech officials conducted interviews last week for the next leader of the dual credit program.

“We’re looking for a coordinator for our program, so we’re excited to have some candidates on campus,” Gamble said. “Quality individuals that we think can move that enrollment needle with that program back up to about 500 students where we were in 2021.”

Gamble said WVU Tech hopes to take further advantage of its Metro Tuition Rate to use as an incentive for students outside the state of West Virginia. The rates can save students in Virginia thousands of dollars,” he said.

“We’re very close to the metropolitan areas of Christiansburg, Roanoke, Wytheville, as well as Charlotte and now we have the Metro Program to help us recruit out-of-state students.”

Gamble said they would like to follow the retention and freshman retention rates WVU in Morgantown had had in recent years. While first-time freshman enrollment increased by seven percent across the WVU system, the 2025 retention rate from freshman to sophomore was more than 85 percent.

“We’re also focusing on retention and strengthening retention- that is something the administration would like to do,” Gamble said. “We know we have some work to do in retention and we feel like that will move the enrollment needle.”

(A News and Sentinel Op-Ed – Photo Illustration – MetroCreativeConnection)

It has been the honor of my life to serve West Virginia as your United States Senator, fighting for the concerns of our communities and making sure the voices of West Virginians are heard loud and clear in Washington, D.C. As a lifelong native of the Mountain State, I know how diligent and determined the people of our state are, and they deserve representation that works as hard as they do. I’m proud to announce that I’m running for reelection in 2026 to continue my hard work on behalf of West Virginia in the U.S. Senate.

With President Trump’s endorsement of my reelection, it is my goal to continue working with him to deliver on America First policies that strengthen our country and state, ensuring that West Virginia always has a seat at the table.

Since I first came to the Senate, we’ve made significant strides in areas that matter most to West Virginians: strengthening our economy and lowering taxes, securing our borders, providing support for our veterans and law enforcement officers, connecting our communities with broadband access, unleashing American energy through our state’s vast natural resources, and fighting to protect the values, rights, and freedoms that matter most to our people. While these are important successes that I’m proud we’ve accomplished together, I believe there is much more work to be done.

I have risen in the ranks of Senate Republican leadership to the fourth highest position in the U.S. Senate and have never been in a better place than I am now to serve our state and to deliver for West Virginia. Through my leadership on the Senate Appropriations Committee, we have seen tremendous progress in responsibly delivering resources for West Virginia that strengthen our families, authorize critical research, and help local projects reach completion. As Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, I have led the charge on investments into our state’s roads, bridges, and drinking water infrastructure, and fought for American energy dominance and those in West Virginia who power our state and our nation.

Every decision I make is steered by the perspectives and stories I hear from constituents along our main streets, in our classrooms, at small businesses, and around kitchen tables. Your concerns shape my priorities, and your resilience inspires my determination. As we move forward, I remain committed to hard work and transparent leadership that ensures your voice is always heard in the halls of Congress, and that West Virginia’s priorities are always put first.

The road ahead is not without challenges, and West Virginians can trust that I will continue to display proven, conservative leadership that meets our country’s most pressing issues head-on. I am dedicated to continuing the fight for solutions that reflect our shared values and protect the principles that matter most to our people, our families, and our communities.

I ask for your support once again, not just for my campaign, but for the work we can do together to build the future that West Virginians deserve. I have never taken for granted the trust that the people of our state have placed in me, and I look forward to earning your vote and continuing our work together in the U.S. Senate.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WTAP) – Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Friday that the state has requested that the Purple Heart be awarded to the two National Guard members shot in Washington, D.C.

The Governor requested the Purple Heart to be awarded posthumously to U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, who was killed in the incident, and be awarded to Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, who was critically injured.

“Their actions on that tragic day meet the highest and clearest standards for the Purple Heart, a decoration that recognizes those wounded or killed in action against an enemy or during a hostile or terrorist act,” Morrisey said. “I could not think of two servicemembers more deserving of this award.”

Gov. Morrisey also reviewed broader work by the West Virginia National Guard and the West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance during 2025.

The National Guard carried out overseas missions, including deployments to the Middle East and Europe, and operations along the U.S. Southwest border. The Guard also responded to two major flooding events in the state. In February 2025, more than 350 service members were mobilized across 14 counties, conducting swift-water rescues, distributing nearly 340,000 bottles of water and clearing more than 17,000 tons of debris.

A separate response to flash flooding in Ohio and Marion counties in June 2025 involved nearly 200 Guard members who cleared an additional 12,000 tons of debris.

When the federal government shut down in October, the National Guard helped ensure families had access to meals. One hundred sixty-four service members distributed more than 1 million pounds of food to over 400 food pantries.

The governor highlighted work by the West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance. Services officers secured $5.4 billion in federal benefits for West Virginia veterans in 2025, an increase of $500 million from 2024.

The department also advanced facility modernization projects. The Veterans Home in Barboursville received upgrades to the kitchen, infirmary and HVAC systems.

Major renovations are underway at the Veterans Nursing Facility in Clarksburg, including construction of a new kitchen and installation of a modern nurse call system.

“Taking care of the common, everyday issues can make a huge difference in our everyday lives, and that’s just what Veterans Assistance is doing with these upgrades. Our veterans are fantastic people who don’t ask for much, and it’s great to see this great work being done on their behalf,” Gov. Morrisey said.

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