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WVDNR preparing to host 49th annual Groundhog Day Celebration on Monday

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WVDNR preparing to host 49th annual Groundhog Day Celebration on Monday


On Monday, the state of West Virginia finds out whether or not it’s getting six more weeks of winter.

Feb. 2 is Groundhog Day across the United States, and the West Virginia Division of National Resources is gearing up for the 49th annual Groundhog Day Celebration for the Mountain State at the West Virginia Wildlife Center in French Creek.

The event is free to members of the public and will begin at 9:30 a.m., according to a press release from WVDNR. West Virginia’s groundhog meteorologist French Creek Freddie will make his annual appearance at 10 a.m. with help from Governor Patrick Morrisey.

As per Groundhog Day tradition, if French Creek Freddie sees his shadow, the Mountain State is in for six more weeks of winter. if he doesn’t see his shadow, that means an early spring is predicted.

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Once the ceremony concludes, WVDNR said there will be a photo opportunity with French Creek Freddie. Meanwhile at the gift shop, hot chocolate, cookies and biscuits and gravy will be available. Additionally, there will be a “wood chucking” contest that the public can participate in. The Wildlife Center will also be open to explore.

“Groundhog Day is a cherished tradition here at the West Virginia State Wildlife Center, and we’re excited to welcome back Freddie’s adoring fans,” West Virginia State Wildlife Center Wildlife Biologist Mark Biller said in the release. “In addition to providing a fun event for families to enjoy, we will be announcing that the loop trail through the animal viewing area is being named an official Mountaineer Mile Trail.”



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West Virginia

$450,000 announced for Clendenin Streetscape project

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0,000 announced for Clendenin Streetscape project


CLENDENIN, W.Va . (WSAZ) – Gov. Patrick Morrisey visited Clendenin West Virginia Saturday during Summerfest.

10 years ago a devastating flood swept through the community.

The governor announced $450,000 of funding for a Streetscape project during a commemoration for the June 2016 flood. The funding will go toward Clendenin’s main street – improving sidewalks, landscaping, and other pedestrian amenities.

Funding for the project comes from the Transportation Alternatives Program – a federal initiative to fund smaller scale transportation projects.

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Copyright 2026 WSAZ. All rights reserved.



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History Made: WVU Has Two First-Team All-Americans in the Same Season

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History Made: WVU Has Two First-Team All-Americans in the Same Season


It was a phenomenal year for the West Virginia Mountaineers on the diamond, and even with the season having been over for over a week now, the honors continue to roll in.

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On Friday, second baseman/catcher Gavin Kelly and left-handed starting pitcher Maxx Yehl were both named First-Team All-Americans by D1Baseball.com. It is the first time in program history that two Mountaineers have been recognized as First-Team All-Americans in the same season.

Gavin Kelly

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WVU Athletics Communications

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Kelly was essentially everyone’s pick to have a breakout season for the Mountaineers in 2026, but I’m not sure anyone expected him to do it the way he did. He hit nearly .400 all year and went on a power surge out of nowhere toward the end of the season, becoming one of the top home run hitters in the country over the last month or so of the year.

Kelly was named a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist, the MVP of the Morgantown Regional, and is currently participating in the Team USA Collegiate National Team training camp in Cary, North Carolina. For the year, he hit .382 with 19 home runs and 63 RBI, cementing himself as a top draft prospect in 2027.

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Maxx Yehl

WVU Athletics Communications

Maxx Yehl was one of the best stories in all of college baseball that didn’t get talked about nearly enough. He was forced to sit out the 2025 season as he was recovering from Tommy John surgery, and prior to this season, Yehl worked exclusively out of the bullpen. The plan all along was to eventually stretch him out into a starter, and in his first year in the role, he was one of the best in the entire country.

Steve Sabins and Co. did a good job of playing it safe with him early, letting him only go two and four innings in his first two starts before turning him loose. There were a couple of moments where Mountaineer fans had to take a deep breath after he was removed from two starts, one of which was in the Morgantown Regional against Kentucky. He bounced back strong and two days later, pitched a gem against the Wildcats, helping the team advance to the super regionals for the third straight season.

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Yehl finished the season with a 9-3 record, an ERA of 2.13, and 112 strikeouts to just 26 walks. He was also the first WVU hurler to win Big 12 Pitcher of the Year since Alek Manoah, who did it in 2019.

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Justice firm’s delinquent DEP fines rise past $1.6M amid DOJ criminal liability relief

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Justice firm’s delinquent DEP fines rise past .6M amid DOJ criminal liability relief


One of the most prominent coal companies in the teetering business empire of United States Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., owes the state of West Virginia over $1.6 million in delinquent fines. Justice’s Bluestone Coal Corp. owes the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection roughly $1.61 million in delinquent fines issued for 214 violations across 44 DEP-issued mining permits spanning Sept. 2019 to March 2026, according to records the Gazette-Mail obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request. Bluestone Coal’s delinquent fine debt has grown 32.5% from the roughly $1.21 million it totaled in January 2026, according to records from a previous Gazette-Mail request, an indication that the long-running debt at the expense of Justice’s own constituents may not be going away anytime soon. But the companies’ long history of environmental failures was an issue that prompted a federal criminal investigation scuttled earlier in 2026 by Trump administration officials, according to a report published June 8 by ProPublica and Mountain State Spotlight.



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