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Virginia
West Virginia gubernatorial candidates to debate Oct. 30, Williams campaign says
Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Huntington Mayor Steve Williams spoke back-to-back at the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting and Business Summit at The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (Amelia Ferrell Knisely | West Virginia Watch)
A date has been set for a debate between Republican Patrick Morrisey and Democrat Steve Williams, candidates for governor of West Virginia.
The two will debate on Oct. 30, which is less than a week before the general election, a spokesperson for Williams’ campaign confirmed in an email Monday. The spokesperson did not respond to questions about where the debate would take place or who would moderate.
Taylor Van Virk, a spokeswoman for Morrisey’s campaign, said in an email late Monday evening the campaign is in “talks with sponsors to get something scheduled, but details have not been finalized.”
Early voting for the 2024 general election ends Nov. 2.
Williams, the mayor of Huntington, challenged Morrisey, the state’s attorney general, to the debate earlier this month. In response, Morrisey’s campaign manager said that Morrisey “always made it clear he will debate and discuss his strong record of fighting for West Virginians.”
According to an August poll of registered voters, Morrisey held a 49% to 35% lead over Williams in the race.
Williams and Morrisey are two of five people who filed to run for governor, according to the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office. Also running are Constitution Party candidate S. Marshall Wilson, Mountain Party candidate Chase Linko-Looper and Libertarian Erika Klie Kolenich. It was not clear Monday whether any other candidates had been invited to debate.
The winner of the gubernatorial race will take the place of Gov. Jim Justice, who is running for Joe Manchin’s seat in the U.S. Senate. Justice, a Republican, said last week he would not debate opponent Glenn Elliott. Justice cited his strong performance in the primary election as his reason not to debate Elliott, the former mayor of Wheeling.
“The people of this state know me. They know me and they know me really well,” he told a reporter for West Virginia MetroNews. “I’ve done almost zero campaigning.”
In the Eastern Panhandle, state Senate candidates Patricia Rucker, R-Jefferson, and Democratic challenger John Doyle are planning two debates: one on Oct. 1 at the Robert C. Byrd Center at Shepherd University.
The date for a second debate in Inwood in Berkeley County has not been announced.
Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Early voting starts Oct. 23.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with comments from Morrisey’s campaign.
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Virginia
First responders train in Blacksburg
BLACKSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) – First responders never stop training, and this week almost 500 from across Virginia are honing their skills in Blacksburg.
The Virginia Association of First Responders now includes EMTs, firefighters, police officers and many others who answer the call in an emergency.
Thursday, a farm accident and a collision involving a car and school bus were just two of the scenarios they encountered.
“It’s a week-long opportunity, not only for technical stuff like this, but for medical classes,” said Covington Volunteer Rescue Squad member Greg Burton. “People call 911 every day for something. And we’re just here to help ease the problem a little bit.”
The annual conference also includes a Rescue Camp for young people with an interest in emergency services.
43 campers are taking part in a variety of activities, including a session on scuba diving Thursday afternoon.
Copyright 2026 WDBJ. All rights reserved.
Virginia
Brush fire in Virginia Beach set by children playing with fire
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A brush fire in a wooded area on Criollo Drive Wednesday afternoon was set by children playing with fire, according to the Virginia Beach Police Department.
Units with Virginia Beach Fire and Virginia Beach Police were dispatched to the 3700 block of Criollo Drive in reference to a report of a possible fire in a wooded area at approximately 5 p.m.
Upon arrival, crews saw light smoke coming from a wooded area. They quickly had the brush fire under control at 6:05 p.m. and marked out at 6:37 p.m.
There were no injuries reported to civilians, firefighters or pets.
A VBFD Fire Investigator determined that the fire was set by kids playing with fire.
There are no charges being filed currently.
Virginia
Virginia Beach Fire Department battles multi-family structure fire on Rookery Way
For Navy Vice-Admiral Douglas Perry, you could say all roads, or waterways, lead to Hampton Roads.
“It is more than full circle,” said Perry, who noted he went to the first Harborfest downtown in 1976.
And when he saw those tall ships led by Coast Guard Cutter Barque Eagle, “I was sold. I wanted to go to sea. I wanted to be a naval officer.”
Link: https://www.wavy.com/living-local/50th-harborfest-weekend-more-than-full-circle-for-navy-vice-admiral/
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