Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
Virginia
Wren Baker Addresses the Rumors Surrounding Darian DeVries’ Future at West Virginia
West Virginia men’s head basketball coach Darian DeVries has been a popular name in the Iowa coaching search due to his ties to the state and university. DeVries was born and raised in Aplington, Iowa and his brother, Jared, played football there in the late 90s.
It’s easy to see the connection, but West Virginia Director of Athletics Wren Baker feels good about the situation and attempted to calm the waters during an appearance on Sportsline with Tony Caridi and Brad Howe on Monday.
“I think the first thing I would caution people is I’ve ran searches and I would say less than 10% of what you read and the speculation out there is true. Social media and the internet and message boards and all of that has certainly created a lot of awareness and attention and there’s some positives to that, but there’s also a lot of negatives. There’s not a lot of fact-checking that goes on with a lot of that. I’ve been in situations on both sides of this where you’re not having a good season and you’re having to contemplate making some hard decisions and where you’ve had a good season and you have people trying to come talk to your coaches.
“I would just tell people when you deal with football and men’s basketball, there’s a lot of pontification and speculation that’s out there. Every coach we have that has a successful year has people reach out to them to see if they’re interested in talking. Every single coach we have. Even with my own job status, I think that’s been speculated about three or four times in the two and a half years I’ve been here, and there was a couple of times people were presuming I was out the door, and it’s just not the case. This is a great situation; this is a great institution, a great place to live. We have an unbelievable fanbase. We’re committed to do what it takes to win, and I think Coach DeVries knows that. We’ve had multiple conversations about what we need to do to make this program better, and he knows that we’re committed to do it, and we’re committed to him. I think that ultimately, he feels very good about what he has here, and I think that the future is very bright for us.
“We knew we had a good coach. We moved quickly to secure him and hire him. We were one of the first to get done last year in the cycle and I think he still appreciates that. I know that he and his family enjoy Morgantown and enjoy being here. When you come from the outside, people treat you so great. We’re both from the Midwest and moved here. I would just tell people to just relax. It’s common for folks when you have success for folks to want to sniff around and inquire about your coaches. But I do feel really good about our situation here and coach knows that we’re committed to him and committed to continue to build the program.”
If DeVries were to leave West Virginia before the end of April 2028, he would owe West Virginia 37.5% of the remaining salary.
MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI
West Virginia or Iowa? Fran Fraschilla Weighs In on Which is the Better Job for Darian DeVries
Chase Meyer Earns Big 12 Pitcher of the Week
Jonathan Powell Intends to Enter the Transfer Portal
West Virginia Declines Postseason Invitations
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In this world of college football, with the transfer portal and recruiting battles, bad blood is present more than ever before between head coaches.
That’s not the case between the Virginia Tech head coach and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, however. In fact, Franklin revealed at ACC Kickoff on Thursday that the two are actually close friends, dating back to their time at the Nike trip that various coaches take over the summer.
“Dabo’s my guy,” Franklin said on Thursday. “We go way back. We’ve been on the Nike trip for a long time. His wife and my wife are friends.”
The long-time Penn State head coach is making the move to the ACC after being fired from the Nittany Lions in October. 12 seasons of being with the program had Franklin hold a 44-21 record against top 10 opponents, an impressive record for a new conference foe of Swinney’s.
But when that trip comes around, there’s a camaraderie between Swinney and Franklin and both of their wives. In fact, the two hang out with each other instead of the other coaches at times. It simply comes to an “edgy” time in college athletics that raises tempers.
“I’m going to be honest, I wouldn’t say we’re necessarily like the type of people that love a lot of other coaches and a lot of other programs,” Franklin said. “It’s hard when you just compete year-round.”
On Swinney’s end, there are a few who could immediately come to mind among Clemson fans. Perhaps the most recent would be Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, who played the most significant role in the tampering of former linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
It’s a select list of coaches who make the good side of the Tigers’ head coach, and Franklin is certainly on that list. On the other hand, Hokies’ head coach has Swinney on his own shortlist.
“Obviously, tremendous respect for what he has built at Clemson and what he’s done at Clemson, and what he’s done for the ACC,” he said.
The two will see that close relationship face off at Memorial Stadium this upcoming season. Clemson will host the Hokies on Oct. 24 in what could be a potential title-eliminator for the ACC Championship.
Of course, the last game that we’ve seen the Tigers play in was against Franklin’s former team in Penn State at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. That game ended in a 22-10 contest that saw a foundation of Franklin players end Clemson’s season in disappointment.
Swinney will see many of those players once again in October, including starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, in that contest. The anticipated Hokie starter recorded 260 yards and two passing touchdowns on the Tigers in the Bronx that day.
Although friends become foes, another ACC coach has given Swinney his flowers for what he’s been able to do for the conference. In the upcoming moments, Franklin will look to prepare his team to prove itself on one of the biggest stages in the ACC, while Swinney looks to put his team back at the top of a conference he’s dominated for over 15 years.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Follow
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (WSET) — Extreme drought conditions in parts of Virginia have prompted an emergency drought warning for a wide swath of the region, including Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick, Pittsylvania and Roanoke counties, along with the cities of Danville, Roanoke, Salem and Martinsville.
The governor has warned that if conditions worsen, she will activate mandatory nonessential water-use restrictions.
In Martinsville, city leaders have issued a voluntary water conservation notice and are urging residents and businesses to cut back where they can. The request comes as local businesses that rely heavily on water say the drought is already affecting day-to-day operations.
SEE ALSO: Botetourt County residents adjust daily routines as voluntary water restriction continues
John Hughes, owner of John’s Car Wash, said the dry conditions have hit his business hard in recent weeks. “For the last 3 weeks, it’s been hitting pretty hard. We done three yesterday and haven’t done anything today with the drought and hot weather. Yeah, I’m really concerned about it,” Hughes said.
Restaurants are also feeling the strain. David Kitzmiller, an owner of Be Wiched, said water is essential for routine tasks such as washing dishes and preparing some menu items.
“We use a lot of water for washing dishes and some of our recipes if they limit us in anyway defiently can’t produce and its a scary aspect,” Kitzmiller said.
Kitzmiller added that cutting back is not always realistic for businesses that must meet sanitation needs. “Not really feasible for a business that depends solely relies on water to wash their dishes, so that can’t definitely be an impact there,” he said.
City leaders emphasized that the conservation request is voluntary for now, but they are encouraging everyone to do their part by taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet when it is not in use, washing only full loads of laundry, and limiting outdoor watering whenever possible.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Five people were charged after Virginia Beach Police conducted a two-day human trafficking and vice operation on July 3, according to the Virginia Beach Police Department.
The department’s Special Investigations Bureau conducted the operation, which was aimed at identifiying human trafficking victims, reducing the demand for commercial sex and targeting individuals seeking to exploit or recruit children for prostitution.
Detectives used many investigative techniques to proactively identify individuals involved in criminal activity related to prostitution, human trafficking and offenses against children. The operation was conducted in Virginia Beach, involving personnel from all of the bureau’s squads.
As a result of the operation, five people were identified and charged with offenses ranging from solicitation of prostitution to sex trafficking and crimes involving minors. Two vehicles and U.S. currency were seized during the operation. Other people were connected to victim services through Samaritan House.
The operation led to the following people being charged:
- Shane Carter, 28, of Norfolk, was charged with solicitation of prostitution.
- Robert Harris, 64, of Virginia Beach, was charged with solicitation of prostitution and assault and battery.
- Larry Pittman, 53, of Portsmouth, was charged with sex trafficking and use of electronic devices to facilitaate certain offenses involving minors.
- Kenric Frazier, 46, of Portsmouth, was charged with sex trafficking, use of electronic devices to facilitate certain offenses involving minors and solicitation of child pornography.
- Cameron Lewis, 24, of Norfolk, was charged with solicitation of prostitution.
Investigators also developed leads about people who are suspected of trafficking and exploiting others for commercial sex. Those are now active and ongoing investigations. There may be more charges and arrests pending further investigation and consultation with the Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
If you’re a human trafficking victim or know someone who is, you can report it to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
-
Business3 minutes agoNetflix reports higher profits as investors worry about growth
-
Entertainment9 minutes agoKris Jenner’s mom, beloved matriarch Mary Jo ‘MJ’ Shannon, dies at 91
-
Politics21 minutes agoTrump repeats debunked claims about voting vulnerabilities in prime-time speech
-
Science27 minutes agoBass administration quietly replaced chief heat officer a month ago
-
Sports33 minutes agoUCLA women embrace new players, tougher standards in bid to repeat as champs
-
World45 minutes agoChina rebukes UK over nationalisation of British Steel
-
News1 hour agoFlood sirens blare in South Central Texas as rivers reach perilous heights
-
Los Angeles, Ca3 hours agoArrest made in deadly shooting at 4th of July gathering in Compton; search for 2nd suspect continues
