West Virginia
Cabell County voters in WV make their voices heard on women's reproductive rights, school levy • West Virginia Watch
As Cabell County voters took to the polls Tuesday morning, they had various issues and races on their minds.
Maggi Anderson, of Barboursville, West Virginia, said reproductive rights were her primary issue.
“The most important issue for me is women’s rights,” Anderson said. “I feel as a woman of any age, this should be one of the most important things in this election today.”
For her, Anderson said, voting was a way to fight for women’s futures while honoring those who came before her.
“Fighting for not only our rights as women right now,” Anderson said. “But like I said, the women that are going to come after us and to honor the women that came before us.”
Gina Milum, the Democratic candidate for House District 27, of Huntington, said reproductive rights were also one of her top issues.
“First and foremost, I have been activated by reproductive rights,” Milum said. “Even though my reproductive years are long in my rearview mirror, I have two daughters and six granddaughters. It’s an important thing to me.”
Debra La Pierre Sospe, of Milton, said her top issues included the economy, cost of living and homelessness.
She also said she wanted to “bring the Lord back in our country, starting with our schools and the home.”
She said her motivation mainly stemmed from a sense of duty.
“I’ve voted since I was 18,” La Pierre Sospe said. “It’s always been my life.”
Anderson said her son was her primary motivation to cast her ballot.
“I feel like voting you have to do it for not only the people who are here right now,” Anderson said. “But for the children and the future of our country.”
She said to her, the presidential race was most important, followed by the local elections.
“First and most importantly, the presidential,” Anderson said. “The local elections are all fairly important to me.”
Milum said she wished the presidential election was closer in West Virginia.
“Of course, everybody’s biting their nails over the presidential race. I wish I felt things were closer in West Virginia,” Milum said.
Milum said she focused more on down ballot races than the presidential election.
“A lot of the down ballot races, especially the state senate, especially the House of Representatives, are very important for me to watch because people don’t realize how much either harm or good that people in those positions can do,” Milum said.
La Pierre Sospe said she looked for “truth, honesty, and love for the Lord and our country” when deciding who to vote for.
As for the Cabell County school levy, Anderson said it was not at the front of her mind.
“I don’t know much about it,” Anderson said. “It’s not one of the issues I have dove into deeply today.”
Milum lives in the portion of Huntington located in Wayne County, and cannot vote for the levy. She said she would have certainly voted yes if she was able to.
“I was 100% vote no in May,” Milum said. “Now I am 100% vote yes in November.”
Milum said she believed the pre-primary movement to strike down the levy was successful in its messaging.
“The message was sent to the past superintendent,” Milum said. “He heard, he left, we now have new board members, we have a new superintendent, the libraries have their money, the parks have their money, and the schools have better leadership.”
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
WHEELING, W.Va. — The West Virginia First Foundation visited the Wheeling Police Department to commend its efforts in addressing the area’s mental health and opioid crisis.
Wheeling Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger presented to the WVFF board, highlighting the department’s progress.
Schwertfeger attributed a 14% decrease in Group A crimes from 2024 to 2025 to the department’s crisis intervention program.
“Just another great partnership,” he said. “More collaboration in this area that we are very proud of and we want to keep the momentum going,.”
WVFF Executive Director Jonathan Board praised the program’s success.
“This in particular, the CIT program, that isn’t just in the ether, but is showing success – actual scientific success about de-escalation, about bringing together services providers and to boots on the ground and first responders, this is vitally important to not only this region but the entire state,” Board said.
The visit was part of WVFF’s ‘Hold the Line’ tour across the state.
Now that you know about West Virginia’s 2026 recruiting class, I figured it’d be a good time to give a little insight into those who were once committed to the Mountaineers and landed elsewhere.
What happened, and where did they go?
QB Brodie McWhorter (Mississippi State)
McWhorter committed to Neal Brown and his coaching staff, but reopened his recruitment when the coaching change was made. Rich Rodriguez did recruit him at the beginning, holding several conversations with him before backing off and pursuing Jyron Hughley and Legend Bey. Hughley committed, Bey committed to Ohio State (signed with Tennessee), while WVU added two more quarterbacks in Wyatt Brown and John Johnson III.
RB Jett Walker (Texas)
Walker fit the bill for what Rodriguez wanted in the backfield. A big, physical presence who could absorb contact and hammer it in between the tackles. With multiple backs committed and feeling good about a few others, WVU didn’t feel pressed to hold onto him. Walker flipped to Minnesota and then flipped to Texas just three weeks later
WR Jeffar Jean-Noel (Georgia Tech)
Jean-Noel was the second recruit to commit to Rodriguez in the 2026 class, but reopened his recruitment in mid-April. He then considered Purdue, Pitt, Kentucky, UCF, and Florida State before landing at Georgia Tech.
OL Justyn Lyles (Marshall)
The Mountaineers had a number of offensive line commits, and with the late additions of Kevin Brown and Aidan Woods, and their chances of securing Jonas Muya, Lyles took a visit to Marshall and flipped his commitment.
LB Caleb Gordon (North Carolina)
Gordon’s commitment to WVU was very brief. As a matter of fact, it was the shortest of the bunch, announcing his pledge on November 24th and then flipping to NC State on the first day of the early signing period (December 3rd).
LB Daiveon Taylor (Kent State)
Taylor was the first commit in the class; however, it was so early that he was committed to Neal Brown’s staff, announcing his decision in April of 2024. He backed off that pledge the very day Brown was fired (December 1st) and eventually signed with Kent State.
CB Emari Peterson (unsigned)
Peterson decommitted from WVU just days before signing day, likely due to the Mountaineers zeroing in on a pair of JUCO corners in Rayshawn Reynolds and Da’Mun Allen. He will sign in February and currently has offers from Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Charlotte, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, FIU, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Kentucky, Liberty, LSU, South Florida, Southern Miss, Texas A&M, Toledo, Wake Forest, and a few others.
S Aaron Edwards (committed to Tulsa)
West Virginia chose to part ways with Edwards and ultimately replaced his spot with fellow JUCO safety Da’Mare Williams.
S Jaylon Jones (undecided)
Jones decommitted in late October and did not sign during the early signing period. He will likely choose between Central Michigan, Hawai’i, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, and Texas State.
S Taj Powell (Louisville)
Taj is the brother of former Mountaineer basketball guard Jonathan Powell, who is now at North Carolina. He decommitted the day after West Virginia lost to Ohio and flipped to Louisville that same day.
MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI
Two Michigan Players WVU Should Pursue if They Enter Portal Following Coaching Change
Cooper Young Adds Name to Growing List of Expected WVU Portal Entries
WVU is Set to Lose Former Top In-State Recruit to the Transfer Portal
Former West Virginia Coordinator Fired After Just One Season at Texas
Another West Virginia Running Back Expected to Hit the Transfer Portal
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.
Leah McSweeney Declares Herself The ‘Baddie’ Who Ruined A Favorite Franchise | Celebrity Insider
Commentary: Homeland Security says it doesn’t detain citizens. These brave Californians prove it has
California’s last nuclear plant clears major hurdle to power on
UCLA’s Donovan Dent could be rounding into form just in time for Gonzaga showdown
Europe’s rocky relations with Donald Trump
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Israel bombards areas across southern Lebanon in latest truce violation
Trump announces pardon for Tina Peters, increasing pressure to free her though he can’t erase state charges | CNN Politics
Video: Hiker Rescued From Quicksand in Arches National Park
The Speaker’s Lobby: What Congress’ December script means for healthcare next year
Coalition of the Willing calls for transatlantic unity for Ukraine
-
Alaska6 days agoHowling Mat-Su winds leave thousands without power
-
Politics1 week agoTrump rips Somali community as federal agents reportedly eye Minnesota enforcement sweep
-
Ohio1 week agoWho do the Ohio State Buckeyes hire as the next offensive coordinator?
-
Texas6 days agoTexas Tech football vs BYU live updates, start time, TV channel for Big 12 title
-
News1 week agoTrump threatens strikes on any country he claims makes drugs for US
-
World1 week agoHonduras election council member accuses colleague of ‘intimidation’
-
Washington3 days agoLIVE UPDATES: Mudslide, road closures across Western Washington
-
Iowa5 days agoMatt Campbell reportedly bringing longtime Iowa State staffer to Penn State as 1st hire