West Virginia
COVID funds issue trips up W.Va. budget
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – Passing a budget has become a bit trickier for West Virginia lawmakers.
Finance leaders and the Governor’s Office confirmed that West Virginia is in negotiations with the federal government regarding an issue with $465 million in federal COVID relief.
Simply put, leaders WSAZ spoke with say the feds believe, with the COVID money West Virginia received, state education spending should have increased more than it did.
“There’s no panic involved in this,” said Del. Vernon Criss, R-Wood.
“There’s no issue whatsoever of any misspending or misappropriation of money,” said Brian Abraham, chief of staff for the West Virginia Governor’s Office.
But faced with the prospect of paying back $465 million it is having an impact on budgeting.
The Senate has taken steps to limit recurring expenses like pay raises.
The House is holding off on millions in surplus spending, including money for senior centers and first-responder training.
“We want to make sure that we’ve got enough in the piggy bank to cover any expenses might have,” said Sen. Eric Tarr, R-Putnam.
“We want to be prepared to be able to, if we have to, write a check,” Criss said. “We don’t particularly want to do, but we need to make sure — worst case scenario, I want to be prepared.”
All of this is happening as negotiations continue between the Governor’s Office and the federal government.
“I agree, wait and see is an OK thing and to be assured finally of something, but there was no reason to just cut wholesale from the budget in anticipation of something like this because that wasn’t needed,” Abraham said.
Lawmakers voted to spend more money for the school equipment and construction. They hope that increase, with pay raises and increased elementary spending in last year’s session, will satisfy the federal government and prevent any pay back.
“So that should also chip away at that $465 (million),” Tarr said. “Those have all been the discussions going on with the federal government.”
Lawmakers have a week to agree upon a budget.
Criss, the House finance chair, saying what passes may be a place holder until a special session.
Tarr, the Senate finance leader, hoping for something more solid.
The Governor’s Office holds out hope for a resolution with the federal government in the week ahead, but if that does not occur the Governor’s chief of staff says they are open to a special session later this spring.
Copyright 2024 WSAZ. All rights reserved.
BOONE COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) – We have a traffic alert for drivers in the Danville area of Boone County.
Starting on Friday, they should expect delays as crew perform work on the Jill Micah Hess Bridge along U.S. 119.
According to the West Virginia Department of Transportation, northbound traffic will be shifted from the slow lane to the fast lane.
This will take place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and drivers are asked to expect delays.
Copyright 2026 WSAZ. All rights reserved.
West Virginia
Community Catalyst Grant applications are open through West Virginia First Foundation through June 30 – WV MetroNews
The West Virginia First Foundation, which was established to use drug lawsuit settlement money to try to alleviate problems related to addiction, reported having access to $378.5 million in financial resources and noted that more than $34 million in grants have been awarded since the organization’s start.
The West Virginia First Foundation met for a few minutes Thursday at Ascend West Virginia in Charleston. The meeting was also available for view through streaming.
Executive Director Jonathan Board highlighted the launch of the Community Catalyst Grant application and a statewide needs assessment intended to identify service gaps.
Designed as a three-year, outcomes-driven investment, the program will support projects focused on public safety response, day report centers and generational prevention efforts. The program opened for applications on June 1 and remains open through June 30.
“We’re very encouraged by the interest and engagement so far,” Board said.
The board also approved a $4 million funding request for the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute. The project is focused on expanding access to innovative addiction treatment and recovery support tools while building the technology and infrastructure needed to support implementation across West Virginia.
Additional details about the project and funding agreement are to be released in the coming weeks following the completion of final documentation. West Virginia First Foundation and Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute plan to issue a joint announcement once the agreement process is complete.
“They’ve gone through a very rigorous process for the correct funding,” Board said. “Their team has presented an opportunity to fund a project that will build technology, training and support systems of care needed to expand access to an innovative addiction treatment approach throughout the state of West Virginia, and really beyond.”
The West Virginia First Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 2023 to manage and distribute 72.5% of the state’s opioid settlement funds, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. The organization is aimed at combatting the addiction crisis through grants and regional projects.
The next regular meeting of the Foundation’s Board of Directors is scheduled for Sept. 17 although it’s subject to change.
West Virginia may have come up empty-handed in two tries against North Carolina in the College World Series, but they earned the respect of their head coach, Scott Forbes, who was incredibly complimentary of the Mountaineers following Wednesday’s game.
“I want to congratulate West Virginia. A heck of a team, a heck of a run,” he opened his postgame press conference with. “They are very well coached. They just play the game the right way. It’s a credit to their coaching staff. They come at you a lot of ways. A lot of speed, deep pitching staff, so we really had to work in those two games to beat them. I’ve been in their shoes, and I know what that feels like, and it’s a stinker. But man, they got a lot to be proud of, and they should be extremely proud of how they represented their university.”
The culture at WVU is as strong as it gets
Multiple times this season, West Virginia looked like they were well on their way to a loss and were rewarded with a win because they never stopped playing hard. Everyone thinks of the two games against Kentucky in the Morgantown Regional, and rightfully so, but they also came back to win after trailing by eight against UCF and after trailing by five to BYU.
For a moment, there was a belief that the magical moment was going to come again during Wednesday’s game against Forbes’ Tar Heels. With two outs in the 7th and trailing 12-1, Armani Guzman busted his tail down the first base line to beat out a grounder to short. It ultimately led to a five-run inning for the Mountaineers, all of a sudden turning a laugher into a semi-interesting game. Gavin Kelly hit a solo home run in the 8th to make it a five-run deficit, and in the ninth, Ben Lumsden just missed a three-run shot that would have really put pressure on North Carolina, even with two outs.
To have your team still playing hard when trailing by 11 with their season likely about to come to an end, it says a lot about the character of this group, but also how deeply ingrained the culture is at WVU. There’s a reason this program has turned the corner over the last 14 or so years and is continuing to trend up. They’ve had the right people in place leading it.
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