West Virginia
Exclusive: Complaint alleges West Virginia congressional candidate violated state election law – WOAY-TV
CHARLESTON, WV (WOAY) – A document obtained exclusively by WOAY lays out a formal complaint that alleges that Derrick Evans, a candidate who ran for the House of Representatives in West Virginia’s southern district, violated state law by registering to run for office while serving as a convicted felon.
However, the West Virginia Secretary of State’s office, while unable by law to comment on any specific formal complaints, says that felons on supervised release are not barred from registering with a party and voting.
The core argument of the complaint centers on Derrick Evans’s conviction and subsequent sentencing back in 2022. Evans pleaded guilty to a felony count of civil disorder following his presence at the United States Capitol building on January 6, 2021.
He was sentenced to three months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and restitution for damage to the Capitol and fines. The complaint filed with the Secretary of State’s office focuses on the supervised release portion of that sentence.
Because Evans is still on supervised release, the complaint alleges that he is not allowed to be a registered Republican. It cites West Virginia state code §3-2-2, which states that any person convicted of a felony is ineligible to register or be registered to vote while serving their sentence. It defines those ineligible to be registered to vote as “any period of incarceration, probation, or parole related thereto.”
West Virginia state code §3-5-7 requires that candidates include the political party they are registered to vote with. The relevant piece of law reads “For partisan elections, the name of the candidate’s political party and a statement that the candidate: (A) Is a member of and affiliated with that political party as evidenced by the candidate’s current registration as a voter affiliated with that party.”
When Evans filed his paperwork to run for office, he entered the Republican primary as a registered Republican voter.
The complaint argues that this is a violation. However, additional West Virginia election regulations and laws make the matter less clear.
The West Virginia Secretary of State’s office says that it has long held the position that supervised release does not disqualify a person from voting, unlike probation and parole.
That’s backed up by state law, which does not explicitly say that people serving supervised release are disqualified from voting. The law only explicitly states that those incarcerated or on probation or parole are barred from voting. That distinction could play a role in any investigation into this complaint.
The Secretary of State’s office has sole jurisdiction over investigations into election law. They may pay members of the West Virginia attorney general’s office to conduct investigations for manpower purposes, but those investigations would still be overseen by the Secretary of State.
Should the investigation conclude that there was wrongdoing, it would get handed off to a county prosecutor. Additional sources close to the matter believe it could be prosecuted in any county in West Virginia’s first congressional district, since Evans was on the ballot in each of those counties. Regardless, the complaint will be investigated by the Secretary of State’s office before any legal action is taken, and the office could very well rule that it is unfounded.
The substance of this complaint is different from previous allegations that Evans was ineligible to run based on the Fourteenth Amendment.
Those complaints argued that because Evans was convicted of civil disorder in connection to riots at the Capitol, he was ineligible to run based on the 14th Amendment, which bans people convicted of treason or insurrection from holding federal office. However, the Secretary of State’s office previously told media that Evans was specifically not convicted of insurrection or treason and could run for office.
WOAY reached out to Evans for a statement on this story. Here is his response in full:
“The people of West Virginia — not any government bureaucrat, and CERTAINLY not any TV station — should decide who represents our state in Charleston or D.C.” – Derrick Evans
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CHARLESTON, W.Va (WCHS) — The West Virginia PSC held a public comment hearing on Tuesday regarding West Virginia American Water taking over Lincoln Lincoln Public Service District.
Only one person spoke out sharing what they’d like to see done if West Virginia American Water acquires the Lincoln PSD.
“If the company wants to get to folks who really need water, they should be looking at areas where drilling well is nearly impossible, like mine, which is actually closer to the lines than some of the places they mention in their filing. My neighbors and I live closer to the main water lines than the proposed Sugar Tree Road extension or the one and a half miles out to the campground that they plan on serving,” a Lincoln PSD customer shared during the meeting.
Lincoln PSD issued a boil water advisory on January 26th, and it wasn’t lifted until March 31st, leaving some customers not able to use what was coming out of their faucets.
Just last year, the Lincoln County Commission voted to move forward with the dissolution of the Lincoln PSD, but, in September, the district filed a petition to stop the sale to West Virginia American Water. Soon after in November, PSC staff submitted a request asking the applicants to give specific financial information.
West Virginia American Water issued the following statement at Tuesday’s meeting:
“West Virginia American Water has been working collaboratively with the Lincoln County Commission and the Lincoln County Public Service District Board regarding the possible acquisition of the Lincoln County Public Service District. The proposal would involve the purchase of the 2,532-customer system. We appreciate the opportunity for public input and look forward to continuing to work through the Public Service Commission’s review process.”
Lincoln PSD customers received a letter in the mail this week stating that the system violated drinking water monitoring requirements. The utility noted what was done to correct the situation and added that customers are not at risk.
Customers were also alerted Tuesday night of a boil water notice tonight due to a recent inspection concluding that the utility is not currently meeting the minimum disinfection requirements for surface water facilities.
One of the best quarterbacks in recent memory to come through West Virginia, Will Grier, is approaching his eighth year in the NFL, which is quite the accomplishment for a backup. According to multiple reports early Tuesday morning, Grier is headed home, signing a free agent deal with the Carolina Panthers.
Grier was selected in the third round (100th overall) by the Panthers in 2019 and, at the time, was viewed as someone who could potentially be the future face of the franchise. That plan got messed up pretty early as Ron Rivera was fired during his rookie season, ultimately replaced by Matt Rhule. That offseason, the Panthers decided to cut ties with Cam Newton and bring in Teddy Bridgewater, giving Carolina a completely different direction at quarterback.
Following his second season with the Panthers, Grier was let go and began bouncing around the league. He spent time with the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, and then back to the Cowboys in 2024 and 2025.
Although he has only played in two regular season games in his career, Grier is widely viewed as a tremendous veteran quarterback who can bring depth to a room and serve as an extra voice for the starter to lean on. In this case, he and former Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett will fill that role for Bryce Young.
Where Grier ranks among WVU QBs in the NFL
Statistically, he’s not going to catch anyone unless he somehow gets thrown into a starting role at some point, but as far as longevity goes, he’s been able to stick around in the NFL longer than most former Mountaineer quarterbacks.
Geno Smith (still active) is entering his 14th year in the league, and Jeff Hostetler made it 13 years. Those are the only two WVU quarterbacks who played longer. Marc Bulger played eight years, so as long as he makes it through this season and plays in 2027, he’ll surpass him. The others? Charles Seabright (six years), Oliver Luck (four years), Pat White (one year), and Fred Wyant (one year).
Grier will forever be remembered as one of the best to ever suit up for the Old Gold and Blue, tossing for 7,354 yards and 71 touchdowns in just two seasons in Dana Holgorsen’s offense. Following the 2018 season, he finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting, marking the highest finish for a Mountaineer since Steve Slaton in 2006.
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MORGANTOWN, WV — The American Institute of Architects West Virginia (AIA WV) recognized design excellence, honored distinguished service and celebrated emerging talent at its 2026 Design Awards Gala and Scholarship Benefit, held at Hotel Morgan in Morgantown.
The annual program highlights architectural work that demonstrates design quality and meaningful impact on communities across West Virginia and beyond. This year’s awards were determined through a blind jury process led by Christopher Meyers, FAIA, of Meyers+Associates in Columbus, Ohio. Projects were evaluated on clarity of concept, execution and long-term impact.
The program’s highest recognition, the Honor Award for New Construction, was presented to the Library and Active Living Center at Afton Ridge in Kannapolis, North Carolina, designed by Silling with design architect HBM Architects, and the Marshall County Health Department in Moundsville, West Virginia, designed by Silling.
Merit Awards for New Construction were awarded to the WVU Medicine Thomas Hospital Orthopedic Hospital Entry Addition in Charleston, West Virginia (Silling); Coalfield Elementary School in Welch, West Virginia (The Thrasher Group); and Northwood Health Systems in Wheeling, West Virginia (M&G Architects & Engineers with MSA Design).
Citations for New Construction were presented to Alderson Elementary School (The Thrasher Group) and the Oglebay Park Resort Wilson Lodge Porte Cochere (Mills Group).
A Merit Award in Renovation/Restoration was awarded to the Cabarrus County Courthouse – Phase 2 in Concord, North Carolina, designed by Silling with HBM Architects.
In the Interiors category, a Merit Award was presented to Building 2000 Renovation in Friendly, West Virginia (Pickering Associates), while Cedar Grove Elementary School (ZMM Architects and Engineers) received a Citation.
A Citation in Small Projects was awarded to the Cabell County Courthouse Clock Tower Restoration in Huntington, West Virginia (Edward Tucker Architects).
The Community Impact Award was presented to the Woody Williams Center for Advanced Learning and Careers in Barboursville, West Virginia, designed by ZMM Architects and Engineers, recognizing its impact on education and workforce development.
The 25 Year Award, honoring enduring architectural significance, was presented to the West Virginia Culture Center in Charleston, West Virginia, designed by Silling.
AIA West Virginia also presented the James L. Montgomery Award, the organization’s highest individual honor, to William E. Yoke Jr., AIA Emeritus, in recognition of a lifetime of distinguished service to the profession and lasting contributions to the built environment.
The evening also recognized the next generation of architects, with the West Virginia Foundation for Architecture (WVFA) awarding scholarships to ten students pursuing degrees in architecture. These awards reflect the Foundation’s continued commitment to supporting emerging talent and strengthening the future of the profession.
The AIA West Virginia Design Awards program underscores the role architects play in shaping communities through thoughtful, enduring design. This year’s recipients reflect a continued commitment to advancing the quality of the built environment while responding to evolving community needs.
Additional information, including detailed project descriptions and photography, is available in the Awards Gallery at www.aiawv.org.
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