West Virginia

Gov. Justice, First Lady praise educators at ‘Communities in Schools West Virginia’ conference

Published

2 years ago

July 31, 2024

Gov. Justice, First Lady praise educators at ‘Communities in Schools West Virginia’ conference

MORGANTOWN, W.Va (WDTV) – In front of a crowd of educators and state officials, Governor Jim Justice and First Lady Cathy Justice expressed their support for the ‘Communities in Schools West Virginia’ program (CIS WV). The program provides schools with the tools to supply food, therapy and further educational or personal resources to students at risk of dropping out. Since CIS made its way to the mountain state in 2017, the effort has impacted more than 114,000 students and is only getting stronger. The First Lady’s initiative ‘Friends with Paws’ has provided nearly 30 therapy dogs to schools around the state, adding to efforts in the program’s mission. She and her husband touched on how important Communities in Schools is to West Virginia.

“There’s so many children who feel like they’ll never get to do what they want in life,” said First Lady Justice. “They don’t have the ambition, courage or support to go and do what they want. We are here to make that happen.”

“Never has Jim Justice seen a program that works like this,” said Governor Justice. “The only way it works is you (educators). Not only do you change that life and make things so much better, but you’re doing something that affects all the other kids in the class, the school, the community and so on. You should be really proud.”

Bill Milliken founded CIS over 45 years ago for schools in New York City. Since then, more than 25 states have jumped on board, but Milliken admits that connecting with rural states had been a struggle…until the Justices came along.

“You can’t do that without the backing of the Governor and First Lady, Milliken said. “They’ve transformed our national movement.”

Earlier this year, CIS WV achieved First Lady Justice’s goal of providing the program statewide, becoming the first CIS program in the nation to do so.

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West Virginia

6-year-old boy dies in motocross crash in West Virginia, officials say

Published

1 hour ago

June 23, 2026

Press Room

6-year-old boy dies in motocross crash in West Virginia, officials say

June 22, 2026 / 8:24 PM EDT
/ CBS Pittsburgh

A 6-year-old boy died in a motocross crash in West Virginia over the weekend, officials say.

The boy died during practice runs at Mason Motocross in Mason County on Sunday morning, CBS affiliate WOWK reported. The crash happened around 11:30 a.m. at the track in Point Pleasant.

Officials reportedly said a medical helicopter was called to the scene of the crash, but the child was not stable enough to be flown to the hospital, so instead he was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The boy later died from his injuries at the hospital. He has not been identified as of Monday night.

The Mason Motocross races on Sunday were canceled after the crash, WOWK reported. They were scheduled to start at noon. According to a Facebook post from Mason Motocross, practice runs began around 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.

In a separate Facebook post on Monday, Mason Motocross asked for prayers for the boy’s family.

“Let’s lift them up in prayer during this unimaginable time,” the social media post said. “Our community. Our support. Our prayers.”

No other information about the crash was released on Monday.

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West Virginia

Over 26,000 West Virginia students have applied for full Hope Scholarship funding – WV MetroNews

Published

11 hours ago

June 22, 2026

Press Room

Over 26,000 West Virginia students have applied for full Hope Scholarship funding – WV MetroNews

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — More than 26,000 West Virginia students submitted applications for full Hope Scholarship funding for the next school year.

State Treasurer Larry Pack and his office announced the latest application numbers in a release Monday. Pack’s office said 26,617 students applied during the first application period from March 2 to June 15. The estimated cost for Hope Scholarship funding, as it currently stands, is $155 million.

The first window for students to apply for 100-percent funding closed last Monday. The state treasurer’s office said the cost for this year will rise as students submit applications. Students can apply for 75 percent of the full funding amount until September 15.

The release said around $277 million was allocated by the West Virginia Legislature and Gov. Patrick Morrisey for Hope Scholarship funding during the 2026 Legislative Session.

Larry Pack

“We are so excited to welcome thousands of new families into the Hope Scholarship Program. Seeing the Education Savings Account nearly double in participation is a true indicator of the impact and popularity of the program,” Pack said. “Now our team turns their attention to helping these students get the resources they need to tailor their education towards their unique needs. Our goal is for West Virginia will continue to lead the nation in education innovation as we continue to build the program.”

The state treasurer’s office said the 2026-27 full scholarship amount is $5,435.62 per student, with those funds distributed quarterly.

More students are eligible for Hope Scholarship funding this year with more flexibility offered for school choice. The state treasurer’s office said that private school and traditional homeschool students can apply to the Education Savings Account program for 2026-27 academic funding.

The state treasurer’s office broke down each applicant’s eligibility for funding based on when applications are submitted.

June 16 — September 15, 2026: 75% of Hope Scholarship annual award amount.
September 16 — November 30, 2026: 50% of Hope Scholarship annual award amount.
December 1, 2026 — February 28, 2027: 25% of Hope Scholarship annual award amount.

Students can apply online here.

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