West Virginia

Governor alludes to possible special session in August as child care issue remains unresolved – WV MetroNews

Published

2 years ago

May 28, 2024

Governor alludes to possible special session in August as child care issue remains unresolved – WV MetroNews

West Virginia lawmakers just finished one special session, and Gov. Jim Justice is already acknowledging the possibility of another late this summer.

Gov. Jim Justice

“I think August makes the most sense to me,” Justice said at a Friday news briefing, alluding to additional surplus dollars that lawmakers could allocate. “We surely will probably plan to have another special session to address these huge surpluses that we have at some point in time.

Lawmakers passed 15 bills proposed by the governor during a special session last week. Those included a funding adjustment for the program supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, state dollars to bolster higher education while problems with federal student aid are worked out plus funding for highways maintenance, a new agriculture lab at West Virginia State University, food banks and more.

A major, lingering issue that state officials have not addressed is a concern about child care in West Virginia. Justice, at one point, had suggested the childcare issue would be on the special session that occurred last week.

The issue is simmering as childcare providers close under economic pressure.

Updates to the federal Child Care and Development Fund, the nation’s largest funding stream to help families afford child care, now require that states subsidize based on enrollment rather than attendance. West Virginia needs to set aside $23 million for a child care subsidy program through the Department of Human Services.

Some delegates tried to amend the funding into spending bills last week.

One of those attempts was made by Delegate Amy Summers, R-Taylor, during a House Finance Committee meeting “so that those companies and families that use that childcare may feel confident that their provider may still be there. I would like to restore that confidence to the families and the providers that we’re going to be able to pay that through the entire budget year.”

She continued, “It expires August 31. We could address this in August, but I don’t see any reason to do that when we could take care of it now and relieve a lot of anxiety that these companies are having.”

The proposed amendment did not succeed, in part because other lawmakers worried that it could inadvertently sabotage the main bill. A similar attempt on the House floor fell flat.

Now the matter may be addressed in a few months.

“One of the things we’re looking to do here is to make sure that we are addressing this issue in conformity with applicable federal law and that we’re addressing it in a way that is sustainable long term,” House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, said last week on MetroNews’ “Talkline.”

“So if you’re running one of the businesses in West Virginia that we look to to help us provide the services for employers and for employees, for that matter, to care for children in West Virginia, you need to know and you need to have some comfort and certainty that the funding stream that your business model is based upon is stable and long-term viable. So a one-time infusion of capital to carry a program for a a matter of a few months isn’t the way we want to build a business model.”

Hanshaw said West Virginia needs a plan for longer-term stability.

“We’re trying to put that together now, still, in collaboration with the private sector, in collaboration with the executive, in collaboration with the agencies, and with our federal partners to make sure the stream we have in place actually lets the private sector make long-term viable investments here because that’s really what we need.”

The West Virginia Chamber of Commerce continues to urge the legislature and governor to address childcare this year, said Brian Dayton, vice president of policy and advocacy.

“Access to – and affordability of – quality childcare continues to be one of the main issues plaguing workforce participation in West Virginia,” Dayton said.

“Additionally, due to the upcoming expiration of federal money this fall, reimbursement of childcare facilities for publicly-supported children is set to revert back to an attendance-based system, rather than the enrollment-based system that has been in place for the past several years. This is likely to cause several childcare facilities to limit availability or close entirely. Addressing this issue is pro-family, pro-jobs and pro-workforce.”

Delegate Kayla Young, D-Kanawha, was one of the lawmakers pushing to move ahead with addressing the child care issue during the most recent special session. Young expressed disappointment that the matter appears to be moving toward consideration a few months from now.

“West Virginia has lost 265 childcare slots in the last month alone because centers have closed,” Young said in a statement distributed by Democrats in the House of Delegates “This is a crisis. We need to take action to fund enrollment-based reimbursement so that additional families don’t lose essential childcare.”

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West Virginia

West Virginia man accused of threatening Trump, ICE agents indicted

Published

4 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

West Virginia man accused of threatening Trump, ICE agents indicted

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WCHS) — A West Virginia man accused of threatening to attack President Donald Trump and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement workers was federally indicted this week.

Cody Lee Smith, 20, of Clarksburg was indicted on two counts of threats to murder the president, one count of influencing and retaliating against federal officials by threat of murder and one count of influencing a federal official by threat of murder, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia.

Smith is accused of making a series of public posts on Instagram encouraging and threatening the murder of Trump, those who support him, Israelis and “all government officials,” the news release said.

The indictment also alleges that Smith sent a direct message via Instagram to Donald J. Trump, Jr., stating he would kill his father by cutting his “jugular.”

In a phone call with the ICE tip line, Smith also threatened to kill ICE agents in Clarksburg and employees staffing the tip line.

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Smith faces up to 5 years for each of the presidential threat charges and faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each of the remaining counts.

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West Virginia

West Virginia falls flat in 65-63 loss to Kansas State – WV MetroNews

Published

16 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

West Virginia falls flat in 65-63 loss to Kansas State – WV MetroNews

West Virginia has said the right things about the need to capitalize on opportunities.

The Mountaineers aren’t following through when they come about.

The latest example came Tuesday night at Kansas State, which scored 21 unanswered points in the second half before holding off a furious West Virginia charge for a 65-53 victory at Bramlage Coliseum.

“The level of urgency and desire to win a game with so much on it wasn’t where it needed to be,” West Virginia head coach Ross Hodge said on postgame radio.

The Wildcats (12-18, 3-14) played without leading scorer PJ Haggerty, a surprise scratch with an undisclosed injury.

Although WVU (17-13, 8-9) defeated Kansas State 59-54 with Haggerty in the lineup during a January matchup in Morgantown, the Mountaineers were unable to capitalize on his absence in the rematch and fell to 1-4 in their last five games.

Both teams were dismal offensively in the opening half, which ended with West Virginia leading, 26-23.

The Mountaineers got 10 points apiece from reserve forwards Chance Moore and DJ Thomas, helping the visitors to at least somewhat overcome a starting lineup that scored six points on 3-for-15 shooting over the first 20 minutes.

“When you’re playing a team that is a little down and out, you can’t give them life and can’t give them hope,” Hodge said. “We had so many opportunities in the first half and at the beginning of the game to make some plays and entice a team that’s been struggling to maybe keep struggling.”

After a scoreless first half, WVU guard Honor Huff made his 100th three-pointer this season with 18:33 to play, allowing the Mountaineers to lead 31-27.

West Virginia went the next 8-plus minutes without a point, and Wildcats took control during that stretch.

Khamari McGriff scored the Wildcats’ first four points of the extended 21-0 spurt and accounted for four buckets and eight of the first 15 points during that time.

A jumper from CJ Jones with 10:53 remaining left the home team with a 48-31 advantage, before Thomas scored from close range to end his team’s extended drought at the 10:27 mark.

“I’m aware of our shortcomings and I understand when you’re deficient in some areas, your margin for error to win is razor thin,” Hodge said. “I’m disappointed with what was at stake, we got beat to loose balls. Would it have been nice to make more layups and threes? Of course. But when those things aren’t happening, you better do those other things.”

KSU had separate 19-point leads, the latter of which came at 57-38 when McGriff made two free throws with 7:29 to play.

WVU then increased its aggressiveness offensively and reeled off the next 11 points, while the Wildcats began to play tentative while in possession.

A three-pointer from K-State’s Nate Johnson left the Wildcats with a 60-49 lead with 3:48 left, but the Mountaineers continued to battle and trailed by six when Chance Moore scored in the paint at the 1:24 mark.

Moore’s next basket made it a five-point game, and after a Johnson turnover, Huff made two free throws to bring WVU to within 61-58 with 48 seconds left.

Another KSU turnover gave the visitors the ball back, but after Moore missed a shot that the Mountaineers rebounded, Huff committed a costly turnover.

Johnson made two free throws with 17 seconds left, and McGriff added two more with 7 seconds remaining before Huff made a trey at the buzzer.

Moore led WVU with 18 points and made 6-of-7 shots, but again struggled on free throws, finishing 5 for 9. WVU hurts its cause at the charity stripe and made only 9-of-16 attempts.

Brenen Lorient was the Mountaineers’ second-leading scorer with 14 second-half points, while Thomas followed with 12 and Huff added 11 on 3-for-11 shooting.

Treysen Eaglestaff led all players with 11 rebounds in defeat, but made only 3-of-12 shots in a six-point showing.

McGriff led KSU with 18 points and added seven rebounds.

Johnson finished with 16 points and nine boards.

WVU had nine of its 13 turnovers in the second half.

“Nine turnovers in the second half creates more busted floors, more cross match opportunities and through that, it makes you vulnerable for paint touch opportunities,” Hodge said.

K-State played under the guidance of interim head coach Matthew Driscoll. Driscoll replaced Jerome Tang, who was fired in between the team’s first and second matchups with West Virginia this season.

“Sometimes in life you get what you deserve,” Hodge said, “and we deserved to lose tonight.”

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West Virginia

Nitro completes utility deal with West Virginia American Water – WV MetroNews

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

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Nitro completes utility deal with West Virginia American Water – WV MetroNews

Photo: Dave Casebolt, left, signed an agreement Tuesday with West Virginia American Water Company President Scott Wyman (City of Nitro)

NITRO, W.Va. — It’s a done deal.

Nitro Mayor Dave Casebolt signed an agreement Tuesday with West Virginia American Water Company President Scott Wyman completing the sale of the Nitro Regional Wastewater Utility including the sewer plant for $20 million.

The water utility will now own and operate the city’s water and wastewater systems. The state Public Service Commission recently approved the deal.

Casebolt said it’s good to get the long-talked-about agreement signed. He said the city can’t afford to make the improvements required at the sewer plant.

“We’re looking at needing between 40 and 50 million dollars of upgrades to our system and expecting our four-thousand customer base to try to offset those costs is not even practical,” Casebolt said.

Casebolt said sewer bills are going to go up but he said they were going to go up regardless. He said the city was facing increasing rates by as much as 50 percent.

West Virgina American is planning $42 million in upgrades to the sewer system over the next five years, Casebolt said.

“It’s a much-need investment and actually allow the system to handle rainwater much better where it’s not backing up into people’s homes,” Casebolt said.

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