West Virginia
Hometown Senior Center has a new owner
PUTNAM COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) – Putnam Aging, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of senior citizens, is now the owner of Hometown West Virginia’s senior center.
The Putnam County Commission has allowed Putnam Aging to work in three of the county’s senior centers, but now that they own the center in Hometown, Director Jenni Sutherland said they can start improving the outdated facility.
“Some of our senior centers are just newer, more up to date, able to run computer labs and other types of activities and the hometown center is just an older building,” Sutherland said.
Melissa Villalobos, the head chef at Hometown Senior Center, said she’s excited for the possibilities after receiving a new oven for their meal program.
“I was in a convention oven right there, and yeah it’s hard preparing 150 meals,” Villalobos said.
Sutherland said having ownership of the building will make it easier to improve the facility with non-removable upgrades.
“So we’re able to cook more meals at one time, but there’s other types of improvements that we’d like to make to the building itself that will now be possible due to this gracious donation by the county commission,” she said.
Sutherland also said potential improvements could include more level floors, a larger parking lot and repairs to the old electrical system.
Putnam Aging will also host a Christmas in July themed picnic on July 25 at Valley Park in Hurricane, West Virginia.
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West Virginia
Morrisey signs Baylea’s Law, increasing criminal penalties in W.Va. for DUI causing death
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey officially signed House Bill 4712 into law on Friday.
The bill, better known as Baylea’s Law, increases criminal penalties against those who are convicted of driving under the influence resulting in death. The bill is named after Baylea Bower, a 24-year-old woman from Boone County who was killed in a car crash on Easter in 2025 caused by a drunk driver.
The bill passed the House in February, with several of Bower’s family and friends gathered at the West Virginia Capitol in support of the bill.
“Obviously we’re going to be heartbroken,” Bower’s friend India Henderson said. “We have the lifetime sentence of not having Baylea. But if this does help save a life in the future and cause someone to not want to go out and cause this tragedy, then that is a win.”
In accordance with the passage of the bill, Baylea’s Law will take effect on June 12.
“West Virginia will no longer allow those who drive while impaired to escape the full weight of justice,” Morrisey said Friday in a press release. “Baylea’s Law gives our legal system the teeth to demand absolute accountability for the most heartbreaking crimes. Today, our laws stand firmly on the side of victims and their families.”
Specifically, Baylea’s Law introduces the offense of aggravated DUI resulting in death, which will carry the following mandatory sentences, according to a release from Morrisey’s office:
- Five to 30 years in prison
- Fine of $2,000 to $10,000
- Lifetime revocation of the offender’s driver’s license
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