West Virginia

Justice appoints Del. Thorne to West Virginia Senate, leaving vacancy in House • West Virginia Watch

Published

2 years ago

December 20, 2024

Justice appoints Del. Thorne to West Virginia Senate, leaving vacancy in House • West Virginia Watch

Gov. Jim Justice on Friday appointed Del. Darren Thorne, R-Hampshire, to the state Senate, filling the seat vacated earlier this month by Sen. Charlie Trump, R-Morgan, according to the news release.

The Senate seat covers all of Hampshire and Morgan Counties and parts of Berkeley and Mineral Counties, according to the release.

“I’m honored that Governor Justice has chosen me to be the next Senator from the 15th District,” Thorne said in a separate news release from the state Senate. “I have greatly enjoyed my time in the House of Delegates, and I look forward to serving both my current constituents in Hampshire County and my new constituents in Morgan and Berkeley counties in this new role. I look forward to this opportunity and working with Senate leadership to help move West Virginia forward.”

Trump — whose seat in the Senate was not up for election this year — resigned in early December after winning his race for the state Supreme Court of Appeals.

Thorne won his reelection to the House in November. With his switch to the Senate, a Republican will now need to be appointed for his seat in the House.

A farmer by trade, Thorne was first elected to the House in 2022. Over the last two sessions, he has signed on as the lead sponsor of seven bills. One of those — House Bill 5349, the Truth in Food Labeling Act — was signed into law.

In 2023 and 2024 sessions, Thorne introduced two bills twice: one to ban drag performances in front of minors and another that would have dictated how schools in the state teach concepts related to race, sex, ethnicity, religion or national origin. In both years, both of those bills died in committees.

Trump was elected to the state Senate in 2014. He successfully ran for the office after serving in the House of Delegates from 1992 to 2006, serving as minority whip for the then-Democrat controlled body from 1999 on. He will take the Supreme Court seat currently held by Chief Justice John A. Hutchison, who announced last year that he would be retiring from the judicial body.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

Source link

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.

In:

Source link

West Virginia

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

Published

12 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.

Source link