West Virginia
Newest additions to West Virginia elk herd have arrived in southern West Virginia – WV MetroNews
HOLDEN, W.Va. — As the sun dropped behind the distant mountains, the sides of the livestock trailer shook like thunder as one by one the newest additions to West Virginia’s elk herd bounded out the door and into the holding facility of the Tomblin Wildlife Management Area in Logan County.
Members of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, assisted by personnel from the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, delivered 17 of the 40 elk the state is due to receive in the weeks ahead from the U.S. Forest Service at their Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area in western Kentucky.
“They’ve been handled for the TB test twice before we got there, so they were a little contrary, but we checked on them during the trip and they did okay,” said DNR Elk Project Leader Randy Kelley.
The agency separated the cows and bulls into two separate holding areas on the Tomblin WMA and will soon open the gate for a soft release. No further testing or quarantine is required, so the new elk will soon mingle with the existing population on the ground on their own.
“The idea is to let them get acclimated and make sure everybody did come through the transportation okay before we turn them loose. Within seven to 10 days we’ll open the gate and let them wander out on their own into the hills of West Virginia,” Kelley explained.
This was the fourth release of transplanted elk in the DNR’s Elk Reintroduction Project and the first since approximately 60 were brought to the Mountain State from Arizona in 2018. Since then the elk population had been maintaining itself, but growing at a slow rate. The introduction of new animals, some of which are almost certainly bred, will help reinvigorate the population growth according to Kelley.
“Once we find out which of the cows are pregnant, it will help us almost immediately,” he said. “But there is a variety of age structure, they’re not all to breeding age, so if we get six or seven this year, then five more next year, and five or six more the following year who come into breeding age, it will give us about a third more calves in just a short span of time.”
Once they leave the pen, it’s hard to say where the newest members of the West Virginia herd will wind up. The group has been together for a couple of weeks and made the trip together which has grouped them into a loose family unit. Some may break off and stake out new territory on the 35,000 acres of the Tomblin WMA away from the others. But, Kelley added some may fold into the existing West Virginia population and grow the herd that way based on past experiences.
“They don’t wander far because they don’t have to,” he explained.
It’s anticipated the rest of the 23 elk West Virginia expected to receive will be rounded up and transported in the next couple of months.
Losing to Kansas State wiped away all hope for West Virginia to make the NCAA Tournament. That seems to be the clear consensus in the Mountain State, but is there actually still a chance? Well, I guess so.
ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi still has West Virginia listed as a team to consider, the second team outside of the “next four out” grouping.
Lunardi’s current NCAA Tournament bubble
Last Four Byes: Missouri, Texas A&M, Texas, Ohio State
Last Four In: SMU, Santa Clara, New Mexico, Indiana
First Four Out: VCU, Auburn, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati
Next Four Out: San Diego State, USC, California, Seton Hall
Next: Stanford, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona State
How is this even possible?
Short answer? I don’t really know.
My best guess as to why? Two things: the respect for the Big 12 and the opportunities left on the table, and two, an incredibly weak bubble.
Should West Virginia beat UCF on Friday, it will give the Mountaineers a 9-9 record in Big 12 play. That’s not as much of a guarantee to make the dance as having a winning record, but still, it’s an impressive mark, especially when, in this instance, they would have wins over Kansas, BYU, and sweeps over Cincinnati and UCF.
If you ask me, they still have too many bad losses for it to matter. I mean, even if they got red-hot out of nowhere and made it to the Big 12 championship game next week, is that enough? Potentially, but that’s a big IF.
The one thing WVU does have on its side is the number of Quad 1 wins, which they have five of. Virtually every other team in college basketball that has a minimum of five Quad 1 victories is expected to make the tournament. In that previously mentioned scenario, they would add at least one more Quad 1 win in the conference tournament, giving the committee something to think about.
The bubble is just incredibly weak, though. Like, how in the world is Auburn, who is 16-14 currently, the second team out of the field? Cincinnati, which WVU swept and has the same record as, is the fourth team in the “first four out” grouping.
At this point, the only path I see is for the Mountaineers to cut down the nets in Kansas City — good luck with that. We could be having a very different conversation if they didn’t lallygag their way through the first 30 minutes of the games against Utah and Kansas State.
Buckle up, Upshur County. Starting Friday, March 6, law enforcement officers across West Virginia will step up seatbelt enforcement as part of a statewide Click It or Ticket campaign running through March 23.
The West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) announced the high-visibility mobilization as a warm-up to the national seatbelt campaign in May. The goal is to ensure every occupant — front seat or back, driver or passenger — is buckled on every trip.
“During this mobilization, law enforcement officers across West Virginia will be out in full force. They will be strictly ticketing drivers who are unbuckled or who are transporting children not properly restrained in car seats,” said Jack McNeely, Director of the GHSP.
The numbers behind the campaign are sobering. In 2023, 40% of passenger vehicle occupants killed in West Virginia crashes were unrestrained. The state’s seatbelt usage rate has also slipped — from 91.9% in 2024 to 91.6% in 2025.
Rural drivers face elevated risk despite a common assumption that country roads are safer. In 2023, 65% of the state’s traffic fatalities occurred in rural areas, compared to 35% in urban centers.
Under West Virginia law, wearing a seatbelt is required. A citation carries a $25 fine, though McNeely says the real point isn’t the penalty.
“Click It or Ticket isn’t about the citations; it’s about saving lives,” he said. “A ticket is a wake-up call. It is far less expensive than the alternative — paying with your life or the lives of your family and friends.”
For more information about the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program, visit highwaysafety.wv.gov or call 304-926-2509.
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.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
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.
10-month-old found safe, North Las Vegas police cancel AMBER Alert
NH Senate Votes To Hike Turnpike Tolls for Out-of-State Vehicles
How much are World Cup tickets? FIFA sells $2,000 tailgate tickets
New Mexico confirms latest measles case at a local jail
Video: A look at North Dakota’s 2026-2028 Fishing Guide
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Map: 4.9-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Louisiana
Paxton vows he’s ‘staying in this race’ even if Trump backs Cornyn in Texas GOP clash
Which Kurdish groups is the US rallying to fight Iran?
Man accused of plot to assassinate Trump testifies Iran pressured him, says Biden and Haley were other possible targets
DHS defends McLaughlin against allegations husband’s company profited millions from ad contracts: ‘Baseless’
-
World1 week agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Wisconsin4 days agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Maryland5 days agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Florida4 days agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Denver, CO1 week ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Massachusetts3 days agoMassachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
-
Oregon6 days ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling