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Newest additions to West Virginia elk herd have arrived in southern West Virginia – WV MetroNews

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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.

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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.

The 17 new elk will be held for a week or so before the gates are opened and they’ll wander into the wild on their own PHOTO: Mark Bias

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.

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“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.



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West Virginia

West Virginia Strongman state championships show off strength and sportsmanship

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West Virginia Strongman state championships show off strength and sportsmanship


KINGWOOD, W.Va. (WBOY) — The West Virginia Strongman Corporation State Championship was held in Kingwood on Saturday.

More than 70 athletes competed in competitions such as the deadlift, yolk walk, overhead and “sandbags of suffering” in hopes that they would punch their ticket to the national strongman competition later this year.

More than 200 spectators were expected to stop by the Craig Civic Center and watch the display of strength, sportsmanship and friendly competition.

Stewart Reed, one of the organizers for the West Virginia state Strongman Championships, spoke with 12 News about the unique environment of the competitions.

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“Strongman is very much a community that cares about each other but still want to compete. It’s a way to express your strength and express a very fulfilling and rewarding hobby actually,” Reed said.

Athletes from eight different states were in attendance, ready to show off the hard work they had put in leading up to the competition.

This year’s competition was hosted by the Lift Hard Strength Club out of Preston County.



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Statehouse beat: Data centers and the final decimation of West Virginia

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Statehouse beat: Data centers and the final decimation of West Virginia


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W.Va. Gov. Morrisey announces another mining-related death

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W.Va. Gov. Morrisey announces another mining-related death


MARSHALL COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) – West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey made an announcement Friday about another mining-related fatality in the state within 24 hours – the latest in northern West Virginia.

The governor released the following statement:

“Denise and I were deeply saddened to learn of the loss of Darin Reece, who passed away following an accident at the Ohio County Mine. We extend our condolences to his family, his fellow miners, and all those who knew him. He served as a Continuous Miner Section Supervisor and was part of a workforce that takes on difficult and dangerous work every day.

“The impact of these events reaches far beyond the job site. It is felt by families, coworkers, and entire communities. That weight is even greater today, as this marks the second loss of life in West Virginia’s mining community in less than 24 hours.

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“The West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety, and Training is on site and conducting a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident.

“We ask West Virginians to keep Darin’s loved ones and the entire mining community in their thoughts during this difficult time.”

Earlier on Friday, Morrisey announced another mining-related death in Raleigh County in the southern part of the state.



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