West Virginia

Ohio couple aims to uplift central West Virginia via $100K gift to WVU

Published

10 months ago

May 21, 2025

Ohio couple aims to uplift central West Virginia via 0K gift to WVU

More than 10 years after moving away from the Mountain State, an Ohio couple is strengthening their commitment to central West Virginia with a $100,000 gift to expand local outreach and experiential learning opportunities via the West Virginia University Center for Community Engagement, a unit under the WVU Division for Land-Grant Engagement.

George Lee and Rosemary H. Fisher first came to West Virginia in 1975, when they purchased a small farm in Braxton County. They maintained the farm for nearly 40 years and became deeply connected to their neighbors and the community.

“Our hearts have always been centered there, even though we’ve moved on to a different phase of our lives,” Lee said. “I think when you experience a place like West Virginia for as long as we did, it just naturally becomes a part of you.”

The Fishers’ gift to WVU establishes a namesake fund that supports the Purpose2Action program, a paid community engagement experience that places undergraduate students with nonprofit and public-sector organizations to work on mission-driven projects. Per the couple’s wishes, first preference will be given to students from Braxton County and/or student engagement work with Braxton County nonprofits.

The fund prioritizes projects and organizations focused on youth education, entrepreneurship, technology, nutrition, veterans, animals, career development and food scarcity.

“Students are curious and motivated to apply classroom learning to real-world challenges that enrich their education while gaining valuable career skills and making a meaningful impact in local communities,” WVU Center for Community Engagement Director and Assistant Dean Kristi Wood-Turner said.

The Fishers met as undergraduates at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and spent their careers in the Philadelphia area, where Lee worked in corporate finance for the rail industry and Rosemary was a schoolteacher.

The Braxton County farm fulfilled a lifelong dream for Lee and served as a peaceful getaway for the couple until the early 2000s, when they retired and moved there full-time.

“It was like going home,” Rosemary said.

They both volunteered at Little Birch Elementary and belonged to the Braxton County Rotary Club, among other community groups.

At the urging of then-Governor Joe Manchin, Lee got involved at the state level. He held leadership roles with the West Virginia Board of Accountancy, the West Virginia Broadband Deployment Council and TechConnect WV. Lee, who served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, was also involved in veterans’ affairs issues.

In their spare time, Lee enjoyed fishing, while Rosemary sewed and quilted. She has given away over 100 quilts to West Virginia friends and neighbors as graduation presents, condolence gifts, recognition for military service and more.

The couple previously established the Lee and Rosemary Fisher Scholarship to benefit graduates of Braxton County High School who attend WVU.

“We’ve both been blessed with being able to give things away, and I think that’s partially due to the way we were raised,” Lee said. “Our parents recognized there’s always someone else who may live next door that might be in a worse situation than you are, so don’t let you become the subject of your whole life. Recognize there are people around you that you might be able to help, and if you’re in a position to provide that help, just do it. That’s the way we’ve looked at all our gifts.”

The Fishers noted that rural communities in central West Virginia face unique challenges that aren’t easily understood by residents of Morgantown, Martinsburg and other cities in the state, so they wanted to help. They hope their generosity enriches central West Virginia communities, broadens the skills and perspective of students from the area, and inspires others to give.

“When we decided we would create this gift, we were determined that it was going to stay in the center of the state and not go anywhere else,” Lee said.

Despite the Fishers’ passion for West Virginia, health struggles prompted them to return to Oxford in 2013. They have family nearby, and Lee has continued his education at Miami University, taking over a dozen courses in the past decade.

In addition to spending time in Florida, Rosemary said the couple still returns to Braxton County regularly to visit their “adopted family on the hill.”

“The students’ willingness to serve truly changes the lives of our fellow citizens and enriches their learning here at WVU,” Associate Vice President and Dean of the Division for Land-Grant Engagement Jorge Atiles said. “We are so thankful for thoughtful donors like the Fishers who share a passion for service and for our West Virginia communities.”

The Fishers’ gift was made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.

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West Virginia

West Virginia Scoots Up in Top 25 Rankings After Taking Series From Kennesaw State

Published

10 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

West Virginia Scoots Up in Top 25 Rankings After Taking Series From Kennesaw State

Another successful weekend for the West Virginia Mountaineers results in another slight bump up in the top 25 rankings. WVU took two of three from Kennesaw State on the road, allowing them to slide up to No. 23 in D1Baseball’s new batch of rankings.

D1Baseball’s Top 25 for Week 3

1. UCLA
2. LSU
3. Texas
4. Mississippi State
5. Georgia Tech
6. Arkansas
7. Auburn
8. North Carolina
9. Florida
10. Southern Miss
11. Georgia
12. Oklahoma
13. NC State
14. Clemson
15. Wake Forest
16. Coastal Carolina
17. TCU
18. Oregon State
19. Tennessee
20. Florida State
21. Kentucky
22. Texas A&M
23. West Virginia
24. Miami
25. UTSA

Missed opportunity

West Virginia had a 6-0 lead in game three of its series against Kennesaw State, looking well on their way to a clean three-game sweep of the Owls.

Unfortunately for Steve Sabins, the bullpen imploded following another strong five-inning outing from the big lefty Maxx Yehl. Bryson Thacker, Carson Estridge, and David Perez combined to give up four runs on five hits over the final three innings, allowing the Owls to steal Sunday’s game.

The loss frustrated West Virginia fans and rightfully so, but there’s no need to panic. The name of the game is to continue winning the series. You do that, you’ll find yourself in a position to make the NCAA Tournament and earn a high seed. Obviously, you don’t want to blow the opportunity of a sweep, especially when you’re up 6-0, but it’s not a loss that is going to ruin their resume. Losing the series, on the other hand, would have.

What’s next for the Mountaineers?

No single mid-week game this week for West Virginia. Instead, they’ll play a quick two-game series against Radford at home beginning Tuesday. They’ll get one day of rest before opening up a three-game series at home against Columbia, which will be the final series of non-conference play. WVU will have a single mid-week game against Maryland on Tuesday, March 10th, before beginning Big 12 action on the road against Baylor.

The full remaining schedule

Mar. 2-4 Radford

Mar. 6-8 Columbia

Mar 10 Maryland

Mar 13-15 at Baylor

Mar. 17 Penn State

Mar. 29-21 BYU

Mar. 24 at Marshall

Mar. 27-29 at Arizona State

Mar. 31 at Arizona

Apr. 3-5 UCF

Apr. 7 Marshall

Apr. 10-12 at Texas Tech

Apr. 15 at Penn State

Apr. 17-19 Houston

Apr. 21 Pitt

Apr. 24-26 at Cincinnati

Apr. 29 at Penn State

May 1-3 Kansas State

May 5 Marshall (Charleston, WV)

May 8-10 at Kansas

May 14-16 TCU

May 20-23 Big 12 Championship (Surprise, AZ)

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West Virginia

West Virginia Surrenders Six-Run Lead, Falls in Series Finale to Kennesaw State

Published

22 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

West Virginia Surrenders Six-Run Lead, Falls in Series Finale to Kennesaw State

West Virgnia built a six-run lead through five and half innings, but the Kennesaw State Owls (5-5) scored seven unanswered runs in three frames to knock off the Mountaineers (8-2) Sunday afternoon 7-6.

West Virginia captured an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first after sophomore Matt Ineich hit a leadoff single before sophomore Gavin Kelly and senior Paul Schoenfeld were issued walks to load the bases with two outs on the board. Then, redshirt freshman Ryan Maggy line a two-RBI single to centerfield in his first career start.

The Mountaineers extended their lead in the second when Kelly hit a three went opposite field for a three-run home run, his first of the season, for a 5-0 advantage.

West Virginia starting southpaw pitcher Maxx Yehl threw five scoreless innings. The redshirt junior recorded four strikeouts on the day and limited the Owls to four hits.

Kelly added a run in the sixth, clearing the centerfield wall for his second home run of the afternoon and a 6-0 WVU lead.

Redshirt sophomore Bryson Thacker took the mound in the six. After a high and wide throw on a ground ball, a walk, and with two outs, junior Cooper Williams drooped an RBI single in right field to put the Owls on the board. Then, a pitch in the dirt rolled to the backstop to add another run, closing the gap to four, 6-2.

Carson Estridge was handed the ball in the seventh. The senior right-hander gave up a leadoff double before registering the next two outs, including a strikeout, before freshman McCollum line an RBI single just out of the reach of the glove of Kelly. Senior Jackson Chirello cut the deficit one, hammering the 3-1 pitch well over the right field wall and into the Waffle House parking lot for a two-run home run.

West Virginia head coach Steve Sabins turned to the clubhouse leader in saves David Perez to get the Mountaineers out of the inning. The freshman returned to the mound in the eighth. Senior Jamarie Brooks reached after hitting a sharp ground ball over to first that went between the legs of senior Ben Lumsden. Then, Williams blasted a two-run home run and a 7-6 Owls lead.

In the ninth, senior Matthew Graveline nearly tied the game with the swing of the bat, driving 0-2 pitch off the top of the left field wall for a one-out double to put the Mountaineers into scoring position. However, redshirt senior Harry Cain sat the last two Mountaineer hitters to collect his second win of the season as the Owls completed the comeback with the 7-6 decision.

West Virginia is back in action on Tuesday for the first of a two-game series against Radford. Game one and game two (Weds) are both scheduled for 2:00 p.m. and the all the action will stream on ESPN+.

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West Virginia

Delegate Larry Kump, master of various catch phrases, has died – WV MetroNews

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Delegate Larry Kump of Berkeley County has died, state officials announced. Kump was 78 years old.

Larry Kump

Kump, a Republican, served in the House from 2010 to 2014, again from 2018 to 2020 and finally 2022 to the present. He had announced plans to run again in the coming electoral cycle.

“As a battle-tested and liberty minded Christian and Constitutional Conservative, my consecrated action principles of good governance remains solid and steadfast,” he wrote to supporters in January.

He had been serving in the ongoing legislative session, but had been absent in recent weeks.

The daily prayer in the House of Delegates this past Wednesday included an expression of concern for Kump: “A special prayer for Delegate Larry Kump. Lord, you know where he is in the hospital now, and I pray right now that you would send your angels there to touch him, to be with him.”

Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Kump’s death on social media, calling Kump “a devoted public servant who dedicated many years of his life to improving West Virginia.

“Delegate Kump served with a deep commitment to the principles he believed would strengthen our communities and protect our freedoms.

“On behalf of the First Lady and myself, we extend our condolences to Larry’s family, friends, former colleagues, and all those who had the privilege of knowing and serving alongside him. His legacy of service and his love for our state will never be forgotten.”

Secretary of State Kris Warner also posted condolences to Kump’s family. “Larry was a conservative Christian and a true Mountaineer! He will be sadly missed by his friends and colleagues,” Warner posted.

The West Virginia Democratic Party also put out a statement to offer condolences, saying Kump’s work reflected a lifelong commitment to accountability, public policy, and the effective administration of government.

“Delegate Larry Kump devoted his life to his family, his community, and to his state. He brought experience, independence and thoughtfulness to his role, and he never lost sight of the people he served,” said Mike Pushkin, the Democratic Party chairman who is also a delegate from Kanawha County.

Kump was known for his turns of phrase, for example kicking off his comments on the House floor with “Great googly moogly” for emphasis. He often described his adoration for his “beloved and bodacious wife Cheryl.”

He regularly concluded interactions and written communications this way: “Meanwhile, and for sure and for certain, may God bless you all real good!”

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