West Virginia

Reflecting on West Virginia’s 2024 legislative session

Published

2 years ago

March 17, 2024

Reflecting on West Virginia’s 2024 legislative session

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WTAP) – West Virginia’s 2024 regular legislative session ended last weekend.

We talked with Wood County Delegate Scot Heckert to look back on what lawmakers did and didn’t get done during the 60-day session.

Heckert pointed to several pieces of legislation that made it through both houses by the March 9th deadline, including raises for teachers and other state employees, tax cuts on social security benefits, and more state oversight for recovery residences.

Heckert said he wants lawmakers to address more things during a special session in May, including funding for the state’s Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Waiver. “The IDD waiver,” Heckert said. “They’re the most vulnerable people in our state, and the people that take care of them are their only source of being taken care of. I have the utmost surety that we’ll push and get what we need to get for them to get things done.”

Further funding for the IDD waiver was left out of the budget lawmakers passed last Saturday due to ongoing negotiations between the governor’s office and the federal government over how state and federal dollars were used to fund education during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Governor Justice has said he intends to call a special session after those negotiations are complete to make changes to the state budget before the next fiscal year starts on July First.

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West Virginia

West Virginia National Guard member killed in DC laid to rest

Published

10 hours ago

December 10, 2025

Press Room

West Virginia National Guard member killed in DC laid to rest

A West Virginia National Guard member who was fatally shot last month in the nation’s capital was laid to rest with full military honors in a private ceremony.

Spc. Sarah Beckstrom’s funeral took place Tuesday at the West Virginia National Cemetery in Grafton, Gov. Patrick Morrisey said in a statement.

“The ceremony was deeply moving and reflected the strength, grace, and love of a remarkable young woman and the family and friends who surrounded her,” Morrisey said.

Beckstrom graduated with honors from Webster County High School in 2023 and joined the National Guard several weeks later. She served in the 863rd Military Police Company.

Beckstrom and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe were ambushed as they patrolled a subway station three blocks from the White House on Nov. 26. She died the next day.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who was also shot during the confrontation, has been charged with murder. He pleaded not guilty.

Morrisey has said Wolfe, who remains in a hospital in Washington, is slowly healing and his family expects he will be in acute care for another few weeks.

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West Virginia

“Naturally, West Virginia” program launched

Published

1 day ago

December 9, 2025

Press Room

“Naturally, West Virginia” program launched

MORGANTOWN, WV (WVNS) — The West Virginia Agritourism Initiative and West Virginia University Extension Agency are coming together to create “Naturally, West Virginia.”

Naturally West Virginia is an Agritourism Promotion and Support Program designed to help West Virginia’s agritourism business grow and improve.

Dr. Dee Singh-Knights, Professor of Agribusiness Economics and Management, says businesses under this brand demonstrate a commitment to providing a high quality visitor experience and implement the best in agritourism practices.

To be eligible for the program, a business owner must have 10 hours of Agritourism Education and Professional Development Training, be reviewed by the Naturally West Virginia team to explore current practices, areas for improvement, and technical assistance, a West Virginia Agritourism Association Membership, and a completed verification form filed with WVU Extension.

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West Virginia

Why Losing Jahiem White Stings But Will Not Derail West Virginia’s 2026 Plans

Published

2 days ago

December 9, 2025

Press Room

Why Losing Jahiem White Stings But Will Not Derail West Virginia’s 2026 Plans

During his two years and change in Morgantown, running back Jahiem White was one of the most, if not the most, dynamic players on the West Virginia football roster. Every time he touched the ball, you had the feeling that something special could happen, and oftentimes it did.

After not seeing the field through the first half of his true freshman campaign, he burst onto the scene in a road game against UCF, and from that point on, he became the electrifying back we all know him as. Injuries are a part of the game, but White is coming off a season-ending knee injury, marking the second straight offseason he’ll spend a good chunk of his time recovering. Last year, he suffered a lower-body injury in the Frisco Bowl against Memphis.

On Monday, news dropped that White plans to enter the transfer portal in January, which caught a lot of Mountaineer fans off guard because of the responses he had to fans earlier in the week on Instagram asking if he would be returning.

WVU has been holding exit interviews with players, discussing the report on them for the 2025 season, their future, and if they have a spot on next year’s roster. Pretty much every one of those talks will feature some time spent on money. Those figures are not generally made available to the media or public, but it’s within reason to assume West Virginia was a little weary of offering a decent-sized package to White, considering the injuries he’s had the past two years.

So, what now for West Virginia?

When a player of Jahiem’s caliber would depart in the past, everyone would panic and assume trouble lies ahead. Don’t get me wrong, losing White stings for WVU, but probably not as much as it would have in the past.

Rich Rodriguez signed five running backs during the early signing period, two of whom are going to have a chance to be significant contributors from day one in JUCO star Martavious Boswell and four-star recruit Amari Latimer, who flipped from Wisconsin. Those two, plus another incoming freshman, Christopher Talley, will be enrolling early. Big, physical back Lawrence Autry and the speedy SirPaul Cheeks will arrive in the summer

Goin’ shoppin’

Yes, WVU has to beefen up in the trenches and address other areas of the roster, but don’t think for a second that Rodriguez will ignore the running back position. After seeing the position decimated by injury in 2025, he’s going to do everything in his power to make sure that doesn’t happen again. West Virginia will add another running back to the mix once the portal opens next month, and likely one that has played meaningful football.