West Virginia
School safety plans not on the agenda at West Virginia Board of Education meeting
![School safety plans not on the agenda at West Virginia Board of Education meeting School safety plans not on the agenda at West Virginia Board of Education meeting](https://gray-wsaz-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/4zRq9F02KW6u8HJm4AH2eImUH4Q=/980x0/smart/filters:quality(85)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/WJMW67N4MVHALBGYWZTKCJA6QM.jpg)
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – Scholar security is on the minds of fogeys as they ship their kids again to highschool, however that matter was not on the month-to-month West Virginia State Board of Schooling assembly Wednesday.
“This on our minds on a regular basis, and so whether or not it’s mentioned at a gathering that’s not the measure of what’s actually occurring,” board member Debra Sullivan stated.
The subject not being on the agenda was a stark distinction from the July assembly, when officers stated faculty disaster response plans have been obligatory.
On July 13, WSAZ requested if it’s going to be a precedence shifting ahead to ensure faculty districts are submitting these plans this was the response:
“That’s appropriate. We are literally including that to our state accountability system for faculties,” stated Jonah Adkins, coordinator for the workplace of accountability, stated. “If these plans are late or not submitted in any respect, that can replicate negatively on the on the effectivity indicators for county boards of schooling.”
Board member Miller Corridor even stated on July 13, faculties with no disaster plan shouldn’t open.
The board informed faculties that they had till Aug. 1 to submit the disaster response plan to the Division of Homeland Safety.
Since then, WSAZ has been asking through e-mail if faculty submitted these plans, however we have been informed the division was checking.
Wednesday, WSAZ requested the board for an replace on these plans and why they weren’t on the agenda.
WSAZ acquired this response:
“The up to date Disaster Response Plans for the 637 faculties in our state have been because of the Division of Homeland Safety by Aug. 1. The data is being collected and might be introduced in a report back to the West Virginia Board of Schooling on the September assembly. Preliminary evaluation of the information from Homeland Safety signifies most colleges have up to date these plans and the West Virginia Division of Schooling’s Workplace of Accountability and Evaluation is working with counties that didn’t submit the up to date plans by Aug. 1., to make sure they achieve this instantly. The names of these faculties is not going to be disclosed right now for causes of security and safety.”
WSAZ requested Sullivan if she would have appreciated to know what faculty submitted plans and what faculties didn’t earlier than faculty began.
“I suppose I’ve belief that these, by way of my work right here with the division that there are these within the division who’ve that as their cost that they’re doing,” she stated.
WSAZ additionally requested if it’s alarming to listen to some faculties don’t have these plans in place?
“I don’t know if alarm is the phrase. It shocks me that why wouldn’t you do one thing that’s to learn your whole faculty inhabitants?” she stated. “I can’t converse for the board. I’m only one voice, however it could be one thing I do know I might take very critically.”
WSAZ requested what number of counties didn’t submit a disaster response plan. The spokesperson responded they’re checking into that data.
Copyright 2022 WSAZ. All rights reserved.
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West Virginia
Morrisey says his aim as governor is economic growth – WV MetroNews
![Morrisey says his aim as governor is economic growth – WV MetroNews Morrisey says his aim as governor is economic growth – WV MetroNews](https://s3.us-east-005.backblazeb2.com/wvmn-s3/2025/02/4F_E7_8048735_764994656_4.jpg)
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Governor Patrick Morrisey says West Virginia could become the country’s leading energy and economic driver if our state’s resources and workers are pulled together in the right direction.
Morrisey came on MetroNews ‘Talkline’ Thursday following his first state of the state address he delivered to legislatures Wednesday night at the capitol. Energy, technology, education and economic development goals were some of the reoccurring themes Morrisey touched on throughout his address.
On Talkline Thursday, the question was asked, how can the state leverage coal, natural gas, and other resources naturally available here to their fullest potential in a 21st century economy.
Morrisey answered that it’s all about educating the next generation.
“I think the best way we have to do this is we have to take advantage of the resources we have and number one, focus on education,” Morrisey said. “A lot of time last night I spent talking about votech programs, we need more plumbers, we need more engineers, we need more electricians, we need more sheet medal workers.”
Morrisey said the state needs to take advantage of any partnerships it sets up with outside sources that are able to bring more jobs and growth to the economy.
In his address, he said he talked about West Virginia being a factory for training in multiple industries, because, right now, they need more people in the workforce as the state currently has the lowest workforce participation rate in the country at 54.2%.
Morrisey said his administration will also be looking for ways to facilitate the speed major economic endeavors happen.
“You could actually be one of the fastest states in the country for energy, for other construction projects, for transportation projects, that’s attractive to people, and we want to set up the rules so people start to look around and say, ‘hey, look, West Virginia is better than Pennsylvania, than Ohio, Kentucky, Maryland and Virginia, and that’s what brings more businesses in,” he said.
Morrisey announced a partnership with West Virginia University, Marshall, and Shepherd universities and Blue Ridge Community and Technical College for the West Virginia POWER Tech Center.
Morrisey said at this facility, all of the higher education institutions would collaborate to boost technology, energy, and innovation sectors. He said this will address the high-level jobs that are becoming available in advanced manufacturing.
However, Morrisey also said that what he wants to get across is that future generations do not need a four-year degree in order to be successful, and he only wants to continue to build those opportunities in the state.
Morrisey said there are so many good-paying jobs within the vocational side as well. He said they need to focus their aim in several directions for workforce growth.
“I think the key is to build out the workforce and if you do that, I think it will not only be good for every West Virginian looking for a job, it’s going to be very attractive to grow our population as well,” he said.
Morrisey said the major question becomes, though, how do we start building the workforce now, because, there are a lot of employers who need workers right now.
Currently, there are 44,000 people on unemployment in the state. He said his administration is doing a deep dive into that number to really analyze who’s not working right now who could be.
Morrisey said he understands that some of these workforce participation problems currently stems from having an older population who are retired, as well as the highest disability rate.
But, he went on to say that he thinks it’s crucial they look at every aspect of workforce participation and get some of that 44,000 back into the workforce, even if it means providing jobs that may be less conventional.
“What if there are opportunities for those who are disabled as well, some of the jobs in the new economy might not require a lot of the back-breaking physical work, maybe there are opportunities from a data perspective from a technology perspective to bring some of those people back to work, we’re going to look at things like that,” Morrisey said.
Morrisey said he also plans to focus on bringing in more workers from other states to make a living here.
He said again, all of this potential improvement and growth goes back to education.
“Even if you do everything else wrong as a state, if your citizens are very well-educated, the attainment rates are going to go through the roof, and people can be self-sufficient, so that to me is very, very high on the list.”
West Virginia
Having scraped past West Virginia 73-69 on Tuesday night in Morgantown, BYU turns its attention to red-hot Kansas State
![Having scraped past West Virginia 73-69 on Tuesday night in Morgantown, BYU turns its attention to red-hot Kansas State Having scraped past West Virginia 73-69 on Tuesday night in Morgantown, BYU turns its attention to red-hot Kansas State](https://www.deseret.com/resizer/v2/TKK7Y6EX6NFMFL7XBJBW6BHYCY.jpg?focal=0%2C0&auth=b602f5e9ba412b0972b146c2d6ecd9354aa645d7208821c2bb1711aa502bad7d&width=1200&height=630)
BYU basketball coach Kevin Young has said throughout his first season in Provo that the Cougars’ outstanding depth has been both a blessing and a curse.
“Probably our best team win of the year, just in terms of guys staying ready, not sulking or pouting on the bench, being ready to come in and contribute.”
— BYU coach Kevin Young
Tuesday night at West Virginia, it was definitely a blessing.
Non-starters such as Kanon Catchings, Mihailo Boskovic, Trey Stewart and Fousseyni Traore were instrumental in the Cougars’ 73-69 win in front of 10,879 at WVU Coliseum as BYU beat West Virginia for the second time in two years on the Mountaineers’ home floor.
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“Gutsy win by our guys,” Young said. “Probably our best team win of the year, just in terms of guys staying ready, not sulking or pouting on the bench, being ready to come in and contribute.”
Before delivering his postgame thoughts, Young honored former BYU basketball player Jake Shoff, who died in a car accident on I-15 last week.
BYU’s bench outscored WVU’s bench 38-18, as Young went with some unconventional lineups down the stretch, and Boskovic, for one, delivered in a big way. The 6-foot-10 junior from Uzice, Serbia, had six points and two rebounds in nine minutes of play and made the game-sealing 3-point play in the final 10 seconds.
“The play was designed to get Richie (Saunders) coming off the screen and kinda have Mihailo slip behind it. The guys really executed well on that last play,” Young said.
Boskovic and Egor Demin (16 points) were chosen to represent BYU at the postgame news conference in Morgantown and Boskovic spoke humbly when was asked about his driving layup with 9.3 seconds left, and free throw, that gave the Cougars a 73-69 lead.
“With the way we were playing, we were really determined,” Boskovic said. “When we do what we do best, we play really great. That 3-point play was at the end. I am glad we won on that. In this environment where it is hard to play, it is a great win.”
West Virginia led for more than 31 minutes of game time, while BYU led for only five minutes and 34 seconds. BYU used a 17-7 run in the final six minutes to steal it.
The difference between winning and losing in the Big 12 “is so marginal,” Young said. “Every little thing matters. … This league is extremely challenging. This is my first year in it, so I am learning on the fly. Every environment is tough to play in. Walking in here and seeing the sheer size of it (is overwhelming). You gotta be able to execute under very high pressure situations.”
That’s exactly what BYU did, most notably Stewart and defensive specialist Mawot Mag, who limited WVU’s Javon Small to four shots, including just one shot in the second half.
Young said forcing the 6-foot-3 Small to his right, not letting him get to his dominant left hand, was a big part of the game plan.
“He is one of the guys that I am really impressed with in this league. We put a ton of time into studying his game,” Young said. “Credit goes to Mawot Mag and Trey Stewart and the rest of our guys behind him. That’s something we talked about a lot. He is a tough cover with one-on-ones. We wanted to defend him with more than one guy.”
Although Boskovic gobbled up some minutes that usually go to them, Traore and Catchings also made clutch plays in crunch time. Catchings added 11 points and Traore had seven.
“I think we had a different disposition, a different mentality,” Young said. “I have been on our guys a lot (about that). As a coach, you think scheme, scheme, scheme. But sometimes it just comes down to toughness, just ball toughness and getting to where you want to get to. The officials were letting a lot go. I thought it was a little too physical, honestly. But our guys played through it.”
Young also praised the environment, calling it “really mind-blowing, to be honest.”
The coach said that through his time in the NBA he has met three of West Virginia’s greatest basketball players — Rod Thorn, Jerry West and former Utah Jazz broadcaster Hot Rod Hundley. Young said that after BYU’s shootaround on Tuesday morning, he went out and took a picture of West’s statue.
Next up for BYU (16-8, 7-6) is a showdown at the Marriott Center on Saturday (7 p.m. MST, ESPN+) against red-hot Kansas State. The Wildcats have won six straight games after a 1-6 start in Big 12 play, most recently a 73-70 victory over No. 13 Arizona.
They also defeated nationally ranked Kansas and Iowa State during that stretch.
![BYU players exit the court after defeating West Virginia in Morgantown Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025.](https://www.deseret.com/resizer/v2/LTGB6FEDRBHM7EHNNUAHDUVWEM.jpg?auth=8590ec9029e00737a98f31a5984c17ff80c8330061620ef9637c7fea75218968&focal=0%2C0&width=800&height=533)
West Virginia
Jim Justice says he turned West Virginia's budget from cow dung to gold. Gov. Morrisey disagrees
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Jim Justice said he transformed West Virginia’s financial policy from cow dung into gold during his time as governor.
But one man’s gold is another man’s … something else. Newly inaugurated Gov. Patrick Morrisey has taken a closer look under the lid of the state’s coffers, and he said what he has found isn’t so shiny — and it stinks.
Despite the now-U.S. senator’s assurances that he was leaving the state in glowing financial condition, Morrisey announced a week into his term that he had “inherited” from the Justice administration a projected $400 million budget deficit for the fiscal year starting in July — one expected to grow to $600 million the following year. Contradicting Justice, he said the former governor didn’t find the money to pay for his record $1 billion-a-year cuts to the personal income tax, collections on which make up half of the state’s general revenue fund and 10% of all state expenditures.
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Morrisey is scheduled to present his budget accounting for the deficits on Wednesday during his State of the State address. He will be recommending the Legislature consolidate several state agencies, along with other cost-saving measures.
“When they were cutting the taxes, I said, ‘Please continue to cut the taxes, but we must pay for them,’ ” the governor said at a news briefing after taking office. “The taxes have not been paid for.”
West Virginia is one of at least nine states to cut personal income taxes
With budgets bolstered by federal COVID-19 dollars, at least nine states including West Virginia have passed a personal income tax cut since 2021. Supporters say the cuts will boost states’ economies, making them more attractive to business. Others tell a different story.
The progressive-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has warned that expiring federal aid, along with costly new school voucher programs in many states, could lead to challenges funding baseline services like public education, health care and transportation.
“It’s kind of the perfect storm,” said Kelly Allen, executive director of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, part of the center’s national network. “All of the spending and tax cuts are starting to hit the budget at the same time that those temporary revenue factors helped us make the case for the tax cuts have subsided.”
Justice — a coal baron and former billionaire who faced a slew of court challenges because of unpaid debts, fines and threats of foreclosure on his dozens of businesses while governor — was repeatedly criticized during his administration for purposefully underfunding agencies and low-balling revenue estimates to create false surpluses.
Meanwhile, he signed laws that are projected to increase in cost over the years: the $1 billion-a-year tax cuts and the Hope Scholarship. One of the country’s most open-ended school savings account programs, the Hope Scholarship has no income requirements.
Justice calls governor’s budget statement ‘crazy talk’
Justice, who recently started work in Washington after being elected to the seat of now-retired Independent U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, dismissed Morrisey’s comments as “crazy-talk” in an interview with WCHS-TV, saying he didn’t believe it.
“If I thought we were going to have a $400 million deficit, my hair would be on fire,” Justice told the television station.
Justice and other leaders have pointed to $400 million set aside in a special reserve fund specifically designed to operate a safety net to cover shortfalls caused by the tax cuts. Justice is also leaving office with $1.3 billion in the rainy day fund, which contained less than half a million dollars went he came into office, also during a time of projected deficits.
His statements were backed up by state Treasurer Larry Pack and the House and Senate presidents, who said they were all surprised by Morrisey’s announcement. House Speaker Roger Hanshaw told reporters last week he isn’t sure West Virginia is facing a budgetary crisis.
“We don’t share the belief that we’re in quite the same budgetary situation that others have suggested we are,” Hanshaw said.
Justice claims credit for turning state’s finances around
Justice repeated a rags-to-riches tale often during his eight years as governor, which began in 2017 when he famously vetoed West Virginia’s budget — facing a $500 million deficit when he took office — by comparing it to literal bovine feces he brought to the state Capitol. Signing the final tax cut out of more than $1 billion over his two terms, he touted years of flat budgets and record billion-dollar surpluses by unveiling the same platter he used in 2017, now topped with gold.
“Look what we got here today,” he said. “The cow dung went away, and today we’ve got gold bars.”
Justice said cutting taxes would spur business growth and economic revitalization in one of the nation’s poorest states, which has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic and lost coal industry jobs. He signed a 21.25% personal income tax cut in 2023, followed by an additional 6% in cuts finalized this past summer.
Justice was accused repeatedly during his administration of underfunding state agencies to maintain flat budgets and create false surpluses, then calling lawmakers back to the Capitol for special sessions to pass supplemental appropriations bills.
Morrisey, who served as the state’s Attorney General before he was elected governor in November, said his projected deficit is the product of years of relying on federal dollars and using one-time money to fund ongoing expenses. Part of the $400 million hole includes the state having to come up with $153 million to cover Medicaid, a program that insures nearly one-third of all West Virginians, Morrisey said. Other costs include funding or state employees’ health insurance and education.
The governor said rainy-day funding should be kept on hold for emergencies, not used to pay for baseline expenses. Justice’s “flat budgets” never existed, he said.
“We can’t rob Peter to pay Paul and push all the bills to future generations,” Morrisey said.
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