West Virginia

State Community College Council looks at what's next for Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College following take over – WV MetroNews

Published

11 months ago

April 24, 2025

State Community College Council looks at what's next for Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College following take over – WV MetroNews

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The newly-appointed interim president of Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College since the state’s take over of the institution earlier this month says it has been a busy time for him there as he looks into what the next steps are regarding its uncertain future.

West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Dr. Corley Dennison was appointed as interim president of Southern WV CTC on April 7 after the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education took control of the school’s Board of Governors and placed its President Pamela Alderman on administrative leave.

Dr. Corley Dennison

In a meeting with the council on Thursday, Dennison said there was some questions from faculty, staff, and students surrounding exactly what his mission at the school was when he first arrived, but he continued to try and take the necessary steps in filling everyone in.

“Students, staff, and faculty have been through tense and anxious times, and there were questions about the future of the institution,” Dennison said during his update to council. “During that first week, I met multiple times with the President’s cabinet, held productive meetings and conversations with the board, and as part of a previously scheduled Governance Day, spoke to the faculty senate and addressed the full faculty and staff.”

The Council for CTC Education had previously cited “repeated instances of noncooperation” from former Southern WV CTC President Alderman, conflict between her and the board of governors, along with the “failure to follow institutional procedures,” and a pattern of behavior from her and certain members of her leadership team that was disruptive and placed college accreditation at risk.

Thus, this prompted the council’s take over of the institution, a move they had to implement at a community college for the first time in state history.

Dennison was appointed to serve as interim president there until June 30.

He said, despite the uncertainty of the institution at this present moment, they keep moving forward.

“There are still concerns about the future path for Southern, however, I can report that the campus is in the business of educating students, plans are being made for final exams and for graduation ceremonies,” Dennison said.

But the question must be asked, Dennison said addressing council– Where does it go from here? What path is the institution to take in the coming months ahead?

He said he sees this unfolding in three phases, with phase one currently underway already, which includes preparing for the registration of summer and fall classes, planning for graduation ceremonies, and planning year-end events. All of these things Dennison said the community college is currently doing to move forward.

Dennison said they must also make a decision on campus leadership past June 30th, and begin preparations for the Higher Learning Commission’s Focus visit in the fall.

He said the HLC will be focusing on a certain set of criteria dealing with the governance of the institution, specifically looking at how the president’s office and the board of governors is being run following the take over.

Dennison said one specific matter in regards to campus leadership which the HLC had specifically cited was that the Chief Academic Officer’s Chair at Southern WV CTC had gone long unfilled, and because of this, he took matters into his own hands and temporarily appointed Dr. Kristina Johnson from BridgeValley Community and Technical College to fill the position.

He said Johnson will be of great use to them there.

“She’s very well-versed in assessment and higher learning commission protocol, so she will be very vital in planning the HLC response,” he said.

Her contract goes until December of this year with the possibility of an extension.

Dennison said phase two of Southern CTC’s plan of moving forward will begin in July and will go through June 30th of 2026. During this phase, he said they will need to resolve the HLC issues.

He said the Institutional Advisory Council (IAC) of the HLC will be meeting in Chicago on May 12th and 13th, and during that time, they will find out the exact date of the commission’s upcoming visit to Southern.

However, Dennison said he’s estimating that it could take an entire academic year to resolve the HLC issue.

“It is possible, if the IAC would give us a very early focus visit, like very early September, they might be able to generate a site report, get that to the IAC in time for review and we could get on their November meeting, but my guess is the site visit will come a little later in the semester, maybe late September or early October,” he said.

If that’s the case, Dennison said that any decision made by the IAC would flip over into the second semester in the spring.

Dennison said while they are working with the HLC, they need to also simultaneously be looking at other areas to keep moving forward.

“While we’re looking at policies coming from the board and the president’s office, then we might as well go ahead and look at issues such as enrollment, retention, and campus priorities, and begin looking at developing a strategic plan for the path forward,” said Dennison.

Finally, Dennison said phase three will pick up in July of 2026 and go until sometime around April 2027.

During this phase, he said any changes mandated by the HLC would need to be implemented, and a long-term campus leader would need to be secured.

The West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education has reported that there have been no legal challenges since they took over Southern CTC earlier this month.

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West Virginia

West Virginia Lottery results: See winning numbers for Powerball, Lotto America on March 11, 2026

Published

48 minutes ago

March 12, 2026

Press Room

The results are in for the West Virginia Lottery’s draw games on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.

Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on March 11.

Winning Powerball numbers from March 11 drawing

03-06-55-58-63, Powerball: 12, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from March 11 drawing

01-03-22-28-40, Star Ball: 07, ASB: 03

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Daily 3 numbers from March 11 drawing

1-3-4

Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Daily 4 numbers from March 11 drawing

1-1-2-0

Check Daily 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the West Virginia Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 11 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10:59 p.m. ET Tuesday and Friday.
Lotto America: 10:15 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Daily 3, 4: 6:59 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday.
Cash 25: 6:59 p.m. ET Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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West Virginia

WV faith leaders urge state senators to reject camping ban bill

Published

13 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

WV faith leaders urge state senators to reject camping ban bill

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) – Several West Virginia faith leaders are calling on state senators to reject a bill that would criminalize camping on public property, saying the legislation runs counter to Christian teachings on caring for the poor.

The West Virginia Council of Churches released an open letter signed by faith leaders and congregations from across the state, urging senators not to advance House Bill 5319. The bill, sponsored by Delegates Chiarelli and Browning, passed the House of Delegates on March 2 and is scheduled to be heard on Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Under HB 5319, it would be unlawful for any person to camp or store personal property — including tents, sleeping bags, tarps, blankets, and similar items — on any public street, park, trail, or other public property in West Virginia.

Penalties would escalate with each violation:

First violation: A written warning, along with information about resources and alternative shelter locations
Second violation: A misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $200
Third violation (within 12 months of the first): A misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500, up to 30 days in jail, or both

The bill specifies that each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense. Exceptions include people camping in designated campgrounds, those camping lawfully under state outdoor recreation law, and people sleeping overnight in a registered and insured motor vehicle parked legally.

The open letter, organized by the West Virginia Council of Churches, is signed by member denominations representing millions of Christians statewide — including the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia, the United Methodist Church’s West Virginia Conference, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Salvation Army, and more than a dozen other Christian communions.

The letter calls on senators to reject the bill, arguing that criminalizing homelessness conflicts with the Christian call to serve those in need.

“As followers of Christ, we believe in a God who created all beings and loves all creation. And in this nation full of plenty, Christians ask God to open our hearts so that when we see a person in need of a place to sleep, rather than wanting them to be disappeared into a jail cell, we look at them the way God would and ask, ‘How can I help?’”

The letter warns that HB 5319 “will create a revolving door between homelessness and jail, prevent people from getting on a path to stable housing, and make it harder for service providers and law enforcement to focus on solutions that center human dignity.”

It also argues that fines are an ineffective tool: “We cannot disappear human beings, nor expect that people experiencing homelessness have the money to pay any fine.”

Instead, the letter asks legislators to consider “that the practice of the Christian faith calls us to minister to the homeless and others in economic distress through a variety of ministries including feeding, clothing, and housing programs.”

The letter concludes by calling HB 5319 “antithetical to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ” and asking senators to “roundly reject” the bill.

Read the full open letter here.

The statewide camping ban debate has been building for more than a year. In January 2026, two nearly identical bills — Senate Bill 175 and Senate Bill 184 — were introduced in the legislature, both proposing to make camping on public property a criminal offense. Those bills were referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

HB 5319 represents the version that advanced further, clearing the House of Delegates on March 2.

The issue has deep roots at the local level. Both Morgantown and Clarksburg passed camping ordinances in late 2024. In April 2025, Morgantown voters chose to keep their camping ban in place after a referendum. But advocates have continued to raise concerns about the lack of shelter capacity — Morgantown alone had nearly 150 homeless residents but only around 50 shelter beds, with roughly 80 people still without a place to sleep even during the winter months.

Prior Coverage:

2 newly-introduced bills could criminalize homelessness in W.Va. with a statewide camping ban

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West Virginia

W.Va. lawmakers push through multiple bills as Saturday deadline nears

Published

1 day ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

W.Va. lawmakers push through multiple bills as Saturday deadline nears

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) – West Virginia lawmakers continued working as the Saturday midnight deadline approaches.

Senate Action

The Senate passed 12 bills, including one requiring adult content websites to use age verification to block minors. Senators also passed a bill creating a Cold Case Task Force.

House Bill 49-90, targeting gift card crimes, and House Bill 54-37, the Vape Safety Act, also passed unanimously. All four bills now go to the House for concurrence.

Delegates passed Alyssa’s Law, allowing teachers to wear mobile alert buttons that notify 9-1-1 and trigger a school lockdown in emergencies. The bill is named after a victim of the 2018 Parkland shooting.

Bill 4005, which clarifies jobs prohibited for workers under 16 — including bar work and logging — also passed. Both bills now head to Governor Patrick Morrisey’s desk.

Senate Bill 4 would require bystanders to stay at least 30 feet from first responders.

Senate Bill 75 would allow West Virginia law enforcement to cooperate with officers in bordering states. A bill from the Education Committee would allow teachers with at least 15 years of experience to become certified as school principals.

For more legislative coverage, go to our website at wdtv.com.

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