West Virginia

State lawmakers question potential sale of four state-owned hospitals – WV MetroNews

Published

1 year ago

July 17, 2024

State lawmakers question potential sale of four state-owned hospitals – WV MetroNews

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State lawmakers are working on a plan to potentially sell four state-owned hospitals in West Virginia.

Amy Summers

House of Delegates Health Committee Chairwoman Amy Summers (R-Taylor) told MetroNews she’s been in talks with state Department of Health Facilities Secretary Michael Caruso after last Friday’s announcement to review four of the state’s seven healthcare facilities.

Summers said the state is considering whether to rebuild or replace aging infrastructure at those facilities, but is also looking at ownership changes for Jackie Withrow Hospital in Beckley, John Manchin Sr. Health Care Center in Fairmont, Hopemont Hospital in Terra Alta and Lakin Hospital in West Columbia.

“The ultimate goal, according to Secretary Caruso, is to maintain the care for these residents in some manner and also to continue to maintain jobs for the employees that work there,” Summers said.

Caruso said in a statement the state wants to bolster the quality of care for seniors across West Virginia through a strategic capital investment plan for the facilities. The initiative includes hiring an outside firm to develop a long-term strategy.

The state has hired Lument Securities, LLC, which it describes as “a leading advisor in healthcare mergers and acquisitions”. Lument will help the state look for buyers.

“Ensuring the quality and continuity of our long-term care facilities is a top priority for West Virginia. By partnering with a world-renowned firm, known for their expertise in healthcare matters, we are poised to preserve and elevate the standard of care for our population served by the long-term care facilities,” Caruso stated.

Del. Joey Garcia (D-Marion) questioned the timing of the DHF’s press release on Friday afternoon.

“As somebody who from time to time has to communicate with the public as a public official, you want to put something out on a Monday morning or a Tuesday, Wednesday or even Thursday, but when you do it on Friday, it just appears like you’re trying to hide something,” Garcia told MetroNews affiliate WAJR in Morgantown.

Garcia has requested a public meeting to clear up community concerns.

Earlier this year, an elderly, nonverbal man died after being placed in a hot whirlpool at Hopemont. He died in January as a result of severe burns related to unsafe water temperatures resulting from the failure of a water tank.

Summers said while the man’s death is tragic and the case is still under investigation, it’s still worth noting Hopemont is an old building.

“Really old facilities do come with really old infrastructure, so that is something that needs replaced,” she said.

Earlier this year, Summers worked to get a bill through the Legislature that would’ve allowed members of legislative oversight committees to go into private session and ask questions in real time about the state’s handling of cases. The bill passed the House of Delegates early on during the 2024 Regular Legislative Session, but got hung up in the state Senate.

Summers and other lawmakers have been touring state-owned hospitals since then to see what changes need to be made.

“We’ve been to every single facility so far that the state owns except for Lakin and Welch Hospital. We will see Lakin at the end of August. We have not planned to see Welch yet, but we will as well,” she said.

State Senate Finance Committee Chairman Eric Tarr (R-Putnam) told MetroNews there’s been quite a few issues in state-owned hospitals up until not that need to be addressed.

“People have been harmed quite significantly in our state-hospitals. We know that our infrastructure in state hospitals, a lot of them, have been dilapodated,” Tarr said.

There’s also been a lot of conversation on whether West Virginia should be in the delivery of health care business or should people who deliver health care be in the business of delivering health care, Tarr said, adding it’s important to know what the state’s money is being used for.

“I think we need to fund the result for what you would want for somebody in a state hospital, for a patient who is vulnerable and needs that care, instead of funding a single line and never knowing what our taxpayer dollar did to assist people in those hospitals,” Tarr said.

Tarr said hospital efficincies are also problem.

“The efficiency for what we get from the dollar appropriating to those is lacking. For instance, we had a $100 million improvement request for contract nursing and then we go and find out that within five hospitals, there’s nearly 40 contracts for contract nursing providers. You go into any other hospital system and you’ll have one or two,” Tarr explained.

Del. Jonathan Pinson (R-Mason) said this isn’t the first time jobs were on the line at Lakin Hospital. The hospital is located in his district.

“We back up for four years ago right after I took office, it was announced that the hospital would be closed and employees were offered some type of severance package and we fought hard to prevent that from happening,” Pinson said on MetroNews affiliate WMOV Radio in Ravenswood.

Protecting hospital workers should remain top of mind when having these discussions, Pinson said. He said these are state employees with state retirement benefits.

“Many of them are 10-20 years into a career, so if we move this hospital into the private sector, how does this affect them? That’s a valid question,” he said.

The Justice administration has been working to tackle issues at state hospitals for a while, which is why Pinson said the state shouldn’t delay progress and wait for a new governor. He said a lot is up in the air right now.

“Think that there’s a lot to be learned. There needs to be a lot more information had before we can reach a decision whether this is going to be a good opportunity for our community, the individuals that are employed there and the residents who live there,” Pinson said.

Lawmakers are expected to receive a quality report on every state-owned hospital during the August special session.

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West Virginia

West Virginia Lottery results: See winning numbers for Mega Millions, Daily 3 on Jan. 9, 2026

Published

14 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Are you looking to win big? The West Virginia Lottery offers a variety of games if you think it’s your lucky day.

Lottery players in West Virginia can choose from popular national games like the Powerball and Mega Millions, which are available in the vast majority of states. Other games include Lotto America, Daily 3, Daily 4 and Cash 25.

Big lottery wins around the U.S. include a lucky lottery ticketholder in California who won a $1.27 billion Mega Millions jackpot in December 2024. See more big winners here. And if you do end up cashing a jackpot, here’s what experts say to do first.

Here’s a look at Friday, Jan. 9, 2026 results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Jan. 9 drawing

12-30-36-42-47, Mega Ball: 16

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Daily 3 numbers from Jan. 9 drawing

5-4-4

Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Daily 4 numbers from Jan. 9 drawing

3-0-4-6

Check Daily 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 25 numbers from Jan. 9 drawing

01-05-06-07-12-13

Check Cash 25 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.

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

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

West Virginia set to welcome No. 22 Kansas – WV MetroNews

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

West Virginia set to welcome No. 22 Kansas – WV MetroNews

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A half hour or so had passed since West Virginia men’s basketball coach Ross Hodge recorded his first Big 12 win with the Mountaineers holding off Cincinnati 62-60 on Tuesday night.

Hodge expressed feeling fortunate that his team was able to overcome a late lapse where saw a six-point lead became a five-point deficit, and WVU (10-5, 1-1) avoided falling victim to a poor finish that was problematic in narrow neutral-site setbacks to Clemson and Ohio State.

Yet as is generally the case in the Big 12, there was little time to savor the result, and it was time to turn the attention to No. 22 Kansas, Saturday’s opponent for a noon tip inside Hope Coliseum.

The matchup against KU and its two-time National Champion head coach Bill Self airs on FOX.

“I have a ton of respect for coach Self and Kansas. Thankful, honestly. That would be the emotion. Thankful to be in this league,” Hodge said. “This is the third best basketball league on the planet. It’s the NBA, the Euro League and the Big 12. With that comes really good catches and really good players. More than anything, an appreciation and thankfulness. Once the ball gets tipped, it really is like your team is trying to out-execute his team and you don’t spend a lot of time thinking about any of that other than how can I help our guys execute better in these stretches and play better defense. That’s where your mind is.”

Jan 6, 2026; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Ross Hodge celebrates after defeating the Cincinnati Bearcats at Hope Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images

For at least one night, Hodge was able to breathe a sigh of relief after late three-pointers from both Honor Huff and Treysen Eaglestaff, the latter of which came with the shot clock winding down in a well-defended attempt out of desperation that was instrumental in helping the Mountaineers prevail past the Bearcats.

Later Tuesday night, KU (11-4, 1-1) overcame a 15-point deficit with inside 5 minutes remaining, staging one of its infamous improbable rallies at Allen Fieldhouse to defeat TCU in overtime, 104-100.

“We didn’t guard. We didn’t rebound,” Self said. “Our body language stunk for a good portion of the game. We played with different energy levels individually throughout the game. We were spectators and didn’t create activity. There were a lot of things we didn’t do the other night, but at the end of the day, we should show ourselves that we can do it, because we did it under the most intense, pressure-packed situations.

“That’s why the last 4 minutes of a game are the most important 4 minutes, because if you make a mistake, you can’t recover. Even though we made a couple mistakes in the last 4 minutes, it was still about as well-played as any stretch that we’d had during the game and when it counted the most.”

Self has been displeased with the Jayhawks’ defense over two Big 12 games, with KU allowing 181 points, including 168 through regulation.

“We just haven’t been connected on the defensive end like we were prior to Christmas,” he said.

WVU presents a quality chance for KU to rectify its defensive issues as the Mountaineers are 15th among 16 Big 12 teams in overall scoring (74.1 points per game) and scoring within Big 12 games (60.5). At 45.4 percent, WVU ranks 14th in the league in field goal percentage.

But Self knows his team must be aware at all times of Mountaineer guard Honor Huff, who leads the conference with 60 three-pointers and made 6 of 10 against UC after going 1 for 8 the previous outing at Iowa State.

Huff has at least four made threes in eight games this season as well as another in which he shot 3 of 4 from distance. Additionally, Eaglestaff is 14 for 34 from long range over the last five contests.

“They let their shooters shoot it and they have three guys that can, but two of them really can and will shoot a lot of them,” Self said. “We have to do a great job of defending the arc.”

The Mountaineers continue to be solid defensively and rank second to Houston in scoring defense among Big 12 teams at 61.5 points. WVU held Cincinnati to 22 for 62 shooting and 10 two-point field goals.

“You have to be able to play long stretches of quality basketball to win games. We were fortunate to win if I’m being really honest,” Hodge said. “Our first shot defense was good. Holding a team to [35] percent from the floor is good enough to win. [WVU’s] nine assists to 15 turnovers is not going to win you games a lot of nights. We did out-rebound them [37-33]. We got to the free-throw line. We didn’t necessarily make them at the rate we need to [7 for 13], but we made the big ones late.”

Jan 6, 2026; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) shoots as TCU Horned Frogs forward Xavier Edmonds (24) defends during the second half of the game at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Mountaineers will be tasked with trying to limit one of college basketball’s most feared offensive players and top pro prospects in 6-foot-6 KU freshman Darryn Peterson.

Peterson has played in only six games due to a hamstring injury and scored a career-high 32 points against the Horned Frogs, but sat out the extra session with cramping.

He is averaging 22.5 points on 50 percent shooting and has made multiple treys in all six games, while shooting better than 43 percent beyond the arc.

“He feels good. He’s full speed,” Self said.

Tre White, a 6-7 swingman, is the team’s second-leading scorer at 15 points, followed by 6-10 forward Flory Bidunga (14.3 points, 9.1 rebounds) and guard Melvin Council Jr. (13.7 ppg).

WVU, which has yet to record a Quad 1 or Quad 2 victory, is 10-0 at home this season and 7-5 against the Jayhawks in Morgantown.

“In this league, you better take care of home,” Hodge said. “It’s the Big 12. Every game is going to be challenging in its own way.”

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West Virginia

West Virginia Lottery results: See winning numbers for Daily 3, Daily 4 on Jan. 8, 2026

Published

2 days ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Are you looking to win big? The West Virginia Lottery offers a variety of games if you think it’s your lucky day.

Here’s a look at Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026 results for each game:

Winning Daily 3 numbers from Jan. 8 drawing

8-1-9

Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Daily 4 numbers from Jan. 8 drawing

9-6-6-7

Check Daily 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 25 numbers from Jan. 8 drawing

02-05-06-11-12-17

Check Cash 25 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.

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

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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