West Virginia
State transportation chief says new initiatives will focus on driving behavior – WV MetroNews
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State Transportation Secretary Jimmy Wriston is hinting at new initiatives to be introduced in the months to come that will focus on driving behaviors and training state residents years before they get behind a wheel.
“These are going to be dealing with–we call them–the behavioral issues, the way we operate our vehicles on the highway. That’s the critical part of this,” Wriston said during a recent edition of the WVDOT’s “On the DOT” podcast.
Wriston said there have been good initiatives over the years backed by the Governor’s Highway Safety Fund and various police agencies who have spent extra time trying to slow drivers down but it’s time for a culture change when it comes to driving.
“We have to start young. We have to build the education up on how to drive, that’s all there is to it. How you do this and not get killed,” he said.
MORE 2023 Governor’s Highway Safety Program Annual Report
According the 2023 Governor’s Highway Safety Program Annual Report, there were 207 traffic fatalities in West Virginia after nine months of last year. The state ended the 2022 colander year at 266 fatalities. Motorcycle fatalities were also up according to the latest annual report.
The report also said, “Pedestrian fatalities are a growing concern in West Virginia. These fatalities decreased from 36 to 21 between 2021 and 2022, but the five-year rolling average exceeded the target.”
The report listed a significant increase in deadly crashes of those not wearing seatbelts from 77 deaths in 2021 to 147 deaths in 2022.
Wriston said it’s time for an all-out effort to address the issue of driving behavior.
“This is serious. A mistake out there on that highway takes a minute and bad things happen quickly but the results of them can last a lifetime,” Wriston said. “We’ve got to really attack this and we’ve got to stay committed to it.”
Wriston predicts results.
“We’ve really focused on safety, particularly in our work zones, now we are committed,” he said. “We’re going to get results. We are going to take fatalities on our roads to zero. We’re going to make sure when accidents happen, when crashes happen, people have a better chance to survive.”
Every game is extremely important from here on out for West Virginia, but tonight’s matchup with Cincinnati is one they cannot afford to drop. The Bearcats are one of the weaker teams in the league, and with Kansas on deck, it’s one Ross Hodge and Co. have to get.
Do they get the job done? Here are our picks for tonight’s contest.
Schuyler Callihan: West Virginia 64, Cincinnati 59
With or without Brenen Lorient (concussion protocol), I believe West Virginia is the better team, especially at home. Sure, they looked overwhelmed last Friday in Ames against Iowa State, but they won’t be the last team that gets the belt to the backside from the Cyclones.
The one area that has been problematic this season defensively for the Mountaineers has been on the perimeter. We saw Milan Momcilovic knock down eight triples on just eight attempts a handful of days ago. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great shooter and made some highly contested shots, but it’s been a recurring issue for WVU all year.
The good news? Cincinnati isn’t built to beat you shooting from range. Coming into this game, they ranked 263rd nationally in three-point shooting, hitting just 31.6% of their shots. Couple that with the fact that Cincinnati is somehow a worse free-throw shooting team than West Virginia by a full five percentage points, and you get a fairly confident pick from me in the Old Gold and Blue.
Christopher Hall: West Virginia 67, Cincinnati 66
West Virginia has remained perfect inside Hope Coliseum, and the unblemished home record will likely be intact when the Mountaineers host Kansas on Saturday.
West Virginia has struggled and is enduring a five-game losing streak against Power Four opponents after falling to Iowa State to open the Big 12 Conference. Although the Mountaineers did notch a win against Pitt at home, for the lone win against P4 competition.
Cincinnati is in a similar situation, although the Bearcats’ start to the season can be summed up in a 64-56 loss to Eastern Michigan. The absence of senior guard Jizzle James for the first ten games for personal reasons, coupled with Brazilian perimeter shooter Lucas Atauri and returning forward Jalen Haynes absent from the line up have caused early issues.
The Bearcats proved they could compete with one of the best teams in the country after a seven-point loss to Houston on Saturday.
West Virginia will need to tighten up its perimeter defense against James and Day Day Thomas – both are shooting over 40% from three, while WVU senior guard Honor Huff will have to work a little harder to find his spot from deep against one of the best three-point defenses in the league.
The game will be a defensive battle, which favors the Mountaineers at home. WVU may be without senior starting forward Brenen Lorient, but the comfy confines of the Coliseum and the crowd will lift the Mountaineers down the stretch for the 67-66 win.
MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI
Kerr Kriisa and Sencire Harris Are Back in Morgantown… on the Other Bench
Spread, Over/Under, & Predictions for West Virginia vs. Cincinnati
Analytics Lean Heavily Toward West Virginia in Big 12 Home Opener vs. Cincinnati
How to watch West Virginia vs. Cincinnati: Tip-off time, TV channel, and odds
Two WVU Defensive Transfers Choose the Same Destination in the Portal
Former Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. has committed to West Virginia, ESPN reported.
Hawkins and his brother Maliek Hawkins, a cornerback, are both expected to play for Rich Rodriguez in Morgantown next season.
Advertisement
Hawkins played in nine games across two seasons for the Sooners. He threw for 950 yards and nine touchdowns. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Maliek Hawkins has four seasons of eligibility left. He had previously been a top recruit himself.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — This week, West Virginia hunters will get a chance to try hunting the way the original Mountaineers did it. The Mountaineer Heritage season is open from Thursday through Sunday.
The season allows hunters to use only primitive implements. Sidelock or flintlock muzzleloading rifles or pistols are the only firearms allowed. In-line muzzleloaders are not legal for the Heritage Season nor are scopes. Archery enthusiasts are allowed only long bows or recurve bows. You’re compound bow will have to hang on its hook for this time.
“It’s a special season and it’s kind of an all encompassing big game season,” said Vinnie Johnson, Biologist with the West Virginia DNR.
The season enables hunters to kill a deer, bear, or turkey provided they hunt with one of those primitive firearms or bows. The season started several years ago and has become a big hit with sportsmen for a variety of reasons. For some it cuts the monotony of cabin fever and gives them a chance to get back into the woods well after hunting season. The season also enables hunters to go after big game with snow on the ground which doesn’t always happen during the regular fall seasons.
The snowfall could potentially make killing a bear less likely, but not always.
“It really depends on where you’re at,” Johnson explained in a recent edition of West Virginia Outdoors. “Some of our areas that are heavy bear country, there’s still a good opportunity you’re going to see a bear.”
The bumper crops of mast across the West Virginia landscape this year will also keep bears out of hibernation longer. The sunshine and warm weather forecasted into the weekend may also be a plus for keeping bears active and moving in the upcoming season.
“If there’s food on the landscape, they’re gong to be out moving around. They go into their dens when there’s no food left and they need to reserve for the remainder of the winter season,” he added.
Killing a big buck may be tricky. Some have already started to drop antlers. The season allows for either sex, but for those who have already killed two bucks from this past fall’s hunting seasons, you cannot kill another buck. If a hunter shoots an antlerless buck, which turns out to be a buck that already dropped antlers, hunters can check that as an antlerless deer.
Turkeys are also legal. Unlike deer, turkeys and bears, do not count against the bag limit from last year. However, hunters to need to have their 2026 hunting license. Although a lot of the purists like to not only hunt with an old time rifle, they also like to dress the part and will go into the woods wearing buckskins. Primitive garb or not, modern safety is still the rule and since it’s a firearms season for deer, you’ll need to wear blaze orange.
Jackson City Council presses Judge Wingate on JXN Water ahead of rate ruling
Damon Wilson II, Missouri DE in legal dispute with Georgia, to re-enter transfer portal: Source
Montana State’s Taylee Chirrick earns second straight Big Sky Conference weekly honor
Nebraska-based pizza chain Godfather’s Pizza is set to open a new location in Queen Creek
2025 worst year for home sales in Southern Nevada since 2007, report says
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Video: Nvidia Shows Off New A.I. Chip at CES
Pelosi heir-apparent calls Trump’s Venezuela move a ‘lawless coup,’ urges impeachment, slams Netanyahu
EU Commission examines childlike sexual images created by Musk’s AI
Lawmakers split over Maduro’s seizure. And, CDC cuts childhood vaccine schedule
Federal officials to halt more than $10B in funding to 5 states over non-citizen benefit concerns: report
-
World1 week agoHamas builds new terror regime in Gaza, recruiting teens amid problematic election
-
Indianapolis, IN1 week agoIndianapolis Colts playoffs: Updated elimination scenario, AFC standings, playoff picture for Week 17
-
News1 week agoFor those who help the poor, 2025 goes down as a year of chaos
-
World1 week agoPodcast: The 2025 EU-US relationship explained simply
-
Business1 week agoInstacart ends AI pricing test that charged shoppers different prices for the same items
-
Business1 week agoApple, Google and others tell some foreign employees to avoid traveling out of the country
-
Technology1 week agoChatGPT’s GPT-5.2 is here, and it feels rushed
-
Politics1 week ago‘Unlucky’ Honduran woman arrested after allegedly running red light and crashing into ICE vehicle