West Virginia

W.Va. Gov.: WVSP referral didn’t make it to CPS, trooper should have done more

Published

2 years ago

May 24, 2024

W.Va. Gov.: WVSP referral didn’t make it to CPS, trooper should have done more

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice confirmed that a West Virginia state trooper says he drove to a local child welfare office to report a suspected case of child neglect, however, that information never made it into the state’s Child Protective Services System.

Justice told reporters Friday that the trooper should have done more.

“If an officer went into an office and reported and and there was no follow up, nothing else happened, you know, what we’ve got to do is the officer has got to stand on the highest rock on the top of the mountain and scream loud enough to where something does happen,” he told reporters Friday during a virtual press briefing.

Those comments come amid a WSAZ Investigation, Deadly Details Denied.

Since April, WSAZ has been asking questions about the death of Kyneddi Miller, 14, of Boone County.

A childhood photo shows Miller smiling, however, years later, investigators say her life tragically ended. Deputies say her body was found in a skeletal state and she had not eaten for months.

Kyneddi’s mother and two grandparents were charged with child neglect resulting in death. All three have pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Justice, on April 23, told WSAZ NewsChannel 3′s Curtis Johnson, “the CPS folks, from what I understand, had no idea about this child, no idea whatsoever.”

But WSAZ kept digging, asking questions as the station found state and federal law says, in the case of a child neglect fatality the state shall make public any history between the child and CPS.

Exactly the request WSAZ made using the state’s Freedom of Information Act, but the request denied.

Department of Human Services Secretary Cynthia Persily, in a May 8 interview, echoing on the Governor’s initial statement, saying her agency had no records in its system with Kyneddi’s name.

But an anonymous letter, received only by WSAZ, tells a much different story.

It details two referrals to CPS involving Kyneddi — one in 2009 and another in 2017. The letter even includes intake numbers assigned to the cases, along with dates, times, and even the names of supervisors and workers.

According to the letter, Kyneddi’s name was listed both times in the CPS system. Then, there was audio and a call log that WSAZ obtained from West Virginia State Police. It references a third referral involving Kyneddi.

In the audio, a trooper is heard talking with a dispatcher after a welfare check on the teen in March 2023.

Radio traffic stated, “on that CAD call reference that welfare check, I just made that CPS referral if you can just put it in the notes on it.”

Persily refusing to answer questions Tuesday, hours later questioning WSAZ’s reporting in a written statement, saying her department never received any referral related to Kyneddi’s death. She added the department’s search for the State Police referral suggests it was never made.

State Police, in response, said it stands behind the recording and log they provided WSAZ.

Friday, the governor addressed it publicly for the first time. ”Here’s what I know,” he said. “There’s an officer that says that he drove, you know, I guess his personal vehicle or whatever, and he drove to to the offices and and went in and and made that report. At the same time, there’s no evidence that I can uncover so far that a report was made.”

Moments later, Johnson asked the governor for clarity on whether CPS knew about Kyneddi before she died.

”Simply put, is there any record in the CPS system with Kyneddi’s name on it indicating she needed help? If not, what is your response to State Police who stand behind their records, and a whistleblower who says the ‘17 case listed Kyneddi as a specific child enduring mental and emotional abuse?“

”This investigation has got to go on, Curtis. It has got to go on,” Justice replied. “You know, really and truly, all I think I can do in trying to answer your questions is risking the investigation, and I’m not going to do that.”

With knowledge of state and federal law, WSAZ then looked at other states and found they release information and it’s timely.”

In Nevada, WSAZ found case after case where information on any CPS history was released just days after a child had died.

WSAZ NewsChannel 3′s Sarah Sager took those examples to the governor after Friday’s briefing.

”I just wanted to give these to you,” Sager said.

”Listen, there’s no point,” Justice replied.

“There’s an investigation. We’ve got to finish the investigation, and really and truly, we need to be focused on how sad.” ”It is sad. This is from another state showing how quick they get referrals and information out,” Sager replied.

The governor then ended the conversation by getting into his vehicle and driving away.

WSAZ wanted Justice to have those reports from other states showing timely transparency on CPS history, so the station sent those examples to the governor’s staff Friday evening.

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West Virginia

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

Published

11 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

23 hours 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

1 day 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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