West Virginia

West Virginia and the Irish – WV MetroNews

Published

2 years ago

March 18, 2024

West Virginia and the Irish – WV MetroNews

This year’s convergence of the national political issue of immigration and St. Patrick’s Day got me thinking about West Virginia and the Irish. I am not a historian, but even just a little amateur research reveals the significance of Irish immigrants in the Mountain State.

An estimated 1.5 million Irish left their home country for the United States during the famine period of 1845-1855. Margaret Brennan of the Wheeling Area Historical Society said many found their way to what was then Virginia to work.

“The Irish came, mostly during the Potato Famine, and they were recruited to help build the turnpikes, railroads and roads. One of the reasons they were a big contributor to West Virginia was because they were poor and had little education. They built the state as much as anyone.”

The construction projects that had a high percentage of Irish workers included the Paw Paw Tunnel, the B&O Railroad and the C&O Canal along the Potomac River. The work was hard and dangerous. “Cholera produced mass graves along the canal route,” according to Brennan.

But while the Irish were essential laborers on the hardest and most dangerous jobs, they were discriminated against in other employment. Signs reading “No Irish Need Apply” were commonplace in storefronts. Archive Wheeling reported, “The early negative reaction of the Irish foreshadows the reaction future waves of immigrants, including by the Irish themselves, post assimilation.”

The influx of Irish and Italians also produced the establishment and expansion of the Catholic church here. The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston was formed in 1850 and it remains a significant institution in the state today. The Good Shepherd Roman Catholic Church in eastern Kanawha County is on the National Register of Historic Places. The story goes that the concrete Celtic cross next to the church stands on sod brought from Ireland.

Later in the 19^th Century, several individuals of Irish descent became active in state politics. Brennan reports that Irish immigrant Thomas O’Brien of Wheeling was elected state Treasurer in 1880.

According to the West Virginia Encyclopedia, John Kenna, who was the son of Irish immigrants, served in the U.S. House of Representatives and later the U.S. Senate. The Jackson County community of Kenna is named for him, and a marble statue of Kenna stands in the U.S. Capitol.

Lewis County had a significant influx of Irish, and even has a community named for the home country. A story on the West Virginia Tourism website quotes a resident about its origin.

“Ireland was named for one of the area’s earliest settlers, Andrew Wilson, who immigrated here from the other Ireland,” Denton King said. “They say he lived to be 114, so he was called Old Ireland. And when the first post office was established in 1847, residents named the community after him.”

Immigrants from many other countries had significant roles in our state’s history. In fact, from the mid-19^th century to the early 20^th century, state government had a position of immigration commissioner whose job it was to recruit individuals from other countries to come here to work.

But on St. Patrick’s Day, or any other day for that matter, it is understandable that many West Virginians would feel a particular kinship with the Emerald Isle. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 12 percent of West Virginians claim Irish descent.

St. Patrick’s Day is behind us, but why not continue the celebration? As the Irish say, there are two kinds of people in this world: The Irish and those who wish they were.

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West Virginia

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

Published

4 hours 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.

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 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.

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

BREAKING: West Virginia Transfer DL Hammond Russell Commits to Wisconsin

Published

16 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

BREAKING: West Virginia Transfer DL Hammond Russell Commits to Wisconsin

Wisconsin has added a transfer portal commitment from former West Virginia defensive lineman Hammond Russell.

Russell played in 36 games for the Mountaineers during his career. As a senior, the 6-foot-3, 315-pound lineman posted 13.0 tackles and 2.0 sacks. For his career, Hammond has 40.0 tackles and 5.5 sacks. Russell is expected to get a redshirt for his 2022 season, in which he missed the entirety of due to a broken foot and a concussion.

A three-star recruit coming out of Dublin, Ohio, Russell chose WVU over Indiana, Iowa State, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Illinois, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Purdue, and more.

During his transfer portal recruitment, Russell also visited Kansas.

Russell joins a Wisconsin defensive line that’s set to return junior Charles Perkins and sophomore Dillan Johnson, among others. The Badgers also signed Junior Poyser out of Buffalo this week.

Russell is currently unranked as a transfer prospect, according to On3. He will have one year of eligibility remaining.

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West Virginia

West Virginia falters late in 71-66 loss to 17th-ranked Texas Tech – WV MetroNews

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

West Virginia falters late in 71-66 loss to 17th-ranked Texas Tech – WV MetroNews

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The third quarter of Wednesday’s contest against 17th-ranked Texas Tech was among West Virginia’s best this season from an offensive standpoint.

What followed in the fourth, however, was perhaps the worst 10-minute stretch on that end through 16 contests. The Mountaineers missed numerous decent looks and shot 3 for 19 from the field and 6 for 12 on free throws in the final frame, while squandering a six-point advantage with inside 8 minutes remaining and falling to the unbeaten Red Raiders, 71-66.

“We took one bad shot that I didn’t like at all and had a bad turnover late, but we got 19 shots off in the fourth quarter and most were pretty good looks,” WVU head coach Mark Kellogg said. “We just didn’t convert. The defensive end concerns me as much as the offensive end. Giving up 40 points in the second half is way too many.”

Of WVU’s three fourth-quarter buckets, only one within the first 9:34 — a layup from Kierra ‘MeMe’ Wheeler with 7:10 remaining that left the home team with a 58-53 lead and came directly after Texas Tech’s Bailey Maupin had made a three-pointer.

Despite the offensive struggles, WVU dug in enough defensively to maintain a 61-57 advantage with inside 2 minutes remaining before the game turned in the visitors’ favor over a 7-second stretch.

Snudda Collins scored on a drive to the basket, while being fouled by Carter McCray in the process. With 1:59 left, Collins stepped to the free-throw line but was unable to convert the three-point play. Tech’s Jalynn Bristow came up with a pivotal offensive rebound, and found Maupin on the perimeter, who drained her fourth and final triple to give the Red Raiders (17-0, 4-0) a 62-61 lead at the 1:52 mark.

“They’re really good in the third quarter and I would venture to say we’re really good in the fourth quarter from previous games,” Red Raiders’ head coach Krista Gerlich said. “I’m not real sure fatigue played a factor in it as much as our kids just kind of locked down, really tried to defend and we got better on the glass. They missed a lot of easy shots early in the fourth quarter and that maybe played toward fatigue, but our kids did a good job on the glass and limiting second-chance opportunities, and we quit fouling a bit.”

Jordan Harrison missed a pair of threes on WVU’s ensuing trip, before Maupin made two free throws for a three-point advantage with 38 seconds left.

“What a basketball game. We knew coming in this was going to be a huge challenge and I’m super proud of our kids for being resilient for four quarters,” Gerlich said.

Harrison scored from close range 13 seconds later, but the Red Raiders continued to excel from the free-throw line and Collins made a pair for a 66-63 lead with 20 seconds to play.

Maupin then stole a Gia Cooke pass and made 1-of-2 free throws to make it a two-possession game, before another Mountaineer turnover all but ended any hope of late heroics for the home team.

“We made a lot of mistakes. They sped us up a little bit, but the mistakes we made were on us,” Harrison said. “When we go back and watch the film, we’ll see there was an easier way to score — slow down and read the defense.”

The third period was a far different story as WVU (13-3, 3-1) overcame a 31-28 halftime deficit by making 10-of-13 shots in what amounted to a 25-point frame. Harrison was the catalyst for the success, scoring 11 points on 4-for-4 shooting and dishing out three assists, while McCray continued to be a presence inside and scored seven points on 3-for-3 shooting.

But Texas Tech managed 19 points in the third to stay well within striking distance, with the Red Raiders making half of their six three-point attempts in that quarter, including both from Denae Fritz.

“You’re up six in the fourth, you’re supposed to find a way to win that game,” Kellogg said.

The entirety of the game was played within six points, with Tech’s largest lead coming at 29-23 after a Collins triple.

McCray and Harrison combined for the next five points, before Maupin capped the first-half scoring with a pair of free throws. She scored 11 of her game-high 27 points through two quarters and 13 more in the fourth.

“No basketball game is all ups and no basketball game is all downs,” Maupin said. “It’s finding a balance between your highs and lows and managing that to be able to come out with a win.”

Collins scored 19 points to help her team finish with a 25-2 advantage in bench points.

Tech finished with a 37-33 rebounding edge, and despite having 16 offensive boards to WVU’s 18, the Red Raiders accounted for 20 of the game’s 28 second-chance points.

“We got a lot of offensive rebounds and didn’t convert very many of them,” Kellogg said.

Harrison led four WVU double-figure scorers with 22 points and added five rebounds and five assists.

McCray added 15 points and Wheeler scored 11 to go with a team-best nine boards. Sydney Shaw scored 10 but shot 4 for 14, while Cooke was held to six points on 2-for-9 shooting.

The Mountaineers forced 20 turnovers, but managed only four steals.

“We had too many things go wrong that we had control of,” McCray said, “and that led to our detriment in the end.”

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