West Virginia

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice appoints wife Cathy to state education board after U.S. Senate win

Published

2 years ago

November 7, 2024

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice appoints wife Cathy to state education board after U.S. Senate win

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice appointed his wife to the state school board about a day after a decisive victory in a U.S. Senate race against his Democratic opponent.

The 73-year-old Republican governor announced First Lady Cathy Justice’s appointment to the West Virginia State Board of Education during a press briefing on Thursday, after submitting a letter notifying the Secretary of State’s office Wednesday.

“She’ll do an amazing job,” Justice said. “And really, truly, Cathy loves kids beyond good sense.”

Cathy Justice, 71, will serve a nine-year term on the board, taking over the seat of Dr. Daniel Snavely, a Huntington cardiologist whose term expired this week. Justice said his wife wasn’t initially sure about the position but that after some convincing, “she’s fired up now and ready to go and do the job.”

When asked by a reporter about whether nepotism played a role in the appointment, Justice insisted Cathy Justice is more than qualified.

“How could you possibly think that Cathy is not just covered up with qualifications?” he asked.

Justice cited the work of his wife, who earned a degree in secondary education at Marshall University, within the state’s Communities In Schools program. As first lady, Cathy Justice helped the nonprofit school dropout prevention program launch in 2018 and expand to 285 schools in all of the state’s 55 counties.

According to the governor’s office, West Virginia is the only state in the nation to have the program operating in every county.

Cathy Justice also spearheaded the Friends With Paws program, which puts certified therapy dogs in schools to provide comfort and companionship to students. More than 40 such dogs have been placed throughout the state.

“There’s no way that I could find someone — no matter where they are — that’s more qualified than Cathy Justice for this job,” Justice told reporters.

Cathy Justice has taught as a substitute teacher in Raleigh County schools and is involved in a elementary school program affiliated with a local church. She previously served as president of Comer Electric, Inc., a business started by her father and mother. She also served on the board of directors for First National Bank in Ronceverte for five years.

In 2007, former Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin — whose seat Justice is taking over in the Senate — appointed his wife Gayle Manchin to the state school board. Gayle Manchin, a former Marion County public school teacher, was later elected the board’s president for a two-year term.

In January, Justice will be going to Washington, D.C., to start a six-year term as a U.S. senator after easily besting Democrat Glenn Elliott.

A businessman whose family owns dozens of companies and the historic resort The Greenbrier, Justice has in the past donated his $150,000 a year salary as governor to the Communities In Schools program.

Source link

Click to comment

West Virginia

Stories of the Week: June 14 through June 20

Published

1 minute ago

June 20, 2026

Press Room

Stories of the Week: June 14 through June 20

There are early Dyson deals for Prime Day Amazon Prime Day is right around the corner — the annual four-day sales event is happening June 23-26 this year. In the past, it’s been a great time to score substantial discounts on Dyson products, from …

Source link

West Virginia

Charleston commemorates Juneteenth with downtown parade and celebration – WV MetroNews

Published

10 hours ago

June 19, 2026

Press Room

Charleston commemorates Juneteenth with downtown parade and celebration – WV MetroNews

CHARLESTON, W.Va – Charleston is celebrating Juneteenth with its annual parade, followed by a celebration in Slack Plaza featuring live entertainment, food, educational exhibits, and more.

The parade stepped off from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center at 11:30 on Friday with a long line of organizations participating and several community members recognized as “Mr. and Miss Juneteenth.” Smiles dotted the procession as organizers watched a community come together.

“It’s just a wonderful thing when we can bring the community together to celebrate freedom, and here in West Virginia, we’ve had some challenges because they’ve said that Juneteenth is not a state holiday, but our people are still celebrating,” parade chairperson Karen Williams said.

The parade marked the start of an entire day recognizing the history of Juneteenth, the emancipation of more than 250,000 enslaved Black people when the Union Army arrived at Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865. With the last stronghold of slavery in the Confederate States eradicated that day, June 19 came to be celebrated as a second independence day, and President Joe Biden established it as a national holiday in 2021.

In West Virginia, former Gov. Jim Justice was the first to declare a state holiday and did so in each of his last four years in office. Gov. Patrick Morrisey recognized Juneteenth with a proclamation on Friday but has not declared a state holiday in 2025 or 2026.

“Representation really matters, so seeing Black queens and Black kings roaming the streets of Charleston is a beautiful thing, and it’s a needed thing. I think there’s a lot more people that aren’t going to celebrate Juneteenth than people that are, so I think it’s really important that we continue to celebrate this holiday and show why it’s important,” Miss Juneteenth Adult Keyarna Frederick said.

Different groups from around the Kanawha Valley came out to participate from businesses and youth organizations to political committees and arts collectives. Williams believes that shows that Juneteenth is a day for the entire community to celebrate.

“Appalachian people have always grown up and lived together, and what we want—we want people to continue that. We want people to continue to be together. We’re not saying this is a Black event or a white event. We welcome all people to come and participate,” she said.

The parade route echoed her sentiment as nearly everyone who joined the parade shared handshakes, high-fives, and hugs. That spirit of togetherness spoke to the day’s honorees as well.

“It’s definitely something that we should all be celebrating. It’s for all of us, not just for a certain color or a certain kind. It’s for all of us, so I believe everyone should be celebrating this day,” Mr. Juneteenth Adult Edward Frederick said.

“This is my first time in the parade. It’s so beautiful. It’s so amazing to see different organizations a part of the parade, seeing how much muscle has went into even doing something like this, so I think it’s a beautiful thing for Charleston,” Keyarna Frederick added.

From the parade to the activities in Slack Plaza, the day’s organizers sought to create an environment to celebrate Juneteenth with a spirit of unity. Williams hopes that anyone that joined or watched felt that along the way.

“I want them to see that we are Almost Heaven, West Virginia; that we are celebrating freedom; and that we are a community that embraces one another,” she said.

Source link