West Virginia

West Virginia ranks second in the nation for workplace fatality rate. Cuts could make it worse.

Published

10 months ago

May 8, 2025

West Virginia ranks second in the nation for workplace fatality rate. Cuts could make it worse.

West Virginia had the second-deadliest workplace fatality rate in the country, behind Wyoming, according to the AFL-CIO’s annual Death on the Job report released last month. It tracks the number of workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses per state.

The state’s workplace fatality rate is twice the national average, and 58 West Virginians lost their lives on the job in 2023, up from 48 the year before.

Josh Sword, president of the West Virginia AFL-CIO, a labor union that represents more than 80,000 people in the state, said West Virginia workers are more likely to be hurt or killed due to hazardous industries like mining, manufacturing and chemical production.

“This report is just more proof we aren’t taking workplace safety seriously in this state,” he said. “Clearly, we have more work to do to protect our workers.”

Labor leaders say more workers in the state could die due to cuts by the Trump administration that undermine worker safety.

The AFL-CIO report warned that Trump “has committed to repealing multiple regulations that protect workplace safety, as well as environmental and consumer regulations that protect Americans’ health and safety.”

Already, the administration has cut staff at an agency charged with keeping West Virginians safe on the job.

The National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety is expected to lose 900 employees by July. The agency conducts safety research and recommends workplace policies.

This year marks 27 years since the AFL-CIO created Workers’ Memorial Day in 1998 to honor workers who were injured or killed on the job.

On a quiet Monday afternoon last month, a crowd of nearly 100 gathered on the banks of the Ohio River to commemorate the dozens of West Virginians who died on the job last year.

“If you really, really, really want to honor these fallen workers, don’t do it in a day,” Cecil Roberts, president of the United Mine Workers of America, said to thundering applause.

After his speech, the names of the workers who died were read aloud, each followed by a bell toll.

Federal cuts are raising concerns

Last month, two-thirds of NIOSH employees were notified they’d be laid off by the summer.

Sword said he’s witnessed a surge in rollbacks of workplace protections across states, specifically targeting training and education programs.

“The work and research being done at NIOSH has been incredibly helpful,” Sword said. “It’s saved many lives.”

The agency works directly with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which enforces workplace safety rules. OSHA oversees inspections in the state by conducting investigations.

Like 27 other states, West Virginia does not have a state-approved OSHA plan and relies on federal regulations. But the agency only had six inspectors covering the entire state last year.

A U.S. Department of Labor spokesperson said the agency sets enforcement policies for workplaces that include targeted inspection programs. The agency is also in charge of responding to any fatalities and complaints.

“OSHA is a small agency with a large mission,” they said.

OSHA staff have helped to uncover dangerous working conditions in places like Hardy County, where a poultry plant had many violations and instances of serious worker injuries.

They’ve also issued thousands of dollars in fines for over a dozen safety violations for a timber company in Petersburg, including for an incident that resulted in an amputation. The company shut down last year.

However, because of the limited number of investigators, it would take OSHA 180 years to complete an inspection of every private workplace in West Virginia at least once, according to the AFL-CIO report.

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Related Topics:AFL-CIO Featured NIOSH OSHA

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West Virginia

Delegate Larry Kump, master of various catch phrases, has died – WV MetroNews

Published

12 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Delegate Larry Kump of Berkeley County has died, state officials announced. Kump was 78 years old.

Larry Kump

Kump, a Republican, served in the House from 2010 to 2014, again from 2018 to 2020 and finally 2022 to the present. He had announced plans to run again in the coming electoral cycle.

“As a battle-tested and liberty minded Christian and Constitutional Conservative, my consecrated action principles of good governance remains solid and steadfast,” he wrote to supporters in January.

He had been serving in the ongoing legislative session, but had been absent in recent weeks.

The daily prayer in the House of Delegates this past Wednesday included an expression of concern for Kump: “A special prayer for Delegate Larry Kump. Lord, you know where he is in the hospital now, and I pray right now that you would send your angels there to touch him, to be with him.”

Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Kump’s death on social media, calling Kump “a devoted public servant who dedicated many years of his life to improving West Virginia.

“Delegate Kump served with a deep commitment to the principles he believed would strengthen our communities and protect our freedoms.

“On behalf of the First Lady and myself, we extend our condolences to Larry’s family, friends, former colleagues, and all those who had the privilege of knowing and serving alongside him. His legacy of service and his love for our state will never be forgotten.”

Secretary of State Kris Warner also posted condolences to Kump’s family. “Larry was a conservative Christian and a true Mountaineer! He will be sadly missed by his friends and colleagues,” Warner posted.

The West Virginia Democratic Party also put out a statement to offer condolences, saying Kump’s work reflected a lifelong commitment to accountability, public policy, and the effective administration of government.

“Delegate Larry Kump devoted his life to his family, his community, and to his state. He brought experience, independence and thoughtfulness to his role, and he never lost sight of the people he served,” said Mike Pushkin, the Democratic Party chairman who is also a delegate from Kanawha County.

Kump was known for his turns of phrase, for example kicking off his comments on the House floor with “Great googly moogly” for emphasis. He often described his adoration for his “beloved and bodacious wife Cheryl.”

He regularly concluded interactions and written communications this way: “Meanwhile, and for sure and for certain, may God bless you all real good!”

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West Virginia

Vape Safety Act of 2026 passes W.Va. House, tightening oversight and licensing for shops

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Vape Safety Act of 2026 passes W.Va. House, tightening oversight and licensing for shops

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — The Vape Safety Act of 2026 passed in the West Virginia House of Delegates on Friday, aiming to crack down on what lead sponsor of the bill Del. David McCormick, R-Monongalia, said are the bad actors in the vape shop world.

“They’re very lightly regulated,” McCormick said. “Here’s something that is becoming a blight on our landscape out here in our neighborhoods and towns. They’re all over the state and they need some oversight.”

McCormick said the bill will also strengthen licensing as to who can run the shops.

A key part of the legislation that passed the House by a vote of 88-5 is an FDA registry, requiring all the products sold in the shops to be approved at the federal level.

“Make sure that something doesn’t have 30 times the nicotine in it that it’s supposed to, which has happened, and get a 12-year-old kid addicted to nicotine,” McCormick. “That’s buying something that looks like Pokémon.”

Cracking down on the marketing strategies vape shops use is also included in the bill. It has gained support from both sides of the aisle.

“You walk into them and they have you know it looks fun and all the flavors and all the things,” Del. Hollis Lewis, D-Kanawha said. “So when teens go in there, it’s geared towards teens. So I think some regulation is important.”

Other provisions include vape shops not being allowed within 300 feet of schools, libraries or churches.

“I would deem these things almost attractive nuisance for kids and teenagers,” Lewis said. “What we want to do in this piece of legislation, we want to ultimately, above anything else, is protect our children and to get rid of bad actors to make sure that we know what’s being sold in the shop and we know who’s selling it.”

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West Virginia

BYU Cougars at West Virginia Mountaineers odds, picks and predictions

Published

2 days ago

February 28, 2026

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BYU Cougars at West Virginia Mountaineers odds, picks and predictions

The No. 23 BYU Cougars (20-8, 8-7 Big 12) visit the West Virginia Mountaineers (16-12, 7-8) Saturday for a 5:30 p.m. ET (FOX) tip from WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NCAA basketball odds around the BYU vs. West Virginia odds and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions for the best bets.

BYU has dropped 2 of its last 3 games after falling 97-84 against UCF on Tuesday, failing to cover as a 13.5-point home favorite with the Over (162.5) hitting. F AJ Dybantsa led all scorers with 29 points and G Robert Wright III added 20 as only 3 Cougars players scored in double figures in the upset loss.

West Virginia has dropped 3 games in a row after falling 91-84 in overtime against Oklahoma State on Tuesday, failing to cover as a 1.5-point road underdog with the Over (143.5) hitting. G Honor Huff scored a game-high 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting from 3, while the Mountaineers overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to force OT before running out of gas.

– Rankings: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

Watch NCAA basketball on Fubo!

BYU at West Virginia odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated 10:20 a.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): BYU -135 (bet $135 to win $100) | West Virginia +110 (bet $100 to win $110)
Against the spread (ATS): BYU -1.5 (-115) | West Virginia +1.5 (-105)
Over/Under (O/U): 142.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

BYU at West Virginia picks and predictions

Prediction

BYU 81, West Virginia 74

PASS.

There is better value on the Cougars to cover the spread.

BET BYU -1.5 (-115).

A win all but guarantees a cover for the Cougars in this matchup with such a slim spread. They have covered in 2 of their last 3 and 3 of their last 5, including back-to-back road games.

Neither side has played particularly well recently, with both teams being 4-6 straight up (SU) and 3-7 ATS over their last 10 games. This matchup will give Dybantsa, the nation’s leading scorer (25.1 points per game) who earned USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week honors last week, an opportunity to take over the game.

BET OVER 142.5 (-110).

The Mountaineers have scored at least 74 points in 2 of their last 4 games while allowing 67 or more in 3 of their last 5.

The Cougars have hit the Over in 7 of their last 10 games. They have scored 79 or more points in 4 of their last 5, including 90 or more twice in that span. They have scored 82 or more points in 7 of their last 10 and have allowed at least 86 in 6 of their last 9.

For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

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