West Virginia

West Virginia's new drug czar was once addicted to opioids himself

Published

1 year ago

September 26, 2024

West Virginia's new drug czar was once addicted to opioids himself

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia’s new drug czar has a very personal reason for wanting to end the state’s opioid crisis: He was once addicted to prescription painkillers himself.

Dr. Stephen Loyd, who has been treating patients with substance use disorder since he got sober two decades ago, says combating opioid addiction in the state with the highest rate of overdose deaths isn’t just his job. It’s an integral part of his healing.

“I really feel like it’s been the biggest driver of my own personal recovery,” says Loyd, who became the director of West Virginia’s Office of Drug Control Policy last month. “I feel that the longer I do this, the more I don’t mind the guy I see in the mirror every morning.”

Loyd is no stranger to talking about his addiction. He has told his story to lawmakers and was an inspiration for the character played by Michael Keaton in the Hulu series, “Dopesick.” Keaton plays a mining community doctor who becomes addicted to prescription drugs. Loyd was also an expert witness in a case leading to Tennessee’s first conviction of a pill mill doctor in 2005, and has testified against opioid manufacturers and distributors in trials spelling out their culpability in the U.S. opioid crisis, resulting in massive settlements nationwide.

West Virginia was awarded nearly $1 billion in settlement money, and a private foundation has been working with the state to send checks to affected communities to support addiction treatment, recovery and prevention programs.

Loyd says he is ready to help advise the foundation on how to distribute that money, saying the state has a “moral and ethical responsibility” to spend it wisely.

The doctor started misusing painkillers when he was chief resident at East Tennessee State University hospital. He was given a handful of hydrocodone pills — opioid painkillers — after a dental procedure. He says he threw the pills in his glove compartment and forgot about them until he was stopped at a red light, driving home after a particularly hard day at work.

Anxious and depressed, he was struggling to cope with his more than 100-hour-a-week hospital schedule.

“I thought, ‘My patients take these things all the time,’” he says. “And I broke one in half and took it. By the time I got home, all my ills were cured. My job wasn’t as bad, my home life was better. And I wasn’t as worried.”

Within four years, he went from taking half a 5-milligram hydrocodone pill to taking 500 milligrams of oxycodone — another opiate — in a single day.

He understands the shame many feel about their addiction. To fuel his addiction, he stole pills from family members and bought them off a former patient.

“Back then, would I steal from you? Yes,” he says. “I would do whatever I needed to do to get the thing I thought I would die without.”

But he didn’t understand he was addicted until the first time he felt the intense sickness associated with opiate withdrawal. He thought he had come down with the flu.

“And then the next day, when I got my hands on pills and I took the first one, and I got better in about 10 minutes,” he says. “I realized I couldn’t stop or I’d get sick.”

It was a “pretty devastating moment” that he says he can never forget.

A family intervention ended with Loyd going to the detox unit at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in July 2004. After five days, he joined a treatment program and, he says, he has been sober ever since.

In recovery, Loyd threw himself into addiction medicine with a focus on pregnant heroin users who often face judgment and stigma. He said his own experience enabled him to see these vulnerable women in a different light.

“I couldn’t believe that somebody could just keep sticking a needle in their arm — what are they doing? — until it happened to me,” he says.

It was when he was in the detox unit that Loyd first noticed disparities in addiction treatment. There were 24 people on his floor, and the then-37-year-old doctor was the only one who was referred for treatment. The rest were simply released.

“I get a pass because I have MD after my name, and I’ve known that for a long time,” he says. “And it’s not fair.”

He calls this “the two systems of care” for substance use disorder: A robust and compassionate system for people with money and another, less effective model “basically for everybody else.”

He’s intent on changing that.

He says he also wants to expand access to prescription drugs such as methadone and suboxone, which can help wean people with substance use disorder off opioids. Loyd says he was never offered either medication when he was detoxing 20 years ago “and it kind of makes me angry that I suffered unnecessarily.”

One of Loyd’s priorities will be working out how to measure meaningful outcomes — something he says happens in every field of medicine except addiction medicine.

A cardiologist can tell a patient with heart disease about their course of treatment and estimate their chances of a recovery or of being pain free in a year or 18 months, he says.

“In addiction, we don’t have that. We look at outcomes differently,” Loyd says.

When people are referred for treatment, the metrics are not the same. How many showed up? How many engaged in the program and graduated? How many continued to recover and progressed in their lives?

“We don’t know how effective we’ve been at spending our money because I don’t think that we’ve really talked a lot about looking at meaningful outcomes,” he says.

As for his own measurable outcomes, Loyd said there have been a few, including walking his daughter down the aisle and serving as his son’s best man.

And on his phone he has a folder of baby pictures and photographs celebrating recovery milestones, sent to him by former patients.

“It’s what drives me,” he said. “The great paradox is you get to keep something by giving it away. And I get to do that.”

Source link

Click to comment

West Virginia

Scouting report, keys for Cincinnati Bearcats on Big 12 road at WVU

Published

2 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

Scouting report, keys for Cincinnati Bearcats on Big 12 road at WVU

The Cincinnati Bearcats and West Virginia Mountaineers both seek their first Big 12 win of the season.
West Virginia swept Cincinnati last season, winning both matchups between the two teams.
Both teams are coming off losses to top-10 opponents to start their conference schedules.

Two teams that started the Big 12 campaign against Top 10 opponents clash in Morgantown Tuesday, Jan. 6, when the Cincinnati Bearcats face the West Virginia Mountaineers.

The Mountaineers, now coached by Ross Hodge, who came from North Texas, got whirled by the No. 3 Iowa State Cyclones on Jan. 2, 80-59. A day later, UC had plenty of chances against No. 8 Houston, but the Cougars closed in the final minutes to win 67-60.

“We’ve got to learn how to finish, but we’re right there,” UC coach Wes Miller said. “The guys in the locker room know it. We’ve got to block out the noise and get ready to play.”

Neither team will want to start 0-2 in the treacherous league and UC has not yet won in Morgantown since being part of the Big 12. UC’s last road win in West Virginia goes back to Mick Cronin’s second Bearcat team (13-19) that pulled off a 62-39 upset of the Mountaineers in 2008. Diehard fans may remember the game for a mustard-colored suit Bob Huggins wore for the contest.

Buy Cincinnati Bearcats tickets

Cincinnati Bearcats were swept by West Virginia last season

Last Feb. 2, West Virginia beat UC handily 63-50. Current Bearcat Sencire Harris didn’t score for WVU in the game but had four steals. Eighteen days later in Morgantown, the Mountaineers prevailed again 62-59 with Harris scoring six points and grabbing six rebounds against his future team. UC was led by Day Day Thomas in both games with 10 and 13 points, respectively.

Cincinnati Bearcats could be without Kerr Kriisa

Kriisa, a starter for 12 of the 14 games, got hit hard by Houston after a basket and left the game holding his shoulder. He came back to hit his lone 3-pointer, then had to leave again with pain.

Kriisa was recruited to West Virginia by Bob Huggins and played in 2023-24 for the Mountaineers, averaging 11 points and shooting over 42% on 3-pointers.

“Nobody’s dealt with more injury crap than Cincinnati,” Miller said. “We’re getting resilient and we’re getting tough because of that. We’re just going to keep coming. Injuries are tough. We’ve had more than damn anybody in the last four years in all of college basketball. This team’s had its fair share and we’re still right there.”

Miller was worried about Kriisa’s injury and he couldn’t lift his left shoulder after draining his only shot.

3 keys for Cincinnati Bearcats to win at West Virginia Mountaineers

1. Bring Houston intensity to West Virginia

UC had its best crowd experience at Fifth Third Arena against No. 8 Houston with a halftime lead and a 10-point cushion early in the second half. For just the second time this season, they lost a game when they had a halftime lead.

That’s now two games where they had a Top 10 team on the ropes and couldn’t finish (No. 6 Louisville at Heritage Bank Center and No. 8 Houston). They looked like a tournament team in parts of those games, but then lost to teams who showed why they are perennial tournament players.

2. Locate Huff, Floyd

It sounds like someone looking for a law firm, but Honor Huff and Jasper Floyd are both 40% marksmen from three-point range. Huff led the country in triples last season at Chattanooga and Floyd comes from Coach Hodge’s system at North Texas. The Mountaineers average over eight made 3s per game, which is how many Houston made vs. UC Jan. 3.

The Bearcats made only six of their 3-pointers against the Cougars, after making 11 in their previous game with Lipscomb Dec. 29. UC is 5-1 when making 10 or more treys, with the one loss being Xavier. Xavier also beat West Virginia 78-68 in November, shooting a torrid 16-for-25 from the arc.

3. Keep Mountaineers below 70

West Virginia has been held to less than 70 points in four of their five losses. The exception is the 89-88 double-overtime defeat at Ohio State. UC held Houston below their average at 67 and is in that ballpark for the season. The difficult thing is all of West Virginia’s wins have been at home and Hope Coliseum could have a crowd because, well, it’s Tuesday night in Morgantown.

Tip: Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. at Hope Coliseum (14,000)

TV/Radio: ESPN2/700WLW

Series: WVU leads 13-12 (Mountaineers won at Fifth Third Arena Feb. 19, 2025, 62-59)

West Virginia Mountaineers scouting report

Record: 9-5

Coach: Ross Hodge, first season 9-5 (55-29 overall)

Offense: 74.9 ppg

Defense: 61.6 ppg

Projected starting lineup

(Position, Height, Stats)

Treysen Eaglestaff (G, 6’6″, 9.1 ppg)

Honor Huff (G, 5’10”, 16.6 ppg)

Harlan Obioha (C, 7′, 6.3 ppg)

Chance Moore (G, 6’6″, 12.9 ppg)

Jasper Floyd (G, 6’3″, 7.9 ppg)

Cincinnati Bearcats scouting report

Record: 8-6

Coach: Wes Miller (90-65, fifth season; 275-200 overall)

Offense: 74.6 ppg

Defense: 65.6 ppg

Projected starting lineup

(Position, Height, Stats)

Day Day Thomas (G, 6’1″, 13 ppg)

Jizzle James (G, 6’3″, 11.5 ppg)

Sencire Harris (G, 6’4″, 6.9 ppg)

Baba Miller (F, 6’11”, 13.4 ppg)

Moustapha Thiam (C, 7’2″, 11 ppg)

Cincinnati Bearcats, West Virginia Mountaineers to watch

Guard Honor Huff helped Chattanooga win the NIT and nailed a record 131 trifectas last season for the Moccasins, shooting 41.6%. Now he’s West Virginia’s top scorer and is shooting at a similar rate from beyond the arc.

In their second games as starters for this season, UC’s “Buck” Harris and Jizzle James were off against Houston, shooting a combined 2-for-14. James had just four points and Harris two.

James played 36 minutes, and it’s doubtful he can be held down for that long again. Harris was a Mountaineer last season and should have some comfort in the arena.

Rankings

KenPom.com: Cincinnati is No. 66, West Virginia No. 72

NCAA NET: West Virginia is No. 93, Cincinnati No. 95

Source link

West Virginia

West Virginia residents face rising utility costs, highest water bills in US

Published

14 hours ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

West Virginia residents face rising utility costs, highest water bills in US

West Virginia residents may continue to see a rise in utility costs, according to a recent report by Move.org. The report ranks West Virginia as the state with the highest average utility bill, at $734 per month in 2025, surpassing the national average. Missouri and Alaska follow with $679 and $658, respectively. West Virginians are paying about $42 more per month compared to last year.

Delaney Eddy, state coordinator for West Virginia 211, a United Way helpline, noted the increased demand for utility assistance. “I can definitely tell you that the calls for utility assistance have definitely been high, that is one of our top needs that individuals call in for,” Eddy said. “We are seeing that individuals are needing assistance with that and have heard some individuals that have voiced that they have had an increase in their bills in the last couple of months for those utilities.”

The report also highlights that West Virginia residents face the highest water bill in the country, at $121 per month, well above the national average of $49. This increase may be due to a distribution improvement charge aimed at upgrading water quality.

Eddy encourages residents facing utility bill issues to reach out for help. “If people have questions about their utility bills and they have that termination notice, I would simply encourage them to dial 211 or they can text the zip code to 898211, speak with a call specialist and see what resources might be available to you,” Eddy said. “Also see if you might qualify for the dollar energy fund and we can provide that information to them and go from there to see about getting assistance on those bills.”

Source link

West Virginia

West Virginia Lottery results: See winning numbers for Powerball, Lotto America on Jan. 3, 2026

Published

1 day ago

January 4, 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 Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 3 drawing

18-21-40-53-60, Powerball: 23, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Jan. 3 drawing

03-04-05-25-42, Star Ball: 03, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Daily 3 numbers from Jan. 3 drawing

1-3-9

Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Daily 4 numbers from Jan. 3 drawing

6-5-7-4

Check Daily 4 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.

Source link