WASHINGTON — The Democratic Party has just weeks before its delegates are scheduled to vote for a presidential candidate during a virtual roll call in early August, a process that got much more complex Sunday when President Joe Biden withdrew as the presumptive nominee.
The timeline, which was set in motion months ago, provides a small window for Democratic delegates throughout the 50 states to unify around any one candidate, an uphill battle, even with Biden endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.
Delegates’ votes for the presidential nominee were supposed to reflect the will of voters in their home states, a hallmark of the Democratic primary process that is no longer possible.
Party leaders have insisted for weeks that Democrats must formally nominate their presidential candidate ahead of the Democratic National Convention in late August to avoid any potential issue getting their candidate’s name on the Ohio ballot.
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DNC Chair Jaime Harrison released a written statement on Sunday after Biden announced he would step aside as the presumptive nominee following weeks of pressure from members of Congress and party loyalists concerned about the president’s cognitive abilities.
Harrison wrote that in “the coming days, the Party will undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward as a united Democratic Party with a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump in November.”
“This process will be governed by established rules and procedures of the Party,” Harrison added. “Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people.”
Harrison’s statement did not mention Harris or a specific date for when the Democratic Party would formally nominate a presidential candidate.
Harris wrote in a statement of her own that it is her “intention is to earn and win this nomination.”
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“Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election,” Harris wrote. “And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead.”
“I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party — and unite our nation — to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda.”
Deadlines and requirements
Co-Chairs of the Democratic National Convention Rules Committee Bishop Leah D. Daughtry and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz released a letter on Wednesday pledging the virtual roll call process would not be “rushed.”
The letter, obtained by States Newsroom, notes the various deadlines and requirements that states have for putting a presidential candidate’s name on the November ballot.
“Ballot access paperwork must be filed in the State of Washington on August 20, the second day of the in-person Convention. Deadlines in Montana and Oklahoma follow the next day, with California on August 22 and many states, including Virginia, on August 23,” Daughtry and Walz wrote.
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“These filings involve notarized signatures from the candidates and party officials, and often must be filed in hard copy,” the two added. “We cannot and should not allow these timing complications to jeopardize whether the Democratic ticket appears on the ballot in must-win states.”
A public meeting about how the process will likely play out took place this weekend, with at least one more meeting expected this week, though likely with many more questions than before Biden withdrew.
Before the DNC can set the date for the virtual roll call, its Rules Committee needs to approve the rules for the convention, which will contain the format for the roll call vote. After that takes place, the DNC Chair and the DNCC Chair will announce the exact day of the roll call.
PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WCHS) — Records show containment issues predated a massive warehouse fire in Wood County, West Virginia.
The facility, formerly REO Processing West Virginia, is now Peoples Cartage. The company states it acquired the operation in September 2024, although the regulatory responsible-party name was not updated until May 2025.
County commissioners say they’ve learned to deal with disasters like this, including the Ames plant fire in 2017.
“They can shed light on what, to answer that to other people too,” said Jimmy Colombo, a county commissioner and former mayor in Parkersburg. “We are very interested in the health and well-being of our community just as you are and it’s a major concern for us that we do follow through what we’re supposed to be doing too.”
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According to documents from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, the company, the buildings and others under their umbrella have had several issues over the last half-decade plus.
In June of 2025, the state spill hotline got a call about a fire at the facility that involved the combustion of calcium hypochlorite hazardous waste, which is often called Cal Hypo for short.
That’s a powerful and unstable solid chlorine that’s commonly used to sanitize swimming pools and clear bacteria.
This underlying issue led to the West Virginia DEP inspecting the facility. They found an accumulation of Cal Hypo in floor sweepings.
The agency said the company failed to minimize the possibility of fire, explosion or any unplanned sudden or non-sudden release of hazardous waste or waste constituents to the environment.
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Last September, Peoples Cartage submitted a plan of corrective action that outlined how and when they would become compliant with all the issues.
The WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Rural Health Clinic is now accepting newborns at its Buckhannon office, with two providers — Rachel Burns, CPNP, and Sara Chipps, FNP-C — taking new pediatric patients. Read more →
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CHARLESTON, WV — The West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are reminding drivers that speeding has legal consequences. As part of the Speeding Slows You Down high-visibility enforcement campaign, drivers will see more law enforcement on the roads. West Virginia’s mobilization runs from July 6 through July 31, 2026.
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This campaign is designed to underscore the grave consequences of speeding and urge motorists to reduce their speed. This mobilization emphasizes the commitment of law enforcement to curb speeding behaviors and raise public awareness regarding the increased presence of officers on our nation’s roads during this mobilization period.
Speeding-related fatalities affect communities nationwide every year. In 2024, there were 11,288 speed-related traffic fatalities, accounting for 29% of all traffic fatalities. Young drivers have a higher chance of being involved in speeding-related crashes. In 2024, 39% of male drivers and 20% of female drivers in the 15- to 20-year-old age group involved in fatal traffic crashes were speeding.
In West Virginia, in 2024, speeding-related fatalities decreased 8% from the previous year, from 85 to 78. Our ultimate goal is zero fatalities, which points toward the importance of campaigns like this.
“Speeders don’t just put themselves in danger of serious injuries and death, they put other road users, including passengers, pedestrians, and bicyclists, at risk as well. We are asking drivers to please slow down; our goal is to save lives, and we’re putting all drivers on alert. The posted speed limit is the law. No excuses,” said Jack McNeely, GHSP Director.
The consequences of speeding can lead to a costly ticket, potential jail time, or worse, a crash resulting in injuries or death.
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For more information on speeding, visit NHTSA.gov/Speeding.
For more information about the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program, visit highwaysafety.wv.gov or call 304-926-2509.
Flood debris piles along Route 85 have been growing for more than a week. PHOTO: Chris Lawrence
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Members of the West Virginia National Guard will be dispatched this week to the areas of Boone, Raleigh, and Logan Counties which are under a State of Emergency today.
The Governor declared the State of Emergency following heavy rains on June 22nd which caused high water that damaged more than 120 homes in Boone County alone.
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“Missions like this we’ve done in the past. It’s basically conducting debris removal operations,” said Captain Mike Garcia of the West Virginia National Guard.
The number of guard personnel who will be activated is not yet known, but Garcia guessed it would be in the neighborhood of 15. The teams will be equipment operators with loading and hauling equipment to move household debris to a collection location.
“We’ve got loader teams, dump teams, and skid-steers and we’ll go around those areas and take any debris caused by the weather and the flooding and it is piling up, we’ll be able to remove that, ” he explained.
Garcia said at this point there has been no mission to haul relief supplies to victims as has been done in previous flood events. They are also disallowed from doing any work to assist homeowners on their own private property.
“West Virginia National Guard is not legally authorized to enter or conduct work on private property. Residents need to move any debris and bring it to the curb so that as we get on the ground, we’ll be able to assess where it will go,” Garcia added.
