CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia School Safety Conference got underway Thursday in Charleston less than 24 hours after the nation’s latest mass shooting in Maine.
Dr. Steve Webb
It was one of the first topics emergency preparedness expert Dr. Steve Webb addressed during the event and on Thursday’s MetroNews “Talkline” as authorities continued to search for Robert Card, the person of interest, who is accused of killing 18 people and injuring 13 others at a restaurant and bowling alley Wednesday night.
“These mass shooters are shooters of opportunity and they’re looking for any opportunity to get a head count,” Webb said. “When you get complacent, you leave yourself the most vulnerable and that’s what we’re seeing as this all unfolds.”
When it comes to school safety, Webb said it’s important to focus on securing the building and addressing mental health concerns, but sometimes it can be overwhelming.
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“Schools are working to harden their facilities, but many of them are not working so hard on this behavioral threat assessment because it’s just so daunting of a task because there is no profile of a school shooter,” he said.
Webb said the focus on making schools safer starts with teachers, not just school administrators.
“We’re relying too heavily on security or administration when our teachers are really on that front line and seeing that kid every single day and be able to get that baseline data and understanding when there’s something going on their life that causes that behavior to change,” he said.
West Virginia Board of Education President L. Paul Hardesty welcomed attendees to the 2023 West Virginia School Safety Conference in Charleston today. He also welcomed @WheelingParkHS students from @OhioCounty1 and thanked them for attending. 🍎@MtStateESC#WVEdpic.twitter.com/5ftFizWC9L
— West Virginia Department of Education (@WVEducation) October 26, 2023
It’s also important to monitor what students post online, Webb said.
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“When you say ‘See Something, Say Something’, that’s their social media world. We’re not in the days where kids are coming to school to find their social niche. They’ve already found it and they’re bringing that baggage with them,” he said.
Mass shooters are typically individually motivated and “strategically suicidal” who glorify ways to make the news, Webb said.
“They understand they’re going to commit suicide and they want to do it in the most powerful and in a way to be famous which they know schools are going to do that and churches are going to do that,” he said.
Webb was one of the guest speakers at Thursday’s conference held at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center. The event runs through Friday.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to federal probation after fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief funding while living in Mason County.
Scott Christie, 38, of Petrolia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to four years of federal probation for theft of public money, property, or records.
Christie fraudulently obtained $24,388 in unemployment benefits and COVID supplementary funds while living in Leon.
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Christie obtained funds in a fraudulent manor on two separate occasions. Between both February 29, 2020, to August 22, 2020, and between February 27, 2021, to August 14, 2021, Christie fraudulently applied for unemployment benefits through WorkForce America. During these periods, Christie submitted 50 total weekly certifications without disclosing his employment. Christie received 52 unemployment benefits.
Christie has been ordered to pay $24,228 in restitution.
After 12 years as West Virginia’s Attorney General, Patrick Morrisey was sworn in Monday morning as the state’s 37th governor.
“Together, we’re going to make West Virginia a beacon of opportunity, of hope and prosperity for all,” Morrisey said. “Our path forward is clear. It’s a path paved with hard work and bold action. Now we have some big challenges and economic obstacles in front of us, but we will overcome them.”
Morrisey in the Attorney General’s office.
The inauguration also instated new Intermediate and Supreme Court of Appeals judges and five other members of the Board of Public Works, the state’s governing body.
The past three governors attended the inauguration. Those included Joe Manchin, who recently left the U.S. Senate as an Independent, Earl Ray Tomblin, who stopped into Manchin’s governor’s office, and Jim Justice, who will assume Manchin’s U.S. Senate seat as a Republican.
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Morrisey is the first governor to be initially sworn in as a Republican since 1997. Justice switched parties his first year in office.
In his inauguration speech, Morrisey laid out plans to cut state taxes, reduce government regulation, support the HOPE school choice scholarship and public school teachers, improve the state’s foster care system and oppose diversity equity and inclusion initiatives.
Morrisey likened his plans for economic growth to a “backyard brawl” — a hallmark of his campaign, referring to making West Virginia more enticing to new residents and businesses than neighboring states. Today, Morrisey specifically referenced making the state personal income tax lower than surrounding states and public teacher pay competitive.
“It’s about unleashing the full potential of our people and engaging in spirited competition every day, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kentucky,” Morrisey said. “We’re coming for you economically.”
Morrisey also said his administration is “launching West Virginia’s version of DOGE,” referring to President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed extra-governmental Department of Government Efficiency. During Morrisey’s campaign, he pointed to audits of state agencies and departments as key to finding policy solutions; during his transition, Morrisey emphasized continuing to focus on “repurposing and rightsizing” government.
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“We’re going to take a bulldozer to the barriers of government that hold you back,” Morrisey said. “We’re going to get big, big things done.”
Before leaving office, Justice signed onto a Jan. 10 letter to Congress from Republican governors in support of the federal DOGE. Morrisey said he also aims to partner with the incoming presidential administration on energy policy and deregulation.
“If ever there was an honorary West Virginian, it should be Donald Trump,” Morrisey said.
After the state gubernatorial Republican primary last spring, which Morrisey won with a plurality of 33.33% of votes, Trump endorsed Morrisey. Morrisey won the general election with 61.99% of votes; Trump won West Virginia’s electoral college votes with 69.98% of votes. Trump will be inaugurated on Jan. 20.
West Virginiahead coach Rich Rodriguez is far from being done in the transfer portal, but with nearly two dozen pickups thus far, I figured we could start taking a closer look at the stars of the group.
We will revisit this before spring practice and then prior to the start of fall camp, as more players will be added, so we’ll adjust the list. For now, here are the five transfers who I believe will make the biggest impact.
Jahiem White is clearly RB1, but in this day and age, you need two or three capable running backs, especially in a Rich Rodriguez offense. Edwards brings a different dynamic to the table with his 6-foot-4, 240-pound frame. He can hammer it in between the tackles to give WVU a nice lightning-and-thunder combo, similar to what they had with White and CJ Donaldson. He rushed for over 1,000 yards and six scores this season.
Perry brings a level of physicality that has been pretty much non-existent in the Mountaineer secondary over the last handful of years. He does have some versatility to him as well, being able to play deep safety, up in the box, and even in the slot if needed. Assuming he makes the transition to the Power Four level smoothly, he’ll have a chance to play on Sundays.
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West Virginia’s wide receiver room underwent a near-complete makeover, but with the addition of Cam Vaughn, they have a dynamic playmaker they can build with for the next three seasons. In his redshirt freshman season at Jax State, Vaughn caught 48 passes for 803 yards and five touchdowns. Not too shabby for someone who just made the switch from quarterback a year ago.
After losing Josiah Trotter (Missouri) and Trey Lathan (Kansas) to the transfer portal, the Mountaineers desperately needed to add a veteran linebacker who could come right in and make a difference. Over his last two seasons at Colorado State, Wilson tallied 205 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, seven passes defended, 3.5 sacks, and two picks. A tough, hard-nosed kid who fits this defense like a glove.
West Virginia beat out Ole Miss to land one of the best cover corners in the transfer portal in Michael Coats Jr. This past season with the Wolfpack, he notched 41 tackles, 14 passes defended, and four interceptions, finishing in the top five nationally in the last two categories. Barring some crazy get in the portal, I expect Coats to be the top acquisition out of the portal this offseason for the Mountaineers.
QB Jaylen Henderson (Texas A&M), RB Tye Edwards (Northern Iowa), RB LJ Turner (Catawba College), WR Cyrus Traugh (Youngstown State), WR Cam Vaughn (Jacksonville State), WR Daveon Walker (Butler C.C.), WR Jarod Bowie (Jacksonville State), WR Oran Singleton Jr. (Eastern Michigan), TE Jacob Barrick (Jacksonville State), TE Johnny Pascuzzi (Iowa), OL Walter Young Bear (Tulsa), OL Robby Martin (NC State), OL Wyatt Minor (Youngstown State), OL Kimo Makane’ole (LSU), DE Braden Siders (Wyoming), LB Chase Wilson (Colorado State), LB Ashton Woods (North Carolina), CB Derek Carter (Jacksonville State), CB Jordan Scruggs (South Alabama), CB Devonte Golden-Nelson (Akron), CB Michael Coats Jr. (Nevada), S Justin Harrington (Washington), S Will Davis (Virginia Union), S Fred Perry (Jacksonville State), S Jordan Walker (Chattanooga), and K Ethan Head (Tulane).
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