Capitol Police recognized for work during legislative session, teacher strike

Capitol Police Director Kevin Foreman and Justice Chief of Staff Mike Hall. Photo by Steve Rotsch, West Virginia Governor’s Office

By: MetroNews Staff | Posted: Mar. 21, 2018 at 10:03 p.m. | Source: WV MetroNews

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gov. Jim Justice recognized the West Virginia Capitol Police on Wednesday for its work during the 60-day legislative session, noting in a press release the record crowds seen at the state Capitol during the statewide teacher strike. (more…)

WV Health Right begins pilot project using retractable needles

Angie Settle (left), CEO of West Virginia Health Right, demonstrates how a retractable needle works. Health Right has started giving out these needles. Kenny Kemp, Gazette-Mail.

By: Lori Kersey, Staff Writer | Posted: Mar. 21, 2018 | Source: WV Gazette-Mail

While Charleston officials are at odds over the future of harm reduction services in the capital city, a little-known needle exchange program in the city is making changes.

West Virginia Health Right, a free and charitable clinic, announced Wednesday that it is starting to distribute retractable needles at its harm reduction clinic.

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Man Shot Multiple Times in Clay County, Suspect Arrested

By: Joseph Fitzwater | Posted: Mar. 21, 2018 at 11:26 a.m. | Source: WOWKTV

One person is injured and another is under arrest following a shooting in Clay County.

According to West Virginia State Police, on Tuesday afternoon, officers responded to a reported shots fired on Post Office Street in Clay.

When officers arrived, they found a victim with multiple gunshot wounds and was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

After troopers investigated the scene, they determined the shooter to be Jeremy White, 22, of Lizemores, WV.

Troopers determined that the incident occurred following a verbal argument between White and a woman.

The victim shot is identified as Justin Brown, 26, of Clay, WV.

White is under arrest for malicious wounding and was transported to Central Regional Jail. He is in jail on $200,000 bond.

Class AA All-State Girls Basketball Teams

By: Staff Reports | Posted: Mar. 21, 2018 | Source: WV Gazette-Mail

WVSWA Class AA

Girls Basketball All-State

First Team

Gabby Lupardus, Wyoming East, Sr. (captain)

Gracey Lamm, Lincoln, Sr.

Aeriel Adkins, Wayne, Sr.

Emily Saunders, Wyoming East, Jr.

Hannah Shriver, North Marion, Jr.

Abby Beeman, Frankfort, Jr.

Baylee Goins, Nitro, Fr.

Laila Arthur, Sissonville, Jr.

Second Team

Anna Hamilton, Nicholas County, Jr. (captain)

Lucille Westfall, Roane County, Sr.

Kara Sandy, Wyoming East, Sr.

Jazz Blankenship, Wyoming East, Jr.

Z.Z. Russell, Winfield, So.

Jasiah Smith, Bluefield, So.

Maddie Wilcox, Wayne, Sr.

Angela DeLorenzo, Fairmont Senior, Sr.

Third Team

Autumn Spangler, Bluefield, Jr. (captain)

Taylor Buonamici, North Marion, So.

Holly Toler, Logan, Sr.

Laken McKinney, PikeView, So.

Emily Riggs, Bridgeport, Jr.

Katie Ball, Mingo Central, So.

Kiersten Roberts, River View, Sr.

Allison Dunbar, Herbert Hoover, So.

Honorable Mention

Lakyn Adkins, Wayne; Shiloh Bailey, PikeView; Kierra Bartholow, East Fairmont; Kaylee Blair, Chapmanville; Erica Boggs, Clay County; Lexi Bolen, Independence; Kara Browning, Chapmanville; Hannah Boyd, Scott; McKenzie Carpenter, Philip Barbour; Taylor Carpenter, Herbert Hoover; Auburey Chandler, Poca; Adriana Christopher, Philip Barbour; Maliyah Cottingham, Liberty Harrison; Jade DeBerry, Lincoln; Makenna Douthitt, Frankfort; Reece Enochs, Oak Glen; Abby Faulkner, Fairmont Senior; Emily Hudson, Winfield; Makayla King, Oak Hill; Maggie Kovalcik, Oak Glen; Jayden Lindsey, East Fairmont; Kearstin Lucas, Keyser; Gracie Mann, James Monroe; Rory Marple, Bridgeport; Makayla Morgan, Westside; Cara Minor, North Marion; Brielle Osborne, North Marion; Emily Parker, Nicholas County; Leah Parrish, North Marion; Ally Peters, Grafton; Bella Posey, Lewis County; Sarah Post, Lewis County; Torri Potterfield, Nitro; Xziah Rhodes, Mingo Central; Whintey Sansom, Wayne; Kaitlin Smith, Bridgeport; Bailey Stead, Weir; Jill Tothe, Logan; Anna Tucker, Lewis County; Lexi Turner, Keyser; Gillian Weaver, Robert C. Byrd; Brittney Welch, Logan; Courtney Wilfong, Fairmont Senior; Brynne Williams, Lincoln

Power Park hosts 8-game high school showcase

By: Staff Reports | Posted: Mar. 20, 2018 | Source: WV Gazette-Mail (Full Article)

Sixteen West Virginia prep baseball teams are set to participate this weekend in the fourth Suddenlink High School Baseball Showcase at Appalachian Power Park in Charleston.

Two defending state champion teams are scheduled to compete in the three-day event — St. Albans (Class AAA) and Charleston Catholic (Class A).

The eight-game showcase begins Thursday with a pair of games — Clay County versus Gilmer County at 4 p.m., followed by Riverside and Huntington at approximately 7.

On Friday, it’s Hurricane against Elkins at 4 p.m., followed by Charleston Catholic and Summers County at 7. The four-game set on Saturday finds Herbert Hoover and Nitro playing at 10 a.m., with Notre Dame-Buffalo at 1, South Charleston-St. Albans at 4 and Capital-Ripley at about 7.

Tickets are priced at $6 for students and seniors (65 and over), and $8 for general admission.

Pinch Elementary School Recognized for Digital Citizenship

Briana Warner, Communications Director | Kanawha County Schools | For Immediate Release: March 20, 2018

Pinch, West Virginia – Pinch Elementary School has been recognized by national nonprofit Common Sense as a ‘Common Sense Certified School: Digital Citizenship’ for the 2017-2018 school year. The school demonstrated its commitment to taking a whole-community approach to preparing its students to use digital media to explore, create, connect, and learn, while limiting the dangers that exist online, such as plagiarism, loss of privacy, and cyberbullying.

Pinch has been using Common Sense Education’s resources, which were created in collaboration with Dr. Howard Gardner of the GoodPlay Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The resources teach students, educators, and parents tangible skills related to Internet safety, protecting online reputations and personal privacy, managing online relationships, and respecting creative copyright. The free resources are currently used in more than 100,000 classrooms nationwide.

Pinch Elementary School is the third KCS school to be recognized for the 2017-2018 school year. Sissonville High School was recognized in December and Montrose Elementary was recognized in February. Lakewood, Kenna and Richmond Elementary schools received this national certification for the 2016-2017 school year. Sissonville Middle School, Holz Elementary and Edgewood Elementary all received this certification during the 2015-2016 school year.

For more information about Pinch Elementary, go to http://pinch.kana.k12.wv.us/. To learn more about the criteria schools met to become recognized as a Common Sense School, visit https://www.commonsense.org/education/recognition-schools.

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Federal Funding Awarded to Further Economic Development in W.Va.

Photo Courtsey: Matt Rourke, Associated Press

By: Liz McCormick | Posted: Mar. 20, 2018 | Source: WV Public Broadcasting

Federal funds have been awarded to four West Virginia organizations focused on economic development.

Those four agencies include the Region 7 Planning and Development Council, the Planning and Development Councils in both the Eastern Panhandle and the Mid-Ohio Valley, and the Marshall University Research Corporation. The groups will split an award of $310,000.

That money comes from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. U.S. Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito made the announcement in a news release Tuesday.

Both senators agree the grant will help West Virginia create more jobs and invest in infrastructure that could attract new industries to the state.

The bulk of the funding will go to the Marshall University Research Corporation and will provide technical assistance and research tools to help increase long-term regional competitiveness and economic diversification.

Individual Awards Listed Below:

  • $70,000 – Region 7 Planning and Development Council, which comprises the counties of Barbour, Braxton, Gilmer, Lewis, Randolph, Tucker, and Upshur.
  • $70,000 – Eastern Panhandle Regional Planning and Development Council, which comprises the counties of Jefferson, Berkeley, Morgan, and nine municipalities.
  • $70,000 – Mid-Ohio valley Regional Planning and Development Council, which comprises the counties of Calhoun, Jackson, Pleasants, Richie, Roane, Tyler, Wirt, and Wood.
  • $100,000 – Marshall University Research Corporation and partners.

Game-winning double sparks softball to 3-2 win over Oakland

Posted: Mar. 19, 2018 | Source: The Morehead News

Senior designated player Kylie Holton cranked an RBI double off the right centerfield wall in the sixth inning, and that proved to be the winning margin as the Morehead State softball team edged Oakland 3-2 in the final game of the Eagle Classic at University Field Sunday.

The Eagles moved to 16-6 in 2018, while the Golden Grizzlies slid to 6-14.

“We have been in quite a few tight games this year, and when we get in those games I feel our team has the confidence that we are going to pull it out,” said head coach David Williams. “We challenged them to go ahead and get that go-ahead run in the sixth. We got people on and we moved runners and got good at-bats. I think there is a quiet confidence with our team. They believe no matter what the situation is that someone will come through.”

Freshman right-fielder Paige Scruggs got the go-ahead inning kick-started with a one-out single. She stole second, and junior first baseman Allison Rager moved down to her position on a free-pass walk. Following a fielder’s choice ground out, Holton lifted a 2-0 pitch high and deep to right field. Oakland’s outfielder made a stabbing attempt for the ball at the wall, but it ricocheted off and allowed Scruggs to trot home with the eventual winning run.

Scruggs also collected the opening RBI of the game with a ground out in the first, and senior third baseman Ellen Barrett singled home center-fielder Aubrey Bennettto make it 2-0.

Senior pitcher Chelsea McManaway made the lead hold up until the top of the sixth when OU tied it with back-to-back RBI hits. McManaway improved to 11-2 with 11 more strikeouts today.

Six different Eagles tallied a hit apiece.

Morehead State is scheduled to host nationally-ranked Kentucky on Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET. Check MSUEagles.com, Twitter and Facebook (MSUEagles) for updates to the schedule due to incoming inclement weather.