Photo courtesy of the West Virginia Department of Commerce.
By: Samantha Smith | Posted: May 15, 2018 | Source: WVDNR
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Division of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds residents that feeding black bears is a violation of state law as well as a misguided disservice to our state animal, according to Colin Carpenter, black bear project leader for the DNR Wildlife Resources Section. (more…)
Cattle farmers John and Clarise O’Dell of Roane County may see their cattle threatened by a new species of tick discovered in New Jersey and Virginia. Staff photo by Rusty Marks
By: Rusty Marks, Staff Writer | Posted: May 18, 2018 | Source: WV News
LEFT HAND — John and Clarise O’Dell operate a large cattle farm in rural Roane County. Among other things, they are on constant lookout for tick infestations on their livestock. (more…)
By: Nicky Walters | Posted: May 18, 2018 | Source: WOWKTV
A community is concerned as rocks, mud and trees dangle over their road. (more…)
The month of May means the strawberries are ripe for the picking at Country Road House and Berries in Clendenin, West Virginia! Place an order, find them at the Capitol Market in Charleston, or pick your own berries in one of their 2 acre strawberry fields. Join us as we visit with Angela and John Born at their Bed & Breakfast and strawberry farm location just off of Gabe Creek Road in Clendenin.
By: Jessie Shafer | Posted: May 17, 2018 at 6:19 p.m. | Source: WOWKTV
ELKVIEW, WV (WOWK) – Richard Bashlor loves the place he calls home. “That’s where my heart’s at- the Elk River,” he said. (more…)
CLENDENIN, W.Va. – The Clendenin Leader had an opportunity to sit down with Clendenin, West Virginia Mayor, Shana Clendenin. Not only did we learn about Mayor Clendenin, and why she decided to run for mayor, we also talked about the progress that has been made during her past 11 months in office. In addition to the upcoming Clendenin Homecoming Festival June 22-24, 2018, Clendenin is now a prime location for recreation and tourism based economic development.
A very important event coming up on Saturday, June 2, 2018 is the Elk River Clean-up. This is a great opportunity for the community to get involved and make a difference for the Elk River area. We plan to have more sit down discussions with Mayor Clendenin in the future to keep the Clendenin community informed and encourage everyone to get involved in the great things that are going on in the town of Clendenin.
UC pitcher Adam Jafine and the rest of the Golden Eagles will play the first NCAA Division II regional playoff game in program history Thursday at Millersville. Courtesy photo | UC Athletics
By: Derek Redd, Sports Editor | Posted: May 16, 2018 | Source: WV Gazette-Mail
The University of Charleston baseball team has come a long way since head coach Andrew Wright took over. The Golden Eagles won 13 games in 2015, the year before he arrived, then won 16 in his inaugural season of 2016.
That win total jumped to 34 last season, with an appearance in the Mountain East Conference tournament title game. UC is at 34 wins this season, but with an MEC tournament crown to boot.
That conference win has put the Golden Eagles (34-21) into their first NCAA postseason berth, a 3 p.m. Thursday Atlantic Region game as a No. 7 seed at No. 2-seeded Millersville (34-18).
But Wright doesn’t want his team to look at this feat as crossing a finish line. He’d rather it see Thursday’s game as an important stop on a longer path.
“When I accepted the job, I didn’t want to be mediocre,” Wright said. “I thought it was an opportunity to put the program on a national stage. This is the early goings of something we hope is long-lasting.”
The plan began when he arrived from Concord in the summer of 2015. From the start, Wright set expectations for players. There would be an expectation for the way those wearing a UC uniform would go about their business on the field. Wright set a threshold of expectations. If that threshold wasn’t met, there would be consequences, not punitive, but corrective.
“They’re corrective consequences to make sure people realigned their expectations with what’s supposed to happen in a championship program,” Wright said. “Our first meeting in 2015, the very first thing out of my mouth was, ‘We want to be a championship program, and we’re going to start acting like it.’ ”
Wright said the plan broke down into two prongs — process and people. And finding the right people was paramount. Everyone had to buy in, not just those Wright was recruiting, but those already on the team who were getting introduced to a new system.
Many of those UC players with important roles on this team — like sophomores Austin Henrich, Jonathan Carr and Colby Johnson and junior Gianfranco Morello — had committed to the team during its struggles. And Wright was pleased to see veterans like Tristan Fields, Caleb Kinder, Danny Hoyer and Justin Nixon show the quality of character to accept and work hard in a new environment.
“To me, the special thing is where we came from, where we’re going and how we’re getting there, as far as we have an incredible group of teammates. They’re a group of guys that have genuine care for each other and really want to see this program succeed above their individual needs.”
There was some personal growth for Wright that also has helped UC’s program move along. He attributes much of the team’s success to hitting coach Thomas Stallings and pitching coach Casey Hodges. There came a point that Wright decided he had to fire himself as hitting and pitching coach, and said Stallings and Hodges’ contributions have been essential.
“There are days that I joke — it’s half-joke and half-truth — that I don’t feel like I’m doing anything,” Wright said. “There are days that I can step back and Thomas can tell me what’s going on with the offense and Casey tells me what’s going on with the pitchers.
“That was very difficult to do because, early in my coaching career, I was the micro-manager of all micro-managers,” he added. “To be able to step away from it and see this happen has been huge for my own personal development, and has been big for the program’s development.”
The Golden Eagles enter a tough environment Thursday. Millersville, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference tournament runner-up, has made the regional round the last six seasons and won the Atlantic in 1998, 2011 and 2016. Wright doesn’t want a regional appearance to be the program’s apex, so while the Golden Eagles are grateful to reach this level, they don’t want their season to end at this point.
“We have an opportunity to play another baseball game, and I’m expecting to win it,” Wright said. “And I’m expecting to win the next one after that and after that. This is another opportunity to play baseball games and allow our level of preparedness to show through.”
Contact Derek Redd at 304-348-1712 or derek.redd@wvgazettemail.com. Follow him on Twitter @derekredd.
By: Tom Mauldin | Posted: May 15, 2018 | Source: MaxPreps.com
While not every team in this week’s MaxPreps Xcellent Top 25 national high school softball rankings has a shot at finishing No. 1, most do.
With one state tournament concluded, three on tap this week and the rest of the country playing at various weekends between now and June 16, a lot can happen. It’s wide open.
It happens every year. A year ago, California’s Norco was 33-0 and held the top spot for many weeks before losing the season finale to Los Alamitos (Calif.) and ending its hopes of a national crown that was awarded to Griffins, who entered the final day of the season ranked No. 2 behind Norco.
Consider the following:
• Neshoba Central (Philadelphia, Miss.) concluded its season with its sixth-straight state 5A title and a 34-0 record. Neshoba enters this week ranked No. 4.
• Katy (Texas) vaulted into the conversation as its 28-game win streak moved it from No. 12 a week ago to No. 3 this week.
• East Carter (Grayson, Ky.) has won 29 straight and sits at No. 5. And defending champion Los Alamitos is No. 6 this week.
• Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.) ran its win streak to 23 in a row and is ranked No. 7 this week. And there might not be hotter teams either side of the Mississippi River than San Marcos (Calif.) and Oakleaf (Orange Park, Fla.). Each has fashioned impressive winning streaks and knocked off high-ranking opponents in the process.
Not so fast. … Canyon (New Braunsfels, Texas) has the best view of No. 1 as it sits atop the rankings for a third-straight week. Canyon is pitching strong with a trio of future D1 hurlers leading the way, including MaxPreps National Player of the Year candidate Brooke Vestal (Oklahoma signee).
Canyon still has three weeks of Texas playoffs before calling it a season. Or sooner as upsets are the norm in the Lone Star State postseason.
Also new to the Top 10 this week is Cathedral Catholic (San Diego). Cathedral Catholic has won 16 in a row, including 13 shutouts and four perfect games for pitcher Megan Faraimo (UCLA signee). A three-loss team as national champion? Los Alamitos did a year ago.
Once beaten Lincoln Way East (Frankfort, Ill.), riding the arm of Alex Storako (Michigan signee), vaulted into the Top 25 at No. 11.
White Knoll (Lexington, S.C.) returned to the Top 25 this week at No. 24 and has a best-of-three showdown this week with No. 23 Byrnes (Duncan) for South Carolina’s large school state title.
3. (5) Neshoba Central (Philadelphia, Miss.), 34-0
The Rockets defeated Pearl River Central 6-2 Friday to win the state Class 5A state championship and cap a 34-0 season. It was their sixth state title in as many years, and it extended the Rockets’ win streak to 39 games. Four seniors — Sindle Williams, Madalyn Thompson, Alex Bowen and Makenzie Barnett — wrapped up their high school careers with 122 wins. Junior Aspen Wesley (Mississippi State commit) earned her 23rd win in the final and finished the season with 326 strikeouts in 143 innings, an average of 2.3 strikeouts per inning. She pitched nine no-hitters this season.
4. (6) East Carter (Grayson, Ky.), 29-0
The Raiders won three games in the Queen of Swing Tournament last week and end the regular season on Friday against 25-2 Warren East (Bowling Green, Ky.
5. (7) Los Alamitos (Calif.), 25-2
The Griffins homered three times in a 13-0 win over Newport Harbor (Newport) to close out the regular season.
6. (8) Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.), 23-0
Senior Jordyn Rudd has 19 extra base hits and 32 RBIs to go along with a .547 batting average and 37 runs scored.
7. (9) Oakleaf (Orange Park, Fla.), 29-2
Oakleaf takes a 20-game win streak into Friday’s state 8A semifinal game against 24-4 Lakefront Ranch.
8. (10) San Marcos (Calif.), 24-2
With a pair of wins last week, the Knights ran their win streak to 16.
9. (11) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego), 23-3
Cathedral has won 14 in a row and closes out the regular season this week against San Diego rivals Point Loma (7-18) and University City (14-10). Senior Megan Faraimo (UCLA signee) is 23-2 on the season with both losses coming by 1-0 scores. she has 326 strikeouts on the season.
10. (14) Keller (Texas), 30-2-1
The Indians defeated No. 4 and previously unbeaten Mansfield 8-4 to move o the fourth round of the Texas state 6A playoffs.
11. (NR) Lincoln-Way East (Frankfort, Ill.), 19-1
Led by pitcher Alex Storako (Michigan signee) and Allison Jaquith (St. Leo signee), East has won 16 in a row. Storako is hitting .404 with 21 RBIs. In 91 innings she has a 0.96 ERA, a 13-1 record and 187 strikeouts. Jaquith is batting .472 with 19 RBIs.
12. (15) Fort Myers (Fla.), 28-2
With an 8-1 win over Braden River, the Green Wave move to the state 7A semifinals versus 25-4 Pembroke Pines Charter on Friday. The Green Wave have won 13 straight.
13. (16) Norco (Calif.), 24-3
The Cougars ended their regular season with an 18-1 win over Roosevelt. They have won five in a row since a 3-2 loss to No. 9 San Marcos.
14. (18) Madison (Vienna, Va.), 20-0
The Redhawks closed out the regular season with a 19-0 win over Oakton (Vienna).
15. (19) Tualatin (Ore.), 24-0
The Timberwolves closed the regular season by winning three times last week by a combined margin of 41-3. In 16 wins, Tualatin has allowed one or fewer runs in a game.
16. (21) Spanish Fork (Utah), 22-1
The Dons have won 19 in a row. Brylee Rudd homered twice in a 16-0 win over Mountain View (Orem) on Friday.
17. (22) Keystone (La Grange, Ohio), 28-0
Keystone is doing it all — hitting .470 as a team with 114 extra base hits, fielding .986 (only nine errors), running the bases (80 stolen bases) and pitching as opponents have scored just 13 times (only eight runs have been earned).
18. (23) Lake Stevens (Wash.), 17-1
Lake Stevens is led by senior pitcher Sara Johnson (Towson signee).
19. (NR) Donovan Catholic (Toms River, N.J.), 22-0
The Griffins have allowed 25 runs and has scored 262 as all starters are hitting over .400. Sophomores Jayda Kearney (batting .606) and Karina Gaskins (12 homers, 45 RBIs) lead the way. Junior Lindsay Nelsonis 16-0 with a 0.70 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 76 innings.
20. (NR) Hoover (Clendenin, W. Va.), 28-0
The Huskies put a big exclamation mark in ending their regular season unbeaten with a convincing 4-0 win over previously ranked Hurricane. They have allowed just 23 runs this season and only two in their last nine games.
21. (3) Marist (Chicago), 27-2
The Redhawks have a pair of one-run losses this season. Since falling 7-6 to Bishop McNamara (Kankakee) last week, the Redhawks rebounded with a vengeance outscoring three foes 45-3.
22. (24) King’s Academy (Seymour, Tenn.), 34-2
The power-hitting Lions beat Friendship Christian (Lebanon) 8-1 in the first round of the state playoffs.
23. (20) Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.), 30-2
Byrnes saw its 21-game win streak end, but bounced back to take a best-of-three series to win the 5A UpState title. By winning, Byrnes meets 30-2 and No. 24 ranked White Knoll (Lexington) in a best-of-three series this week for the state 5A championship.
24. (NR) White Knoll (Lexington, S.C.), 30-2
Dropped out: Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.), Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.), Mansfield (Texas), Ridge Point (Missouri City, Texas), Eagle (Idaho).
Herbert Hoover defeated Bridgeport 4-0 to win the Region 2 softball championship. Garrett Cullen, WVMetroNews.com
By: Garrett Cullen | Posted: May 15, 2018 at 10:39 p.m. | Source: WV MetroNews (Click article for full picture gallery by Garrett Cullen. Total of 43 photos.)
BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — Class AA defending softball state champion Herbert Hoover will take a perfect record into the state tournament next week after beating Bridgeport on Tuesday night 4-0 for the Region 2 championship. (more…)
