WV MetroNews
The Voice of West Virginia
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — 24 sectional champions will qualified for the WVSSAC Regional Softball tournaments. Best-of-three series play can begin Monday, May 13. Regional champions advance to the state tournament at Little Creek Park in South Charleston. The double-elimination state tournament will be played May 22-23.
Class AAA
Region I
Game 1 – University (19-9) at Morgantown (19-7)
Game 2 – Morgantown at University
Game 3 – If necessary at Morgantown
Region II
Game 1 – Washington (20-6) at Musselman (15-13)
Game 2 – Musselman at Washington
Game 3 – If necessary at Musselman
Region III
Game 1 – Greenbrier East (19-9) at George Washington (20-8)
Game 2 – George Washington at Greenbrier East
Game 3 – If necessary at George Washington
Region IV
Game 1 – Hurricane (20-6) at Cabell Midland (26-5)
Game 2 – Cabell Midland at Hurricane
Game 3 – If necessary at Cabell Midland
Class AA
Region I
Game 1 – Keyser (23-8) at Weir (20-10)
Game 2 – Weir at Keyser
Game 3 – If necessary at Weir
Region II
Game 1 – Herbert Hoover (24-2) at Lincoln (14-11)
Game 2 – Lincoln at Herbert Hoover
Game 3 – If necessary at Lincoln
Region III
Game 1 – Independence (19-13) at Bluefield (15-5)
Game 2 – Bluefield at Independence
Game 3 – If necessary at Bluefield
Region IV
Game 1 – Chapmanville (25-4) at Winfield (20-9)
Game 2 – Winfield at Chapmanville
Game 3 – If necessary at Winfield
Class A
Region I
Game 1 – St. Marys (26-1) at Wheeling Central Catholic (19-5)
Game 2 – Wheeling Central Catholic at St. Marys
Game 3 – If necessary at Wheeling Central Catholic
Region II
Game 1 – Doddridge County (23-8) at Petersburg/Moorefield winner
Game 2 – Petersburg/Moorefield winner at Doddridge County
Game 3 – If necessary at Petersburg/Moorefield winner
Region III
Game 1 – Midland Trail (18-6) at James Monroe (7-8)
Game 2 – James Monroe at Midland Trail
Game 3 – If necessary at James Monroe
Region IV
Game 1 – Ravenswood (19-7) at Buffalo (16-11)
Game 2 – Buffalo at Ravenswood
Game 3 – If necessary at Buffalo
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CLAY COUNTY, W.Va. — West Virginia State Police were at a property in Clay County Tuesday to serve a search warrant in connection with a Braxton County woman’s disappearance from 2019.
Chandice Cochran was last seen on Aug. 20, 2019.
Members of the West Virginia State Police Crime Scene Unit were in the area of the 9100 block of Widen-Dille Road, according to one of the lead investigators in the case Sgt. Douglas Gordon. Gordon has not confirmed if anything was discovered during the search of a home and surrounding property there. Gordon said the property currently belongs to Jonas Shafer, but he does not reside there.
Investigators say Kristopher Speas, of Gilmer County, picked Cochran up in the afternoon of that day from Cochran’s home. Troopers believed the two went to the Birch River area of Nicholas County and were selling drugs.
The two ended up at the home of Sam Kelly. Investigators say it’s still unknown what happened after the two got to Kelly’s house.
Speas did have outstanding warrants for failing to register as a sex offender. He has since been arrested on charges unrelated to Cochran’s disappearance. Speas has been convicted in multiple counties including Nicholas counties for grand larceny, attempt to commit grand larceny and failure to register as a sex offender.
There’s still no proof that Cochran is alive or dead. Anyone with information relating to Cochran’s disappearance is asked to contact West Virginia State Police in Sutton at 304-765-2101.
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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — A 14-year-old is in custody and three other juveniles are being looked for in connection with an attempted robbery.
Huntington Police said the attempted robbery happened Tuesday afternoon in the 1300 block of 6th Avenue. A woman told investigators she was physically removed from her vehicle by four individuals at gunpoint. The suspects tried to steal the victim’s vehicle but were unsuccessful and then fled the area when she called 911.
A 14-year-old male has been arrested and charged with first-degree robbery. The other suspects have been identified as Hayden Payne, 16; Samuel Richey, 16; and Breland Zainerrian, 13. All three juveniles are wanted for first-degree robbery and are considered to be armed and dangerous.
Anyone with information pertaining to the suspects is asked to call 911 or the Huntington Police Department’s anonymous tip line at 304-696-4444.
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state Board of Education signed off Wednesday on a decision by the Harrison County Board of Education to close Liberty High School and two middle schools after the 2024-25 school year.
Harrison County School Superintendent Dora Stutler told the state board members Liberty High continues to lose student population.
“Liberty right now is around 420 (students), we’ve even lost more since the beginning of the school year,” Stutler said. “It’s just going down, our population, on that end of the county.”
The Liberty High building is currently at 39% capacity.
Kids that currently go to Liberty will head to Robert C. Byrd High School in the fall of 2025. The addition will give RCB an enrollment of approximately 1,100 students making it the largest high school in the county. Stutler said that will create more opportunities for the new student bodies.
“The last two years we’ve not had soccer there (at Liberty) because we can’t field a team. This year there was difficulty doing girls basketball. I’ve already spoken to the theatre programs in both of those buildings and we’re looking at a beautiful big band and a strings program,” Stutler said.
Harrison County resident Toby Knight urged the state School Board to reject the Harrison County decision. He said the track record isn’t good for communities that lose their schools.
“Show me a community today that is better off once their school is pulled from that area—that’s hard to do,” Knight said. “I can show you a lot of communities that are worse off now because their schools were pulled from them, not better.”
The board also agreed with the decision by the Harrison County BOE to close Mountaineer Middle and Washington Irving middle schools and send the kids to the Liberty High building beginning in the fall of 2025.
Before the state board’s vote Wednesday, Stutler answered a series of enrollment questions from state BOE member Debra Sullivan. Stutler said there are now 120 Harrison County students enrolled in public charter schools and approximately 1,250 students who are home schooled. She said the number of home school students has doubled since the Hope Scholarship was created by state lawmakers.
“Generally, Harrison County prior to the Hope Scholarship we would have about 650 in home schooling. Now you’re looking at 600 to 700 more because of the Hope Scholarship. It affects all of our funding,” Stutler said.
The Hope Scholarship is an education savings account program available for kindergarten through 12th grade students. It is designed to allow parents and families to use the state portion of their child’s education funding to tailor an individualized learning experience that works best for their child. The scholarship amount was nearly $4.500 per child this school year.
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Senator Shelley Moore Capito grilled the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chief over final rules requiring coal-fired power plants in the United States to reduce 90% of their greenhouse pollution into the next decade.
Capito, R-W.Va., posed her questions Wednesday during a meeting of the U.S. Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee, where she is ranking member.
EPA administrator Michael Regan was before the committee to discuss the agency’s budget proposal for the next fiscal year.
Capito expressed concern that EPA’s coming standards will cripple coal and natural gas, that carbon capture technology that could extend the lifespan of fossil fuels as an energy source is expensive and not ready for prime time and that the Biden administration’s energy evolution will result in strains on the nation’s energy grid.
Under the EPA rule announced last month, coal plants that plan to stay open beyond 2039 would have to cut or capture 90% of their carbon dioxide emissions by 2032. Plants that expect to retire by 2039 would face a less stringent standard but still would have to capture some emissions. Coal plants that are set to retire by 2032 would not be subject to the new rules.
EPA’s rules come under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. EPA described the announcement as providing regulatory certainty as the power sector makes long-term investments in the transition to a clean energy economy.
“Right now our energy mix is 60% fossil fuel –16% coal, 43% natural gas — 18% nuclear, 20% renewable,” Capito said.
“The plan that you put out, the clean power plan that will basically make every coal plant extinct because nobody’s going to be able to afford to do that on an aging coal plant — so those will be gone in the 2030s — and then nobody’s going to build a new one unless they only run it under 40% because they’re not going to be able to meet the demand.”
She asked Regan if he’s aware of a power plant that meets the 90% standard.
Regan responded by saying he would “push back on the notion that this rule is going after coal.” He continued, “Some of these coal plants were already going to sunset because they’re transitioning to natural gas. Some of these coal plants we do believe will be able to take advantage of (carbon capture and sequestration technologies.”
Capito interjected, “Is anybody doing that now?” Before Regan finished his response, Capito said, “Well, the answer is no.”
Regan continued by saying, though, “There are utilities that are putting on this technology and beginning to use it. They’re also taking full advantage of the resources provided by the Inflation Reduction Act, tax code by the Inflation Reduction Act, to invest in this very technology. So our timeline does match with the resources currently going to utilities who are investing in (carbon capture and sequestration) technologies.”
After Capito’s round of questions concluded, the chairman of the committee, Senator Tom Carper of Delaware, moved to submit into the record materials describing forthcoming carbon capture projects across the nation.
Carper, who was born in Beckley, then noted “Just last month, I’m told, West Virginia regulators approved one of the largest gas power plants with carbon capture in our nation, generating millions of dollars of economic benefits for the surrounding communities.”
Carper also asked about the effects of the new rules on the nation’s energy capacity.
“EPA’s recent efforts to cut emissions of greenhouse gases and toxic pollutants from power plants are expected to deliver significant public health and climate benefits,” said Carper, a Democrat. “Despite these benefits, some focus intently on potential impacts to grid reliability and related compliance schedules.”
Then Carper asked, “As I understand it, EPA has carefully considered those potential impacts in the development of its new regulations. Could you briefly describe for us the mechanisms in the rule to ensure grid reliability is maintained?” He followed up by asking, “What actions will EPA take in the future to avoid challenges to grid reliability?”
Regan’s response first emphasized the health benefit estimates. On power capacity, Regan said, “We understand that we’re seeing increased demand. But we’re also understanding that there’s a tremendous investment from historic legislation into technological advancement and investments in the grid that will make all of this possible. We’re confident that we have mitigated any grid reliability issues that are current and that could potentially be a future threat.”
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A state Department of Education review team described Martinsburg North Middle School during a recent visit as chaotic with students going largely unchecked.
After reviewing that report, the state Board of Education voted Wednesday to place Berkeley County Schools under a state of emergency in direct relation to Martinsburg North Middle.
“This is pathetic,” state BOE President Paul Hardesty said. “This should not happen. We are under attack in public education in this state on numerous fronts, incidents like this are like pouring gasoline on the fire we fight back every day.”
State Department of Education Accountability Officer Jeff Kelley delivered the report to the board. He described the on-site visit that took place last month.
“In the majority of classroom observations the team described the environment chaotic, disruptive and occasionally hostile,” Kelley said. “Most classrooms were observed to have a large number of students off-task in an environment that was not conducive to learning.”
Kelley said students were also in the hallways at all times of the day and refused to go to class when directed by teachers.
And that’s just the start.
“The team observed staff members pervasively ignoring student misbehavior, this included a student smacking another student with no redirection from the teacher. Students were observed to be in classes that they did not belong but were allowed to stay,” Kelley said. “At one point a student was observed lying on top of a table with three students sitting under the table, total disengagement with no redirection from the teacher.”
There have been 160 physical fights at North Middle this school year and 23 Title IX violations. A survey of students shows only half of them feel safe.
The school’s student achievement results have been a concern for several years. The most recent numbers show only 24% of students proficient in English and only 6% proficient in math.
Kelley said one parent told them her daughter receives straight A’s but she has trouble reading and writing.
“We want this fixed and we want this fixed now,” Hardesty said. “This cannot be tolerated in a public school system in West Virginia. It just can’t be.”
Hardesty told Berkeley County School Superintendent Ron Stephens that he doesn’t blame the longtime principal at the school but he blames the county school superintendent’s office and local school board because the school principal received good evaluations for more than a dozen years.
“Where I’m placing the blame is on you and your board. If a person has been there 13 years and got stellar evaluations, you, your secondary curriculum director, yall have not done your job and your board hasn’t done its job in holding you accountable,” Hardesty said.
Stephens, who is in his first full year on the job, said the principal at the school has recently been removed and Holly Kleppner, executive director, of Berkeley County Schools Department of Secondary Leadership was appointed last Wednesday as lead administrator. Stephens said they’ve started to see some improvements but he said he welcomes the state’s help.
“My plan is to continue to work with the state Department of Education, utilizing our resources and to clean-up North Middle School so the students do feel safe,” Stephens said.
Stephens did add that a full-time school resource officer was recently placed at the school.
State School Superintendent Michele Blatt said the state of emergency will include Berkeley County Schools hiring an on-site school improvement specialist who will work the rest of the school year and into the summer months. A team will come up with an action plan for the state Board of Education to consider for approval at its June meeting.
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The state Department of Education and state School Board have awarded the first class of Exemplary Practice Schools.
Faculty and staff from Sherman Elementary School in Boone County, Mountaineer Middle School in Monongalia County and the United Technical Center in Harrison County were honored at Wednesday’s state BOE meeting.
State Department of Education Director of District/School Improvement Margaret Williamson said schools that receive the Exemplary Practice Schools designation based on their performance on the 2023 Balanced Scorecard and are among the top 5% in achievement in their respective programmatic areas. The programs are research-based practices designed to address critical areas through professional and instructional leadership communities for staff, data analysis, and student ownership of learning. Each program is closely monitored to ensure progress.
“The program was designed to highlight innovative practices in one or more areas of the West Virginia Standards for Effective Schools that support success for all students,” Williamson said.
Williamson presented the award, including a $5,000 grant to continue the Parents Learning with Students program, to the delegation from Sherman Elementary School, including principal Lisa Lowe. Based on an a poverty rate of at least 35 percent in the selected year and high academic performance, the school will also receive the ESEA designation. Those schools receive a special award package, including website recognition and a special presentation at the national award conference.
The West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) and the West Virginia Department of Education recognized the first class of Exemplary Practice Schools today during the May 8, 2024, WVBE meeting. Sherman Elementary School (Boone County), Mountaineer Middle School (Monongalia County),… pic.twitter.com/2Ka0OPfZZV
— West Virginia Department of Education (@WVEducation) May 8, 2024
“Students engage in age-appropriate leadership duties and take ownership of their education,” Williamson said. “A strong culture exists where generations of teachers learn from and support one another, and families are provided resources to promote students success.”
Mountaineer Middle School was recognized for prioritizing sports for social and emotional learning with a program called “real time.” “Real-time” sessions are custom-planned by each educator to maximize subject matter in the classroom. The sessions are held early in the morning, and the staff holds regular meetings to change or add to the program.
“I’m super happy for Mountaineer Middle School,” Campbell said. “Their administration and staff are so deserving of this honor and this recognition.”
Kelly Massinople, Coordinator of District/School Improvement for the West Virginia Board of Education, awarded the delegation from Monongalia County a $5,000 grant to improve exposure to technology.
“We are pleased to announce that Mountaineer Middle School will also receive a $5,000 grant to expand their STEM program, which includes plans for a new robotics program,” Massinople said.
Department of Education Coordinator of Career and Technical Education Jonathan McCormick presented the award and $5,000 check for future educational improvements to the United Technical Center. The selection was based on the instructional leadership program that operates on the premise that true learning only occurs when the student is fully engaged through student-led initiatives, peer tutoring, and participation in the decision-making process.
“What they do up there is absolutely amazing,” McCormick said. “The leadership stems from the administration all the way down to the staff and the students in the simulated workplace.”
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Charleston native James Long led Davidson Day School to a North Carolina State High School Championship with a 24-7 record this past winter. It was the kind of job that Long favored over others when his phone rang during the offseason from prospective programs.
But a call from his hometown team, The University of Charleston, was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Long was officially hired as the new UC men’s basketball coach on Monday.
“It was a no-brainer. I wouldn’t have left for anything else right now,” Long said on the Citynet Statewide Sportsline. “I had said no to a couple things. We had it rolling. They are great kids and I love them to death. I am always going to stay in touch with them and care about them. But this is home and it is a national championship job. It is one of the best jobs in the country.”
Long’s West Virginia roots run deep. The former WVU guard and video coordinator became a head coach for the first time at WVU-Tech in 2019.
“It really gives me chills man, every part of it, looking across at the Capitol today. Someone asked me last night what is was going to feel like going out against West Virginia State, and it really hit me there. Wow, I am going to be coaching against West Virginia State that I grew up watching, every time.
“I have seen it in my head a thousand times. It is my dream job. I just can’t even put it into words. It just means so much to me.”
@ucwv_athletics has named James Long as their new head basketball coach. Long, a Charleston native, joined tonight’s episode of Sportsline to talk about his new opportunity in his hometown. pic.twitter.com/wsVtK6avsN
— MetroNews (@WVMetroNews) May 7, 2024
Long takes over for Dwaine Osborne, who recently became an assistant coach at Division I Youngstown State. Osborne led the Golden Eagles to the NCAA Atlantic Region Championship game in March.
“The way people speak about Coach Osborne, he had a real impact. I want to make sure I am doing that as well.”
Several Mountain East Conference teams have shined on the national stage in recent years with Fairmont State and West Liberty advancing to the NCAA Division II title game since 2017.
“When you look at the MEC, it is one of the best leagues in the country. A year ago, we were watching West Liberty in the national championship. You know the success they have had. Coach TK [Tim Koenig] at Fairmont is incredible. Coach [Daniel] Mondragon did an incredible job at D&E. I know that program is still going to be rolling. Coach [Todd] May had an incredible year at Concord. Coach [Bryan] Poore at State, Coach [Bob] Bolen at Glenville, all down the line. It is a great league.”
Long must quickly assemble a roster with returning players and transfer portal additions.
“The portal window is small. A kid can be in the portal and gone within a week. Especially at this point in the year, I think for kids, it is getting close to crunch time and they want to make a decision. You just have to be as transparent as possible and get to know each other as quickly as possible.”
Long has been the head coach of the WVU alumni basketball team Best Virginia in The Basketball Tournament for the last three summers. It is uncertain if he will continue leading that team when they compete in the Pittsburgh Regional in July.
“The best thing about TBT is the time you get to spend with people that you wouldn’t get any other way. I just need to see what makes sense for the University of Charleston. It is priority number one and it means everything to me.”
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — When the owners of Bogey’s Driving Range in Tornado opened their doors in 2017, they never thought they would eventually expand their food offerings to Charleston.
An indoor vendor spot opened at Capitol Market last year after the owners of Fresh Seafood Company retired. After an extensive search process of more than 50 applicants, Bogey’s was selected to occupy the space.
The BBQ style restaurant comes with a new name: Bogey’s at Capitol Market.
Capitol Market Executive Director Evan Osborn said during a Wednesday announcement welcoming Bogey’s is a big deal. The market hasn’t had a new indoor vendor in more than 10 years.
Osborn said selecting Bogey’s was a no-brainer.
“We had a unanimous favor and that was Bogey’s,” he said. “I think this is going to be the next evolution of the market. It’s going to situate us to be in this community for years to come.”
Bogey’s primary location is situated on the Big Bend Golf Course. Along with a driving range, the restaurant offers BBQ style food with outdoor seating and live concerts in the summer time.
At Capitol Market, Bogey’s co-owner and operator Andrew Ford said they’ll offer new menu items as well as a full bar seating area where guests can watch them cook and slice fresh meats.
“We have a really wide selection for this market, so everybody can enjoy something, not just barbeque,” Ford said. “We do a lot of smoked meats and wood-fired grill stuff. We’re going to have our beef ribs, our pork belly burnt ends. We’ve got a little bit of a unique flavor.”
Customers can also enjoy Bogey’s grilled shrimp tacos, tri-tip Philly, fire-roasted corn, as well as their award-winning hot dog with mustard, smoked chili, homemade slaw and onion. Their hot dog was named the best in the state by Taste WV.
Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin was at Wednesday’s announcement where she applauded Bogey’s for their success.
“These are local guys with a big passion. They’re in what I love to call ‘the heart’ of the Capital City. Being here and serving what they have at the Capital Market, this is going to be the place to go,” Goodwin said.
Ford said he and co-owner Jay Nelson have been working to build their brand over the last several years and it’s paying off.
“We’ve worked really hard building our business up in Tornado and trying to get to all these events. This is just a testament
to all of our local customers and people that love our place,” Ford said.
The mayor said the opening of Bogey’s in Charleston will serve as a bright spot with recent restaurant closures in the city. Tidewater Grill and the Chop House at the Charleston Town Center Mall, as well as Bridge Road Bistro in South Hills closed last month.
“This is so amazing for the City of Charleston. When we talk about oh, this restaurant is closing. Every single time you turn around in the City of Charleston, there is amazing opportunity that’s happening. There are businesses just like Bogey’s that are opening,” Goodwin said.
Osborn said Bogey’s will enhance what the Capitol Market is known for.
“What they’re bringing to the market is a lot of what make the market so special and that’s authenticity, doing it right and small batch, trying to do things by hand. Just like our farmers that bring flowers this time of year to the market, they’re working to bring something special,” he said.
In addition to offering lunch options, the restaurant will feature daily specials and catering options.
Bogey’s at Capitol Market will join eight other indoor vendors including Soho’s, WV Marketplace, Johnnie’s Fresh Meat Market, Mea Cuppa Coffeebar, Holl’s
Chocolate, The Wine & Cheese Shop, Sushi Garden and The Purple Onion Fruit & Veggie Co.
Bogey’s hopes to open at Capitol Market later this summer.
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NEW MANCHESTER, W.Va. — Cleanup was underway Wednesday in the northern panhandle community of Fairhaven after a tornado swept through a very narrow area of Hancock County early Wednesday morning.
“We had a tornado touch down and destroyed about five structures. We did transport one person to the hospital just to be evaluated,” said Mike Watkins, a Dispatcher for Hancock County 911.
The storm was part of a larger system which moved into the area from Irondale, Ohio around 1 a.m.
The area of damage is sparsely populated according to Watkins and included a couple of residential homes, one business, and a farm directly impacted by the storm.
Joanna Plunkett and her husband got the alert on their phone and took cover in their bathroom.
“It wasn’t five minutes later when it hit. I crouched down in the bathroom and prayed the entire time,” Plunkett told MetroNews. “The lightening was odd and very intense and all of a sudden there was a suction of air and it sounded like a train was coming through here.”
Plunkett said ordeal lasted at most three minutes, but it felt like an eternity. When she and her husband emerged they noticed a neighbor’s camper on its side.
“It actually picked us up and moved us. But we had no idea of the devastation. Once we were safe my husband came out and we saw that and we assumed the gentleman in that camper was dead,” she said.
It turned out the man had also received the alert on his phone and fled to the home of a neighbor to take cover. He emerged unharmed shortly afterward.
The storm struck in the dark hours. It wasn’t until sunrise the true scope of the disaster was evident.
“As it got lighter outside and we started to see more, it just made your jaw drop,” said Lauren Talotta, reporter on the scene from WPXI in Pittsburgh. “What was left of this large garage was just a mangled pile of metal and the first thought that crossed my mind was, ‘How did no one die?'”
The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh had a crew headed to the scene to evaluate the damage and determine the strength of the tornado.
The area of damage is a remote part of Hancock County situated between New Cumberland and Chester.
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