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Editor's Note: This article appears in Governing's Fall 2024 magazine. You can subscribe here. A few years ago, the Red for Ed movement brought thousands of teachers to state capitols across the country, demanding higher salaries. The effort began in West Virginia, where teachers got their raises and helped stop legislation that would have brought private school choice to the state. They kept pressing their apparent advantage, unseating a couple of choice advocates in the state Senate.

BUCKHANNON, W.Va (WDTV) - West Virginia Wesleyan Esports has been around since 2019, it was the first varsity program in the state, and the team offers scholarships. And now the team has partnered with schools to create an Esports league for middle and high school students, coaches say Esports are a win for kids.

CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — Stay safe with tips and information provided by the Governor’s Highway Safety Program for their Pedestrian Safety Month campaign! Everyone is a pedestrian during the day at some point, by walking in a parking lot, walking a pet outdoors, or walking your children to or from school. As October begins, so […]

Demand for manufactured metals is driving growth for the U.S. machine tool industry, which is expected to reach $20.8 billion by 2033. According to Blake English, Vice President for MachineTech, trends like automation, connected devices and multi-axis cutting continue to shape modern machining processes. The North Carolina company was recently...

Attorney General Patrick Morrisey announced a representative from his office will meet with north central West Virginia residents in October to discuss consumer-related issues and answer any potential questions. “These public events are a great way for consumers to talk one-on-one with our consumer representatives,” Attorney General Morrisey said. “Residents...

National Grid has dispatched more than 100 upstate New York electric operations specialists to West Virginia to assist Appalachian Power in restoration efforts following the extensive damage brought by Hurricane Helene, company officials said. The National Grid crews from western, central and eastern New York were expected to arrive in West Virginia Saturday evening to help restore service to affected customers in the region.

CHARLESTON W.Va. (WVDN) – The Faculty Merit Foundation of West Virginia announces that nominations are now open for the 2024 Professor of the Year Award.  Nomination forms have been distributed throughout West Virginia to all public and private community and technical colleges, colleges, and universities.  Nominations must be postmarked no later than November 22, 2024, […] The post Call for 2024 West Virginia Professor of The Year Nominations appeared first on West Virginia Daily News.

BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Andy Davis, Director of Strategic Development with the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority, will be representing West Virginia and the New River Gorge Region at the Outdoor Reaction Roundtable’s first-ever National Leadership Forum on Rural Development. The event will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and will take place October 1-2. […]

GLEN JEAN, WV (WVNS) — In an effort to support the medical care for kids in the state, the West Virginia EMS for Children Pediatric Symposium is taking place through October 2nd at the Boy Scouts of America’s Summit Bechtel Reserve in Glen Jean. The event features workshops, presentations, and interactive sessions that are designed […]

JACKSONVILLE, Ill- The Illinois College Esports team opened up MEC Rocket League play on Tuesday taking on Glenville State University. IC opened with a 3-0 victory. Dwight Duijneveld - 3 Goals, 5 Assists, 2 Saves and 12 Shots. Glenn Conway - 4 Goals, 3 Assists, 5 Saves, and 14 Shots.

Calhoun Middle High School was placed on a quick lockdown following the reports of a man shooting a gun a short distance from the school location. On Monday, September 30th, 2024, at approximately 9:40 a.m. Calhoun County Dispatch received a phone call from the address of 7418 South Calhoun Hwy. stating that a man (later identified as Bernard Gay Whipkey) was outside firing a firearm randomly who was intoxicated. Sr. Trooper J.D. Richards was notified along with Calhoun County Deputies C. Stephens and Deputy H. Stephens.

01 October 2024- State Treasurer Riley Moore today announced checks totaling nearly $2.9 million have been sent to more than 2,300 recipients as part of the third year of the “West Virginia Cash Now” unclaimed property program, which automatically reunites certain individuals with their lost or unclaimed funds.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — It’s officially the beginning of Fall Fire Season in West Virginia, and the West Virginia Division of Forestry is laying out its yearly guidelines to keep citizens safe during potentially dry months. The Fall Fire Season will last from the beginning of October until December...

CHARLESTON, WV – The West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) has accepted bids for a major section of the King Coal Highway, from Littlesburg to the Mercer County Airport in Mercer County. “The Governor had three big priorities when he took office, King Coal, the Coalfields Expressway, and Corridor H, and we’ve made significant progress on all three,” said Transportation Secretary Jimmy Wriston, P.E. “We’ve also made significant progress in getting through all the bureaucratic hurdles and there’s still more to be done as far as streamlining those processes.” Seven construction firms provided bids for the project at a special bid letting conducted by the WVDOH on Tuesday, September 24, 2024. Construction of the 2.5-mile stretch of four-lane from Littlesburg to the airport is another step in the completion of the King Coal Highway, a four-lane highway that will eventually stretch approximately 95 miles and run through McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Wyoming and Wayne counties from US 119 near Williamson to Interstate 77 in Bluefield. The highway is designed to open West Virginia’s southern coalfields to economic development. “We’re moving forward on one more section of a road that has languished for decades and decades,” Wriston said. “It’s finally happening, thanks to the Governor’s big, bold vision.” Development of the King Coal Highway has been underway since the 1990s, but bogged down for lack of funding before Gov. Jim Justice revitalized the project in 2018. A two-mile section of the King Coal Highway connecting Airport Road to Interstate 77, and a four-mile section connecting US 119 to Belo north of Williamson are currently open to traffic. About 10 miles between Red Jacket and Mountain View is also open. An approximately three-mile stretch from Airport Road to John Nash Boulevard near Bluefield opened in December 2023. Construction of the section of the King Coal Highway from Littlesburg to the airport is expected to begin in the spring of 2025. “We’re ready to build this road,” Wriston said. “The people in southern West Virginia deserve this road, which will open up the area for business and make travel safer.” Development of the King Coal Highway continues. In July 2023, Triton Construction Inc. was awarded a contract for nearly $92 million to extend the existing four-lane highway for about 1.5 miles from Mountain View and create a connector to the town of Gilbert along Gilbert Creek. An approximately $107 million project to extend the King Coal Highway from Montcalm to Littlesburg is currently in the planning stage. Several factors are considered before awarding a bid, including whether a bid falls above or below the WVDOH Engineer’s Estimate and by what percentage. In cases where a bid is above the Engineer’s Estimate, WVDOH must consider the project need, repercussions of not awarding the project, additional funding sources, and whether sufficient reasons exist for the differences in estimates. Most projects are reviewed, analyzed, and awarded within a week of the bid letting, but the process can take longer. When the Division of Highways has a project that is determined to be best constructed by a contractor, it is processed through the bid letting system. A letting is a scheduled opportunity for contractors to review and bid on several construction projects at one time. Lettings are held either once or twice per month and conducted through the Bid Express System online at www.bidx.com and handled through the Contract Administration Division. Contractors need to subscribe to Bid Express before bids can be accepted on any project.

A volunteer program has caught the attention of West Virginia tourism officials. The Dolly Sods Wilderness Stewards program has been recognized with a "Spirit of West Virginia Award." The program started as a collaboration in 2021 with West Virginia Highlands Conservancy and the Monongahela National Forest. Dave Johnston, program coordinator,...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The steady rainfall, which started more than a week ago, has changed forest conditions in West Virginia and reduced the chance for a forest fire dramatically. However, West Virginia Division of Forestry Director Jeremy Jones worries during the fall months, it won’t take much to put us right back into the danger zone again.

BUCKHANNON, W.Va.– Last week, West Virginia Wesleyan College president Dr. James Moore announced that they would start exploring the option of offering classes and programs in allied health fields at the former Alderson Broaddus University campus, and on Monday the president said on “Talkline” with Hoppy Kercheval that they will have to start small and then grow into bigger offerings.

GLEN JEAN, W.Va. — More efforts are being made to advance emergency medical care for the Mountain State’s youngest residents. The West Virginia Department of Health has been host to the West Virginia EMS for Children Pediatric Symposium for three days, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday that brought in emergency medical service professionals from both in-state and across the country to discuss the ways they can ensure pediatric patients receive the highest standard of care in emergency situations.

The West Virginia Public Service Commission on Sept. 18 issued an order dismissing a rate case from companies owned by American Electric Power that, if approved, would have increased electric rates for 461,000 electric customers in the state. The rate increases were proposed by Appalachian Power Company and Wheeling Power...

The cost of a graduate degree tripled between 2000 and 2020, according to a new report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Yet people in West Virginia and around the country with Master’s degrees, law or medical degrees, or Ph.Ds still earn higher incomes than those with other education credentials.