Morning Update: Teen athlete's death, 'Mountaineer Main Street', ongoing drought

WVU athletes and fans gathered in St. Albans on Saturday for the third annual Mountaineer Main Street football season kick off.Photo byCity of St. Albans

TEEN DEATH: A student from Madison Middle School in Boone County has died after sustaining injuries during football practice on Friday, Aug. 23. Schools throughout the Kanawha Valley are sharing their condolences with family and friends of 13-year-old Cohen Craddock. Students and staff at Nitro High School were asked to wear red and black -- Madison Middle School's team colors -- on Monday in Craddock's memory. South Charleston High School will do the same on Wednesday, Aug. 28. "Our hearts go out to Boone County’s Madison Middle School Redhawks as they face the loss of a young football player and friend, Cohen Craddock," SCHS officials wrote on social media. "The entire SCHS community stands with the Madison Middle community during this difficult time."

MOUNTAINEER MAIN STREET: Olde Main Plaza in St. Albans was a virtual sea of gold and blue on Saturday as WVU Mountaineer fans gathered for the third annual Mountaineer Main Street celebration. The event marks the kick-off to the Mountaineer Football season, which begins this weekend. Former Mountaineer football players Quincy Wilson, Brian Jozwiak, John Pennington and Avon Cobourne signed autographs. Also on Saturday, the WVU Dance and Cheer Teams and the Pride of West Virginia marching band provided entertainment. The event also included a silent auction, raffles and food vendors.

DROUGHT CONTINUES: The Kanawha Valley continues to experience severe and extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, with little relief expected this week. The latest map posted Thursday indicates areas of northern and western Kanawha County are currently seeing extreme drought conditions, while the rest of the county is experiencing severe drought. On Friday, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice extended a previously announced statewide State of Emergency by 30 days due to the ongoing drought. The National Weather Service in Charleston expects daytime temperatures to reach the upper-90s Fahrenheit for the rest of the week. Agencies in areas affected by severe or extreme drought conditions can apply for state grants for irrigation and livestock water supplies.