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West Virginia Watch
Israel and Hamas agree to temporary cease-fire, hostage release deal
WASHINGTON — Israel and Hamas have reached a deal for a short-term humanitarian ceasefire that will allow the release of some hostages and increase humanitarian aid into the besieged Gaza Strip, U.S. officials said late Tuesday. President Joe Biden praised the agreement to release 50 of the approximately 240 hostages taken by Hamas during the […] The post Israel and Hamas agree to temporary cease-fire, hostage release deal appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
We can do better to protect students in special ed. Start with using the data.
Slapped. Pushed. Jerked by their hair. Pinched with clothespins. The cases of abuse in West Virginia’s special education classrooms are jaw-dropping — stunningly violent and cruel. It’s no wonder why a growing number of parents are afraid to send their children with disabilities to school. It makes...
The ‘doctor of nursing practice’ will see you now
When Vernon Langford sees patients, he typically wears a white lab coat with his title — “Dr.” — and his credentials as a nurse practitioner stitched on the front. “My credentials are on any jackets I have, the shirts I wear. If I have a name tag, it’s on that,” said Langford, who works as […] The post The ‘doctor of nursing practice’ will see you now appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
‘Several hundred’ more residents of Charleston’s West Side were affected by a gas outage
Mountaineer Gas has restored service to an estimated 1,000 customers on Charleston’s West Side, but in the process workers found “several hundred” more affected households than its original 1,100 estimate, the gas company said in an update Tuesday afternoon. Moses Skaff, senior vice president for Mountaineer Gas, said the company does not have a definitive […] The post ‘Several hundred’ more residents of Charleston’s West Side were affected by a gas outage appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Three presidential debates, one VP debate scheduled ahead of 2024 election
WASHINGTON — The Democratic and Republican nominees for president would debate three times next year if both candidates agree to a schedule released Monday by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. “The United States’ general election debates, watched live worldwide, are a model for many other countries: the opportunity to hear and see leading candidates […] The post Three presidential debates, one VP debate scheduled ahead of 2024 election appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Retailers pare back their seasonal hiring to prepare for ho-hum holidays
Black Friday shoppers may notice longer lines and fewer retail associates in some of their favorite stores than in past holiday seasons as retailers scale back seasonal hiring over concerns about consumer spending. JCPenney is hiring 12,000 fewer workers than last year. Macy’s 3,000 fewer. Meanwhile a Walmart executive said the retail giant has been […] The post Retailers pare back their seasonal hiring to prepare for ho-hum holidays appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Report outlines ‘pressing crisis’ for dental care access in West Virginia
Nearly a quarter dental practices in West Virginia are not accepting new patients, and people in the state wait on average 70 days for their first dental care appointment, according to a report released earlier this month. “Beyond the Waiting Room: the State of Dental Care Access in West Virginia,” outlines what contributors call a […] The post Report outlines ‘pressing crisis’ for dental care access in West Virginia appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
West Virginia cities need to show more empathy for people without homes
There’s been multiple municipal attacks on homeless populations in West Virginia over the last few months. Wheeling City Council voted to ban camping on public property without permission earlier this month. The ordinance will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024. Monongalia County Commission passed an ordinance last month...
Rosalynn Carter acclaimed by admirers for her pioneering advocacy for mental health, caregiving
Former first lady Rosalynn Carter has died, according to the Carter Center, leaving a rich legacy of championing mental health and women’s rights. She will be buried at the ranch house in Plains she and former President Jimmy Carter built in 1961. She died Sunday just days after the family announced she had entered hospice […] The post Rosalynn Carter acclaimed by admirers for her pioneering advocacy for mental health, caregiving appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
WV to apply for federal infrastructure resilience grants as climate change increases risk
As climate change is expected to increase flood risk and other hazards for residents across West Virginia, the state is preparing to apply for federal pots of money to help mitigate wreckage and, hopefully, reduce the potential loss of life. The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant fund was...
Courts, state officials hesitate to keep Trump off 2024 ballots
Some scholars say a little-known, Civil War-era provision in the U.S. Constitution should prohibit former President Donald Trump from appearing on state ballots in next year’s presidential election. But it seems increasingly unlikely that he will be disqualified. Courts in Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey and elsewhere are considering whether Trump engaged in insurrection on Jan. […] The post Courts, state officials hesitate to keep Trump off 2024 ballots appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Judge sides with parks, libraries against Cabell BOE; district must continue funding the agencies
Cabell County Circuit Judge Gregory Howard issued a ruling Friday in favor of the Cabell County Public Library and the Greater Huntington Parks and Recreation District in their lawsuit against the Cabell County Board of Education. In light of the ruling, the school district must continue to fund both the libraries and the parks under […] The post Judge sides with parks, libraries against Cabell BOE; district must continue funding the agencies appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Biden signs stopgap spending bill, avoiding government shutdown
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has signed the stopgap spending bill, giving his administration and Congress about two months to work out agreement on the dozen annual spending bills. Those appropriations measures were supposed to become law by the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1, but disagreement about whether to adhere to the […] The post Biden signs stopgap spending bill, avoiding government shutdown appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
DHHR leaders say they’ll change staff vetting after multiple contract employees arrested
Leaders with the state health department said they’ll “conduct an internal review” and change their staff vetting process at William R. Sharpe, Jr., Hospital, which serves patients with disabilities, some of whom are nonverbal. The announcement in a press release came hours after West Virginia Watch published a story revealing that multiple Sharpe staff members […] The post DHHR leaders say they’ll change staff vetting after multiple contract employees arrested appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Democrats urge feds to update banking ‘red flags’ on legal marijuana businesses
The federal government unfairly penalizes state-legal marijuana businesses whose owners have been convicted of marijuana-related crimes, restricting them from loans and other banking tools, a group of U.S. Senate and House Democrats wrote to the Treasury Department asking for a change in policy. The group of 20 lawmakers, who mostly represent states where recreational marijuana […] The post Democrats urge feds to update banking ‘red flags’ on legal marijuana businesses appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Congress sends stopgap spending bill to Biden’s desk, averting shutdown for now
WASHINGTON — U.S. senators voted 87-11 to approve legislation Wednesday that would fund the government into next year, clearing the measure for President Joe Biden’s signature. The stopgap spending bill, sometimes called a continuing resolution or CR, would fund part of the government until mid-January and the rest of the programs within the annual appropriations […] The post Congress sends stopgap spending bill to Biden’s desk, averting shutdown for now appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Attempt to kill Biden student debt relief plan tied to income fails in U.S. Senate
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans on Wednesday night failed to garner enough votes to block a new Biden administration rule on an income-driven repayment plan for federal student loans. The resolution did not pass, 49-50. Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia was the sole Democrat who joined Republicans in backing the resolution. Sen. Tim […] The post Attempt to kill Biden student debt relief plan tied to income fails in U.S. Senate appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Cold, frustrated Charleston West Side residents still dealing with gas outage after five days
On Friday night, West Side resident Carolyn Wesley went to see a show at the Clay Center in downtown Charleston. Before she left, she noticed it was a little chilly in the house. “I told my husband to check the furnace,” she said. “But he thought it was fine.” When she got back home hours […] The post Cold, frustrated Charleston West Side residents still dealing with gas outage after five days appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
A year after devastating winter storm, power plant problems ‘still likely’ in extreme weather
Nearly a year ago, a Christmas weekend storm blasted across the country, forcing utilities to cut electricity to hundreds of thousands of people in parts of the southeastern U.S. after temperatures plunged, demand spiked, large numbers of power plants failed and natural gas supply was strained. As the anniversary approaches of Winter Storm Elliott, a […] The post A year after devastating winter storm, power plant problems ‘still likely’ in extreme weather appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Religion doesn’t belong in public schools
It’s a lesson that school officials can learn the easy way or the hard way: Schoolhouses are not churches. The actions of two West Virginia school systems in recent months illustrate this quite clearly. Both school systems erred by forcing religious views onto a captive audience of students, but one chose costly litigation while the other sought to learn more about how to respect students’ constitutional rights.
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West Virginia Watch is an independent, nonpartisan news service based in Charleston. Our journalists will hold public officials and agencies accountable, and inform West Virginians of what’s going on behind closed doors. We focus on issues that affect our state every day – such as poverty, access to health care, the foster care system – with an aim of filling the gaps in coverage caused by shrinking newsrooms. The Watch is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit network supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers. We retain full editorial independence. West Virginia Watch is free to read without paywalls or subscription fees.
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