West Virginia Watch, Charleston, WV (2025)

01/17/2025

Former Williamson Mayor Charlie Hatfield will serve five years of federal probation on charges of theft or bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds for actions taken during his time as CEO of Williamson Memorial Hospital.

Charlie Hatfiled will serve five years of federal probation on charges of theft or bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds for actions.

01/17/2025

Del. Brandon Steele, R-Raleigh, will no longer serve as chair of the House Judiciary Committee this session, according to a statement released Friday by House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, reports Caity Coyne.

Del. Brandon Steel will no longer serve as chair of the House Judiciary Committee, according to a statemen House Speaker Roger Hanshaw.

01/17/2025

COMMENTARY: As a labor lawyer and community advocate in Southern West Virginia, I was inspired recently by visiting the coalfields in the south of Wales, writes Sam Petsonk.

As a labor lawyer and community advocate in Southern West Virginia, I was inspired recently by visiting the coalfields in the south of Wales.

01/17/2025

Sen. Jim Justice, who promised rocket ship rides and boasted big budget surpluses, has left the new Gov. Patrick Morrisey with a problem: a projected $400 million deficit beginning next year, reports Amelia Ferrell Knisely.

Sen. Jim Justice has left the new Gov. Patrick Morrisey with a problem: a projected $400 million deficit beginning next year.

01/16/2025

West Virginia University and Marshall University are reviewing their diversity policies following Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s order that bans DEI at entities receiving state funding, reports Amelia Ferrell Knisely.

West Virginia University and Marshall University are reviewing their diversity policies following Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s order that bans DEI at entities receiving state funding. Morrisey issued several executive orders on Tuesday, including “ordering the cessation of DEI.” The “diversity, e...

01/16/2025

COMMENTARY: Courting a mega data center to come to the coalfields and changing laws to allow it to do so is favoritism on steroids, at the expense of West Virginians, writes Quenton King.

In early December, news broke that lawmakers were asked to come to the Capitol for a special session to pass a bill.

01/16/2025

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey has yet to announce a state health officer, but whoever ends up in that role seemingly got their first marching orders this week — come up with a policy to allow religious exemptions to the state’s school vaccine laws, reports Lori Kersey.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey has not announced a health officer, but that person got their first orders — come up with a policy to allow religious exemptions to the state’s school vaccine laws.

01/15/2025

The West Virginia Democratic Party has asked the state Supreme Court to determine if House Republicans, who hold a supermajority, followed the state’s laws and constitution in filling a seat vacated by Joseph de Soto, reports Amelia Ferrell Knisely.

The West Virginia Democratic Party has asked the state Supreme Court to determine if House Republicans followed the state’s laws in filling a vacated seat.

01/15/2025

COMMENTARY: The West Coast is experiencing horrific wildfires and evacuating more than 100,000 people from their homes, and the mid-Atlantic is recovering from back-to-back winter storms. These “natural” disasters put our communities at extreme risk and are a result of climate change, writes Morgan King.

The West Coast is experiencing horrific wildfires and the mid-Atlantic is recovering from back-to-back winter storms.

01/15/2025

The death of a homeless man found near a bridge in Charleston, West Virginia, on Saturday evening after the city received 3 to 4 inches of snow overnight is raising concerns about the city’s policies and temperature threshold for operating warming centers, reports Lori Kersey.

The death of a homeless man in Charleston is raising concerns about the city’s policies and temperature threshold for operating warming centers.

01/14/2025

On his second day in office, Gov. Patrick Morrisey issued a stack of executive orders that offer religious exemptions to school vaccinations, eliminate any diversity initiatives in state government and more, reports Amelia Ferrell Knisely.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey issued a stack of executive orders, including one that offer religious exemptions for vaccinations .

01/14/2025

Former West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice officially became a U.S. senator Tuesday afternoon, reports Lori Kersey.

Former West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice officially became a U.S. senator Tuesday afternoon, and took the oath of office on the Senate floor.

01/14/2025

COMMENTARY: Gov. Patrick Morrisey used his inaugural speech to take a swing at transgender students. After going on for quite some time about being “committed to serving every single” West Virginian and how he wants to “restore our freedoms” he showed his true agenda, writes Leann Ray.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey used his inaugural speech on Monday to take a swing at transgender students in West Virginia.

01/13/2025

Republican Patrick Morrisey, a social conservative who handily won his election, was ceremoniously sworn in as West Virginia’s 37th governor Monday on the steps of the state Capitol, reports Amelia Ferrell Knisely.

Patrick Morrisey, a Republican who handily won his election, was ceremoniously sworn in as West Virginia's 37th governor Monday.

01/13/2025

The highest rate of battery on a school employee from a child is occurring in West Virginia's kindergarten classrooms — an alarming statistics that the state schools superintendent said is tied to the state’s multigenerational drug epidemic, reports Amelia Ferrell Knisely.

The highest rate of battery on a school employee from a child is occurring in West Virginia's kindergarten classrooms.

01/11/2025

Health care advocates from West Virginia have joined with thousands of physicians and public health professionals around the country in asking the U.S. Senate to reject President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Robert Kennedy Jr. as head of the federal Department of Health and Human Services, reports Lori Kersey.

Health care advocates urge the U.S. Senate to reject Donald Trump’s nomination of Robert Kennedy Jr. as head of the Department of Health and Human Services.

01/09/2025

Two former nursing staff members of a state-run hospital have been charged in the death of an elderly, non-verbal patient left in scalding hot water during an incident there last year, reports Lori Kersey.

Two former nursing staff members of a state-run hospital have been charged in the death of an elderly patient left in scalding hot water.

01/09/2025

COMMENTARY: The author of ‘Delay, Deny, Defend’ points to three reforms that could help health coverage, writes Jay Feinman.

My book “Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It” was thrust into the spotlight recently.

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