WV MetroNews
The Voice of West Virginia
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Construction will soon begin on Marshall University’s Institute for Cyber Security facility in Huntington.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Friday afternoon at the corner of Hal Greer Boulevard and Fourth Avenue.
Officials from Marshall University, West Virginia University, the West Virginia National Guard, the Joint Force Headquarters – Department of Defense Information Network, a component of the United States Cyber Command, and other state and federal leaders were on hand to discuss the importance of the new building.
The project symbolizes the initial strides in establishing the National Center of Excellence for Cyber Security in Critical Infrastructure, hailed as the second center of its type in the country on a college campus. The other institution is the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Marshall President Brad Smith said it took a collaborative effort with multiple partners to get to this point.
“Protecting our networks, our data and our critical infrastructure in this environment is not just a necessity. It’s an imperative. It’s bigger than any one agency or institution could take on alone. That’s why it is so important to have strategic partnerships between industry, academia, the military and government,” Smith said during Friday’s ceremony.
Marshall is working with WVU and the military to establish the center. WVU President Gordon Gee said there’s no competition between the two universities in strengthening what West Virginia can offer to students studying cyber security.
“We’re going to be the front door to making certain that we as a nation are secure. We’re going to be the front door to making certain that our students who come here have a calling beyond just simply getting an education,” Gee said.
The university received a $45 million grant from the state last year strictly for the construction of the facility. The bill was approved by lawmakers during a special session in Aug. 2023.
State Senate President Craig Blair (R-Berkeley) and House Speaker Roger Hanshaw (R-Clay) said the funding was critical to put West Virginia on the map.
“When we put $45 million into this, we know it’s going to be successful and it’s not just going to lift up Marshall University, it’s going to lift up this community,” Blair said.
“We did so that day because we recognize that cyber security and information technology will be where we as a state make our mark in the 21st century economy,” Hanshaw said.
Thrilled to be at @marshallu today to break ground on their Institute for Cyber Security, as well as their National Center of Excellence for Cyber Security in Critical Infrastructure that will be housed within the institute. pic.twitter.com/ZOAzY5qfYG
— Shelley Moore Capito (@SenCapito) May 17, 2024
The center will be four stories and 90,000 square feet. The ground floor will include retail space for restaurants and other businesses. Floors two and three will be designated for academic use including the cybersecurity labs. The fourth floor will be leased to industry partners.
Brig. Gen. Michael Cadle with the West Virginia National Guard said it’s important to involve the military.
“We think that we can add value and we can contribute to the research and the workforce development opportunities that the national center will bring,” Cadle said.
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) was also on hand Friday and said it’s exciting to attract more students to Marshall from all over the country.
“It’s not just going to help West Virginians. Thís is going to be a regional and national magnet pull back to the state of West Virginia to do what we do best which is educate, inform and provide the next solid workforce but also the great Patriots for this country,” Capito said.
Construction is expected to be complete in the fall of 2026.
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MOOREFIELD, W.Va. — West Virginia is the birthplace of the famous Potomac River. While many know well the lower portions of the water way flowing through Maryland and into the nation’s Capital, the upper reaches in West Virginia’s highlands hold some of the watershed’s most spectacular scenery and at least in recent years some of the most amazing fishing.
Kellan Snyder of Moorefield, W.Va. left West Virginia and worked for seven years in Yellowstone National Park. Despite the natural beauty of the western United States, the mountains of West Virginia called him home with a plan to share his boyhood stomping grounds with the world.
“We started up in our first season 2021. When we first started, the goal was just to get people out and show people this area. I grew up here floating theses streams and fishing these rivers. I moved back here from Montana and wanted to bring things back I learned and was doing out there. Our ultimate goal is to get people out,” he said.
He started up Breezewood Adventures based in Moorefield. The business rents kayaks and canoes and provides a shuttle service to those wanting to float the river for fun. A year ago, Snyder added a float fishing guide service to the company’s list of products.
“A lot of what we do is canoe and kayak rentals. Sometimes they’ll float a stream for three days in a row anywhere from Big Bend up in Smoke Hole down through the Trough in Hampshire County, so we operate in three different counties,” he said.
The Trough may be the best known stretch of water on the river. It used to be the most popular for fishing, but the scars of the 1985 flood are still clearly visible. In the upper reaches the frame of an old car rested up against the bank with tree through through the windshield. The aptly named Trough narrows with steep banks and takes all of the water from the North Fork and South Forks and channels it down. During the 1985 flood, record amounts of flow pushed the banks straight up the steep canyon walls. It took out tall trees which had created a canopy over the water for years and provided shade and refuge for fish all along the banks.
“You can still see it for sure, but I do think some of those canopy trees are starting to grow back. But that water got so tight, you can look up the bank and see remnants 50 feet up the bank,” he explained.
Although the Trough may be the best known section of the South Branch, Snyder believed the upper stretch in the Smoke Hole Section may be the more spectacular spot. That’s because you can only float there in the early spring when the flows are right. During the summer and into the fall months there may not be enough water to make it possible.
“I think the Smoke Hole section rivals it, but it’s a more difficult float. You have to commit yourself to an entire full day or two or three days to float it. It’s also one of the few sections in West Virginia where you can catch trout and smallmouth bass. Because the Trough isn’t as far removed it’s a lot easier to access. It fishes well in the spring, but I think the scenery is the greatest attraction, especially in the summertime. You feel like you’re literally floating in a trough,” said Snyder.
As for the fishing, on this day we started with rain shower activity at the Old Field’s bridge. Rain didn’t spoil the day and didn’t stay around, but the overcast skies cast a gray gloom over the area and prompted fish actively feeding.
“It’s still got that greenish hue, but I’d like for it to be a little darker. The levels though I’m happy with. This time of year when it’s up like this, they get a little more aggressive pre-spawn, but they are a little more displaced so they’re harder to find,” said Snyder.
The last couple of years have been a bonanza for anglers on the South Branch. Even on our day multiple fish over 14 to 15 inches were caught along with a slew of smaller ones. DNR District Fisheries Biologist Brandon Keplinger credited that to three straight years of a lost spawn which significantly reduced the competition for food in the river.
“From 2016 to 2018, all three years, we had high flow events in May and June and generated three straight years of poor recruitment and young fish survival. During that time, when the number of smallmouth bass were lower, we saw fish grow much faster, weigh much more, and we saw the number of fish 11-inches and greater stay the same, but we saw fish 14-inches and greater become more numerous. I think this period has been born out of those slim times we saw from 2017 to 2019,” he explained.
Whatever has caused it, Snyder is excited. It’s giving him the opportunity to showcase some of the amazing scenery of West Virginia and to put some big fish in the boat at the same time.
“A lot of times we get people from out of town, not even from West Virginia. We obviously have a website, e-mail, social media. Just get hold of us and give us an idea of what you’re looking to do and just show up. We encourage people to book ahead of time just because we’ve gotten busy in the summer months. If you want the guided float trip, we ask that you get in touch with us at least two weeks ahead of time,” he said.
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CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. — A 90-day extension has been granted in the criminal trial regarding former Jefferson County Commissioners Jennifer Krouse and Tricia Jackson.
Krouse and Jackson face 42 charges based on their refusal to attend meetings and conduct the business of the county last fall.
The charges were filed by the State Police and under the oversight of a special prosecutor, John Ours of Grant County, in late February.
Both commissioners were removed from office by a three-judge panel earlier this month.
A new plea hearing date will be set by Berkeley County Magistrate Michelle Barnes Russell who has expressed her desire to try the defendants separately.
Defense attorneys Brad Wright and Mark Sutton have asked to modify a condition of a bond which currently does not allow either defendant to have communication with each other or anyone else involved in the case.
Both issues will be addressed before the new plea hearing date in late August or early September.
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Secretary of State candidate and former House of Delegates member Doug Skaff says he’ll be hospitalized at least through the weekend after being bitten by two copperhead snakes while removing campaign signs.
Skaff, who provided an update from his hospital bed at CAMC Friday, said he’s still in a lot of pain. He was bitten four times Wednesday — three times on the calf of his left leg and once on the small toe of his right foot.
“It feels like you have a cramp that won’t go away, and someone is stabbing you with a fork. It’s still got throbbing pain throughout my left leg. I can’t put any pressure on my feet. They’re swollen as heck,” he said on Friday’s MetroNews “Talkline.”
Skaff was picking up his signs with his 7-year-old son along U.S. Route 119 near Danville in Boone County. He said one of the snakes wouldn’t let go of his leg.
“It was definitely a copperhead. The first snake looked like a normal size snake and then there was a baby one that kind of latched on to me. I had to shake it loose,” Skaff said.
Doug Skaff trying to keep a positive attitude after being bitten three times by copperheads while removing campaign signs. pic.twitter.com/IdiQDwk7vl
— Hoppy Kercheval (@HoppyKercheval) May 16, 2024
Skaff said he still has a lot of swelling and that doctors are monitoring his progress. He said it’s unknown if there will be permanent muscle damage.
“It’s almost like a balloon ready to pop. It’s stretching the skin so bad,” he said.
Skaff, a former minority leader in the House, was defeated in Tuesday’s election in his run for Secretary of State.
Skaff said he’s thankful for the support and advised candidates and others who are out removing campaign signs to be careful of poisonous snakes.
“Obviously if you see a snake, don’t get close. You never know if it’s poisonous or not. It could’ve been a lot worse and could’ve taken my life if it was really bad,” he said.
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Today on MetroNews This Morning:
–Leadership of the WV First Foundation begins the groundwork for distribution of opioid settlement funds
–Republican leaders start to bind up the wounds of a rough and tumble primary election
–World class bicycle racing through the streets of Charleston
–In Sports: the West Virginia SSAC modifies a couple of key features of high school basketball and football
Listen to “MetroNews This Morning 5-17-24” on Spreaker.
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Huntington Mayor Steve Williams and Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott may feel a breeze lifting them up following Tuesday’s Primary Election. Both Democrats won their races: Williams was unopposed in the race for his party’s gubernatorial nomination and Elliott received 45 percent of the vote in a three-person race to win the U.S. Senate nomination.
But as the reality of the upcoming General Election settles in, both Williams and Elliott will find that the breeze they are feeling is more of a headwind. Each faces long odds in November—Williams vs. Republican nominee Attorney General Patrick Morrisey for Governor and Elliott against Republican Governor Jim Justice for U.S. Senate.
Elliott is a bigger long-shot because Justice is a dominant political figure. Republican Representative Alex Mooney could manage only 27 percent of the vote against 61 percent for Justice. Williams also begins as an underdog because Morrisey just won a statewide race, and Republicans have a growing registration advantage—40 percent to 30 percent, with the remaining 30 percent independents/no party or third party.
Both Elliott and Williams need some version of the 1996 General Election in West Virginia to have a chance, meaning they need help from the other party. That year, the Democratic nominee was Charlotte Pritt who squared off against the Republican nominee and former Governor Cecil Underwood.
Back then, Democrats had a significant registration advantage, and Pritt had momentum coming off a victory over Joe Manchin in the Primary Election. If voters had stuck with their party’s nominee, Pritt would have won easily. Additionally, Democrat Bill Clinton was running for re-election and he was assured of carrying West Virginia again, providing strength at the top of the ticket.
Early in the campaign, Pritt led Underwood by 22 points.
However, many of the state’s more conservative and pro-business Democrats were terrified that Pritt, who was very liberal and pro-labor, would win. They formed a Democrats for Underwood group to support the Republican. Leading Democratic politicians, including Senator Robert Byrd and former Governor Gaston Caperton provided only generic endorsements of “the Democratic nominee.”
On Election Day, thousands of Democrats voted for Clinton and then crossed over to vote for Underwood, who won the election with 52 percent of the vote, compared with 46 percent for Pritt.
In 2024, Williams and Elliott also need party defections to have a chance, only this time it would be Republicans crossing over to vote for Democratic candidates. That is a tall order, especially since Donald Trump will be at the top of the ticket and he is more popular here than Clinton was.
It is unlikely that as many Republicans will flip in 2024 as Democrats did in 1996. The circumstances are not exactly analogous, but the strategy holds true; when you are in the minority and an underdog, you need help wherever you can find it.
In the case of Williams and Elliott, that help must come from Republicans.
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia GOP gubernatorial nominee, state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is calling for unity behind his fall election campaign for governor.
Morrisey made the call in a Thursday night post on X.
“With the primary behind us, I am asking Republicans, Independents, and Democrats to join our efforts to oppose Biden’s monstrous overreach and help our state reach her potential,” Morrisey wrote. “Whether you were with Moore Capito, Mac Warner, or Chris Miller in the primary, we need to unite and defeat the folks who want to get rid of our jobs and our energy resources. My opponents were tough and fought hard in the arena— they were an impressive group of folks.
Morrisey also mentioned the battle against fentanyl and “crazy woke policies.”
With the primary behind us, I am asking Republicans, Independents, and Democrats to join our efforts to oppose Biden’s monstrous overreach and help our state reach her potential.
Whether you were with Moore Capito, Mac Warner, or Chris Miller in the primary, we need to unite…
— Patrick Morrisey (@MorriseyWV) May 17, 2024
The post came a few hours after U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, whose son Moore Capito lost to Morrisey, was asked about the election.
“It’s not easy to lose, and our son is learning that himself, and as his mother, I’m learning that myself,” Capito said during her Thursday media briefing. ” But he should be very proud of his efforts, as we are.”
Moore Capito finished second to Morrisey.
Senator Capito gave a general response in her support for Morrisey in the fall election against Democrat Party nominee, Huntington Mayor Steve Williams.
“I am the leader of the Republican Party and will be supporting the Republican ticket, so let’s just see what happens in November,” Capito said.
Meanwhile, Capito was very clear on who she thought the next U.S. Senator from West Virginia would be.
“I welcome Governor Justice as the Republican nominee for Senate and the eventual winner,” Capito said. “There is no doubt in mind that Governor Justice is exceedingly popular.”
Justice will face Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott in the U.S. Senate race.
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The new director of the West Virginia First Foundation laid out a broad vision to move forward with the possibilities and responsibilities of the foundation that was established to distribute millions of dollars in opioid litigation money.
“We are in the process of standing up a multi-hundred-million dollar organization from the ether,” Jonathan Board said Thursday afternoon at the first meeting of the foundation since he officially started in the director’s position.
“A lot of incredible work has gone into it thus far; a lot of incredible work is yet to be done.”
Board, a Marion County resident who has been vice president of external affairs at Mon Health, was named to the director’s role on March 14. In response to a question by reporter Caity Coyne at the conclusion of today’s foundation meeting, officials disclosed that Board will be making $230,000 annually.
Matt Harvey, president of the foundation board, said the original advertisement for the director’s position included a range of $230,000 to $300,000. He said the process included comparisons for other executive directors in same sector showed salaries that “were rather high.” In the end, Harvey said, negotiations led to the $230,000 pay rate.
Now, Board said the foundation needs to lay the groundwork for success. In response to questions from board members, he said the foundation will have a $30 million outlay this year for projects meant to aid the state’s recovery from the opioid epidemic.
The state will have about $1 billion following a number of lawsuits against distributors, wholesalers and pharmacies. The money is still coming in. Through the end of last month, according to the foundation, there was $222,344,005 in bank accounts.
The “West Virginia First Memorandum of Understanding” lays out the terms for the state and the many counties and cities that may receive a portion of settlement dollars to push back against ongoing drug addiction issues.
A major portion of the millions of dollars, 72.5 percent, goes to the private, nonstock, nonprofit Opioid Foundation, which will now distribute the funding for work toward abating the opioid epidemic in communities around the state.
Board described a vision for building out a staff to oversee that work, establishing a physical headquarters and gathering for a June 4 in-person workshop for members of the foundation.
A possible organizational chart could include positions like a chief financial officer, a chief marketing officer, a chief administrative officer, project manager and more. He said the organization needs to be capable of carrying out its mission.
“We exist because, sadly, folks suffered and many died. So rather than take this as a blase attitude, we want to bring in the best and the brightest. We absolutely must,” Board said.
“It is incumbent upon us, if we are going to generationally change the state and the way we’re handling this problem that we bring in the very best. It doesn’t mean that we need to be overly heavy on our hiring side, but certainly we need those folks that are top tier operators.”
Asked by MetroNews if there’s an estimate for personnel costs, Harvey said there is not yet.
“The organizational chart is not one that we formally adopted. It’s more of a guide of how foundations are set up and some of the areas of expertise that are needed to run it. I don’t know if all those positions will eventually exist, but they are certainly areas that we need. We may find an employee that can cover two of those positions. So the budget going forward on personnel hasn’t been developed yet.”
Board said the search is underway for a foundation headquarters.
“In this state, like most states, we’ve done a really good job of seating government in one spot. But we are decidedly not government; we’re private. And we’ve sent a strong message to a lot of West Virginians: ‘Come to us.’ I would like to send a message that we’re going to go to you. So that’s sort of leading my thought in how we approach this,” Board said.
Board members agreed to gather June 4 for a workshop.
“It is going to be very important that we do this. There are going to be several elements to the startup and the standup that are going to require that we have a good handle on some of these issues,” Board said.
The foundation also introduced a new board member, Jon Dower, who is replacing Board after his resignation from being a board member to serve as the director.
Dower is the executive director for West Virginia Sober Living and the director of recovery services for Ascension Recovery Services. He also serves on the Governor’s Task Force on Substance Misuse and Prevention as the chair of the Recovery Subcommittee.
“I’m a person in long-term recovery from opioid use disorder, so this kind of board is special to my heart with a little over a dozen years of recovery,” Dower told board members today.
“What’s important to me is that I give back. My life has been one of service, and I feel that being on this board is another service,” he said.
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Kanawha County Board of Education has agreed to enter into a contract with a construction company to begin making upgrades to Laidley Field in Charleston in preparation for the state football championship games next Fall.
Renovations will be made to the University of Charleston Stadium press box and concession areas starting in mid-June. The lowest responsible bidder, Swope Construction, will conduct the work for a total of $2.875 million.
Andrew Crawford, Facilities Planning Executive Director for Kanawha County, said there’s already been progress made on the locker rooms.
“The north side is getting very close to complete,” he said. “We’ve been epoxying floors, repairing roofs and hanging new doors and frames.”
Old lockers have been thrown out. Crawford said the new lockers should be arriving sometime in July. The south side will get attention after work on the north side section is complete.
The WVSSAC Football Championships will return to Charleston and be there for at least the next three years. The City of Wheeling had hosted the state championship games since 1994.
The WVSSAC Board of Directors granted final approval to the City of Charleston back in February. The city had the winning bid among other proposals that included Wheeling Island Stadium, Bluefield’s Mitchell Stadium, and a combined bid from Huntington’s Joan C. Edwards Stadium and Morgantown’s Milan Puskar Stadium.
Paving is expected to begin sometime between June 16 and August 1 at Laidley Field. Crawford said June 16 is also the earliest start date for crews. Minor work may still be done by crews on site into August, but an estimated date for when the facility will be made functional is for around August 9.
The main parking lot will also be repaired. Areas underneath the bleachers will be resealed according to Crawford.
UC Stadium is the home to the Capital High School football teams. Crawford said work at Laidley shouldn’t affect Capital football practices and the facility should be ready for sure by the first game in August.
Laidley Field also hosts the WVSSAC Track and Field Championships.
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — USA Cycling’s criterium racing on Thursday on the streets of Downtown Charleston was a huge hit and is returning Friday.
Competitors from both Men’s and Women’s Junior and the U-23 Men competed in Thursday’s “crit racing” as part of this week’s schedule of events with the USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships. Women U-23, Elite and Men Elite will hit the roads Friday afternoon for crit racing.
Junior Women kicked things off with a 45 minute looped race that included passes on Court Street, Summers Street and to the start-finish line on Kanawha Boulevard. Landrie McLain was the first to the line in that race against 25 other competitors.
Junior Men followed with a 60 minute run of the downtown course. Alejandro Che came out victorious in a race with over 70 cyclists.
In the nightcap, Men U-23 ran an hour and 15 minutes under the lights with Gavin Hlady finishing ahead of everyone which was also about 70 athletes.
President of the Charleston Convention & Visitor’s Bureau Tim Brady said the atmosphere downtown with the hundreds of fans in attendance to watch the cycling was something special.
“It’s just fun to see the city of Charleston embrace something like this that’s new,” he said.
This is just year one with USA Cycling. The city will have this week of events for the next four years too. Brady said they’re loving what they’re seeing this year so far.
“That’s our goal, to make this bigger and better every year,” said Brady. “You figure out where the kinks are in year one and then make it better for year two and so on.”
Every closed-off street was packed with fans Thursday. Some were there to support certain racers. Others were just Charleston residents excited to be downtown to witness a unique event to the city. Charleston resident Tom Gibbs was one of those.
“I am so happy this is here,” he said while watching from Summers Street.
Tom, a casual biker himself, said he usually watches any and all types of bike races on TV, so to see bike racing in action in his hometown was a joy to him.
Another Charleston local, Rick Hardesin, said he’s no stranger to watching criterium races in person.
“I had seen a criterium years ago and so when I saw that this was coming I thought I better come out,” he said.
Hardesin said he was proud of the city for bringing an event like this to Charleston.
Saturday and Sunday will feature all groups participating in the road race. Men U-23 will be the first to compete on the 148 km course at 7 a.m. Saturday.
The rest of the schedule for the USA Cycling Pro Road Nationals can be found here.
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