State News

NICHOLAS COUNTY, W.Va. — A man is dead following a standoff in Nicholas County that allegedly involved shots fired at deputies.

The Nicholas County Sheriff’s Department said they received a mental hygiene warrant on Jonathan Pritt Jr..

Deputies said they arrived at Pritt’s house on Byron Road near Summersville Tuesday afternoon. Pritt started firing shots at deputies when they attempted to go inside and then deputies said they returned fire.

The West Virginia State Police Special Response Team found Pritt deceased inside the home.

No deputies were injured in the incident.

West Virginia State Police is investigating.

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The mental health crisis affecting youth in the United States has reached an unprecedented high. According to a 2021 study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 42% of high school students reported experiencing persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness that disrupted their usual activities—a staggering figure that has risen from 28% in 2011 and is expected to continue growing. And over the past decade, there has also been a concerning increase in the percentage of high school students who seriously considered attempting suicide, made plans for suicide, or even attempted it.

As we observe Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s critical that we remember these statistics are more than just numbers—they represent the lives of real children. And this issue is even more pressing when you consider that summer break is approaching, which means many of these students are at risk of losing the vital support provided by schools during this time. That is why summer school programs are key to addressing this challenge.

Schools serve as more than just academic institutions—they play a critical role in the mental health and well-being of students through education, prevention, and early intervention. These institutions provide a safe, supportive environment where students can establish trusting relationships with their peers and the adults working as counselors, teachers, and coaches. Research has shown that students who feel valued by adults and peers in their school environment are less likely to experience emotional distress, contemplate suicide, engage in or become a victim of physical violence, receive STI diagnoses, or partake in drug use in adolescence and adulthood.

As parents, it’s important to recognize that summer days without the structure of school and its associated daily interactions can lead to feelings of isolation, loneliness, and sadness in our children. Which, in recent years, is being placated with rampant social media usage.

According to the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory, 95% of children aged 13 to 17 reported using a social media platform, with more than a third of this number claiming to use social media “almost constantly.” It should come as no surprise that filling their days of summer break with social media can have a negative effect, and when asked, 46% said social media made them feel worse. In fact, a highly sensitive period of brain development occurs in adolescents from ages of 10 to 19, and during this time, mental health challenges such as depression can emerge as well as an increased susceptibility to peer opinions and comparisons. Which makes the need for meaningful connections essential during this time during summer break.

It’s important to note, in 2021, only 18% of families in the United States had a stay-at-home parent not working for pay. While more companies are embracing remote work, it does not necessarily mean working parents can actively engage with their children throughout the workday. So, as parents, how do we incorporate meaningful activities and interactions during summer break to prevent feelings of isolation, loneliness, and sadness? One solution is to maintain involvement in school programs and activities, and fortunately, there are options that can meet your family’s unique needs.

Summer school courses are a popular choice for families who want to maintain structure in their schedule and keep their children engaged in learning throughout the entire year. These courses provide an opportunity for students to explore a topic they are genuinely interested in, gain valuable skills, or work toward an early graduation or a lighter class schedule in their senior year. Additionally, participating in summer school courses is an effective way to prevent summer learning loss, particularly for students who may need extra reinforcement of challenging concepts. Most importantly, the structured nature of these courses and the daily interactions they offer help students stay connected and work toward a positive goal—giving purpose to their summer days.

Still, summer school is not always a feasible option for families who rely on a school bus or carpool for transportation. That is why many families turn to online schools, such as K12, for summer programs that students can participate in from their own homes. In addition to offering summer courses, K12 provides a wide range of enrichment and socialization opportunities within a safe environment. For example, the K12 Zone is an interactive virtual campus, where K12 students can make friends, attend club meetings, and enjoy activities such as trivia nights. Students also have unlimited, free access to an extensive online library through Big Universe and educational gaming platforms, including Minecraft Education and Stride Skills Arcade. K12 also places a strong emphasis on the importance of students’ mental health by providing tips and resources on their mental health awareness hub. This wide range of resources can help students continue learning and engaging with their peers throughout the summer break.

As parents, we may not always be aware when our children are feeling lonely or sad. And while we can do our best to recognize the signs and teach them how to cope with strong or negative emotions, it may not always be enough. By taking a proactive approach and engaging them in summer activities, like summer school, we can help them stay connected and maintain a support system. And by working together, parents and educators can strive to uplift and encourage our children throughout the year.

The post How Parents Can Prevent Isolation and Loneliness During Summer Break appeared first on WV MetroNews.

Staff for the West Virginia Public Service Commission recommend a cooperative approach to assuring the residents of Paden City have clean, safe water in the future — although it will require testing for harmful chemicals, improved technology for removing those chemicals and the potential for expensive upgrades.

Staff for the PSC, in a memorandum released today, proposed collaboration among Paden City, neighboring New Martinsville and possibly nearby Sistersville “to provide the manpower, funding and staff” to complete requirements necessary to comply with federal drinking water standards.

“It is clear that both Paden City and New Martinsville have challenges with water supplies that must be addressed,” PSC staff wrote. “The burden of regulation must be properly addressed by obtaining the needed revenue to ensure safe water into the future for both systems and other nearby systems.”

Parties to the case have 10 days to file responses.

The recommendations by staff came about after the full PSC on March 25 ordered further examination of whether the Paden City Municipal Water Works is a distressed or failing utility.

The PSC concluded that filing an additional report would be reasonable to find potential alternative water sources for the city’s primary or back-up water source.

This is a saga that kicked off last August 16 when the state Bureau of Public Health issued a ‘do not consume’ water order for the Paden City system after three consecutive samples showed negative detectable levels of tetrachloroethylene, also known as PCE.

Residents were allowed to start drinking the water again on Sept. 12 after the state lifted the order.

Last October, staff petitioned the Commission to open an investigation into Paden City to assess whether the utility should be designated as distressed or failing . A month later, the city responded by asserting that the utility is not failing.

During a January public hearing, staff noted that the original contamination had been corrected and that contamination levels had subsided to “far below the EPA allowable minimums.”

Most of the comments in the memorandum released today came from the engineering division at the PSC. Staff had been asked to evaluate any available wells or groundwater sources, whether New Martinsville’s water source is sufficient to help if Paden City needs it, and the timeline for remediation of a Paden City groundwater site that had been designated for federal Superfund.

A significant problem, the engineering staff noted, is that the kind of chemicals that have been bedeviling Paden City are relatively common in other water supplies as well. There are developing technologies to remove those chemicals from drinking water to a safe level, but the full cost and effectiveness is still being evaluated, the staff memo noted.

“While New Martinsville has agreed to supply water to Paden City, testing shows its wells also show levels above EPA allowable limits for PFOAs and other listed regulated compounds,” the staff memo stated.

“While testing does not currently show indications of PCE contamination in New Martinsville, the use of either New Martinsville or Sistersville as an alternate source will have to be re-evaluated based not only on the connection costs but the future clean up costs for PFOAs and other regulated chemicals.”

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — School officials and law enforcement officers are saying that as kid’s lives are increasingly spent online, improving its safety regulations are more important than ever before.

School safety officers, superintendents, principals, teachers and other board members from 15 counties were learning about online threats to children as well as the increased amount in the real-world in Charleston on Tuesday during the regional school safety meetings.

Hosted by the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE), the conference brought in officials from the FBI and the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security to share information about new technology and programs available for each school system to utilize in helping to protect kids from these virtual and real-world threats.

One presentation being conducted by an FBI representative was highlighting some of the bureau’s community outreach programs available in West Virginia.

These programs included a Teen Academy, Safe Schools Initiative, Active Shooter Training, Opioid Abuse Awareness, and Social Media Awareness. The latter of the programs regarding social media posed a major issue to be discussed Tuesday– how to monitor and protect kids of its usage.

Jackson County School Superintendent, Will Hosaflook told MetroNews that social media has had a huge impact on children’s lives, and it’s important for adults to stay involved.

“I stress this all of the time, especially in Jackson County and to our principals in the county is that parents just have to be so diligent these days with the social media aspect, I mean the digital footprint is so, so important,” Hosaflook said.

Hosaflook said indulging in the online world can be a risk for anyone with the multitude of hackers and predators that are out there pretending to be someone they’re not, however, he said kids can be particularly vulnerable.

He said there are simple steps parents, teachers, and guardians can take, however, to better protect kids’ online exposure, such as making sure their privacy settings are on , or monitoring exactly who they are talking to.

Hosaflook said Tuesdays’ presentations were eye-opening for school administrators as it talked about just how vulnerable kids can be online.

“What we learned today, especially with the FBI, there are predators out there, there are certain groups being formed that actually prey on our children, get them to send them a picture or something that could possibly be inappropriate and hold that over their head, which causes children to have anxiety and do things that they normally would not do,” he said.

Hosaflook said that Jackson County Schools are already starting to incorporate one new school safety program mentioned during Tuesdays’ meeting.

He said they have partnered with the Cooke Foundation, a national nonprofit organization that addresses various issues in schools and works to meet their needs. On May 20, they plan to join the organization for a social media awareness night where they will present on two parents laying out what to look for regarding their children’s’ social media activity and how to be diligent in making sure they are staying safe online.

Mingo County Schools Superintendent Dr. Johnny Branch said the impact social media has on students in Mingo County is no different.

“We see students who are either victims of social media misuse or abuse, or we see students who are involved in misusing social media to make other people uncomfortable or maybe to hurt someone,” Branch said.

He said by working with school counselors, resource and prevention officers, as well as the state police, the school system has already been trying to boost kids and families’ awareness of their social media activity.

And at each school, Branch said every student is given a device that has filtering software integrated into it to monitor the students’ online activity.

He said there’s so many threats coming from many directions, and it’s sometimes difficult for adults to keep track of everything their child could potentially be exposed to.

“I don’t think parents realize the extent to which people even outside of this country will go to get information on their kids, and will use that to hurt them, to bring them harm,” said Branch.

A fairly new unit that has been around for only about a year now, Brian Brown is an officer with the Capitol Police School Safety Unit. He said online safety is something that has been a concern for kids’ safety for practically as long as the internet has been established, but that concern is only growing.

“I’m a retired state trooper so we saw that a lot with the state police also,” he said. “We have a small Crimes Against Children Unit also in the state police when I was with them, but that’s definitely an area of safety that needs addressed.”

Brown said one of the new groups that’s of particular concern online for kids today that the FBI noted is called the ‘764,’ a violent extremist group who is involved in sextortion and the creation and distribution of child sexual exploitation.

Tuesday marked the first of three more meetings WVDE will hold with the FBI to address these concerns to counties around the state.

Tuesday’s meeting covered Boone, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Jackson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, Mingo, Putnam, Roane, Wayne, Wirt, and Wood counties.

The rest of the school safety meetings will be held in the following locations:

Friday, May 10 – White Palace at Wheeling Park, Wheeling
Barbour, Brooke, Doddridge, Hancock, Harrison, Lewis, Marion, Marshall, Monongalia, Ohio, Pleasants, Preston, Ritchie, Taylor, Tyler, Upshur, Wetzel counties

Monday, May 13 – West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Lewisburg
Braxton, Fayette, Gilmer, Greenbrier, McDowell, Mercer, Monroe, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Raleigh, Summers, Webster, Wyoming counties

Thursday, May 16 – West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (WVSDB)
Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral, Morgan, Pendleton, Randolph, Tucker counties and the WVSDB

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall University and Cabell County Schools are joining forces to get more kids to college.

Marshall President Brad Smith and Cabell County School Superintendent Ryan Saxe announced what’s called the ‘Cabell Commitment’ during a ceremony Tuesday morning at Huntington High School.

Under the agreement, Marshall commits to automatically accept a graduating senior from any Cabell County high school that has a 2.5 GPA or better. It’s the first program of its kind in the state.

Saxe told MetroNews the program will help eliminate barriers, like the cost of applying to college and entrance test results, that can keep kids out.

“It eliminates the financial component of having to fill out the application, getting a specific SAT score on what have you,” Saxe said. “It automatically provides an opportunity for these students in Cabell County to become an automatic son or daughter of Marshall University.”

Smith called the agreement transformational.

“This new commitment ensures that deserving students in Cabell County have a direct pathway to a four-year degree without the usual complexities of the application process. Our goal is to make higher education more accessible and to empower local talent,” Smith said. “Ensuring guaranteed college admission is not just an investment in individuals but a commitment to investing in our local community, state, and nation. I commend both teams for their efforts to create this important program.”

Saxe said kids stay away from college for lots of reasons. He said the ‘Cabell Commitment’ will attempt to remove some of those obstacles.

“We want to be able to ensure our students have a path and direction that can help also to keep them right here at home,” Saxe said.

For example, this year 514 students in Cabell County high schools would qualify for the program.

Saxe said he believes the 2.5 GPA requirement is a fair place to land. He said it’s important to get the student into college where all doors are open.

“A specific grade or a defined SAT or ACT score does not define how well you’re going to do in post-secondary instruction. The sky is really the limit,” Saxe said. “We want to continue to inspire students.”

Saxe said it’s another “out of the box” move by Smith and Marshall University which began its ‘Marshall for All’ program nearly two years ago that helps some students get through college debt-free.

“It’s very forward-thinking,” Saxe said. “I am so excited to be able to join Brad Smith in collaborating on this adventure and being the first of our kind (in the state) to be able to provide this kind of partnership between a school district and a flagship university is very special.”

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MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Berkeley County authorities are investigating a homicide.

A body was discovered in a field that was on fire late Monday night.

Berkeley County Sheriff Rob Blair said the discovery happened in the 100 block of Golf Course Road just outside the city limits of Martinsburg.

“We processed the crime scene into the morning hours. The West Virginia State Police came out with their crime scene personnel and gave us a huge hand,” Blair told WEPM Radio Tuesday morning.

The body is being sent to the state Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy, Blair said.

“We will send an officer down with that to collect what evidence we can,” Blair said. “We are asking the public at this point that if they have any information related to this they give the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department a call.”

Blair said investigators don’t believe there’s an active threat to the public in connection with the death.

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CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — A former inmate at the federal prison in Hazelton has been sentenced to spend more than six additional years in prison for assaulting a correctional officer.

Dwight Foster, 50, was found guilty earlier this year on charges of assault of a correctional officer involving physical contact and possession of a weapon.

Prosecutors said Foster hit the officer with a fist after a prison-made weapon was found during a search of his cell.

Foster will also serve three years of supervised release once his prison sentence is complete.

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ELKINS, W.Va. — Witnesses to a shooting in Elkins Monday told officers during the investigation they were being harassed by the victim shortly before he was shot and killed at the Heavener Acres Trailer Court.

Melvin Phillips Jr., 62, was charged with murder after he admitted to shooting Mark Wirth, 67.

A witness told police Wirth had threatened them with a knife. When the witness told Phillips he was going to notify the manager of the property, Phillips told him he would handle it himself. At that time, Phillips retrieved a firearm from his residence and shot Wirth, police allege.

While officers rendered aid to Wirth, they did find a small knife near his head.

Police said the murder weapon was found on a trash can lid near a shed.

While being questioned, Phillips said there was an argument and that Wirth was harassing another person on the property before the shooting.

Phillips is being held without bond in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for a dozen West Virginia counties from Tuesday afternoon to Thursday morning with the possibility of heavy rains.

The watch covers Wayne, Cabell, Mason, Jackson, Wood, Lincoln, Putnam, Kanawha, Roane, Wirt, Mingo, Logan and Boone counties.

“Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations,” message from the NWS said. “Creeks and streams may rise out of their banks. Low-water crossings may be flooded.”

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SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Greenbrier County man is dead after an encounter with two West Virginia State Troopers.

According to State Police Major Jim Mitchell, Corporal D.P. Dillon and Corporal J. C. Mann were dispatched to a call in Fairlea at just after 4 p.m. Monday in which a man was brandishing a deadly weapons. The troopers arrived to find the suspect, later identified as Justin Grant. armed with a deadly weapon. State Police would not say what kind of weapon.

“Both of course ordered him repeatedly to drop the deadly weapon and he refused to do so,” said Mitchell. “They tried to use the taser but it was ineffective so the situation continued to escalate and resulted in the shooting of Mr. Grant.”

Grant was transported to the Greenbrier Valley Medical Center and was pronounced dead.

Neither Dillon nor Grant or any other individuals were injured in the incident. The investigation by the State Police into the fatal shooting is ongoing.

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