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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Kanawha County Board of Education is once again giving Kanawha County School Superintendent Tom Williams high marks in his job performance.

Dr. Tom Williams

The board did its required annual evaluation of Williams during a closed door meeting back on Friday. It released the following statement following the meeting:

“The Kanawha County Board of Education met this morning to perform Superintendent Dr. Tom Williams annual evaluation for the 2023-2024 school year. Several goals were set by the Board and they unanimously agreed Dr. Williams continues to exceed in all areas. Consistent success in areas of our graduation rates, enhanced approaches to our transportation system, fiscal responsibility, and completion of major construction projects were reviewed and the Board agreed Dr. Williams continues to do a very exceptional job leading the largest county school system in West Virginia.”

Two-term BOE member Ric Cavender praised Williams during an appearance Monday on 580Live with Dave Allen.

“We also have an incredible superintendent. Dr. Williams has done a great job,” Cavender said.

There remain challenges ahead for Williams and the school board, Cavender said, including the impact of shrinking student enrollment.

“We’re facing those issues and because of that, because of the state funding formula, we receive less funding. So things become a little more difficult every single year to make sure we stay solvent,” Cavender, who along with two other board members is up for reelection next week, said.

Williams has spoken with the board several times over the last few months about the possibility of a construction bond, possibly in the November election, to combine schools and build a few new ones.

Williams is paid $160,000 and is scheduled to get a $5,000 raise beginning July 1.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The family of two Charleston women shot and killed on Charleston’s West Side says no amount of prison time for the gunman will change what happened.

Marquis Goodman (WVRJA)

Bria White, 26, and Kytiana Belcher, 22, both of Charleston, were gunned down by Marquis Goodman, 24, of Detroit, in Oct. 2021. Goodman thought White had set him up to be robbed, so he shot her. He said Belcher was a witness, so he shot her too.

Belcher’s cousin Rae Dickerson called Goodman a “monster” who should be kept away from women.

“I don’t feel like he should get out because he’s a monster. What other women is he going to kill? What is he going to do to the next woman that makes him mad? Is he going to beat us up or is he going to shoot us?” Dickerson told Kanawha County Circuit Judge Kenneth Ballard before Goodman was sentenced Monday.

The judge handed down the maximum sentence of 80 years in prison or 40 years on each of two counts of second-degree murder to be served consecutively. Goodman was facing 10-40 years on each count after pleading guilty to the lesser offense. He was originally charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

White’s mother Leticia Norman broke down in tears during Monday’s hearing, along with other family members, to share how Goodman’s actions destroyed her life.

Bria White’s mother Leticia Norman addresses Goodman during his sentencing in Kanawha County Circuit Court Monday. Carrie Hodousek/MetroNews

“Whatever you got mad at her about, it didn’t have to go this far. My life is ruined. My heart will forever be broken,” she said.

White’s body was found on Hunt Avenue after she was shot multiple times. Belcher’s body was found a few hours later in between houses on Grant Street. She also suffered multiple gunshot wounds, police said.

Goodman then fled to Detroit where he was arrested less than a week after the shooting.

Norman said White died 11 days before her 27th birthday and five days before her own birthday. She said she’ll never understand how Goodman can call her daughter “his friend” and not show remorse.

“You didn’t just shoot them one time. You shot them multiple times. I don’t know why you would get so evil to do something like that and then you want leniency? You didn’t give them leniency,” Norman said.

Goodman’s attorney Matthew Victor had asked the judge to sentence him to the least amount of time of 10 years on each count in the Anthony Correctional Center for youth offenders.

Victor said there’s been some misconceptions that Goodman traveled from Detroit to Charleston to deal drugs.

“There’s no evidence here whatsoever that drugs were involved in this case,” Victor said. “He came here to get out of the tough life that he had in Detroit.”

Sentencing day for Marquis Goodman, of Detroit, who admitted to fatally shooting two Charleston women in 2021. He previously pleaded guilty to a lesser offense of 2nd degree murder which carries 10-40 years in prison on each count. @WVMetroNews @580WCHS pic.twitter.com/wNF6k2CD5y

— Carrie Hodousek (@CarrieHodousek) May 6, 2024

Goodman went to face the families to apologize for the shooting, but his words were met with resistance. He said he’s had a lot of time to think about what he did.

“I love these two individuals with all my heart. I grew up with Bria White and her sister,” he said. “What I did was wrong. I never intended to hurt Bria. I never intended to hurt Kytiana.”

The families then shouted from the back of the courtroom, “What do mean you didn’t intend to hurt them?”

Kanawha County prosecutors stood silent at sentencing as part of Goodman’s plea agreement.

Dickerson ended her testimony by saying she felt like Goodman was only putting on an act so he could get less prison time.

“I feel like you really don’t care because the cries that you did, you didn’t even have tears,” she said. “It was women. You’re a man. To think that you’re going to get the Anthony Center is crazy. That’s a tap on the wrist. You need prison.”

HURRICANE, W.Va. — It has been a deadly few days fore fire crews in West Virginia. Three people have died in fires since Friday night according to the state Fire Marshal.

The most recent blaze broke out at an apartment building in Hurricane around 5 a.m. Monday. The fire was on Reynolds Street. The victim was a 57-year old woman whose identity wasn’t released.

An Assistant State Fire Marshal continued to work to identify a cause for the blaze.

Over the weekend an 81-year old man died when fire consumed his home around 2 a.m. Saturday in the Rock Cave community of Upshur County.

The third fatal fire was Friday night in Roane County. Authorities said fire crews were called to a home around 8 p.m. in Spencer. There a 67-year old man died.

All three fires remain under investigation.

ST. ALBANS, W.Va. — A man  was killed when a motorcycle and SUV collided Sunday afternoon near St. Albans in Kanawha County.

According to Kanawha County deputies, the wreck happened at around 2 p.m. on Winfield Road.

Sheriff’s deputies said Timothy Dawson, 52, of Tornado, was driving his motorcycle north on Winfield Road when a southbound SUV attempted to make a left onto Industrial Drive. Dawson’s bike hit the passenger side of the SUV as it crossed into his lane.

Dawson died at the scene. Deputies are investigating to determine if any charges will be filed against the driver of the SUV.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Multi-millions worth of construction and growth will take center focus at University of Charleston beginning this summer.

UC President Marty Roth said the institution has a number of renovation and installation projects in store, including a new outdoor fitness court, a new walkway, and a completely-renovated space to house new graduate degree programs.

Roth said the biggest project will be the renovation and repurposing of Gorman Hall to make way for the new Morrison Rehabilitation Science and Athletic Center.

He said it will be a place to accommodate UC’s new occupational and physical therapy graduate degree programs.

Marty Roth

“That’s one of the reasons why we wanted to build new state-of-the-art occupational and physical therapy labs that students will use in those programs,” Roth said.

Along with OT and PT labs, Roth said the center will include a classroom, student study and meeting rooms, and faculty offices.

He said Gorman Hall is currently home to a lot of the university’s athletic departments as well as the campus swimming pool, but Roth said the pool has not been in use since 2020 and UC has not had a swimming program in a few years now.

Roth said the new Rehabilitation Science and Athletic Center will be designed to meet the demand of rehabilitation services in the area.

He said West Virginia’s healthcare industry probably employs more people than any other sector, and that UC is proud to be a contributing factor in that through all of the healthcare program opportunities they have been offering thus far.

He said they are excited to get to add to that profile of healthcare programs through the new rehabilitation programs, which will help fill a gap in those services in the state.

“Looking at the Bureau of Labor Statistics data, shows that there will be consistent job openings for new occupational therapists and physical therapists throughout this decade, and more job openings than there are currently students graduating,” said Roth.

He said that multi-million dollar project of transforming Gorman Hall into the new center is expected to be complete by 2026.

UC has so far raised over $10 million to fund the startup costs of the Master of Occupational Therapy and the Doctor of Physical Therapy programs, as well as the renovation work for the center.

The Master of OT program is currently enrolling students now. UC anticipates to start enrollment of the Doctor of PT in the Fall of 2026.

Roth said also in Gorman Hall is the weight training rooms and locker rooms for student athletes which will also be getting renovated, and infrastructure work will be conducted on the building.

Another project that’s currently underway on the UC campus and one that will be completed much sooner is the installation of a new outdoor fitness court through an organization called the National Fitness Campaign. Their mission is to make publicly-accessible exercise and fitness courts available throughout the country.

Roth said they will be installing the fitness court on the back lawn of UC in between the indoor fitness center and their boat house. He said it will be available for public use by simply scanning a QR code.

“There will be a number of different workout options available for them to choose from, and they can workout kind of at their leisure on the outdoor fitness court, so we’re really excited,” he said.

He said that project should be complete by mid-May.

Roth said the outdoor court may particularly be beneficial to students studying in the new PT program.

“Being able to learn how they can assist patients’ recovery and rehabilitation by using kind of free public resources will be really beneficial,” he said.

Finally, Roth said another project the university has begun just this week is renovations to the walkway connecting two of their high-trafficked buildings, Riggleman Hall and the Geary Student Union.

“We’ve had that walkway in place for quite a while, and it was kind of due for some repair work,” he said. “So, we did a fundraising initiative and we will be utilizing the existing structural frame, but constructing a new breezeway.”

He said the breezeway project will be finished by the middle to end of June.

Roth said these projects will all be great additions to improve the student experience at UC, as well as the communitys’.

“We’re always excited when we can do things to benefit our students but also the Charleston community will be able to take advantage of,” said Roth. “We take pride in being Charleston’s university.”

KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. — U.S. Attorney for the state’s Southern District Will Thompson said a convicted sex offender has pleaded guilty to possession of prepubescent child pornography.

Court documents show that Benson Cline II, 49, of Cedar Grove, possessed 22 images and 134 videos of child sexual abuse material including digital media files depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The files were stored on his instant messaging app account on his cell phone sometime between July 24, 2023, to on or about November 6, 2023.

Cline is a registered sex offender after being convicted in February 2011 of soliciting a minor via computer.

Cline’s sentencing is scheduled for July 25. He faces up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and possibly up to a lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Thompson commended the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in the investigation.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The City of Charleston’s final Team Up to Clean Up event for the Spring is happening Saturday May, 4.

Volunteers will spend the day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. cleaning up Downtown Charleston and the East End in preparation for the USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships, which are May 14-19.

Supplies for the clean up can be picked up at the Shanklin Parking Garage on 503 Virginia Street East, next to City Hall. T-shirts, snacks, and water will also be provided.

Those wanting to participate in the clean up are encouraged to complete the online Volunteer Waiver and Release form before the event. People can also apply to volunteer in person at the event.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Special needs students from across Kanawha County were in Charleston Friday to put their athletic skills to the test.

Kanawha County Schools held their annual Exceptional Spring Games at Laidley Field.

GW senior Timmy Smith and his teacher

Megan McCorkle, assistant superintendent for special education and student support with KCS, said the event gives students the opportunity to compete in games and win prizes that they normally wouldn’t be exposed to.

“Often times they are not participants in other events that we hold so this is something that is very special for them. This is a way that they can celebrate themselves. This is something that their families can come to and feel the success of everything that they have put into their kids,” she said.

George Washington High School senior Timmy Smith was excited to bring home a gold medal after playing baseball with his coach and other classmates.

“My teacher is the head coach of George Washington High School,” he said. “I like throwing the ball.”

Herbert Hoover High School special education teacher Amy McVicker has been teaching students with disabilities for 19 years. She said her class looks forward the Spring Games each year as a way to celebrate their success.

“It makes their year. They come to school every day and they do what they can do and when we get to reward them with something like this, you can’t ask for anything better,” McVicker said.

Students got to participate in running, walking, jumping, softball, baseball, as well as hands-on craft activities, face painting, a sensory village and more. McCorkle said the event has grown over the years.

“We have expanded it so much that it’s not just athletic events,” she said. “Even if you are not a runner and you can’t throw a ball very well, there are things here that they would love and enjoy doing.”

Some students were in Charleston for the first time because they go to school in different parts of the county, McVicker said.

“They get to come here and they get to participate in things that normally they probably wouldn’t get to participate in. We have kids that live out in Clendenin or Elkview and they don’t always make to Charleston to do these kinds of things,” McVicker said.

McCorkle said the event also teaches students about real-life situations at large events.

“You get to teach them different skills. Often times crowds like this can be very intimidating and overwhelming for our students. It allows our teachers to prepare them for events in life that do have crowds,” she said.

High school marching bands and cheerleaders took part in Friday’s event. Each school was featured with a banner in a parade that took place before the games.