WV MetroNews
The Voice of West Virginia
CROSS LANES, W.Va. — A West Virginia coach says she’s proud two of her gymnasts have qualified for the USA Gymnastics championships scheduled for next month.
“For West Virginia, just like any sport, our population is smaller here in our state so when we can athletes to this level, it just shows the dedication of the athlete,” Susan Brown, owner of Revolution Gymnastics in Cross Lanes, told MetroNews.
Sophia Fala, a junior at George Washington High School, will compete in the 2024 Women’s Development Program Level 9 Eastern Championships in Myrtle Beach, SC from May 2-5.
Emma Mason, a senior at Teays Valley Christian School, will head to the 2024 Women’s Development Program Level 10 National Championships in Daytona Beach, FL the week after that from May 10-12.
Brown said Abby Rice, a senior at Hurricane High School, qualified for the national championships last year. She placed second on the uneven bars during a competition at State College, PA earlier this month.
The gymnasts train about 20 hours a week in addition to outside cross training, Brown said.
“They’re super dedicated. They’ve basically been doing this all their lives,” she said. “Every aspect about their life is so goal-oriented from their academics to their cross training to their injury prevention. Gymnastics is not seasonal. It’s a tough sport and it takes a special kind of kid to be dedicated.”
Mason has been doing gymnastics since she was 18 months old. Fala hit the mats at 8-years-old.
Both girls will have routines they’ll perform at their national competitions next month.
“This is artistic gymnastics. They’re competing in the All-Arounds, so it’s the traditional Olympic events you would know: the vault, the bars, the balance beam and a floor exercise,” Brown said.
Mason plans to compete with the University of Georgia next season.
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A man was killed in a two-car crash Saturday afternoon in Charleston.
According to Charleston police, Stanley Burkes, 63, of Charleston, was driving east on Kanawha Boulevard near the area of the Moose Lodge at 4:52 p.m. when he turned left on East Point Drive into the path of an oncoming vehicle.
Burkes died at the scene, police said.
The driver of the oncoming vehicle suffered minor injuries. A passenger in that vehicle was uninjured.
The investigation into the crash continues.
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — FirstEnergy subsidiaries Mon Power and Potomac Edison are proposing a customer refund, including interest, due to miscalculated costs from a previous base rate case and misapplied overhead costs.
The proposed $2.5 million refund is for a misallocation of costs from the 2013 test year in the last base rate case filed by First Energy. The company will also refund $54,000 due to incorrectly applied administrative, general, and overhead costs to capital project expenses from 2020 to 2022.
First Energy will submit an updated filing to the state Public Service Commission with an updated calculation for the one-time credit that will be disbursed in July 2024.
The credit will be identified on the bill as ”Refund for Noneligible Costs.”
Officials said the refund amounts will vary widely based on average kilowatt-hour consumption per household.
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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Public safety, homelessness and the drug epidemic are among the top issues candidates who are vying to become the next mayor of Huntington say they want to work on if elected.
There are six candidates on the Primary Election ballot including three Republicans, two Democrats and one Independent. One of them will replace Mayor Steve Williams who is running for the Democratic nomination for West Virginia governor this year.
U.S. Air Force Veteran Patrick Farrell is running against combat-wounded Vietnam Veteran Andy Battista and Westmoreland resident Richard Luther for the GOP nomination.
Farrell, a Huntington native, told MetroNews he has a lot of experience that makes him qualified to lead the City of Huntington.
“As a veteran, I have a lot of military leadership experience including in combat. As a business owner, I’ve lead multimillion dollar companies through economic ups and downs. As a leader at the Marshall Board of Governors, I’ve helped make difficult decisions that were instrumental in reversing decades-long enrollment decline and now we’re paving the way for the university to grow again,” he said, referring to the construction of a new Cyber Security Center.
The Democratic candidates are former police officer and Cabell County Magistrate Judge Dan Ferguson and former Huntington City Councilmember Jennifer Wheeler.
Ferguson said he knows about the drug problem from working as a magistrate.
“I spend the last seven years as a magistrate and when I would arraign someone and I’d ask them where they’re from, they’d say Huntington and then I’d have a genuine talk with them and find out they’re really not from Huntington. They just developed an address here and came here for help,” Ferguson said.
Many people come to Huntington for drug treatment and recovery services, but Ferguson said the city will need to “get back to the basics” in order to create real change for those who want to improve their lives.
“I want to help these people, but there’s only so much you can do,” he said. “We have to change and shift gears. The homeless people are not criminals, but they commit crimes in order to live.”
Wheeler said she’s already been working with other city leaders across state lines who are making progress on housing issues.
“There are several cities that have experienced a decline in the homeless population and one of those cities is Columbus, Ohio, so I’ve already been meeting with prominent leaders from Columbus to determine what they’re doing that we can emulate,” she said.
Farrell said he believes the city needs to work with Marshall University and Cabell Huntington Hospital in order to tackle the ongoing opioid epidemic.
“I think the three of our anchoring institutions — the city, Marshall and the hospital — need to come together to solve our biggest problems,” he said.
Infrastructure is also top of mind for candidates following the most recent flooding along the Ohio River earlier this month.
“Nobody dreams of living in a home where the basement floods every time there’s heavy rain. We need to fix the infrastructure and fix the recurring flooding problems that we have,” Farrell said.
A big part of Wheeler’s campaign to address public safety and infrastructure focuses on Walkable Illuminated Neighborhoods or what she calls “WIN.”
“One of the things that I want to do is dedicate resources to making sure that we have paving in the neighborhoods, adequate sidewalks. We want to change out the high-pressure sodium bulbs so that they’re LED lights,” she explained.
Ferguson said his goal is to also make neighborhoods safer by improving the city’s police department.
“We need to bring our city back, clean it up and take a look at the police levels. We need more police officers in order to do the effectiveness on the streets that we need,” he said.
Jay Michaels is running on the Independent ticket. He will automatically be on the general election ballot in November.
Primary Election Day in West Virginia is May 14.
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GRANVILLE, W.Va. — A combination of small ball and a sterling pitching performance led West Virginia to a second consecutive win over the Baylor Bears, 5-2 in front of a crowd of 4,223 fans at Kendrick Family Ballpark.
The Mountaineers scored four of their five runs on plays where the ball didn’t leave the infield. Southpaw Derek Clark improved his pitching record to 5-1 by tossing eight innings of 5-hit ball. He struck out eight batters and walked three.
“He wasn’t as sharp as normal I didn’t think. One thing you can count on that dude is that he is going to compete on every pitch of the whole game. It is OK to give up runs with him on the mound because you know he has done everything right to prepare himself for that position he’s in,” WVU head coach Randy Mazey said.
“He came off the field in the seventh and as he was running off the field, he looked at me and said, ‘I’ve got one more in me. I’ve got one more in me’. When a guy like that says that, I trust his opinion.”
“I didn’t realize how many pitches I was at,” Clark said. “It didn’t really feel like that [127 pitches]. I understand. I just went as long as I could.”
Hedgesville High School graduate and University of Charleston transfer Kyle West opened the scoring by connecting for his team-leading 11th home run of the season on the first pitch of the second inning.
“Not only is he a better hitter, he is a better runner and a better thrower,” Mazey said. “He’s a better eater and a better sleeper. He has dived into our resources and our culture. That’s why he is doing what he is doing because he is using everything we offer these kids.”
Baylor (19-22, 9-11 Big 12) evened the score in the fourth inning with a run-scoring single from Cortlan Castle.
However, the Mountaineers (25-16, 13-7 Big 12) scored three runs in the fifth inning on a wild pitch and a pair of RBI groundouts from Parkersburg South High School graduate Grant Hussey and Brodie Kresser.
A successful safety squeeze pushed WVU’s fifth run across in the seventh inning. Kresser’s bunt allowed West to score his third run of the game.
Baylor drew closer in the eighth inning on a solo home run from Hunter Teplanszky, making the score 5-2. The Bears brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning before JJ Wetherholt ended the game by making a diving catch at shortstop. The game-clinching play was confirmed after a lengthy video review.
“I have said in the past that has turned into the most exciting play in baseball — waiting for the umpires to come out of the video room,” Mazey said. “You never know. I wasn’t too happy the amount of time they spent in there. It looked pretty cut and dried to me that JJ caught the ball.”
As part of Alumni Weekend, dozens of former players were on the field during pregame ceremonies.
“We’ve got a bunch of kids back that we on that first team of ours in 2013. That team really set the tone for what we are doing now,” Mazey said.
“It is nice to make them proud of what we are doing now. I have always tried to reach out to them and let them know how much I appreciate what they have done for this program. Without them, we are not where we are.”
West Virginia will play for a second consecutive home series sweep Sunday morning in the series finale. First pitch is set for 11 a.m.
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A pair of Marshall players had dreams realized on the third and final day of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Running back Rasheen Ali was chosen in the fifth round by the Baltimore Ravens and defensive back Micah Abraham came off the board a round later when he was picked by the Indianapolis Colts.
Ali was selected 165th overall and No. 30 in the fifth round. A native of Cleveland, Ali was with the Thundering Herd for four years and came on to the scene in a big way in 2021 when he rushed for career highs of 1,401 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Ali was limited to three games the next season, but concluded his college career with a strong junior campaign, rushing for 1,135 yards and 15 touchdowns over 12 games in 2023.
For his Herd career, Ali finished with 2,831 rushing yards and 39 touchdowns on 5.5 yards per attempt. He also caught 75 passes for 557 yards and three TDs, scoring once on a reception each of his last three seasons.
Ali was also a special teams weapon and averaged 34.6 yards on 34 career kickoff returns, one of which he returned 97 yards for a score.
Abraham was chosen 201st overall as the 25th pick of the sixth round. The cornerback played in 62 of a possible 62 games throughout five seasons at Marshall.
He recorded 12 career interceptions, including six in 2022 and four in his final season with the Herd. As a true freshman, Abraham had one interception, which he returned 75 yards for a TD.
Abraham had 36 tackles each of the last two seasons and 150 for his career. He forced and recovered one fumble and was in on 55 passes defended.
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia head coach Neal Brown has noted his appreciation for straying from the norm in a spring football game.
On Saturday, the Mountaineers did just that during their annual Gold-Blue Game at Milan Puskar Stadium, which the Gold Team won, 34-24.
It wasn’t a quirky point system, multiple players in guardian caps throughout the scrimmage or a lack of live tackling that was abnormal as those have become custom in spring games.
Rather, it was a pair of players from the Golden Era of WVU football returning to help coach in the contest. Former quarterback Pat White worked with the Blue Team, while ex-Mountaineer punter/kicker Pat McAfee coached Gold. White and McAfee played at West Virginia from 2005-08 and the Mountaineers won 42 of 51 games over that time, including 4-0 in bowl games and a 22-6 mark in the Big East Conference.
Both were 2009 selections in the NFL Draft, and White has coached in college and the NFL since his brief professional career ended, while McAfee played for the Indianapolis Colts through 2016 and now hosts one of the more well-known sports talk shows nationally, The Pat McAfee Show.
“We have an open door for guys to come back. The thing that happens is life,” Brown said. “Pat White has four kids. There’s a lot going on, and for him to come, meant a lot. It shows what West Virginia means to him. Pat McAfee was just at the draft yesterday and then comes here.”
A dual-threat throughout three-plus seasons as a starting quarterback at WVU, White is on the short list of the program’s all-time greats and considered by some to be the Mountaineers’ most accomplished player. McAfee handled punting, kicking and kickoff duties during his college career and is among the top specialists to ever play at West Virginia.
Both White and McAfee played their final season at West Virginia under then-head coach Bill Stewart, the father of current WVU tight ends coach Blaine Stewart.
“I’m very thankful for Pate White and Pat McAfee for coming back. Blaine definitely played a role in getting them back,” Brown said. “Wanted to do something where they could be around our players. Pat White’s been coaching and tied up so he hasn’t had an opportunity to get back. It was neat to get him back here and kind of reintroduce him to our players and getting them to understand what a special talent he was. And then Pat McAfee is probably the most recognizable face today from West Virginia. I’m very appreciative of them and it added something.”
As for the game itself, wideout Hudson Clement produced the first of two touchdowns on a 7-yard pass from Nicco Marchiol for the Blue Team. Marchiol’s two-point pass intended for Rodney Gallagher III was then intercepted by true freshman Zae Jennings.
Redshirt freshman linebacker Josiah Trotter intercepted starting quarterback Garrett Greene late in the first half to help position the Blue Team at the Gold 10-yard line, but three plays later on third-and-goal from the 11, Marchiol was picked off by cornerback Ayden Garnes, a recent addition to the program after transferring from Duquesne.
Marchiol was otherwise solid and finished 10-for-19 for 82 yards.
“He’d like to have that throw back. Those are great teaching moments,” Brown said. “You have six seconds and want to make sure you throw it in the end zone or kill the clock and have a chance at three points. He didn’t see him. That’s a teachable moment. He’s very much-improved and one of our most improved players on our entire team.”
The lone Gold touchdown came in the fourth quarter when reserve quarterback Jackson Crist found wideout Preston Fox for an 11-yard scoring strike, with Fox making a high-level catch in the back corner of the end zone while working against cornerback Montre Miller.
Other natural scoring plays included a 44-yard field goal from Michael Hayes for Gold and a 54-yard field goal from RJ Kocan for Gold.
“Going later, we didn’t tackle much, and I wanted to put pressure on our specialists and where they had to perform with all eyes on them,” Brown said. “It’s kind of that first tee mentality. Michael came out and piped one, and RJ made one from 54. He’s had a great spring and that was impressive. [Punter/long snapper] Leighton Bechdel is a phenomenal holder and he hit some big balls in front of Pat McAfee, so that was cool.”
The event, which had an attendance of 18,540, featured a competition kickoff challenge, 1-on-1 competition in route-running and coverage from the 15-yard line, a punt and punt catch competition and a field goal challenge.
Greene finished 8-of-13 for 79 yards, and Gold’s Traylon Ray, a sophomore wideout, was the game’s leading receiver with four receptions for 55 yards.
“I had a good pulse on the team and how they were, but this spring showed me is a good group that just loves ball,” Greene said. “We could tee it up again in 30 minutes or tomorrow and guys would be fired up.”
Linebacker Obinna Onwuka and defensive lineman Elijah Kinsler, both of Blue, were credited with one sack apiece for the only sacks in a game that did not allow contact to the quarterbacks.
“It’s hard to evaluate on defense, just because you’re not bringing guys all the way down to the ground,” Brown said. “It’s a little harder on offense, because you’re not giving guys the opportunity to break tackles. It is what it is. Health is the No. 1 thing. It’s not that tackling gets you hurt — it’s all the bodies on the ground and guys rolled up. This late, I wanted to stay away from it.”
Defensive back Aden Tagaloa-Nelson of Gold intercepted quarterback Scott Kean on the game’s final play.
— — — — —
During halftime, West Virginia named its 2024 Nickolich Award winner in safety Avery Wilcox.
The award is presented to a walk-on team member to distinguish himself through attitude and work ethic.
Wilcox, a native of Fort Mill, S.C., joins his father Ray Wilcox in winning the Nickolich Award. Ray Wilcox was one of two players to garner the distinction in 1992 — the second year of its existence.
“Knowing my dad went through a similar struggle, it was easier to confide in him and talk to him,” Wilcox said. “He offered me advice throughout the process and other walk-ons, too.”
Wilcox played 120 snaps across all 13 games last season, with all but 23 of those snaps coming on special teams. He also had an interception in a win over Duquesne.
“He really struggled here year 1 from a football playing perspective. Unbelievable work and he’s made himself into a really good special teams player,” Brown said. “He stayed with it. He’s a great teammate and highly intelligent.”
Other active members of the WVU team to have previously won the Nickolich Award include Graeson Malashevich, Nick Malone and C.J. Cole.
— — — — —
Also during halftime, West Virginia named its 2024 Iron Mountaineer Award winners as Austin Brinkman, Preston Fox, Greene, Sean Martin and Wyatt Milum.
Winners are chosen based on the best testing after winter conditioning measuring the broad jump, vertical jump, bench, squad, power clean lift, 225-pound bench, 40-yard sprint, pro shuttle, three cone, 60-yard shuttle and the 10/20-yard sprint. Winners come from three groups: Offensive line/defensive line, quarterback/running back/wide receiver/defensive back and fullback/tight end/linebacker and specialist. The top performers in each category are selected by teammates.
Eighty-two players have been named an Iron Mountaineer winner since 1996, including 18 recipients of the award more than once.
— — — — —
West Virginia unveiled new jerseys to be worn during the 2024 season.
The Mountaineers will once again have blue, gold and white jerseys and pants in their regular weekly uniform repertoire. West Virginia becomes the latest team to sport Nike’s Vapor F.U.S.E. uniform chassis, which focuses on zoned breathability, lightweight stretch fabric, shaped collars and mobility sleeves for comfort and range of motion along with thermal regulation for moisture wicking.
“In developing our new uniforms, it was important for us to incorporate our rich history and tradition with modern technology. We also wanted people instantly to recognize that the West Virginia Mountaineers were playing,” Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker said. “I believe our design team and equipment staff along with our partners at Nike did a great job with these uniforms.”
WVU’s new uniform sets will continue to showcase the number and lettering font designed by Nike for the school’s rebranding effort in 2019. Not including the helmets, all jerseys and pants were designed so that they can be matched and worn together, giving West Virginia nine different pant/jersey combinations. The Mountaineers will retain their classic and fan-favorite blue helmet with a gold Flying WV along with a white and gold helmet choice, giving the team endless combinations for game days when you account for the helmet colors.
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SUMMERSVILLE, W.Va. — A North Carolina man has admitted to trying to create and pass counterfeit U.S. currency in the Southern District of West Virginia.
Xavier Sanders, 24, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced Friday to three years of probation. He’s already served five months in jail for conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States.
Court documents state that Sanders and co-defendants Jamarcus Harris and Crystal Wilks traveled from North Carolina to West Virginia on October 12, 2022. Wilks admitted to passing counterfeit $100 bills at businesses in Beckley, Fayetteville and Summersville.
Later that evening, Sanders and the others rented a room at a hotel in Summersville where they attempted to create new counterfeit U.S. currency. The process involved bleaching $1 bills, scanning a genuine $100 bill, and printing the scanned image on the bleached bills.
On October 13, 2023, Harris, 33, and Wilks, 24, of Lenoir, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. On February 2, 2024, Harris was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison. That time will be followed by three years of supervised release. Harris must also pay $800 in restitution.
Wilks awaits sentencing.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence for Sanders.
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Twenty-five years ago, the Mylan Park vision began with 30 acres of abandoned mine land, and today the park spans about 400 acres with the most diverse mix of activities in the state.
Mylan Park Foundation Board President Ron Justice said the park has grown with the community. As the community has grown, the park has added a variety of amenities for any age group.
“There has been $141 million of either private investment, non-profit investment, or Mylan Par investment since its inception,” Justice said.
The latest projects have been the addition of turf fields, outdoor pickleball courts, and an $11 million KOA campground. The campground will start with more than 140 recreational vehicle spaces with utility hookups, four cabins, and four tent camping spaces. The project includes a lodge, and the cabin and tent areas can be expanded in the future. The estimated economic impact of the campground is $20 million annually once complete.
“These folks are going to buy gasoline, propane, and all those kinds of things here in this community and spend the night when they come to play in these tournaments—buying groceries and eating at restaurants,” Justice said.
From four baseball fields 25 years ago to a facility that has adapted with the interests of the community to add just about every sport to include workout facilities. The Mylan Park of today has hosted USA diving national events, Big 12 sanctioned events, and a variety of local, state, and regional tournaments and has been in consideration for the Olympic diving trials.
“We cover so many things that there is nothing like this in the state of West Virginia,” Justice said. “You can have a volleyball tournament, a lacrosse tournament, a basketball tournament, swimming, diving, and track.”
The park vision is managed by a board of more than 30 people that come from the local school system, business, Visit Mountaineer Country CVB, and the Monongalia County Commission. Justice said the large and diverse board provides a deep well for future growth and expansion.
“It really gives you some synergy to go out and seek opportunities like we have,” Justice said. “The “why not” becomes “it is,” and it is one of the best complexes on the eastern seaboard.”
The future depends on the needs of the community, and currently some items on the horizon are more baseball fields, competition, hockey, and the possibility of an all-weather BMX facility.
“Potentially an additional field; we’ve even talked about future ice activities, and we’ve talked to BOPARC and stakeholders, so we’re working toward those,” Justice said. “Those would be my predictions for the future.”
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The American Lung Association has released the 25th annual State of the Air report.
While on WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” director of Advocacy for the American Lung Association Aimee Van Cleave said the Clean Air Act is to thank for the level of clean air in our area.
“The Clean Act, which was passed about 25 years ago, has done a whole lot to improve our air quality over time,” Van Cleave said. “Because we have stricter standards on what we’re letting out into the air we’re all breathing in.”
The report gives West Virginia a decent grade in most areas. Van Cleave said the Charleston area ranks as one of the cleanest in the country in terms of air. Kanawha County recorded zero action days for ozone or particle pollution issues.
“We know the Charleston metro area is ranked among the nation’s cleanest cities for ozone pollution, and it received an “A” grade,” Van Cleave said.
In the northern part of the state, Ohio County scored a “B” based on ozone pollution but scored an “A” in the particulate category. In Monongalia County, the grade is an “A” across the board, with zero action days in any category. The city of Wheeling was also scored well.
“The Wheeling area got their best ever level for year-round particle pollution, earning a passing grade with a “B,” Van Cleave said.
The report ranks some of the cleanest places to live as Bangor, Maine; Bristol, Tennessee; and Lincoln, Nebraska. On the other end of the scale, the report said the top five most polluted places are in California.
Van Cleave also described some of the issues causing air quality issues and areas that could be more problematic than others.
“Burning something that ought not to be in the air—that’s something we’re all breathing in, so if my neighbors are burning their trash, that will impact us,” Van Cleave said. “If we live near a warehouse that has a lot of deliveries going out, that’s going to impact us too.”
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