“We’ve got eight new aircraft, we picked those up in 2021after transitioning from our previous platform the ‘H’ model C-130’s,” said Wing Commander Col. Richard Switzer.

The planes were used to ferry materials and supplies as well as for diplomatic missions in remote areas around the Horn of Africa. The crews spent almost four-months deployed to the area for the mission.

“We’re able to take our talent, expertise, and the previous mission set and apply it to the new aircraft. As usual our folks went out there and got it done and they did very well,” Switzer said.

The J-30 models are the most modern of the C-130 class. According to Switzer, although they include the most modern technology, the mission never changes.

“Little bit longer range, little more capability, but a similar mission set. While the aircraft, equipment, and all the things that come along with a new aircraft are new, the mission the C-130 executes, which is one of the most versatile in the Air Force, hasn’t changed for us,” he said.

Switzer also praised the members of the Guard who performed admirably in some difficult conditions.

“We heard outstanding stories about individual efforts. People having to use a little West Virginia ingenuity on the fly just to make sure things got done. Typically we’re just going to move people, parts, and things around the area just to execute the mission,” he said.

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The legislature approved a phase out of the use of a large number of artificial dyes used as food additives from being sold in the Mountain State. A lawsuit filed in December blocked implementation of the law for the time being in West Virginia as the litigation plays out.  With just over a week to go in the session, due to legal issues, the Legislature has been considering an adjusted ban.  The American Beverage Association has been lobbying against those changes.   The organization has questioned the claims proposed by advocates of the ban.

First, claims the dyes are unsafe and banned in other countries they say are not true.

“These dyes are certified, each batch, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to insure they are what they are actually supposed to be, so that we don’t have contaminants in there that make these ingredients unsafe,” said Dr. Lyle Burgoon, Ph.D., ATS, President & CEO of Raptor Pharm & Tox, Ltd. in a Thursday Zoom call with reporters.

Burgoon said one the criticisms he often hears from advocates of banning the artificial dyes also doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. The claim is the dyes have already been banned in other countries, including those across Europe.

“There USED to be bans in individual European countries, but when they created the European Union the European Parliament actually struck down those laws and replaced them. Where they just widely approved a lot of different certified dyes for specific purposes, just like we do here in the United States,” said Burgoon. “Europe permits more than twice the number of certified dies than we do.”

The beverage industry added the other part of the equation people aren’t told about is the impact it will have on grocery store prices.

“West Virginia has seen some of the highest increases in the nation in the past couple of years. Bans like the one being considered here don’t come without a cost,” said. Ed Patru, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, American Beverage Association. “They not only burden businesses but they also make groceries more expensive,”

He said a recent study found in state’s like Texas, Louisiana, and West Virginia if the bans would take full effect it would drive up the cost of groceries in West Virginia more than 12 percent.

“That adds about $860 a year to the average West Virginian’s grocery bill,” said Patru.

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“There’s nothing like it, it makes their day, it makes our day, it’s been a long time. Happy to be home and it’s time to make up for some lost time for sure,” said St. Albans resident Captain Mike Adler of the 130th Airlift Wing.

Daddy’s home!!! 130th Airlift Wing @WVNationalGuard pic.twitter.com/hnNuqH8m4b

— Chris Lawrence (@WVOutdoors) March 5, 2026

He was aboard the first of several aircraft to make it into Charleston after a deployment to the Horn of Africa.

“We flew into different airfields around the Horn of Africa delivering supplies and things like that. It’s winter over there, so it was a little bit cooler so it wasn’t too bad,” said Airman Thomas Staggs of Lincoln County.

Staggs spoke to MetroNews while holding his young son Sawyer.

“Yeah, I missed his first Christmas, but we planned one out and did it early before I left,” he added.

Ben Foster of Milton had a similar story as he held onto his young son who was only two months old when he deployed just before Thanksgiving.

“It’s great, he’s grown up a lot since I left him. He’s like 20 pounds heavier,” said Foster.

It was a successful mission according to Air Guard command. It was also the first mission for the 130th Airlift Wing in the C-130 J aircraft. The unit began upgrading from the C-130H3 models to the more advanced C-130J-30s in 2021, marking an important milestone in the unit’s history.

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The top award is a $4.6 Million allocation to the Clay County Commission to relocate the existing 911 center and increase connectivity to nearby volunteer fire departments.

“We have a little kitchen, a hallway, and the dispatch room. That’s all we have here, it is small and they stuck us in here because it was an empty building,” said J.D. Johnson Director of the Clay County 911.

The facilities are cramped and offer very little room for training, team building, or operational planning. The facility is now also shared with offices of the Clay County Magistrate Court and the Sheriff’s Department. The building was wiped out in the 2016 flood and Johnson said they’ve never really fully recovered from the loss.

“It really hit this place hard. I wasn’t working here at the time, but they had to evacuate the 911 center. It’s just time for an upgrade,” he added.

The plan is to construct a new 911 building on a nearby ridgetop away from downtown, away from the river, and in an area where their radio equipment will more easily communicate with the various agencies they dispatch across the county. The location will also benefit radio communications with neighboring counties as well in cooperative emergency services operations.

“We do pretty well with all of our neighboring counties, but yes, being up on top of the mountain is really going to help us,” Johnson said.

Johnson said while plans aren’t completely set in stone, they intend to start from the ground up and build a facility which will meet all of their current needs and projected future needs, but done within budget.

“We’re getting a whole new building, in a new location, with all the modern technology,” he said.

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Cleanup teams have been working to contain the oil spil which occured on Clear Fork in Wyoming County January 29th. Booms were installed to contain the spill and absorbent pads were being used to remove the oil. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection at the time indicated they had the spill contained. However, in recent days increased stream flow and damage to the containment booms allowed the oil to spread downstream into the river and is now approaching R.D. Bailey Lake.

“I wouldn’t say it’s covered in oil, there’s a sheen and the furtherest down in the lake would be past a place that we call Cup Creek,” Reserve Manager for RD Bailey Lake Brian Morgan said.

He said they noticed the sheen around the third week in February. Morgan said the snow and ice, then the warming period, and then the element of participation flushed the oil into the lake.

He said they currently have the lake closed to boat traffic.

“We don’t want fisherman and boaters having to interact with those boom systems and possibly dragging contamination further out on the lake and into places its not already been exposed too,” Morgan said.

He said they hope the oil is cleaned up by the beginning of April.

“Because wind, temperature, and water movement continually shift, equipment is being repositioned and adjusted to maintain effectiveness. Residents may continue to see surface sheen during cleanup operations. This is expected, as mineral oil floats and can separate into thin layers across the water surface,” said the Corps in a press release.

Containment booms have not been installed on the lake and will be monitored daily. Absorbent pads will be replaced as needed. Protective booms have also been place daround the dam’s intake structure while water is released from deep below the surface at the dam.

“The material released is a highly refined, PCB-free mineral oil commonly used to cool electrical transformers and other equipment. Environmental crews will remain onsite and continue recovery operations to minimize impacts to waterways and wildlife. WVDEP continues to oversee the cleanup and is sampling throughout the watershed and lake to track cleanup progress. The lake’s boat ramps will remain closed to the public as cleanup efforts continue. Updates and additional information will be provided if conditions change. If you see oil, report sightings to apcocleanup@aep.com.”

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Senate Bill 137 was up for discussion in the House Judiciary Committee Monday. The committee heard from several who spoke against the measure, including one lady who was convicted of murder 21 years ago. Terry Castle of Glenwood, W.Va. served 16 years for running down and killing a woman with her car on a Huntington Street in 2005.

“That was the worst feeling I’ve ever had because I was high, someone was dead,” Castle told the Committee.

Since her time behind bars and since her release Castle said she is a changed person. She earned a degree from Marshall University, got married, was able to take care of her mother and help to reconcile with her daugher after spending so much time away.

“If this bill would have been in place back then, I still wouldn’t be out doing the things I’m doing. I’m living a life right now that I never lived before I went to prison. I’m sorry to say it took that long for me to wake up. Today I’m actually doing a job that I love which is helping other people that when they get out of prison, they will not go back,” Castle explained.

The bill would increase the prison time for murder convictions. The penalty for 2nd Degree Murder would go from 10 to 40 years to 15 to 60 years. A conviction of voluntary manslaughter would carry a minimum of five years rather than three. Life sentences with mercy would go from 15 to a 25 year sentence and the recidivist life sentence would also increase to a 25 year minimum.

Lisa Lister of Fairmont spoke to the committee about her son who is serving life without mercy for killing a person while on opioids. She said he too is a changed person now with a degree and a purpose, but no chance at ever doing anything outside the prison walls. She said extending minimum sentences doesn’t extend justice.

“I have lived with the heartbreak of knowing no matter how hard he works, West Virginia has no meaningful mechanism to recognize his rehabilitation,” said Lister.

“I’m against the bill because I know that people do change and when they change, victims and families have the chance to change also,” said Sarah Whitaker with the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy.

The only speaker in favor of the measure was Betsy Coffey of the West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Association.

“I’ve heard stories this morning and we could bring in family members to pull at your heartstrings, but we didn’t do that today. We stand by the validity of this bill and the justice behind it,” she said. “This is not a bill that’s going to enforce mandatory life sentences where they’re not deserved. Those kinds of things are in the hands of a jury, but we’ll be able to get more fair plea agreements and more just sentencing out of this bill.”

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Hampshire County Sheriff Nathan Sions said the incident happened early Saturday morning at a home in the community of Yellow Springs.

“When deputies arrived, they found a male with first aid being provided by others at the scene. Deputies began to apply first aid until EMS arrived and he was pronounced dead at the scene,” said Sheriff Sions.

Sions confirmed the gunshot victim was free on bond and a stipulation of his bond was he was not allowed to go near the home. Sheriff Sions added there had been previous law enforcement visits to the home for other domestic incidents. He was asked if it was a case of self defense.

“We’re looking at all avenues at this point and we’re obviously leaning toward that, but there’s still evidence to be sent to the lab and some interviews to be made with some of the juveniles who were on scene at the time,” the Sheriff added.

Names of those involved have not been revealed.

The Hampshire County Prosecutor’s office is reviewing the evidence and will help determine if charges are leveled in the shooting death.

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“We project we’re going to be flowing water on the second of March out of the right side stilling basin for the first time in about five and a half years,” said Josh Miller Project Manager at Bluestone Dam for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Crews removed the cofferdams from the right side last week and will soon move to the other side and begin to construct the cofferdams to create the left side stilling basin. The basins are critical for the long-term life of the dam because they prevent scouring and erosion of the bedrock by passing water. Over time, the scouring effects can weaken the dam. The stilling basin, as the name suggests, “stills” the water after it comes over the spillway and settles it down to flow gently on out the other side and downstream without a violent crash into the river bed.

It’s the final phase of a 30 year project to upgrade the dam which was constructed in the 1940’s. The structure provides flood protection downstream to many communities, including Charleston. The aging structure proved its worth in 2025 when Hurricane Helene struck. The water level at Bluestone Dam from the storm which ravaged North Carolina was inches away from its highest mark. Without the protection of the dam, damage downstream including the Capitol City would have been catastrophic.

Construction teams previously anchored the structure to the bedrock to prevent slippage. Crews drilled through the dam itself and installed steel cables which are now anchored to the bedrock all the way across the span of the dam. The cables were tightened and now hold the dam in place firmly. The work was completed in previous phases. Along with the right side stilling basin, a large divider wall was constructed to split the downstream side of the dam and to separate the flow. That’s a part of the project which won’t have to be replicated on the other side.

Miller said the work on river right will translate into experience they’ll need on the left side to help speed the process.

“Any and all understanding and knowledge gained on the right side will be transferred to the left side and there’s the added bonus the divider wall is already complete. That divider wall is a massive chunk of concrete,” he added.

The concrete in the original structure was poured in1943. Engineer’s have examined its makeup and believe it’s still in good shape. There was one major crack discovered in the dam when the process began, but it was in an area which was not complicated to cut it out and replace with new concrete. Miller said that process was done and went well.

The final phase is expected to be completed in 2030.

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WASHINGTON D.C. — U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito praised President Donald Trump and the tone set in the State of the Union Address this week. Capito visited Thursday for a short time with West Virginia reporters on her weekly conference call. She suggested the Administration had made the right moves so far on Iran and the situation with Medicaid Fraud.

On Iran, Capito said the President clearly doesn’t want a conflict.

“One off the things that stood out to me is his very sincere demand that a diplomatic solution could be reached here or should be the real answer,” said Capito.

However, she noted, when dealing with Iran, nothing is ever certain and she stands with the President against ever allowing Iran to possess nuclear weapons.

“From they day they’re born as an Iranian, they’re taught, ‘Death to America’ so we have to remember who we’re dealing with here,” she explained. “The capability for them to get a nuclear weapons should frighten every single one of us. We know as they’re killing their own people now who are protesting, their regard for human life is basically non-existent.”

Capito also fielded questions about the situation of Medicaid Fraud and the investigation into the allegations now being headed up by Vice-President J.D. Vance. This week more allegations of widespread fraud were leveled against the state of Minnesota’s Medicaid funds. There was already widespread evidence of gross misuse of the money. For starters, the Senator blamed it on poor local management.

“The states are going to have to tighten their oversight, they’ve been way to lax on this. I think the next step is going to be California. We’ have documentation of massive fraud there and they are a very large state,” she said.

She concluded rooting out the fraud is what Americans expect.

“Nobody likes to pay their taxes, but the American people will pay their taxes to get services they think are warranted, legitimate, and are spent wisely. But when you have fraud it flies in the face of all of those,” she said.

Capito was also asked about the ongoing construction of Corridor H and the last project toward completion. The West Virginia Department of Transportation is ready to go to bid for the stretch from Wardensville to the Virginia border. Once under contact, that makes the section through Davis and Thomas in Tucker County the last link in the road. Since the start, it’s been one of the most environmentally sensitive and most controversial sections. Capito said the matter has long been looked at and resolved.

“This has been studied up and down. I believe the Department of Highways and advocates for completion of Corridor H have looked at this every different way over the last 40 years. I think we need to go with the decision that has been made,” she said.

Corridor-H opponents are throwing up more opposition to the DOH’s preferred route and have advocated the better route would be north of Thomas and Davis. Highway officials have said they have years of data and examination which prove the northern route is not the best way. DOH maintained the route which has already been agreed to is the best route. Capito agreed.

“I think all of the environmental impacts have been considered and they’re considered to be minimal if at all. I think this has been an ongoing strategy to really stop completion of this highway,” she said.

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Senate Bill 1044 would direct the West Virginia Department of Education to create the four different pathways with customized curriculum for students to earn a high school diploma. They would all be equal in stature, but would be geared toward the student’s future interests.

“We’ve constantly talked about how our graduation requirements are geared toward a four-year institution only and we have a lot of students who cannot see the value in some of the classes they are taking because they know they are not going to a four-year college. This would allow them the flexibility to take other courses that they know they are going to do,” said Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Amy Grady.

The legislation calls for the pathways to be a college preparatory program which would get students ready to attend a four-year college. However, along with college-prep, there would be another pathway designed with a curriculum to benefit students who plan to go into the workforce immediately after graduation. The third path would be one of advanced Technical Education training to become a skilled tradesman. The fourth pathway would be a military preparation program. The path would be chosen entering 9th grade, but Grady added the programs are to be designed so students can change their mind.

“They can do both, much like our students in the classes do dual credits with universities, they could do dual pathways, say military and workforce,” she added.

The legislation is also clear that all of the pathways will be equal and none will be referred to as “alternative” or “remedial.” They would all work toward earning a diploma of equal weight and value.

The legislation passed the committee unanimously and heads to the Senate floor.

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State Police say they were in

formed about possible drug activity at a home on Morning Glory Drive in Chapmanville on Saturday. They also were informed some individuals may be held against their will inside the home.

Troopers raided the home and arrested the home’s resident, Chad Williams, 49, of Chapmanville. They also arrested Rolland Reddick, 30, of Canton, Ohio. Police recovered a significant amount of what they believed was fentanyl, firearms, and cash.

Williams is charged with parole and probation violations, three counts of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to deliver fentanyl, and unlawful restraint.

Reddick initially gave police a false name. It was later determined when his true identity was revealed he was wanted back in Ohio as a Fugitive form Justice. He was charged with that along with obstruction, and providing false information to the police.

Both were taken to the Southwestern Regional Jail.

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According to Summersville Police Chief Brad Reed the victims are Douglas and Dawn Morrow and Dawn’s mother Nancy Lindwedel.  All three lived at the home in Tara Estates in the city of Summersville.

“Preliminary investigation shows Douglas Morrow shot both his wife and mother-in-law in the front part of the house and then went to his bedroom and put the bullet to his head and shot himself and committed suicide there,” said Reed.

Police quested a fourth resident of the home, the brother of one of the victims. Reed said that individual was at work at the time of the incident and had no idea what would have driven Morrow to such an act. Police say there are no other individuals involved in the incident.

The brother returned home from work and made the grim discovery in the house a little after 5 p.m. on Thursday and called 9-1-1.

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–A grim discovery in a Summersville home is under investigation
–The House proposes changes to the Hope Scholarship as advocates push back
–Apple faces serious allegations in a lawsuit from the West Virginia Attorney General
–In Sports: Marshall men beat Appy State and get a share of first place in the Sun Belt Conference

Listen to “MetroNews This Morning 2-20-26” on Spreaker.

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Last year, the DNR changed the Commission meeting format from a location somewhere in West Virginia on a Sunday afternoon, to a live-streamed meeting from six locations across the state simultaneously where people can attend and participate. They also moved the meetings from Sunday afternoon to a weekday evening.

“Total views topped over 1400 per meeting. We have over 100 folks join in the live stream. We’re seeing participation at levels we haven’t for many years in person. We had over 29 people attend in those six locations which doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s big for this commission given the history it’s had,” he said.

McMillion told the Senate Natural Resources Committee the change was a result of Governor Patrick Morrisey’s executive order to look at inefficiencies and how to improve the operations. McMillion said they decided to target the Commission meetings for improvement.

“How would we get the public more involved, how do we become more transparent, and how to we encourage that participation,” said McMillion.

He concluded the live streamed events which are at the DNR’s six district headquarters and at the State Capitol,  rather than one, have been a successful solution. He said they have implemented present technology and brought the Commission and the agency into modern times.

The Commission is required to meet once each quarter of the year. The first of those meetings for 2026 will be at 6 p.m. Thursday. The public can attend in person or watch the live stream on the Department of Commerce YouTube Channel. 

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BECKLEY, W.Va. — One man is dead and a second in custody after an overnight shooting at Glade Springs Resort in Raleigh County.

The Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department responded to the shooting at the entrance to the gated community around 9:00 p.m. Monday. There they found a security guard suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he later died.

“He tried to get in and was denied, he left and then returned with a firearm and shot the victim,” said Raleigh County Sheriff Frank Priddy.

Deputies followed up a number of leads in their investigation and were able to take into custody Michael Lloyd Taylor, 60, of Piney View. he was arrested and charged with first degree murder and use of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Priddy said they have found no connection between Taylor and the guard and it does not appear Taylor had ties to anyone inside the community.

“We don’t know, but I think he just wanted to ride around and look at the area. Of course you cant do that there and he was denied entry since it’s a gated community,” said the Sheriff.

Taylor was arrested at his Piney View home and now is in the Southern Regional Jail. The investigation continues.

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Logan County Commission President Billy Jack Dickerson was waiting on his vehicle to be serviced when he got the news and it came without warning.

“It has happened throughout my lifetime more times than I can count. Generally, you know there are some rumblings about the possibility, but this one just blindsided me personally,” said Dickerson.

The impact will be 530 direct mining jobs, but Dickerson notes it doesn’t stop there. There are a large number of indirect jobs supported by the coal industry and those will also take a severe blow when the salaries stop coming into the community.

The company blamed the shutdowns and layoffs on adverse market conditions.

“The coal business is a mega business, but it’s like any other business if you can’t run your business for profit there’s really no other way to keep doing that, ” he said.

The county’s tax base will naturally take a hit. The Logan County economy is so tied to the coal industry there won’t be any part of the county not affected.

“As a lifelong resident of Logan County, we’ve been here before. We are Logan strong and we take care of each other. While we face this downturn in the coal industry together, I will be praying for economic prosperity and God will provide,” said Logan County Commissioner Diana Barnette.

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The Tug Fork River rose rapidly on Feb. 15, 2025 and towns along the waterway from its headwaters near Welch all the way to Louisa, Kentucky felt the impact of the flood.

A federal disaster declaration was signed by President Donald Trump.

“I’ve never seen this much water. I was born in 1963 and I think this was just as bad as the 1977 flood,” Gary Barber, Town Recorder in the town of Gary told MetroNews inside a flood damaged city hall building.

In the town of Welch three people died when their vehicle was swept away in the flood waters, including a child.

“It happened right below my house. I heard the people screaming,” said McDowell County Commissioner Michael Brooks at the time. “Welch Fire Department guys were in the river trying to help. There were grown men in tears saying , ‘I tried.'”

Listen to “Montage of MetroNews Flood Coverage in Feb. 2025” on Spreaker.

During the first 48 hours of the flood, the Division of Natural Resources law enforcement along with local volunteer fire departments conducted more than 30 rescues along the Tug Fork. More than 50,000 people lost power in the incident and it was off for days.

“It just would not quit raining. It was a train coming right at us.” said former lawmaker and McDowell County School Board member Ed Evans.

Evans said it started at about 6:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, and woke he and his wife up. By Saturday night the Tug Fork River, Elkhorn Creek and several streams were flooding. It had rained more than four inches.

“I hope I never see anything like this again,” Evans, who has now lived through three major floods and two minor ones in McDowell County, said.

Downstream the flood wall at Williamson was closed and save the town from certain destruction.

“If it had been for the flood wall parts of the town would have had six or eight feet of water in them,” Williamson Mayor Mike Casey said at the time. Further downstream the town’s of Kermit and Naugatuck also incurred damage, but not nearly to the level of Welch.

The National Guard was immediately mobilized and spent months helping residents living along the Tug Fork watershed cleanup debris and throw out belongings ruined by the high water.

Today, the flooded areas of McDowell and Mingo counties are better than they were a year ago, but officials say they still need help and will probably never be fully recovered from the disaster. Many said it was the worst flooding in that region in their lifetime.

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Morrisey introduced the Sentry system, which stands for Smart Environmental Notification Threat System. It’s a three year pilot program to use new and emerging technology to see if it’s possible to get word to people faster to get out of harm’s way amid fast rising water. He said traditional river gauges don’t provide the warning necessary to save lives.

“They can tell you when the water is already high, that’s useful, but it’s often a lagging indicator of what’s needed. SENTRY is trying to get out in front of the problem with leading indicators; more sensors, more data, and better modeling so that we might be able to recognize the risk before people die,” the Governor said in his Friday news conference.

The Governor said the program will utilize additional rain gauges, soil saturation sensors, wind data, and stream monitoring with artificial intelligence-driven modeling.

“The goal is to forecast elevated flood risk one to six hours ahead with a target accuracy of over 90 percent,” he said.

Morrisey said the sites where the pilot devices will be installed will be in flood prone areas, but so far have not been decided. He added they would start with about seven different locations for the devices. If successful, and as they are perfected, they would be added to other flood prone spots across the state.

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The company issued a WARN notice Friday saying the layoffs will begin April 14 and will be permanent.

Greenbrier Minerals, a subsidiary of Coronado Global Resources, blamed the layoffs on adverse market conditions. It issued the following statement to MetroNews:

“Sustained weakness in the U.S. High-Vol markets has caused realized pricing at our Logan facility to remain below cash operating cost and the complex is now operating at a loss. Therefore, the Company is taking steps to preserve liquidity and protect shareholder value. Production is being immediately curtailed to cover contractual commitments carried over from 2025, which are expected to be fulfilled by March 2026. Accordingly, on Friday February 13, we issued all employees with notice in accordance with the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act. If further economic offtake cannot be secured by the conclusion of the 60-day notice period, the Logan Complex will be temporarily idled to minimize cash consumption while maintaining optionality should market conditions improve.

“We recognize the significant impact this action has on our highly skilled and much valued workforce, as well as on the communities which surround our Logan operations. Throughout the WARN period, we will continue to explore every commercially reasonable pathway to secure sales that could allow Logan to continue operating in some capacity in 2026. We are committed to communicating transparently with our employees, and to supporting them through this period.”

The operations impacted include:

–Toney Fork Surface Mine in Lorado
–Elk Lick Loadout in Lorado
–Powellton #1 Mine in Lorado
–Saunders Prep Plant in Lorado
–Lower War Eagle #1 Mine in Cyclone
–Muddy Bridge Mine in Davin
–Eagle No. 1 Mine in Lorado

The company announced it will also layoff employees of their Rich Creek/Lyburn administrative offices in Lyburn.

It’s one of the largest layoff announcements in the region in years and comes just days after Mettiki Coal announced the closure of its Mountain View Mine in Tucker County. That mine will close April 1 and close to 200 workers will lose their jobs.

The announcement also comes in the same week President Donald Trump hosted leaders of the coal industry and announced new policies aimed at benefiting the coal industry.

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After the shuttering of a number of coal fired power plants during the Obama and Biden Administrations, President Donald Trump has doubled down on coal’s future. The President, with coal miners looking on at the White House, signed an executive order this week which directs the Department of War and the Department of Energy leaders to collaborate to insure electricity provided to the nation’s military bases comes from companies which produce electricity generated by coal.

“We’ve never experienced anything quite like this. He is so serious about helping our business and we see a very, very quick trickle down of that enthusiasm that parlays immediately into action by everybody serving within his cabinet and administration,” said West Virginia Coal Association President Chris Hamilton.

Along with Trump’s order, the Energy Department unveiled plans to provide $175 Million in funding to modernize, upgrade, and extend the life of a several existing coal fired power plants across Appalachia. West Virginia had three plants on the list; AEP’s John Amos plant in Putnam County, AEP’s Mountaineer plant in Mason County, and Mon Power’s Fort Martin Power Station in Monongalia County. The project is aimed at extending the life of the power plants past the date when they were expected to become inefficient and close. That year was around 2040 to 2045.

“There’s real hope and optimism these plants will run well beyond that date when they are updated an modernized,” Hamilton added.

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito said the recent Arctic blast which plunged most of the nation into frigid temperatures and coated everything with a layer of ice was a prime example of how important and necessary coal remains to the nation’s energy portfolio.

“During the cold snap we just had, 25 percent of our power at least was generated by coal. Fossil fuels accounted for like 80 or 90 percent,” Capito said in a briefing with West Virginia reporters.

Hamilton said the attitude toward coal has changed, not just because of the change in the White House, but the change in the need for reliable electric power.

“We’re being confronted with a very sudden, and unexpected, swell in electrical demand nationwide. It was something that was very unexpected and we have our utilities and all of the electrical generators now trying to revise the kind of power demands they are going to have to have and deliver,” said Hamilton.

“You want to really sever a nation from its economic and defense wherewithal, cut off its electrical supply and that was exactly where we were heading,” he added.

Engineering for the upgrades at the various facilities will get started immediately. Appalachian Power in a press release said they had applied for a $35 Million share. Those will include cooling tower and condenser upgrades at the John Amos plant and boiler upgrades at the Mountaineer plant. According to the company, “…both facilities will also see environmental performance benefits through electrostatic precipitator component replacements.” Appalachian Power officials say the upgrades will enhance operational efficiency, boost reliability, and extend the useful life of both plants.

“Amos and Mountaineer plants have served our customers and the nation for decades,” said Aaron Walker, APCo president and COO in a press release regarding the program. “This grant will allow us to make key investments in these plants and ensure they continue to provide reliable service for years to come. Seeking federal grants is just one of the many ways we are helping to address the affordability concerns of our customers, and we are grateful for the leadership and support from the U.S. DOE and the state of West Virginia.”

But not everybody was thrilled with the announcement. The Sierra Club and other fossil fuel opponents referred to the program as a “…$175 Million dollar taxpayer funded hand-out” to the industry. In a press release condemning the program the environmentalist group said the funds were initially intended to support energy resiliency, efficiency, and greenhouse gas reduction in rural areas. But now, according to the Sierra Club, those dollars are being used to “….subsidize new, expensive equipment for the aging plants, locking West Virginians into years of expensive, health-harming power.”

“This week’s announcements add to this administration’s mounting legacy as the gravest threat yet to American health, clean air, clean water, and affordable living,” said Lisa Di Bartolomeo, West Virginia’s Beyond Coal Campaign Organizer. “Local families bear the brunt of health-harming air pollution, mounting hospital bills, missed work days, and unmanageable power bills. Coal is not a forward-looking energy solution. It keeps bills high and communities sick. To guarantee West Virginia’s place as an energy power house for future generations, our state must bring online more renewable energy that is cleaner, cheaper, and faster.”

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Magruder acknowledged the city’s first responders for their outstanding work. Magruder noted the Wheeling Police Department responded to 20,784 calls in the past year. The Wheeling Fire Department answered 8,244 calls. Magruder said the performance demonstrated both a demand for and the reliability of the city’s first responders. Magruder told those gathered the dedication was never more evident than in the June flood in the city.

“Conducting multiple rescues both inside and outside the city in extremely dangerous conditions; with a dedication of highly trained personnel, state of the art equipment, and the opening of our new, modern fire department headquarters last September, Wheeling continues to set a high standard for public safety and emergency response,” said Magruder.

Magruder also addressed the city’s homeless issue. Although the action drew fire on the administration from some circles, he acknowledged the dismantling of the large homeless camp in the city last year was an important step.

“The camp was exposed to freezing weather and plagued by severe sanitary issues, fire hazards, environmental risk, and the presence of drugs, bullying, and criminal activity. These were simply unlivable and unsafe conditions for any human being,” said the Mayor.

He added the second reason for the action was the negative impact the camp was having on downtown business and lifestyles.

“We listened to the voices of nearby residents and business owners. Crime and vandalism were increasing, fear for personal safety was growing, and questionable activity was occurring around the clock. These concerns could not be ignored,” he added.

He did acknowledge work by charitable groups and the city to find true help for the homeless and getting them into situations where they can rehabilitate and get the help they need.

Magruder lauded the work of infrastructure development in the city. He spotlighted three key areas which are going to help move the city forward. The city has invested $37 Million in streetscapes to beautify the city with a fresh look and modernizing the buried electrical lines downtown. The city has invested $20 Million in water upgrades and $46 Million in improved sewer systems. The Mayor also noted significant progress on several bridge replacement projects in the city.

The Mayor acknowledged several locally owned business and national chains who have located new facilities or upgraded their existing facilities to bring a fresh look and excitement to the city. Looking ahead, the Mayor said two key projects in the coming weeks are expected to be major additions. Those included the groundbreaking of a WVU Medicine Cancer Center and the new Gateway Center at the end of the Suspension Bridge.

“We continue to set the table for future opportunities, laying the groundwork for growth that will follow. These investments matter, but they’re not our greatest asset, that distinction belongs to people of Wheeling. Resilient, hard working, and deeply committed to this community,” said Magruder. “Together with pride in our past and belief in one another, we’re not just imagining a stronger Wheeling, we are building it.”

The post Magruder delivers State of the City Address for Wheeling appeared first on WV MetroNews.

“It’s probably not unusual that they feel a litle skpeitcal, but as far as all the testing went everything came back good,” said Wayne Mayor Danny Grace. “West Virginia Environmental Health gave me the go ahead that everything was all right.”

Grace said the three week water crises in his town has prompted discussions of how to prevent it from happenign again. Oil from a transformer leaked into a creek which feeds the town’s water plant. The investigation into how that happen continues. Appalachian Power says vandals were the cause, but Grace isn’t involved in that part of the issue.

“My concern was what it was and where it got to. How it happened and who did it, I don’t really care. It crated a problem for me and that’s what I’m concentrating on,” he said.

The issue has prompted discussions about how to get better warning that a problem has happened upstream. Grace said there was never any advice to close down the water plant intakes suggested to him. As for an alternative source for the Wayne water system, he said it’s a much bigger conversation. Residents have raised concerns about contamination in the water they were using for an unknown period of time before they were notified of a problem.

“We’re talking about some things, but that’s going to take a lot of engineering,” he said.

The Wayne City Council meeting will open up to the public for questions about the situation Monday night.

The post Wayne Mayor says he understands skepticism appeared first on WV MetroNews.

That’s the direct opposite of B.T. Roberts’ 2025 buck.

“This buck showed up on December 2nd. I get a picture of him walking away and I knew immediately this was a deer I wanted to go after,” Roberts said on West Virginia Outdoors.

Roberts changed up his whole hunting plan on his lease in Boone County and repositioned his stand in an area close to some food plots he cultivated on the property.

“When he showed up, I changed my whole hunting area and focused on that particular spot,” he said.

Roberts hadn’t previously seen the buck and suddenly was getting picture after picture of him and some of them were in daylight. One particular picture he feared would haunt him. The alert on his phone dinged and he was in Lexington, Kentucky headed to Louisville with his wife her parents to see the Lights Under Louisville Christmas Display. It was a trip Roberts forget he promised his wife he would take.

“I said I didn’t agree to this trip and she said I did and it would be fine, I said I would have never agreed to this,” he laughed.

He couldn’t help but think if he weren’t in Kentucky, he would have been in the stand at 9:13 a.m. on December 20th, the exact moment his cell camera on the stand captured the buck only yards away from what would have been his shooting position.

“Oh man, I was some kind of upset. I was thinking, what have you done to me?,” he laughed.

When he returned from the Kentucky trip, he tried to surmise how many days he could get off work without getting fired to dedicated what time was left in the 2025 archery season to the big buck He found himself in the stand a day later in terrible weather with rainfall and everything in the woods wet and muted when the action started.

“Out of nowhere I can hear what sounds like some deer trotting toward me, but I couldn’t see anything,” he explained.

Eventually through the early morning light B.T. was able to discern two does making their way toward his stand. Then a third appeared as the first two disappeared over the hill and in the distant mist there seemed to be another deer.

“I’m like, ‘Holy Smokes that can’t be him.’ But the closer he got the bigger he got and I said, ‘That’s him.'” explained Roberts.

Suddenly Roberts found himself in a tough spot. He had deer right on top of him, but he was sitting down and didn’t even have his bow in his hand. He was afraid to move to get his bow, let alone standup. But fate smiled on him as the doe feeding 15 yards away, started to move toward the big buck who had parked himself behind a giant red oak tree 25 yards away.

“I’m thinking to myself, ‘Lord please, let this buck stay here long enough for me to get a shot opportunity,” he explained.

Listen to “B.T. Roberts — Boone County buck” on Spreaker.

The Lord obliged. With bow finally in hand, the buck left the oak tree and came straight toward Roberts.

“He did a little j-hook and gave me a quartering away shot at 12 yards on the buck of a lifetime,” he said.

B.T let the arrow fly and it hit the mark. The giant beast took off, but didn’t go all that far and Roberts heard him crash less than 100 yards away. Still shaking Roberts got on the phone and made calls to everybody he knew, starting with his dad who was well aware of the buck Roberts was after.

Roberts eventually left the tree after a period of time passed. Instead of going to where he heard the deer, he started from the point of the shot, found his arrow, and tracked the blood trail over the hill near a laurel thicket. When Roberts spotted the deer, he was speechless.

“When I got to him, the deer grew. There was no ‘ground shrinkage’ and the trail camera didn’t do it justice. It the kind of deer every hunter dreams of,” he added.

Since killing the deer Roberts checked through his pictures an found he had a picture of the buck in 2021. Hunters on a neighboring lease had pictures of the buck every years cine 2020. He even had some guys who had pictures of him several miles away.

Remember that trip to Lexington and Louisville with his wife and her parents? Roberts was convinced taking that trip made a difference.

“After it was all said and done, I think the Lord blessed me with that deer because I did put my family first that day,” he said.

The post A late season discovery turns into the buck of a lifetime appeared first on WV MetroNews.

ST. MARY’S, W.Va. — Locking operations have resumed at the Willow Island Locks and Dam on the Ohio River.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported eight vessels locked through overnight and an additional six are waiting to pass through. The U.S. Coast Guard is workign with the local towing industry to clear up the que.

Significant ice accumulation on the lock chamber walls and the chamber doors forced the Corps of Engineers to suspend locking on January 28th. Temperatures rose above freezing by only a few degrees and very briefly Monday afternoon for the first time in nearly two weeks.

Lock operations were able to resume, but they will monitor those operations closely. With Willow Island resuming normal operations there are no other lock delays in the Huntington district.

ST. MARY’S, W. Va. — Barge traffic on the Ohio River remains at a standstill up and down the river from the Willow Island Lock and Dam. Due to extreme ice, the lock is unable to operate and remains closed.

“We are still iced over at Willow Island and it’s still closed due to the ice pack that’s not allowing those gates to open properly,” said Anna-Marie Ward, Spokesperson for the Huntington District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Lockmasters had to make the call last week when the ice jam made it impossible to close the gates in the chamber, preventing the lock from filling up with water to elevate barges to pass through. Currently there are 14 tow boats waiting to lock through either upstream or downstream of Willow Island. The vessels are stuck in the water and ice, hoping the locks will soon reopen. Some are loaded with coal headed to distant power plants, which are running constantly to meet the demand for heating in the bitterly cold weather.

“With all the continuing ice formation, they’re trying to keep up with everything, but the ice is just piling up more and more. We are hoping that this week with some warmer temperatures forecasted, we’ll finally be able to flush all of that ice out and return that lock chamber to operational status,” said Ward.

The forecast called for temperatures by mid week to top out around 34 to 36 degrees, which still seems cold, but would be the first time in a couple of weeks in West Virginia the temperature grew above freezing.

Ward added they are dealing with ice problems at all of the locks and dams along the Ohio, but Willow Island remains the only one which is closed.

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Delegate John Hott of Grant County sponsored the bill, hoping to create a system which would insure the average size of West Virginia bucks grew larger. Delegate David Foggin of Wood County supported the idea and believed it was the right move because of what he’s seen on his own land.

“In the late 90’s you were happy if you shot a 13-inch eight-point, that was a huge buck. Now in the past few years we’ve shot 150, 164, and 153 inch deer, which if you don’t know is a pretty big deer for West Virginia, just by having a one buck limit,” he said during the committee meeting.

Raleigh County Delegate Eric Brooks agreed and said he also favored the bill.

“I can appreciate, I’ve been told and we know this to be true in every state that it’s in, if you let some of these smaller bucks walk, you’ll get bigger bucks,” Brooks offered.

Hott’s bill would have allowed hunters to kill whatever size buck they wanted for their first buck. But it would have required a hunter’s second buck to have at least three scoreable points on one side of its rack. Supporters said to allow bucks to make it to an older age would produce more trophy size deer in the Mountain State.

Delegate Wayne Clark from Jefferson County opposed the measure for several reasons, but one of them was the the fear it would price West Virginia hunters out of land access if they don’t own their own hunting property.

“By putting these regulations on, we could start to see scenarios where we get into a pay-to-play process. Taditionally in the state of West Virginia, the right to hunt on land is bid at $3 or $4 dollars an acre. You could see potentially that going up to $20 an acre,” said Clark.

Foggin acknowledged Clark’s point, but didn’t see the problem.

“This isn’t a bill for me, this is a bill for other people. This is a bill of other hunters that don’t have the luxury I have. Maybe people would want to start hunting West Virginia more, lease values might go up, and tourism might go up if we have bigger bucks in the state,” Foggin said.

For Monongalia County Delegate David McCormick the bill’s intent wasn’t as big an issue as the precedent it would set by enabling game management to be handled by the Legislature instead of DNR biologists and independently appointed members of the Natural Resources Commission.

“I understand what the bill is trying to do. I’m a deer hunter. However in general, I just feel like we shouldn’t legislate essentially a rule. I think this should be up to the DNR and the biologists to make policy like this, ” said McCormick.

Foggin brislted at the notion.

“The biggest arguement against this before was that the Commission should be making the rules. I’m going to tell you right now, I was elected to come here and represent the people in my area and that’s what I’m going to do,” Foggin said. “Experience is the best teacher. I don’t care if you’re a farmer or a hunter or a biologist. I’ve watched deer for 40 years very closely. I know how to manage deer just as well as a biologist.”

The post Bill to put antler restrictions on a second buck fails at the state house appeared first on WV MetroNews.

House Bill 4504 would require a second buck taken by a hunter in West Virginia to have at least three scoreable points on one side before it would be legal. The legislation was introduced by Delegate John Hott of Grant County.
“Many other states have put forth horn restrictions with one intention and one intention only, to increase the size of the antlered deer,” said Hott when he presented the bill to members of the committee on Friday.

“There has been a lot of success. Pennsylvania could certainly show success. I’m not so I’d ever want to be quite as strict as Ohio, but if you absolutely want the best opportunity for the money you spend you to go Ohio because you can harvest one antlered deer and you’re done, so people aren’t so quick to harvest an antlered deer,” Hott added.

Currently West Virginia’s only restriction on antlers is they must be at least three inches above the hairline to be considered a legal buck during the buck hunting season. The Natural Resources Commission in recent years adopted new regulations which reduced the bag limit for antlered deer in the state from three to two per year.

Members of the committee offered no questions to Hott about the bill and it advanced to the markup and passage stage.

The committee also took up House Bill 4424 which would enable a landowner to pay hunters of their choice to kill deer on their property with crop damage permits. The bill however limited the hunt to archery only. DNR Law Enforcement Lt. Colonel Dave Trader fielded questions of the committee about the measure.

Trader stated there are two ways to handle crop damage hunting presently. First a landowner can name the people they want to hunt on the permit once it is approved and they can hunt with a bow or firearm. Those people however cannot be paid or be compelled in any way to kill deer.

Secondly a landowner could hire a licensed professional hunter to eradicate the animals. Those individuals can be paid. Trader told lawmakers there are 31 such individuals across the state of West Virginia.

The law blocking payment for shooting deer was created many years ago as part of the North American Wildlife Model when commercial hunting nearly eradicated many natural resources in West Virginia and elsewhere.

The bill failed to advance.

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“Mettiki has a long operating history, having been part of ARLP and its predecessor entities for nearly 50 years,” said Joseph W. Craft, III, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We recognize today’s announcement will affect families and communities that have supported this mine for generations, and that decision weighs heavily on us.”

Mr. Craft continued, “Unfortunately, a series of planned and unplanned outages at a key customer’s plant negatively impacted their demand and our shipments in 2025. We have recently been informed that the plant expects additional outages during 2026 and based upon current demand projections and contractual commitments for 2026, they are not in a position to commit to purchase any additional tons from Mettiki for the foreseeable future. Due to the location of the mine and the low volatile quality of coal the mine produces, Mettiki’s livelihood depends on this customer purchasing a minimum of one million tons per year for it to be viable under its existing operating plan. With no clear alternative customer to absorb production, issuing WARN Act notices became an unavoidable step. We remain committed to open communication with our employees and community partners as we move forward.”

The company did not identify the customer in question, but the mine has been the main provider of coal to the nearby Mount Storm Power Station for many years.

The company noted in 2025 the Mountain View Mine produced 1.2 Million tons of coal. 300,000 tons were shipped overseas on the metallurgical coal market, the rest was provided to the customer referenced in the company’s statement.

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Miners at Mettiki Coal’s Mountain View Mine learned today they are being permanently laid off and the mine is to be closed.

According to a WARN notice provided to the Tucker County Commission by the company, 199 workers will lose their jobs in the closure. They layoffs will take effect April 1st.

The company gave no reason for the action, but leaders say it will be an economic blow.

“It’s one of the major employers of our county where people that work there can actually make a living with the benefits and the wages and actually raise a family here. It’s devestating for our county,” said Tucker County Commission President Mike Rosenau.

Rosenau added the shutdown will also be costly to Grant County. The mine entrance is in Tucker County, but some of the coal reserves are in Grant County and represent coal severance tax revenue for each county.

“That’s the only coal mine left in our county and that’s a sad thing,” he said.

The post Mettiki Coal to close Mountain View Mine in Tucker County appeared first on WV MetroNews.

“Ice is growing so fast and so quick we can’t keep up with it. It’s all over the lock walls. We can’t get gates back in recess, we struggle getting gates mitered, we’re constantly flushing ice. It’s a battle we’ve lost unfortunately,” said Jason Casto, Project Manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the Willow Island Lock and Dam.

Ice all week has built up in the interior lock wall which has narrowed the chamber. However, the bigger issue according to Casto is the ice building up on the gates which has made it impossible to close and seal the doors on the lock chamber. With the leakage there’s no way to elevate and lower the water levels in the chamber to allow barge traffic to pass through.

“We were maintaining it as best we could up until yesterday, but it got so cold where we were trying to defrost things with a propane torch, the propane bottle kept freezing. Nobody really understands talking over the phone, you really have to see it to understand the level and the safety concerns,” he added.

It’s a COLD day on the Ohio River. A barge captain shared this video with me. The Willow Island Lock and Dam is temporarily closed due to severe ice issues and barges are waiting to get through, Probably going to be a while. pic.twitter.com/X9H0M8NJ5t

— Chris Lawrence (@WVOutdoors) January 29, 2026

As of Thursday morning there were seven barges stranded at Willow island, six headed downriver and the seventh was waiting to lock up river. The locks will be closed until further notice.

Other locks on the Ohio River continue to operate, but Casto said from talking to his counterparts at other facilities they too are starting to have trouble and even the barges are having difficult moving on open water where the river is frozen. In some places the ice is six inches thick or more.

“When it piles up and builds up in the extreme temperature, the least little bit of wind or water splashes on it, it just locks all together,” Casto said.

Temperature at the lock on Thursday morning was 1 degree. It’s unclear for how long the lock will be out of commission.

The post Ice shuts down Ohio River traffic at Willow Island Lock and Dam appeared first on WV MetroNews.

“I laid eyes on him a couple of times during bow season. I had him at 25 yards on my food plot, but there were a bunch of turkeys and he wouldn’t come in. That’s as close as he got. He always skirted me the other times he came in. He just always knew something was up,” said George.

Listen to “Jimmy George — Kanawha County buck” on Spreaker.

The 2024 season came to an end and the big buck survived. George found one side of his sheds and in 2024 he was a nine point. So when the 2025 season arrived, he became Jimmy’s obsession.

“I finally figured out this year where he was bedding. I had an idea last year, but I figured it out and that’s how I got him. He always showed up in October for the last two years on my food plot. Then by November he’d be back near a stand on top of a ridge and I’d never get another picture of him on the food plot,” he explained.

Figuring out the buck’s pattern was puzzling. Even the rut didn’t seem to change the deer’s set trends. In every picture, he was solitary with no other deer around. He eluded Jimmy and every other hunter for a third season, or so it seemed.

On the final weekend of rifle season, Jimmy was on call at work and was able to get the Sunday to rifle hunt from his shooting house and was going to bow hunt on Monday. He drove to his camp to put fuel for his heater in the shooing house in anticipation of a long sit. Understanding where the buck was bedding, he took an alternative route into the food plot on an old gas road.

“I started walking and got to the first gas well and there were two does standing there. I got within probably 60 yards and I never saw him and he was standing right between them. The does trotted up the hill a little bit and he turned his head and I said, ‘That’s him!!!’ and I started panicking,” Jimmy explained.

The buck slowly rolled over the point, not spooked or panicked, but definitely out of sight. Jimmy started to slowly slip through the woods around the point. He was soon face to face with the buck he’d been watching for two years with no luck. It was the same buck for which he had passed up another 140-inch buck on his food plot several times during the season. The snow and wet leaves made the sneak much easier and although it only took a couple of minutes, to Jimmy laughed it seemed like forever. The shot was lethal, but almost anti-climatic given the circumstances.

“He was probably 50 or 60 yards and he was just eyeballing those does. He would not take his eyes off them. The does saw me, but he never really looked at me, he just knew something was up with those does,” said George.

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