A Pulitzer Prize, unanswered questions, harsh words and early primary voting comes to an end
The West Virginia Weakly Reader for Saturday, May 11, 2024
Welcome back to The West Virginia Weakly — coming to you this weekend from our Martinsburg bureau where I finally made a worthy mess of beans this week.
I’ve been craving them ever since I attended last month’s ramp feed in Richwood, The Feast of the Ramson. The beans served there were delicious. Thing is, I usually find a way to screw up a fairly simple recipe.
Not this time, though.
I’ve been in bean heaven the past couple of days.
I could go on about beans, but now seems like as good a time as any to mention my goals for this publication. Eventually, I’d like see the WV Weakly expand to include some original reporting in our own goofy, “weakly” way and maybe find an opinion writer or two to spice things up around here. Or at least tell tall tales.
But that’s going to take subscribers — many more subscribers than the 840-plus that we already have. And that’s where you can help.
When you see the share button at the bottom of today’s newsletter, don’t be shy. Post the WV Weakly to Facebook, X, LinkedIn, or wherever you have a social media account. If social media isn’t your bag, maybe simply forward this email to someone you think might like it.
The West Virginia Weakly Reader - your weekly rundown of news from around the state.
‼️ Personally, I like to head to the polls on Election Day, if only to hobnob with the poll workers in my precinct and thank them for doing their part to make democracy tick. It’s important work. But I understand that others may find it difficult to turn out for one reason or another or simply want to skip the line. If that’s you, keep in mind that TODAY is the last day to cast an early ballot in West Virginia’s primary election.
🗳️Speaking of the election, longtime Kanawha County Commissioner Kent Carper will be on the ballot there, but says he won’t return to the job if he wins. Carper announced Friday he is resigning from the commission just moments before federal prosecutors said he won’t face charges over allegations that he exposed himself to a woman last year at Daniel Boone Park.1 Carper cited health issues as reason for his retirement, which his family and prosecutors also pointed to in relation to the incident in question.
📕 West Virginia writer Jayne Anne Philips was among the winners of this year’s Pulitzer Prizes. A Buckhannon native, Philips won the fiction honor this week for her novel Night Watch, which is set after the Civil War — at the former Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.2 You may know the facility as the Weston State Hospital. It was closed in 1994 and replaced with the William R. Sharpe, Jr. Hospital in Weston. The Sharpe hospital has been beset by overcrowding and other problems for years.3 Just this week, a lawsuit filed against the facility alleged that a patient there was unlawfully committed and abused.4
😷 That measles scare? Looks like it’s been contained. The state Department of Health said Friday (May 10, 2024) was “the last day when all first-degree contacts with the infected individual passed their monitoring period.” State Health Secretary Sherri Young says no additional cases have been reported. West Virginia’s first case of measles in 15 years was discovered in late April. Health officials said more than 150 people were potentially exposed, including 128 West Virginia residents from 30 counties and four states. 5
🏫 Harsh words were directed this week at Berkeley County Schools Superintendent Ronald Stephens and the county school board. During a meeting in Charleston Wednesday, State Board of Education President Paul Hardesty said he wasn’t speaking for anyone else but that “you, my friend, and your board have collectively and categorically failed both the children and the taxpayer by what you all have allowed to go on at Martinsburg North Middle School.” The State Board voted to put North Middle under a state of emergency. An evaluation of the school found 160 fights this school year and 23 Title IX violations.6
❓ Reporters are still trying to get answers to questions about the tragic death of a 14-year-old Boone County girl. She was found in a “skeletal state” last month on the floor of a bathroom in her home. After initially saying Child Protective Services was not aware of the girl, Governor Justice said this week that he no longer stands behind that assertion.7 The state Department of Human Services has released few details, citing child privacy laws.
🌪️ West Virginia did not escape this week’s tornado outbreak. The National Weather Service has confirmed that the tornado that tore through Hancock County early Wednesday and caused damage in neighboring Ohio and Pennsylvania was an EF2, with top sustained winds at 130 mph. The Weirton Daily Times published some impressive pictures of devastating damage.8
🗳️ With West Virginia’s primary election set to wrap up on Tuesday, the race to succeed Democratic Senator Joe Manchin got some national attention this week. On Monday, Politico published a story pegged to Ted Cruz’s visit to the Eastern Panhandle.9 Cruz is the rabble-rousing GOP senator from Texas and on Thursday he campaigned for Second District Congressman Alex Mooney in Kearneysville, saying that Mooney will “keep his word that he will faithfully fight to defend the constitution, to defend our nation, to defend freedom.”10 Mooney is trying to get some daylight between him and Governor Justice by making the race about ideology. He trails badly in the polls.
😱 “The Rent is Too Damn High” — This week’s Mountain State Spotlight story11 on rising prices and rapid growth in the Eastern Panhandle brought Jimmy McMillan to mind. He’s the New York City man who has twice run for mayor —and also for governor and senator — to bring attention to the high cost of living in the city. Maybe it’s time someone start an Eastern Panhandle branch of the party formed around him.
🔎 It took nearly a week, but Williamson City Council has named an interim mayor. Council members in the Mingo County seat got together on Thursday to appoint Ward 1 council member Joseph Bucci to the mayor’s office following the resignation last week of Charles Hatfield. Hatfield voluntarily stepped down amid a federal investigation stemming from his time as the chief executive of the former Williamson Memorial Hospital. He is accused of embezzling more than $30,000. Voters will be choosing a new mayor in November.12 13
🏫 Thursday’s meeting of the Martinsburg City Council was disrupted by a bomb threat. The building was evacuated just after city council members heard from area residents urging them to adopt a resolution calling for a cease fire in Gaza.14
🎟️ In Charleston, there’s one less place to go to follow up dinner with the magic of a movie. After more than 40 years, Park Place Cinemas abruptly shut it doors this week.15 The owner says it’s simply too expensive to keep up with changes in the theater business, specifically mentioning the million dollar cost of installing recliner seating. The city says it’s looking for a new tenant for the downtown space.
🎻 Hat tip to former Huntington Herald-Dispatch journalist Dave Lavender for alerting me through a post on LinkedIn to this week’s nominations by the Americana Music Association.16 Tyler Childers — who cut his teeth around Huntington and elsewhere around the state — and Charleston native Sierra Ferrell lead the noms. Both are up for album, song and artist of the year. The winners will be announced at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium in September during Americanafest.17
🎡 If you’re already making plans for this summer, you might want to add the State Fair of West Virginia to your agenda. Organizers have announced the musical lineup. Performers include the Turnpike Troubadours, Lil Jon, Seether, Anne Wilson, Travis Tritt and Bailey Zimmerman. The fair runs from August 8th through the 17th.18
🎵 While we’re talking music, the late singer-songwriter and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Bill Withers was honored this week in his native Raleigh County. He recieved the Hometown Legend Award during a gala in Beckley Thursday night. Withers died in 2020. His son Todd accepted the award on his behalf.19 20
🔓 And from the WV Weakly News Vault: Eight years ago this week, NASA used the 55th anniversary of Alan Shepherd’s historic spaceflight to honor White Sulfur Springs native Katherine Johnson. The space agency held a ceremony on May 5th, 2016, naming a building for her at the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia with one top official saying, "Millions of people around the world watched Shepard's flight, but what they didn't know at the time was that the calculations that got him into space and safely home were done by today's guest of honor, Katherine Johnson."21 Johnson’s story was told in the book Hidden Figures, which shed light on the efforts by her and three other Black women to ensure NASA successes during the space race. They included Dorothy Vaughan, who grew up in Morgantown. The book was made into a movie of the same name. Johnson died in February 2020. Also, 64 years ago Friday, West Virginians famously propelled John F. Kennedy to the presidency. Kennedy won the state’s Democratic primary on May 10th, 1960.22 Legendary U.S. Senator Jennings Randolph died on May 8th, 1998.23 And don’t forget your mom tomorrow. The second Sunday of May has been observed nationally as Mother’s Day since 1914 following a dogged campaign waged by Grafton native Anna Jarvis, who was inspired by her mother’s work in Taylor County.24
Longtime Kanawha County commissioner Kent Carper resigns, will not be federally prosecuted ~ Shannon Stowers & Leslie Rubin, WCHS-TV
Patients continue to linger in state psychiatric hospital without treatment plans, inspection shows ~ Amelia Ferrell Knisely, West Virginia Watch
Lawsuit claims patient at Sharpe Hospital was unlawfully committed, abused ~ Eric Minor, WBOY-TV
West Virginia Department of Health provides measles update ~ DoH press release
West Virginia Board of Education declares state of emergency at Martinsburg North Middle ~ Ainsley Hall, The Journal
Justice walks back his comments that CPS wasn’t aware of Boone teen found dead in her home ~ Amelia Ferrell Knisely, West Virginia Watch
Tornado cleanup underway ~ Christopher Dacanay and Craig Howell, Weirton Daily Times
'Waste of a seat’: Manchin’s succession becomes a magnet for anti-establishment Republicans ~ Burgess Everett, Politico
Ted Cruz rallies in Jefferson County for U.S. Senate candidate Alex Mooney ~ Marsha Chwalik, WVMetroNews
The Eastern Panhanndle faces rapid growth and rising prices. We asked GOP state senate hopefuls what they would do about it ~ Henry Culvyhouse, Mountain State Spotlight
Citing ongoing embezzlement investigation, Hatfield resigns as Williamson mayor ~ Nancy Peyton Brown, Charleston Gazette-Mail
Martinsburg city council meeting disrupted by bomb threat, police evacuate building ~ Angela F. Durkin, The Journal
A changing industry: Park Place Cinemas closes after 43 years in Charleston ~ Ashley Perham, Charleston Gazette-Mail
Son of Bill Withers accepted Hometown Legend Award on father’s behalf ~ Jessica Nuzzo, WVVA-TV
Bill Withers, Hall of Fame soul singer, dead at 81 ~ Andy Greene, Rolling Stone
NASA facility dedicated to mathematician Katherine Johnson ~ Sarah Lewis, Space.com
Winning West Virginia — JFK’s Primary Campaign ~ JFK Library and Museum
Jennings Randolph obituary ~ Martin Weil, The Washington Post
Mother’s Day entry ~ Gerald D. Swick, e-WV, The West Virginia Encyclopedia