'Everybody I talk to says the same thing–it’s a political play’ ~ Gov. Justice on the potential auction of The Greenbrier
The West Virginia Weakly Reader for Saturday, August 17, 2024
The potential auction of one of West Virginia’s crown jewels, the historic Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulfur Springs, dominated editorial pages around West Virginia this week.
No surprise. There’s a lot of interest in the foreclosure.
The auction — scheduled for Tuesday, August 27 on the steps of the Greenbrier County courthouse — has put Gov. Jim Justice in an uncomfortable situation, coming as it does in the middle of his U.S. Senate campaign. There’s so much interest that Dave is working on a story for our NPR overlords about the whole thing. And we’ll keep you updated here in our “weakly” space in your inbox.
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The West Virginia Weakly Reader
🏨 Governor Justice insists that the move to foreclose on the swanky Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulphur Springs is politically motivated. During his media briefing on Tuesday, Justice did not back up his claim with proof, but said “it has to be driven by something. I truly believe it’s a political play. Everybody I talk to says the same thing–it’s a political play.”1 Justice blames JPMorgan Chase and the big bank’s CEO Jamie Dimon for the situation, claiming they are seeking to damage his U.S. Senate campaign.
📜 Gov. Justice was also asked this week about the special legislative session he previously said needed to happen either at the end of the month or in early September. He has said he wants lawmakers to address an additional 5% reduction in the personal income tax and his child care tax credit proposal. Justice has yet to make the call for a special session. But he told reporters during his media briefing that the summer vacation season has made “it really, really, tough to kind of get everybody corralled up.”2 West Virginia Watch is reporting that child care for thousands of West Virginia kids is at stake.3 Not for nothing, the August legislative interim meetings begin Sunday, August, 25. You can find the schedule here.
😲 The Charleston Gazette-Mail took a closer look at the Taylor County mine where West Virginia’s third fatal mine accident of the year happened last week. The paper uncovered hundreds of health and safety citations, amounting to 2.3 a day since 2020, including 161 that the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration listed as likely to result in serious injury. The nonunion mine is controlled by Arch Resources, which has contributed to Gov. Justice’s Senate campaign.4
😲 Outgoing state Sen. Mike Maroney (R-Marshall) is dealing with the fallout stemming from his arrest Tuesday evening on indecent exposure and disorderly conduct charges. Senate President Craig Blair (R-Berkeley) has removed him as chairman of the Senate Health and Human Resources Committee and stripped him of the rest of his committee assignments. Maroney is facing allegations that he committed an “overt act of sexual gratification” while alone in the gaming room of a gambling parlor in Glen Dale. Prosecutors say employees witnessed the act on a surveillance camera.5
📹 A dentist in Weirton is facing invasion of privacy charges. Dr. Jeremy Crow was charged this week with 39 misdemeanors following complaints of a hidden camera found in the office bathroom used mostly by female members of his staff.6
🗳️ West Virginia voters will have the option to vote for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for president this November. The Secretary of State’s office said this week that Kennedy volunteers gathered more than enough verified signatures to qualify for the ballot.7 There is a caveat, though. Kennedy used the same home address on his West Virginia petitions that he used in New York. A judge there said this week that Kennedy should not appear on the ballot because the address was not legitimate.
🗳️ The Jefferson County Democratic Party has unveiled its candidates for two open seats on the county commission.8 The party announced this week that Carrie Jane Blessing will run for the Shepherdstown seat against Republican Cara Keys in November. Lanae Johnson will take on Republican Pasha Majdi in the Harpers Ferry district. The seats were vacated by the removal of Tricia Jackson and Jennifer Krouse. Earlier this month, the state Supreme Court upheld their removal by a three judge panel because they refused to attend meetings.
🇺🇸 Flags at the state capitol and at state-owned facilities in Harrison County flew at half-staff on Wednesday to honor the late Delegate Ron Fragale.9 Fragale died last week at age 74. He served 24 years in the state legislature.
⚖️ The NAACP has filed a lawsuit seeking to hold the state’s feet to the fire. The suit filed Thursday in Kanawha County Circuit Court aims to force the state Departments of Homeland Security, Human Services and Education to comply with a law former Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed in 2015 that requires the state to collect data meant to improve the juvenile justice system.10 A report from the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy cited by West Virginia Watch shows that in 2013 Black kids were nearly three times as likely as White kids to be confined.11
🔌 A more than 15% percent rate hike sought by Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power has been put on hold. The two utilities wanted to implement the hike beginning on September 1, but it faced customer opposition. The West Virginia Public Service Commission has decided the rate proposal warrants further review. It has suspended the rate proposal until next May.12
👨🎤 Game show host and West Virginia native Peter Marshall has died. He was 98. His publicist said he died Thursday of kidney failure at his home in Los Angeles.13 Marshall is best remembered as the host of “The Hollywood Squares,” but when he was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame in 2013 he told the Huntington Herald Dispatch that “that I am a singer first. I am not a game show host.” He said hosting the show was a “freak opportunity” that turned into 16 years.14
🏫 Paden City High School will remain open while the appeals process plays out. Wetzel County Schools Superintendent Cassie Porter is challenging a lower court’s order that PCHS remain open despite her concerns that students and staff may be exposed to a likely carcinogen. The school sits atop an EPA Superfund site. The state Supreme Court denied Porter’s request for an emergency stay of the order, meaning the school will likely remain open for the academic year.15
👮 The Kanawha County city of Dunbar is looking for a new police chief. Chief Brian Oxley announced his decision to step down in a Facebook post.16 He cited personal reasons. The Charleston Gazette-Mail quoted interim Chief Owen Barker as saying Oxley’s resignation had nothing to do with recent claims of violence by members of the department.17
🙏 The pastor of a church in the Cabell County city of Barboursville is crediting providence for keeping people out of harm’s way when the roof of a church building collapsed late Wednesday afternoon. Pastor Matt Waskey told WVMetroNews that “two hours later and 100 kids would have been in there.”18
🏪 The WaWa convenience store chain is establishing a beachhead in West Virginia. Officials broke ground this week on a store in the Eastern Panhandle.19 The move represents a challenge to the dominance of Sheetz and the locally owned ROCS chains.
🏀 West Virginia University has announced plans to honor the late Jerry West. WVU says West will be honored throughout the upcoming athletic year by all 18 varsity sports teams. Members of the women’s soccer team kicked things off by wearing a commemorative logo with West’s famous number 44 on their uniforms during Thursday night’s game against Delaware. During the men’s basketball season, the team will wear throwback, West-era uniforms during a weekend dedicated to his memory. And ticket holders to that weekend’s game will have a chance to buy a mini-replica of the Jerry West statue that stands outside the WVU Coliseum. The university says it’s waiting for the Big 12 to finalize the schedule to nail down the date of the game.20
What we’re reading
COLUMN: Justice family business woes back in spotlight ~ Steven Allen Adams, The Wheeling Intelligencer
COMMENTARY: What makes a successful businessman? Probably paying bills, taxes and fines on time, or at all ~ Leann Ray, West Virginia Watch
EDITORIAL: An ignoble end to Maroney’s political career ~ Charleston Gazette-Mail
OPINION: The toll of coal ~ Ben Fields, Charleston Gazette-Mail
And finally because I’m obsessed with brook trout — Keeping West Virginia’s water wild, wooly and wonderful ~ Lisa Caruso, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Justice doubles down, continues to say scheduled auction of Greenbrier politically motivated ~ Jeff Jenkins, WVMetroNews
WV Gov. Jim Justice on calling special session: ‘We’ll get it done’ ~ Beth Sergent, Charleston Gazette-Mail
Thousands of WV kids could lose child care. State mum on plans to fix it ~ Amelia Ferrel Knisely, West Virginia Watch
Long string of safety violations preceded fatal incident at Taylor County mine ~ Mike Tony, Charleston Gazette-Mail
Maroney removed as W.Va. Senate Health and Human Resources Committee chair following arrest ~ Derek Redd, The Wheeling Intelligencer
Local dentist facing invasion of privacy charges ~ The Weirton Daily Times
RFK, Jr. secures spot on WV ballot as independent presidential candidate ~ Caity Coyne, West Virginia Watch
Democrats announce Jefferson County Commission candidates for November ballot ~ Toni Milbourne, The Journal
Gov. Justice orders flags to be flown at half-staff on Wednesday, August 14, in honor of former Delegate Ron Fragale ~ Justice administration press release
NAACP files lawsuit against WV agencies, alleging failure to collect data ~ Lori Kersey, West Virginia Watch
Improving juvenile justice in West Virginia ~ West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy
PSC suspends AEP utility 15% revenue hike proposal until May ~ Mike Tony, Charleston Gazette-Mail
'Hollywood Squares’ host and Broadway star Peter Marshall dies at 98 ~ Andrew Dalton, Associated Press
Huntington native to be inducted into the W.Va. Music Hall of Fame ~ Dave Lavender, Huntington Herald-Dispatch
Paden City High School to remain open during appeal process ~ Derek Redd, The Wheeling Intelligencer
Dunbar Police Chief resigns after three years on force for ‘personal reasons’ ~ Charleston Gazette-Mail
Part of Barboursville church roof collapses ~ Chris Lawrence, WVMetroNews
Wawa officials break ground in Inwood ~ Tom Markland, The Journal