SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. –There are currently 500 West Virginians waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, and WVU Medicine Thomas Hospitals is stepping up to help change that by emphasizing the importance of donation.
Nurses and officials with the hospital held a call to action on Friday to help encourage people to register as an organ donor.
Susan Garrett, a Registered Nurse and Clinical Coordinator of Critical Care Services, said that while registering as a donor is important, it’s equally

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — An organization that provides Medicaid coverage to families is giving back through resources and fresh fruits and vegetables in honor of a company milestone.
Highmark Health Options will host its first Farm-to-Family fresh produce market and community resource fair marking its one-year anniversary serving West Virginia families.
The event will get underway from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Heart and Hand Outreach Ministries in South Charleston, or until all produce runs

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted by an on-duty Kanawha County sheriff’s deputy this week has been released on home confinement in her criminal case.
The alleged victim was an inmate at the South Central Regional Jail. A judge agreed Friday to her home confinement request. She told the judge she was traumatized by what had happened.
Fired Deputy Cass Close, 54, is being held in the Southwestern Regional Jail on the charge of imposition of sexual acts on persons

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia retailers are hoping for a big weekend with the annual Sales Tax Holiday.
Bridget Lambert
“I think shoppers across the state will see great deals on items that have been specifically ordered and well-stocked,” West Virginia Retailers Association President Bridget Lambert said Friday on MetroNews Midday.
The holiday is aimed to take advantage of the approaching school year.
The following items are exempt from the sales tax through Monday, according to the

BECKLEY, W.Va. — Close to 500 coal miners in southern West Virginia are working their final shifts headed into the weekend. Back in June Beckley based coal company Civil LLC announced plans to lay off 279 miners at nine of its southern West Virginia mining operations. Those layoffs take effect Saturday.
The biggest number of miners were at the company’s C-V 2 mine in Fayette County which had 135 workers. Another 20 workers at the mine’s prep plant also lost their jobs. Additional layoffs will be

TERRE ALTA, W.Va. –– A Preston County man faces multiple charges after allegedly fighting with his mother and police during.
State police responded after receiving a report from a woman saying her son was trying to kill her.
The alleged victim told police she said she didn’t know where her son, Shane Sager, 35, of Terra Alta, was because she had been choked her until she passed out in the yard of her home.
Troopers then went to Sager’s home to find what happened, but he refused to cooperate or

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Monongalia County Health Department has confirmed rabies in a raccoon that was caught in a trap in the New Hill Community off Route 7 near the Meadow Ponds development Thursday.
Dr. Brian Huggins
Rabies is a viral disease found only in mammals that attacks the brain and nervous system and can cause death. Mammals, including people, can be infected via the saliva of a rabid animal through a bite or a scratch.
Monongalia County Health Officer Dr. Brian Huggins said pet

HAMLIN, W.Va. — A Lincoln County couple has copped a plea agreement in connection with the death of one child and the near death of another.
Jack Parsons Jr. and Tara Adkins this week entered guilty pleas to one count of child neglect resulting in death and a second count of child neglect resulting in serious bodily injury. The pair allowed their two children to wander away from their home near Hamlin in June 2024. The children, a boy age 3 and a girl age 2, wound up in a nearby pond. When the

West Virginia ended the last fiscal year with a healthy budget surplus and started the new fiscal year with a decent cushion.
State officials made announcements about both fiscal milemarkers on Friday.
The State of West Virginia closed fiscal 2025 with a total year-end surplus of $338.5 million, according to an announcement by the Morrisey administration.
The administration described an effort toward responsible fiscal management to contribute to the state’s financial performance.
Gov. Patrick

Today on MetroNews This Morning:
–A Kanawha County deputy is charged with forcing a female inmate into a sexual encounter
–A West Virginian is in Hawaii and shares the fearful experience of tsunami warnings this week
–A Logan County school has structural problems and won’t house kids in the coming school year
–In Sports; WVU football coach Rich Rodriguez displeased with the practice performance of his team at practice and the Best Virginia run in the TBT ends in the semi-finals
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