The state Board of Education is assessing options for dealing with Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s policy to allow religious exemptions to vaccination requirements, with the governor directing public school officials to comply and asking private schools to do so.
Morrisey’s administration is standing behind an executive order issued during the governor’s first week in office. Morrisey described the basis as the “Equal Protection for Religion Act,” which went into law in 2023.
Morrisey had called for

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state Board of Education voted Wednesday to seize control of both the Tyler and Nicholas county school systems after receiving reports from the state Department of Education’s accountability office.
Debra Sullivan
The separate motions came after a long executive session. The Nicholas County takeover includes the firing of Nicholas County School Superintendent Terrance Beam and the county’s assistant superintendent effective at 5 p.m. Wednesday. Former Fayette County

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Well-known actress and organic farm ambassador, Jennifer Garner will headline the Education Alliance’s 2025 West Virginia Education Summit and speak on behalf of the power of partnerships.
The annual summit will take place at the Clay Center in Charleston on Thursday from noon to 1:30 p.m.
Garner is a co-founder and Chief Brand Officer of Once Upon a Farm, an organic agricultural business that produces a variety of organic and refrigerated baby food and kids snacks.
Amelia

CLENDENIN, W.Va. –The Elk River Trail system has added another trailhead to their system with the opening of the Clendenin Rail Trail in Kanawha County.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey
A ribbon cutting was held in Clendenin on Wednesday morning to celebrate the opening of the new trailhead. The new trail adds onto the already existing 47 miles of trails that goes from Gassaway to Heartland and the four and half miles of trail from Clendenin to Queen Shoals.
Governor Patrick Morrisey along with other

KEYSER, W.Va. — A day after high water in Mineral County, local officials said it appeared most were spared the worst of the flooding which passed through the region.
“All of the water has receded. Fortunately based on the places we’ve been able to make it to, it doesn’t look like anyone has damage to any main living areas,” said Luke McKenzie, the Emergency Services Director for Mineral County.
The rain came quickly and drove streams out of their banks without much warning. At one point the

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state Board of Education voted Wednesday to take what was once described as one of the worst-behaving schools in the state off of emergency status and back to local control because of the improvements that have been made.
Kevin Pittsnoggle
State Department of Education officials told the board there’s been an amazing turnaround at Martinsburg North Middle School in just one year after following a state-approved improvement plan.
The state BOE put the school on emergency

Under questioning by Congressman Riley Moore during a budget hearing in Washington, D.C., Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirmed the return of some jobs to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health in Morgantown.
It’s still not entirely clear what percentage of the jobs at NIOSH are coming back or what roles they represent.
Riley Moore
“Mr. Secretary, my understanding is that the 111 employees at NIOSH in Morgantown were reinstated earlier this week.