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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Kanawha County jury has convicted a man of second degree murder in a 2021 shooting death.
Michael Wayne Smith
The 12-member jury found Michael Wayne Smith guilty Thursday afternoon in the shooting death of Cheyenne Johnson. Her body was found in a well in the Sissonville area.
Prosecutors were seeking a first degree murder conviction but the panel returned a guilty verdict on the lesser charge. The jury also found Smith guilty of concealment of a dead body, malicious

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority says it’s cancelling its contract with Highmark BlueCross/BlueShield after failing to reach a new agreement focused on raising reimbursement rates.
Tom Susman
KCEAA said the current contract will expire Jan. 1, 2026 and at that time those covered by Highmark BCBS will be considered uninsured including those with Medicare Advantage plans.
“We don’t want to be in this situation but they, BlueCross/BlueShield, has the

OCEANA, W.Va. — The state Fire Marshal’s office is investigating a double fatal fire in Wyoming County.
The fire occurred outside the city limits of Oceana in the Matheny area early Thursday morning. An adult and a child died in the fire.
The Wyoming County Board of Education announced that students at Glen Fork Elementary/Middle School were released at noon Thursday in wake of the tragedy.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
The post Adult, child dead in Wyoming

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A former member of the House of Delegates has been appointed by Gov. Patrick Morrisey to fill an open seat in the state Senate.
Zack Maynard
Morrisey has chosen Zack Maynard for the opening created with the resignation of former Senator Mike Stuart.
Stuart left the legislature after being confirmed recently by the U.S. Senate. President Donald Trump chose Stuart to be the general counsel for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Maynard, R-Lincoln, served three

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Charleston public works crews are preparing for a seasonal transition. Mechanics and snowplow drivers got to do a dry run of how to handle a snowstorm on Thursday morning. The equipment is put through the paces to make sure everything is in working order and crews got a chance to drive the routes they’ll be responsible for cleaning when the first snow event happens.
“We hope for a mild winter, but prepare for a bad one,” said Charleston Public Works Director Brent