Breaking News

Coronavirus

Justice: 168 deaths not reported

CHARLESTON — The state of West Virginia is trying to learn why 168 COVID-19 deaths were not reported, officials said Wednesday. Gov. Jim Justice during his pandemic briefing said 168 deaths were unreported to the state and most were in hospitals, hospice groups, long-term care facilities and two in the correctional system. The total is 7.2 percent of the 2,330 deaths attributed to the virus in West Virginia since the pandemic began. Justice, who said he learned of the number of non-reported deaths only 45 minutes before the briefing began Wednesday morning, was upset. He plans to ...

Schools’ staff provides child nutrition

ELKINS — Nearly one year ago, students in Randolph County were sent home from school, not knowing they would not return to a full-time schedule for more than 300 days due to the COVID pandemic. As a team, teachers, administrators and staff employed by Randolph County Schools combined their efforts and creativity to come up with a plan that would ensure students’ needs were still being met, despite being away from school. Director of Child Nutrition and Pre-Kindergarten Services LaDonna Rosencrance — along with members of her department — spearheaded several initiatives and ...

Manchin praises work on COVID relief bill, criticizes Justice

CHARLESTON — U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said Tuesday the state’s share of the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package would benefit West Virginia for years to come. Manchin held a virtual briefing with media Tuesday afternoon to go over the specific details of the proposal ...

COVID-19 totals still dropping

ELKINS — As active COVID-19 numbers continue to decline locally and more people get vaccinated in West Virginia, a return to normality might not be as far away as what was once thought, officials said. Randolph County is currently as close to single digits for active cases as it’s been since September, and vaccinations may become more readily available at different locations in the near future. Local officials reported on Monday that there are just 11 active coronavirus cases in the county, and noted there are currently no patients hospitalized at Davis Medical Center with ...

Justice calls for more residents to pre-register for COVID-19 vaccines

CHARLESTON — As West Virginia’s COVID-19 numbers go down and vaccinations go up, Gov. Jim Justice called on more West Virginians Monday to pre-register online for a coronavirus shot. “We still encourage any and every West Virginian…to pre-register,” Justice said. During his ...

W.Va. coronavirus czar Dr. Clay Marsh discusses vaccine efforts

WHEELING — As the tendrils of the COVID-19 pandemic began to wrap themselves tighter around West Virginia, as the number of people in hospitals, on ventilators or had died continued to climb, Gov. Jim Justice and the experts he leaned on to combat the virus had to make vital, ...