Applause to the Mountaineer Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America, which announced the organization’s scholarship recipients for the 2024-25 academic year. Chris Thompson, chairman of the Mountaineer Chapter’s Scholarship Committee, presented scholarships to Caitlyn Rennix and Amanda Cutlip from Potomac State College, and to Gracie Bowen and Abigail Arbogast from West Virginia University. Each student received a $1,000 scholarship. A total of $500 will be awarded at the beginning of the school year and the second half will be awarded midway through the school year.

Applause to Randolph County WVU Extension Agent Hannah Fincham, who has received two awards for her work in the Extension system during the National Extension Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) 90th annual session, and at the Epsilon Sigma Phi (ESP) National Conference for extension professionals. Fincham was recognized through both awards for her “leadership, outstanding program efforts and personal and professional development within the Extension system,” an Extension Office release states.

Applause to Judy Van Gundy of Elkins, who was awarded the “Distinguished Service Outside the Field Award” on Nov. 8 during the WVAEA annual conference’s award ceremony at the Grand Hall of West Virginia University’s Museum of Art. Van Gundy was recognized for her “outstanding service in the field of art to West Virginia, Randolph County and Elkins.” Van Gundy has been a basket weaver and mentor of Traditional West Virginia Basket White Oak weaving for decades. Van Gundy is also an active member of the Mountain Weavers Guild, has served as the Board of the Art Center for 20 years, organized the annual Gala events for years, and is also active in Augusta Heritage Center events. She was also selected to participate in the 2024-25 West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program, which “celebrates and supports traditional artists in passing on cultural knowledge, stories and techniques to their apprentices.” As part of the program, Van Gundy will share traditional Appalachian white oak basketry techniques with her apprentice, Andrea Brandon-Hennig, who is also from Randolph County. They are one pair of 10 participants in the statewide program.

Applause to a forum presented Monday dealing with youth drug abuse. About 20 members of the community and the Elkins Opioid Task Force heard a West Virginia University researcher’s findings on preventing substance abuse among young people this week. Alfgeir L. Kristjansson, PhD, MSc., a WVU professor and researcher, was invited by Elkins Mayor Jerry Marco to address the task force and community at the Phil Gainer Community Center. He spoke abou the Integrated Community Engagement (ICE) Collaborative, of which he is the Principal Investigator (PI). Kristjansson said the system of prevention and the way society deals with drugs and addiction is “turned upside down.” He went on to explain the three types of prevention: primary prevention, secondary prevention and tertiary prevention. The program also emphasized community action, embracing public schools as the “main hubs of area efforts.” Marco expressed frustration with the lack of attendance at Monday’s event. “From my perspective, we are a city of 7,000, and I hear on a regular basis about our drug problem and we have 21 individuals here tonight,” Marco said during the open conversation. “So for me that’s frustrating.”