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This week, people with mental health challenges or substance use disorder often end up in jail. But crisis response teams offer another way. Also, one year after the Mountain Valley Pipeline went into service, people who live directly in the pipeline’s path have received compensation. But not everyone. And, the Sacred Harp songbook gets an update for the first time since the early 1990s.
Wyoming is one of at least 9 counties in West Virginia that have used their opioid settlement funds to pay off at least a portion of their regional jail bill, an analysis of FOIA documents by students from West Virginia University's Reed School of Media from 50 of the stateu2019s 55 counties shows. In total, those 9 counties have spent more than $3.5 million on bills to house West Virginians in its 10 regional jails.
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u201cIn small counties, we unfortunately are limited financially,u201d Grant County Commissioner Kevin Hagerty said in an email. His county spent half of their settlement funds u2014 $115,528 u2014 on their regional jail bill. u201cThe jail bill has been a pretty significant expense for us over several years. We used a portion of the funds to help ease the burden on resources.u201d
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As part of an investigation into these practices, Reed School of Media journalism students reached out to county commissioners in all 9 counties that reported spending opioid settlement funds on jail bills. Representatives from four counties responded, and all said spending the opioid settlement funds in this way aligns with what is allowed in state rules for spending, written by the West Virginia Attorney Generalu2019s Office.
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But experts say there is a difference between how the funds can legally be spent and the intent behind the global settlement that was the result of hundreds of thousands of overdose deaths across the country.
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A Crisis-Fueled Debt
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Jail fees pose a significant burden on counties in West Virginia, where taxpayers are ultimately on the hook for the bill. Documents from the stateu2019s Department of Homeland Security show several counties owe millions of dollars in jail fees.
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As of April 4, 2025, the 55 counties in West Virginia owe a total of $15,020,710.48 on their regional jail bills. Clay, McDowell and Webster counties owe the most u2014 and, according to a source familiar with the stateu2019s jail payment processes, have for the past decade.
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How state, county and city leaders can spend their opioid settlement funds is guided by an MOU that former Attorney General Patrick Morrisey u2014 now governor u2014 helped to establish in 2022. The MOU outlines that funds can be spent in several areas: prevention, treatment, recovery, and law enforcement and EMS.
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Under law enforcement, the MOU specifically says funds can be used for evidence-based programs for individuals who are incarcerated or are exiting incarceration, education and training programs for law enforcement personnel, mental health and support resources, equipment, tools, and manpower for first-responder agencies.
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The MOU acknowledges regional jail fees as an approved use of opioid lawsuit settlement funding, saying it provides u201crestitution for monies that were previously expended on opioid abatement activities.u201d
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And several counties have decided putting money toward these overdue bills is a priority. In Wyoming County, Commissioner Jason Mullins said many people in the regional jail are incarcerated for opioid-related offenses, so itu2019s a logical use for the funds.
nnnnWyoming County Commissioner Jason Mullins, left, speaks with fellow Commissioner Randall Aliiff at a meeting on April 15, 2025.
Photo Credit: Aidan Cornue/West Virginia Universitynnnn
Logan County is spending nearly a million of its $3.9 million fund on its jail bill. In Boone County, officials are putting $452,766 of opioid settlement funds toward that use.
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u201cIf a Madison police officer makes an arrest inside city limits, Boone County is still responsible for the jail bill,u201d Boone County Commissioner Brett Kuhn said. u201cSo thatu2019s a very difficult thing when youu2019re in the economic condition we find ourselves in today to come up with.u201d
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Kuhn says Boone County usually owes $60,000-$70,000 per month on their jail bill, and uses the countyu2019s portion of the coal severance tax revenues to pay it off. He says using opioid settlement funds instead of the coal severance tax to pay the jail bill will allow them to redirect severance funds to other economic development opportunities in the county.
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u201cI think one of the most important ways to combat the situation we find ourselves in now is to create good, high-paying jobs,u201d Kuhn said.
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Several county officials say the decision to pay off their jail bills first stems from a lack of funding to pay down what they owe. Commissioner Kevin Hagerty said the Grant County Commission also has plans to use its funding to assist in opening a nonprofit sober living house.
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u201cBefore we commit to funding, there are various things that we must consider, such as liability issues, operational structure, who would oversee different mechanics of the house, etc.,u201d he said. u201cWe are pretty early in the process; however, it is something that we see as very positive if it were to come to fruition.u201d
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The commission has already approved the building of a Safe Haven Baby Box with the settlement funds.
nnnnLaura Lander, right, speaks at a Reporting on Addiction event on West Virginia Universityu2019s campus in Morgantown, West Virginia, in 2022.
Photo Credit: Jesse Wright/West Virginia Universitynnnn
Laura Lander, addiction therapist and associate professor at West Virginia Universityu2019s School of Medicine, says there are other ways the funds could be spent that would offer long-term support for people affected by substance use.
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Lander, a past opioid settlement grant review panelist for the West Virginia First Foundation, said that things like child advocacy centers, youth prevention and workforce development would be more effective spending.
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Lander said that using the money on u201cshort-sightedu201d areas like the jail bill are not going to help people who are struggling.
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u201cItu2019s not going to address the problem, itu2019s just going to pay a bill,u201d she said. u201cIu2019m sure everybody has regional jail bills, but itu2019s not actually addressing the problem. It sounds like itu2019s addressing a shortfall in the countyu2019s budget or planning.u201d
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Some county officials agree. In Mercer County, Commissioner Greg Puckett says other countiesu2019 use of their settlement funds on the jail bill is understandable u2014 but that doesnu2019t make it the best use of the money.
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u201cI think itu2019s kind of a faulty philosophy,u201d Puckett said. u201cThere are identified strategies that are a lot more effective in ways to deal with the opioid problems that weu2019ve seen in the past. Those come from building for future solutions, not looking in reverse.u201d
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Instead of paying their jail bill u2014 which was $163,000 for the month of May u2014 Puckett said Mercer County wants to use their funds to improve infrastructure, including a new sheriffu2019s department building and parks for u201cengagement in positive activities.u201d
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u201cWhen you pay the jail bill, thatu2019s essentially a reverse thinking philosophy of just getting out from under it. Youu2019re never going to be able to get out completely from under it because of the way the costs are,u201d he said.
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Unlike Wyoming or Boone counties, Mercer County also plans to create a task force to help delegate funds that would include mental health experts and people in long-term recovery.
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Frank Kearl is an attorney with Popular Democracy. He said he has been developing strategies to ensure transparency and accountability in opioid settlement fund spending alongside organizers and community activists in New York, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
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Kearl said using the settlement funds to pay for regional jail bills is legal in his read of the West Virginia MOU and his understanding of the rules outlined by the global settlement, but said the legality of using the funds in a certain way and whether thatu2019s the best use for them are different questions.
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u201cSomeone would need to be paying attention to where that money was going to ensure that two years from now, when they want to spend the money on something else thatu2019s not related, thereu2019s someone there to be like, u2018wait a second, you already spent all of this money in this other way, so you donu2019t have that remaining funds,u2019 u201d Kearl said. u201cAnd thatu2019s just not happening.u201d
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u201cThatu2019s not happening in West Virginia. Thatu2019s not happening anywhere. No one is paying close enough attention to where this money is going.u201d
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Plus, Kearl said, this is West Virginiau2019s only shot u2014 just like it is for every state. These funds will only come once. If theyu2019re misspent from the start, government leaders cannot go back to the corporations that are part of the global settlement and sue for more.
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And in the current MOU and settlement structure, there is no federal oversight. State, local and city governments have full control of the processes.
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u201cThe way that the settlements are set up prevents any subsequent liability for these corporations and individuals for the harm that they caused. So someone living in West Virginia, in one of these counties where this money is being spent on something thatu2019s completely unrelated, they donu2019t have another bite at the apple,u201d Kearl said.
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u201cThis is their one opportunity to see meaningful justice served resolution,u201d he said. u201cMoney spent in a way that is helping resolve the harms that they have suffered and continue to suffer, and so when that money is wasted, to me, itu2019s less even about the legality or illegality and more about the justice of it.u201d
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What Experts, Communities Say They Actually Need
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Despite the MOU allowing the payment of regional jail fees, some activists say theyu2019d like to see the money used in other ways.
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Brittney Garrett is a representative of Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative, a national nonprofit organization that encourages people struggling with substance use disorder to go to a local police station to receive drug screenings and other recovery services without being arrested. Garrett helps individuals find pathways to treatment and provides guidance for law enforcement when they interact with people struggling with substance use disorder.
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Garrett said allocating funding to law enforcement can be an effective measure, as long as the money is spent on programs specifically designed to benefit the community in accessing treatment and recovery services.
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u201cWe really need to make sure that itu2019s opioid-specific and that we are helping individuals who are struggling with substance use and connecting them to treatment and recovery to not continue this,u201d she said.
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She encouraged county commissions to use other funding pools for treatment and recovery services.
u201cI think that there is other funding for things like shooting ranges or police vehicles,u201d Garrett said in response to the reporting.
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Lander also said the counties need to look at long-term treatment solutions. She said purchasing new vehicles or new buildings is not sustainable, and if counties want to support infrastructure, the settlement money should go towards recovery housing.
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u201cWe have an affordable housing crisis in this state, that is, in my opinion, directly connected to the substance use disorder problem. And one of the reasons why itu2019s so difficult for people to get well is that they donu2019t have stable housing,u201d Lander said. u201cItu2019s very hard to be in recovery and not have a stable place to live.u201d
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Kearl said county leaders need more guidance to ensure funds are distributed to areas outside of law enforcement or jail bills.
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u201cDropping $3 million in a county-level account and expecting them to use it in a way to resolve harms from a crisis that they didnu2019t create in the first place and that they were not actively participating in the settlement process at all is irresponsible by the state,u201d he said.
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One Countyu2019s Lingering Struggle
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In Wyoming County, Sheriff Bradley Ellison u2014 who social worker Ann Reed works with directly u2014 said there is a lack of resources for residents who have been affected by the opioid crisis and for emergency personnel like him who have responded to opioid-related emergencies for nearly two decades.
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Ellison has worked at the countyu2019s sheriffu2019s department for more than 30 years, responding to the opioid crisis on the front lines. His department consists of 18 officers, and Ellison said itu2019s understaffed and underfunded. And while he said he wasnu2019t sure what the Wyoming County Commission should spend its funding on, he said he needs things that will help his department continue to do their jobs, like new cruisers and an increase in personnel.
nnnnWyoming County Sheriff Ellison meets with reporters in his office in Pineville, W.Va., on April 15, 2025.
Photo Credit: Aidan Cornue/West Virginia Universitynnnn
Ellison believes the county is unlikely to continue funding recovery, prevention, or treatment services once settlement funding runs out. He also said he was not against the use of opioid settlement funds to pay their jail bill.
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u201cLike if you wanted a facility and it cost a million dollars, youu2019re blowing through your money. Are you helping anything? Because once this moneyu2019s gone, the county ainu2019t gonna pick it up and take it out of their coffers because it ainu2019t there,u201d Ellison said. u201cYou got to try to hit the best way to make the biggest impact that you can with what you got.u201d
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Despite current efforts to combat substance use disorders in the county, he said financial support came long after Wyoming County residents were experiencing the worst of the opioid crisis.
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u201cThey was 10 years too late on the opioid problem. We was crying and screaming in the early 2000s, u2018Help. Gosh, help.u2019 Nobody would listen,u201d Ellison said. "Nobody would listen."
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Ellison said heu2019s worried that theyu2019re still too late to help the people who need it most.
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------
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Lauren Taylor, Aidan Cornue and Spencer Yoke contributed to this reporting.
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This story was published in partnership with West Virginia Universityu2019s Reed School of Media and Communications, with support from Scott Widmeyer.
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The audio above originally aired in the July 8, 2025 episode of West Virginia Morning. WVPB News Director Eric Douglas spoke with student Claudia Di Lima to discuss this story.
Funded through a temporary grant from a local mental health center, Reed provides resources and care to individuals who experience substance use disorder on a daily basis.
She assists the Wyoming County Sheriffu2019s Department by monitoring a local mental health agencyu2019s 911 calls and checking if any are drug-related. If they are, Reed then responds to individuals at their homes, taking them to treatment facilities u2014 and sometimes, witnessing their arrests.
";s:6:"format";s:4:"html";s:9:"textStyle";s:12:"default-body";s:6:"layout";s:11:"body-layout";}i:11;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"role";s:9:"container";s:10:"components";a:2:{i:0;O:8:"stdClass":4:{s:4:"role";s:5:"photo";s:3:"URL";s:79:"https://wvpublic.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/jaill-bills-photo-2-700x467.jpg";s:6:"layout";s:29:"full-width-image-with-caption";s:7:"caption";s:180:"Social worker Ann Reed attends a meeting at the Wyoming County Sheriffu2019s Office on April 15, 2025.
Photo Credit: Aidan Cornue/West Virginia University";}i:1;O:8:"stdClass":4:{s:4:"role";s:7:"caption";s:4:"text";s:180:"Social worker Ann Reed attends a meeting at the Wyoming County Sheriffu2019s Office on April 15, 2025.
Photo Credit: Aidan Cornue/West Virginia University";s:9:"textStyle";O:8:"stdClass":6:{s:13:"textAlignment";s:4:"left";s:8:"fontName";s:15:"Helvetica-Light";s:8:"fontSize";i:14;s:8:"tracking";d:-0.01;s:10:"lineHeight";i:19;s:9:"textColor";s:7:"#999999";}s:6:"layout";O:8:"stdClass":1:{s:6:"margin";O:8:"stdClass":1:{s:6:"bottom";i:25;}}}}s:6:"layout";a:0:{}}i:12;O:8:"stdClass":5:{s:4:"role";s:4:"body";s:4:"text";s:654:"
The county still battles the lasting effects of the opioid crisis. It has 12 certified female beds and one comprehensive behavioral health care provider to help them do it. But like communities across the country, Wyoming County is getting hundreds of thousands of dollars through opioid lawsuit settlements to spend on law enforcement, prevention education, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services.
Wyoming is one of at least 9 counties in West Virginia that have used their opioid settlement funds to pay off at least a portion of their regional jail bill, an analysis of FOIA documents by students from West Virginia Universityu2019s Reed School of Media from 50 of the stateu2019s 55 counties shows. In total, those 9 counties have spent more than $3.5 million on bills to house West Virginians in its 10 regional jails.
u201cIn small counties, we unfortunately are limited financially,u201d Grant County Commissioner Kevin Hagerty said in an email. His county spent half of their settlement funds u2014 $115,528 u2014 on their regional jail bill. u201cThe jail bill has been a pretty significant expense for us over several years. We used a portion of the funds to help ease the burden on resources.u201d
As part of an investigation into these practices, Reed School of Media journalism students reached out to county commissioners in all 9 counties that reported spending opioid settlement funds on jail bills. Representatives from four counties responded, and all said spending the opioid settlement funds in this way aligns with what is allowed in state rules for spending, written by the West Virginia Attorney Generalu2019s Office.
But experts say there is a difference between how the funds can legally be spent and the intent behind the global settlement that was the result of hundreds of thousands of overdose deaths across the country.
Jail fees pose a significant burden on counties in West Virginia, where taxpayers are ultimately on the hook for the bill. Documents from the stateu2019s Department of Homeland Security show several counties owe millions of dollars in jail fees.
As of April 4, 2025, the 55 counties in West Virginia owe a total of $15,020,710.48 on their regional jail bills. Clay, McDowell and Webster counties owe the most u2014 and, according to a source familiar with the stateu2019s jail payment processes, have for the past decade.
";s:6:"format";s:4:"html";s:9:"textStyle";s:12:"default-body";s:6:"layout";s:11:"body-layout";}i:23;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:6:"layout";s:20:"embed-generic-layout";s:4:"role";s:9:"container";s:10:"components";a:2:{i:0;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"role";s:8:"heading2";s:4:"text";s:56:"What Counties Owe the West Virginia Regional Jail System";s:6:"format";s:4:"html";}i:1;O:8:"stdClass":4:{s:4:"role";s:4:"body";s:4:"text";s:79:"View on the original site.";s:6:"format";s:4:"html";s:9:"textStyle";O:8:"stdClass":1:{s:8:"fontSize";i:14;}}}}i:24;O:8:"stdClass":5:{s:4:"role";s:4:"body";s:4:"text";s:577:"
How state, county and city leaders can spend their opioid settlement funds is guided by an MOU that former Attorney General Patrick Morrisey u2014 now governor u2014 helped to establish in 2022. The MOU outlines that funds can be spent in several areas: prevention, treatment, recovery, and law enforcement and EMS.
Under law enforcement, the MOU specifically says funds can be used for evidence-based programs for individuals who are incarcerated or are exiting incarceration, education and training programs for law enforcement personnel, mental health and support resources, equipment, tools, and manpower for first-responder agencies.
The MOU acknowledges regional jail fees as an approved use of opioid lawsuit settlement funding, saying it provides u201crestitution for monies that were previously expended on opioid abatement activities.u201d
And several counties have decided putting money toward these overdue bills is a priority. In Wyoming County, Commissioner Jason Mullins said many people in the regional jail are incarcerated for opioid-related offenses, so itu2019s a logical use for the funds.
";s:6:"format";s:4:"html";s:9:"textStyle";s:12:"default-body";s:6:"layout";s:11:"body-layout";}i:28;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"role";s:9:"container";s:10:"components";a:2:{i:0;O:8:"stdClass":4:{s:4:"role";s:5:"photo";s:3:"URL";s:78:"https://wvpublic.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/jail-bills-photo-3-700x469.jpg";s:6:"layout";s:29:"full-width-image-with-caption";s:7:"caption";s:207:"Wyoming County Commissioner Jason Mullins, left, speaks with fellow Commissioner Randall Aliiff at a meeting on April 15, 2025.
Photo Credit: Aidan Cornue/West Virginia University";}i:1;O:8:"stdClass":4:{s:4:"role";s:7:"caption";s:4:"text";s:207:"Wyoming County Commissioner Jason Mullins, left, speaks with fellow Commissioner Randall Aliiff at a meeting on April 15, 2025.
Photo Credit: Aidan Cornue/West Virginia University";s:9:"textStyle";O:8:"stdClass":6:{s:13:"textAlignment";s:4:"left";s:8:"fontName";s:15:"Helvetica-Light";s:8:"fontSize";i:14;s:8:"tracking";d:-0.01;s:10:"lineHeight";i:19;s:9:"textColor";s:7:"#999999";}s:6:"layout";O:8:"stdClass":1:{s:6:"margin";O:8:"stdClass":1:{s:6:"bottom";i:25;}}}}s:6:"layout";a:0:{}}i:29;O:8:"stdClass":5:{s:4:"role";s:4:"body";s:4:"text";s:184:"
Logan County is spending nearly a million of its $3.9 million fund on its jail bill. In Boone County, officials are putting $452,766 of opioid settlement funds toward that use.
u201cIf a Madison police officer makes an arrest inside city limits, Boone County is still responsible for the jail bill,u201d Boone County Commissioner Brett Kuhn said. u201cSo thatu2019s a very difficult thing when youu2019re in the economic condition we find ourselves in today to come up with.u201d
Kuhn says Boone County usually owes $60,000-$70,000 per month on their jail bill, and uses the countyu2019s portion of the coal severance tax revenues to pay it off. He says using opioid settlement funds instead of the coal severance tax to pay the jail bill will allow them to redirect severance funds to other economic development opportunities in the county.
Several county officials say the decision to pay off their jail bills first stems from a lack of funding to pay down what they owe. Commissioner Kevin Hagerty said the Grant County Commission also has plans to use its funding to assist in opening a nonprofit sober living house.
u201cBefore we commit to funding, there are various things that we must consider, such as liability issues, operational structure, who would oversee different mechanics of the house, etc.,u201d he said. u201cWe are pretty early in the process; however, it is something that we see as very positive if it were to come to fruition.u201d
The commission has already approved the building of a Safe Haven Baby Box with the settlement funds.
";s:6:"format";s:4:"html";s:9:"textStyle";s:12:"default-body";s:6:"layout";s:11:"body-layout";}i:36;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"role";s:9:"container";s:10:"components";a:2:{i:0;O:8:"stdClass":4:{s:4:"role";s:5:"photo";s:3:"URL";s:78:"https://wvpublic.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/jail-bills-Photo-4-700x393.jpg";s:6:"layout";s:29:"full-width-image-with-caption";s:7:"caption";s:219:"Laura Lander, right, speaks at a Reporting on Addiction event on West Virginia Universityu2019s campus in Morgantown, West Virginia, in 2022.
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Laura Lander, addiction therapist and associate professor at West Virginia Universityu2019s School of Medicine, says there are other ways the funds could be spent that would offer long-term support for people affected by substance use.
Lander, a past opioid settlement grant review panelist for the West Virginia First Foundation, said that things like child advocacy centers, youth prevention and workforce development would be more effective spending.
u201cItu2019s not going to address the problem, itu2019s just going to pay a bill,u201d she said. u201cIu2019m sure everybody has regional jail bills, but itu2019s not actually addressing the problem. It sounds like itu2019s addressing a shortfall in the countyu2019s budget or planning.u201d
Some county officials agree. In Mercer County, Commissioner Greg Puckett says other countiesu2019 use of their settlement funds on the jail bill is understandable u2014 but that doesnu2019t make it the best use of the money.
u201cI think itu2019s kind of a faulty philosophy,u201d Puckett said. u201cThere are identified strategies that are a lot more effective in ways to deal with the opioid problems that weu2019ve seen in the past. Those come from building for future solutions, not looking in reverse.u201d
Instead of paying their jail bill u2014 which was $163,000 for the month of May u2014 Puckett said Mercer County wants to use their funds to improve infrastructure, including a new sheriffu2019s department building and parks for u201cengagement in positive activities.u201d
u201cWhen you pay the jail bill, thatu2019s essentially a reverse thinking philosophy of just getting out from under it. Youu2019re never going to be able to get out completely from under it because of the way the costs are,u201d he said.
Unlike Wyoming or Boone counties, Mercer County also plans to create a task force to help delegate funds that would include mental health experts and people in long-term recovery.
Frank Kearl is an attorney with Popular Democracy. He said he has been developing strategies to ensure transparency and accountability in opioid settlement fund spending alongside organizers and community activists in New York, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Kearl said using the settlement funds to pay for regional jail bills is legal in his read of the West Virginia MOU and his understanding of the rules outlined by the global settlement, but said the legality of using the funds in a certain way and whether thatu2019s the best use for them are different questions.
u201cSomeone would need to be paying attention to where that money was going to ensure that two years from now, when they want to spend the money on something else thatu2019s not related, thereu2019s someone there to be like, u2018wait a second, you already spent all of this money in this other way, so you donu2019t have that remaining funds,u2019 u201d Kearl said. u201cAnd thatu2019s just not happening.u201d
u201cThatu2019s not happening in West Virginia. Thatu2019s not happening anywhere. No one is paying close enough attention to where this money is going.u201d
Plus, Kearl said, this is West Virginiau2019s only shot u2014 just like it is for every state. These funds will only come once. If theyu2019re misspent from the start, government leaders cannot go back to the corporations that are part of the global settlement and sue for more.
u201cThe way that the settlements are set up prevents any subsequent liability for these corporations and individuals for the harm that they caused. So someone living in West Virginia, in one of these counties where this money is being spent on something thatu2019s completely unrelated, they donu2019t have another bite at the apple,u201d Kearl said.
u201cThis is their one opportunity to see meaningful justice served resolution,u201d he said. u201cMoney spent in a way that is helping resolve the harms that they have suffered and continue to suffer, and so when that money is wasted, to me, itu2019s less even about the legality or illegality and more about the justice of it.u201d
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Despite the MOU allowing the payment of regional jail fees, some activists say theyu2019d like to see the money used in other ways.
Brittney Garrett is a representative of Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative, a national nonprofit organization that encourages people struggling with substance use disorder to go to a local police station to receive drug screenings and other recovery services without being arrested. Garrett helps individuals find pathways to treatment and provides guidance for law enforcement when they interact with people struggling with substance use disorder.
Garrett said allocating funding to law enforcement can be an effective measure, as long as the money is spent on programs specifically designed to benefit the community in accessing treatment and recovery services.
u201cWe really need to make sure that itu2019s opioid-specific and that we are helping individuals who are struggling with substance use and connecting them to treatment and recovery to not continue this,u201d she said.
Lander also said the counties need to look at long-term treatment solutions. She said purchasing new vehicles or new buildings is not sustainable, and if counties want to support infrastructure, the settlement money should go towards recovery housing.
u201cWe have an affordable housing crisis in this state, that is, in my opinion, directly connected to the substance use disorder problem. And one of the reasons why itu2019s so difficult for people to get well is that they donu2019t have stable housing,u201d Lander said. u201cItu2019s very hard to be in recovery and not have a stable place to live.u201d
u201cDropping $3 million in a county-level account and expecting them to use it in a way to resolve harms from a crisis that they didnu2019t create in the first place and that they were not actively participating in the settlement process at all is irresponsible by the state,u201d he said.
In Wyoming County, Sheriff Bradley Ellison u2014 who social worker Ann Reed works with directly u2014 said there is a lack of resources for residents who have been affected by the opioid crisis and for emergency personnel like him who have responded to opioid-related emergencies for nearly two decades.
Ellison has worked at the countyu2019s sheriffu2019s department for more than 30 years, responding to the opioid crisis on the front lines. His department consists of 18 officers, and Ellison said itu2019s understaffed and underfunded. And while he said he wasnu2019t sure what the Wyoming County Commission should spend its funding on, he said he needs things that will help his department continue to do their jobs, like new cruisers and an increase in personnel.
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Ellison believes the county is unlikely to continue funding recovery, prevention, or treatment services once settlement funding runs out. He also said he was not against the use of opioid settlement funds to pay their jail bill.
u201cLike if you wanted a facility and it cost a million dollars, youu2019re blowing through your money. Are you helping anything? Because once this moneyu2019s gone, the county ainu2019t gonna pick it up and take it out of their coffers because it ainu2019t there,u201d Ellison said. u201cYou got to try to hit the best way to make the biggest impact that you can with what you got.u201d
Despite current efforts to combat substance use disorders in the county, he said financial support came long after Wyoming County residents were experiencing the worst of the opioid crisis.
u201cThey was 10 years too late on the opioid problem. We was crying and screaming in the early 2000s, u2018Help. Gosh, help.u2019 Nobody would listen,u201d Ellison said. u201cNobody would listen.u201d
This story was published in partnership with West Virginia Universityu2019s Reed School of Media and Communications, with support from Scott Widmeyer.
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13:28:14","post_date_gmt":"2025-07-08 17:28:14","post_content":"n
A month after its application deadline, State Treasurer Larry Pack reports close to 15,000 students will receive full educational fundingu00a0for the 2025-2026 academic year through the Hope Scholarship program.u00a0
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With a full scholarship amount expected to be more than $5,200 for the upcoming year, the current enrollment numbers represent close to $80 million in state spending on school choice. For the previous year, 10,750 students received some level of funding. The Hope Scholarship board reported that as of Feb. 26, the Hope Scholarship has distributed close to $34 million for the current academic year.
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Applications are still being accepted for prorated scholarships, and it is anticipated that approximately 19,000 West Virginia students will participate in the 2025-2026 Hope Scholarship program. Applications accepted by Sept. 15 will receive 75% of the annual award amount, dropping to as low as 25% of the annual award amount for applications accepted by Feb. 28.
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Currently students must be enrolled and attending a public elementary or secondary school to qualify for the Hope Scholarship, but the program will go fully universal and open to all students in the 2026-2027 school year.
nnnn
The Hope Scholarship program received a total of $120 million in appropriations from the state legislature this year. $96,013,384 came from two supplementals, HB 3356 and HB 3357, as well as $24,610,523 within the budget bill.
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A month after its application deadline, State Treasurer Larry Pack reports close to 15,000 students will receive full educational funding for the 2025-2026 academic year through the Hope Scholarship program.
With a full scholarship amount expected to be more than $5,200 for the upcoming year, the current enrollment numbers represent close to $80 million in state spending on school choice. For the previous year, 10,750 students received some level of funding. The Hope Scholarship board reported that as of Feb. 26, the Hope Scholarship has distributed close to $34 million for the current academic year.
Applications are still being accepted for prorated scholarships, and it is anticipated that approximately 19,000 West Virginia students will participate in the 2025-2026 Hope Scholarship program. Applications accepted by Sept. 15 will receive 75% of the annual award amount, dropping to as low as 25% of the annual award amount for applications accepted by Feb. 28.
Currently students must be enrolled and attending a public elementary or secondary school to qualify for the Hope Scholarship, but the program will go fully universal and open to all students in the 2026-2027 school year.
The Hope Scholarship program received a total of $120 million in appropriations from the state legislature this year. $96,013,384 came from two supplementals, HB 3356 and HB 3357, as well as $24,610,523 within the budget bill.
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11:14:21","post_date_gmt":"2025-07-08 15:14:21","post_content":"n
When the floods hit southern West Virginia, Roberto Diaz, his wife Sara, and their four children waited from the safety of their hilltop home to see if their restaurant would survive.
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Better known locally as u201cChef Taco Man,u201d Diaz is the chef and owner of Latin Appalachian in downtown Welch. The floods devastated the town.
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By the time Diaz and his family arrived Sunday, February 16, eleven feet and nine inches of water had poured into the restaurantu2019s 12-foot basement. But two tires had wedged outside the front door, blocking several feet of water cascading down the street outside. Local pastor Brad Davis, a friend of the Diaz family, called this divine intervention.
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When they saw the restaurant was operational, the entire Diaz family went into overdrive. Diaz, his wife, and their 16-year-old daughter grabbed spatulas.
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Diaz described it as u201cjust instinctu2026 if youu2019re cold, youu2019re wet, morale is down, youu2019re defeated, then a good hot meal, itu2019s just like an escape.u201d
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The family turned everything in the freezer into about 300 bowls of hot soup. Word went out on social media that Chef Taco was giving away meals. A counselor from his daughteru2019s school came to offer help.
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Diaz knew what to ask her for. u201cWe had no hot water, no water.u201d Her family and his younger children began hauling hot water from the food bank across the street. When the food bank staff saw what Diaz was doing, they sent over their inventory. Soon Latin Appalachian was providing individual meals for walk-ins and five-gallon containers for shelters in surrounding towns.
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u201cPeople would come in and say, u2018Hey, can I have 60 meals because Iu2019m at a shelter in such-and-such.u2019 We didnu2019t ask questions; we gave them what they asked for. The longest one was Berwin, and we did them for about 250 people a day, every day for the entire time.u201d
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The entire time was about six weeks, totaling some 50,400 meals. Diaz live-streamed twice a day for the duration of his pop-up soup kitchen, and people started bringing donations.
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u201cThey would just drop off things. u2018Hey, can you use some beef?u2019 Sure. And we cooked beef, chicken, steak, turkeys, deer, venison, elk. I cooked black bear. Trout. Lots of fishermen came. Anything anybody hunted or brought, we cooked it, and we turned it into a meal,u201d Diaz said.
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Days turned to weeks. The Diaz family continued surviving on a few hours of sleep. Volunteers came and went. People ate, talked, cried, and prayed together. Latin Appalachian in those days was, Pastor Brad Davis thought, a metaphor for the kingdom of God.
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Davis is pastor of whatu2019s known as the Welch Charge, a group of five United Methodist churches. His parsonage in Welch flooded; he escaped with his two cats and was taken in by a parishioner after spending the first night of flooding in his Welch church.
nnnnPastor Brad Davis, left, and Latin Appalachian restaurant owner Roberto Diaz sit in Diazu2019s closed restaurant discussing the pop-up soup kitchen the restaurant became after the floods hit Welch, West Virginia.
Photo by Wendy Welchnnnn
Davis went to Latin Appalachian the Tuesday after the floods, both to get a hot meal and to check on his friend Diaz.
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Davis said people had sometimes spoken with him about a negative connotation of the flood as God sending a wake-up call. u201cWell, I came in here u2013 there were Red Cross volunteers in here, a Red Cross chaplain was in here, several folks sitting around eating and talking. This whole thing that transpired in this space was sacred and it was a divine act. This is the way that community, that society is supposed to be always, not just in a disaster.u201d
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Davis said that is the way he sees the flood; if it had to happen, it was an opportunity to show Godu2019s love to each other, as had been happening at Latin Appalachian.
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That was the first week. It was week four or so when the soup pots at Latin Appalachian gave up and blew out.
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Diaz described the moment. u201cThey literally warped up, blew out, and soup went flying everywhere.u201d
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Diaz may or may not have cried when the pots buckled from constant use. It felt shattering in a personal way. His family had worked hard not to go into debt opening their dream restaurant.
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u201cLikeif it was one spoon, we saved enough to buy a spoon. If it was a fridge, we saved to buy a fridge. When they blew out, it was just an emotional thing, like it was something we worked hard for that was another thing we were bearing,u201d Diaz said.
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Samu2019s Club walked in with new pots the day after Diaz live-streamed the loss. They also brought a check to pay the electric bill. Latin Appalachian had been running full tilt for weeks without taking in cash. For the restaurant. Diaz had received plenty of monetary donations, but these had all gone to help churches and community groups pay for essentials.
nnnn
Meanwhile, Latin Appalachian still had a basement full of mud.
nnnnRoberto Diaz shows the damage to his restaurantu2019s basement, which remains five months after the flood and has prevented Latin Appalachian from reopening in bricks-and-mortar form. The Diaz family bought a food truck and will cook meals inside the damaged building and sell from the truck at various locations. The goal is to earn enough money to repair and reopen the restaurant.
Photo by Wendy Welchnnnn
u201cI went to the back on week four, and I was down there myself, and I stand in the mud looking at it, and I was like, this was the realization of this may have been the very last hurrah or push of what this business was used for, for relief,u201d Diaz said. u201cThereu2019s no FEMA relief for businesses, the only relief there is, is they do a FEMA SBA loan for us. So we have to go into debt.u201d
nnnn
The loan was approved, but Latin Appalachian had grandfathered-in equipment that would require upgrading.
nnnn
Diaz said, u201cIn order to reopenwe have to do a whole new suppression system, a hood system. And thatu2019s about $20,000. Almost our entire half of our loan is taken up by just that one unit.u201d
nnnn
Ironically, the community that wanted to help as they had been helped, couldnu2019t. GoFundMe campaigns can disqualify FEMA loans. So the family bought a food truck. They intend to earn revenue to reopen the bricks and mortar restaurant.
nnnn
Diaz is optimisticu2013and determined. u201cWhether itu2019s six months a year, Iu2019ll reopen; itu2019ll get there. One board, one nail at a time, Iu2019ll do it, Iu2019ll get there.u201d
nnnnDiaz received this sign for his birthday not long after the flood. He intends to hang it when his bricks-and-mortar restaurant reopens.
Photo by Wendy Welchnnnn
For his birthday not long after the flood, Diaz received a new shop sign with Latin Appalachianu2019s name and logo. He keeps it propped up in the closed restaurant, u201ca literal sign that we will reopen.u201d
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When the floods hit southern West Virginia, Roberto Diaz, his wife Sara, and their four children waited from the safety of their hilltop home to see if their restaurant would survive.
By the time Diaz and his family arrived Sunday, February 16, eleven feet and nine inches of water had poured into the restaurantu2019s 12-foot basement. But two tires had wedged outside the front door, blocking several feet of water cascading down the street outside. Local pastor Brad Davis, a friend of the Diaz family, called this divine intervention.
When they saw the restaurant was operational, the entire Diaz family went into overdrive. Diaz, his wife, and their 16-year-old daughter grabbed spatulas.
Diaz described it as u201cjust instinctu2026 if youu2019re cold, youu2019re wet, morale is down, youu2019re defeated, then a good hot meal, itu2019s just like an escape.u201d
The family turned everything in the freezer into about 300 bowls of hot soup. Word went out on social media that Chef Taco was giving away meals. A counselor from his daughteru2019s school came to offer help.
Diaz knew what to ask her for. u201cWe had no hot water, no water.u201d Her family and his younger children began hauling hot water from the food bank across the street. When the food bank staff saw what Diaz was doing, they sent over their inventory. Soon Latin Appalachian was providing individual meals for walk-ins and five-gallon containers for shelters in surrounding towns.
u201cPeople would come in and say, u2018Hey, can I have 60 meals because Iu2019m at a shelter in such-and-such.u2019 We didnu2019t ask questions; we gave them what they asked for. The longest one was Berwin, and we did them for about 250 people a day, every day for the entire time.u201d
The entire time was about six weeks, totaling some 50,400 meals. Diaz live-streamed twice a day for the duration of his pop-up soup kitchen, and people started bringing donations.
u201cThey would just drop off things. u2018Hey, can you use some beef?u2019 Sure. And we cooked beef, chicken, steak, turkeys, deer, venison, elk. I cooked black bear. Trout. Lots of fishermen came. Anything anybody hunted or brought, we cooked it, and we turned it into a meal,u201d Diaz said.
Days turned to weeks. The Diaz family continued surviving on a few hours of sleep. Volunteers came and went. People ate, talked, cried, and prayed together. Latin Appalachian in those days was, Pastor Brad Davis thought, a metaphor for the kingdom of God.
Davis is pastor of whatu2019s known as the Welch Charge, a group of five United Methodist churches. His parsonage in Welch flooded; he escaped with his two cats and was taken in by a parishioner after spending the first night of flooding in his Welch church.
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Davis went to Latin Appalachian the Tuesday after the floods, both to get a hot meal and to check on his friend Diaz.
Davis said people had sometimes spoken with him about a negative connotation of the flood as God sending a wake-up call. u201cWell, I came in here u2013 there were Red Cross volunteers in here, a Red Cross chaplain was in here, several folks sitting around eating and talking. This whole thing that transpired in this space was sacred and it was a divine act. This is the way that community, that society is supposed to be always, not just in a disaster.u201d
Davis said that is the way he sees the flood; if it had to happen, it was an opportunity to show Godu2019s love to each other, as had been happening at Latin Appalachian.
Diaz may or may not have cried when the pots buckled from constant use. It felt shattering in a personal way. His family had worked hard not to go into debt opening their dream restaurant.
u201cLikeif it was one spoon, we saved enough to buy a spoon. If it was a fridge, we saved to buy a fridge. When they blew out, it was just an emotional thing, like it was something we worked hard for that was another thing we were bearing,u201d Diaz said.
Samu2019s Club walked in with new pots the day after Diaz live-streamed the loss. They also brought a check to pay the electric bill. Latin Appalachian had been running full tilt for weeks without taking in cash. For the restaurant. Diaz had received plenty of monetary donations, but these had all gone to help churches and community groups pay for essentials.
Meanwhile, Latin Appalachian still had a basement full of mud.
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u201cI went to the back on week four, and I was down there myself, and I stand in the mud looking at it, and I was like, this was the realization of this may have been the very last hurrah or push of what this business was used for, for relief,u201d Diaz said. u201cThereu2019s no FEMA relief for businesses, the only relief there is, is they do a FEMA SBA loan for us. So we have to go into debt.u201d
Diaz said, u201cIn order to reopenwe have to do a whole new suppression system, a hood system. And thatu2019s about $20,000. Almost our entire half of our loan is taken up by just that one unit.u201d
Ironically, the community that wanted to help as they had been helped, couldnu2019t. GoFundMe campaigns can disqualify FEMA loans. So the family bought a food truck. They intend to earn revenue to reopen the bricks and mortar restaurant.
Diaz is optimisticu2013and determined. u201cWhether itu2019s six months a year, Iu2019ll reopen; itu2019ll get there. One board, one nail at a time, Iu2019ll do it, Iu2019ll get there.u201d
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For his birthday not long after the flood, Diaz received a new shop sign with Latin Appalachianu2019s name and logo. He keeps it propped up in the closed restaurant, u201ca literal sign that we will reopen.u201d
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A social studies teacher at Wetzel County Schools has been appointed to fill a vacancy in the West Virginia House of Delegates.
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William u201cBillu201d Bell will fill a seat in the 8th District which covers parts of Kanawha, Putnam, Doddridge, Tyler and Wetzel counties. The seat was previously filled by David Kelly, who was appointed to become the Commissioner of the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation last month.
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Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Bellu2019s appointment in a press release Monday evening.
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u201cBill Bell has shown himself to be a leader in his community, serving on the Paden City Common Council,u201d Morrisey said in the statement. u201cI am confident he will be a dedicated public servant.u201d
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In addition to teaching social studies at Wetzel County Schools, Bell is also an adjunct faculty member at West Virginia University at Parkersburg, serves on the Paden City Common Council and is the Council Representative to the Paden City Development Authority.
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A social studies teacher at Wetzel County Schools has been appointed to fill a vacancy in the West Virginia House of Delegates.
William u201cBillu201d Bell will fill a seat in the 8th District which covers parts of Kanawha, Putnam, Doddridge, Tyler and Wetzel counties. The seat was previously filled by David Kelly, who was appointed to become the Commissioner of the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation last month.
u201cBill Bell has shown himself to be a leader in his community, serving on the Paden City Common Council,u201d Morrisey said in the statement. u201cI am confident he will be a dedicated public servant.u201d
In addition to teaching social studies at Wetzel County Schools, Bell is also an adjunct faculty member at West Virginia University at Parkersburg, serves on the Paden City Common Council and is the Council Representative to the Paden City Development Authority.
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The American Red Cross of Central & Southern West Virginia is calling on all blood donors to give blood now. All blood types are needed, and donors who donu2019t know their blood type can learn it after donation.
nnnn
Book a time to give blood by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (733-2767) or by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App.
nnnn
Central Appalachia Region CEO Erica Mani said Type O blood products are most needed on hospital shelves.
nnnn
u201cWhen there is no time to assess what someone's blood type is, you can reach for that O blood. O negative is that universal donor, and O positive is the most common blood type,u201c she said. u201cO is the most utilized type of blood that the hospitals need. That said, there are multiple blood types, and everybody's type is very helpful.u201d
nnnn
The summer school break limits where blood drives can be held and how many people can attend. Mani said the rate of high impact incidents that can quickly deplete local reserves, like car accidents, also rises in the summer.
nnnn
u201cThere are so many people in the summer who are traveling,u201d she said. u201cThere are more accidents as a result, and one car accidents can actually require up to 100 units of blood for an individual that has been impacted. With one accident taking 100 units of blood, your blood supply can quickly become diminished, particularly in a time where there's increased travel.u201d
nnnn
Donors are being incentivized with a sunglasses giveaway through July 14, as well as Fandango movie rewards. Mani said the request is important because of bloodu2019s unique role in the medical system.
nnnn
u201cIt is so unusual in this world to have a product that's needed that cannot be manufactured,u201d she said. u201cBlood is the one product that I can think of that we can't manufacture, but we have to rely upon others to come out, roll up their sleeves and provide this product that is lifesaving. We hope that this message will inspire people to come out, our regular donors and new ones too.u201d
n","post_title":"Community Urged To Donate Blood This Summer","post_excerpt":"All blood types are needed, and donors who donu2019t know their blood type can learn it after donation.u00a0","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"community-urged-to-donate-blood-this-summer","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-07-07 16:18:19","post_modified_gmt":"2025-07-07 20:18:19","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https://wvpublic.org/?p=62295","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw","m":{"_edit_lock":["1751920771:624"],"_thumbnail_id":["29078"],"inline_featured_image":[""],"footnotes":[""],"_edit_last":["624"],"hide_title":["0"],"_hide_title":["field_6362790886020"],"mp3":["62294"],"_mp3":["field_63a1b52bcc11c"],"mp3_url":[""],"_mp3_url":["field_63cae2d50401f"],"featured_image_caption":["A combination of the summer school break and increased demand from high impact incidents is creating a critical need for blood donations this summer."],"_featured_image_caption":["field_6566090f2153e"],"additional_authors":[""],"_additional_authors":["field_63cffa54ad502"],"_send_to_nprone":["1"],"_send_to_one":["1"],"_nprone_featured":["1"],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":["62"],"_yoast_wpseo_content_score":["30"],"_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":["2"],"npr_story_id":["wvpbwp-62295"],"apple_news_api_id":["5cb6d788-eec4-4761-9cf6-f8fef15d7216"],"apple_news_api_created_at":["2025-07-07T20:18:16Z"],"apple_news_api_modified_at":["2025-07-07T20:18:16Z"],"apple_news_api_share_url":["https://apple.news/AXLbXiO7ER2Gc9vj-8V1yFg"],"apple_news_api_revision":["AAAAAAAAAAD//////////w=="],"apple_news_article_checksum":["87d8112d"],"_advads_ad_settings":["a:2:{s:11:"disable_ads";i:0;s:19:"disable_the_content";i:0;}"],"_nprone_expiry_8601":["2025-07-14T16:14:00-04:00"],"apple_news_api_json":["O:8:"stdClass":11:{s:7:"version";s:4:"1.11";s:10:"identifier";s:10:"post-62295";s:8:"language";s:5:"en-US";s:5:"title";s:43:"Community Urged To Donate Blood This Summer";s:13:"documentStyle";O:8:"stdClass":1:{s:15:"backgroundColor";s:7:"#1c1c1c";}s:6:"layout";O:8:"stdClass":4:{s:7:"columns";i:7;s:5:"width";i:1024;s:6:"margin";i:100;s:6:"gutter";i:20;}s:10:"components";a:2:{i:0;O:8:"stdClass":4:{s:4:"role";s:6:"header";s:6:"layout";s:17:"headerPhotoLayout";s:10:"components";a:1:{i:0;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"role";s:5:"photo";s:6:"layout";s:17:"headerPhotoLayout";s:3:"URL";s:78:"https://wvpublic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Nurses-cap-and-stethoscope.png";}}s:8:"behavior";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:4:"type";s:8:"parallax";s:6:"factor";d:0.8;}}i:1;O:8:"stdClass":4:{s:4:"role";s:9:"container";s:6:"layout";O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:10:"columnSpan";i:7;s:11:"columnStart";i:0;s:20:"ignoreDocumentMargin";b:1;}s:5:"style";O:8:"stdClass":1:{s:15:"backgroundColor";s:7:"#1c1c1c";}s:10:"components";a:11:{i:0;O:8:"stdClass":5:{s:4:"role";s:5:"title";s:4:"text";s:43:"Community Urged To Donate Blood This Summer";s:6:"format";s:4:"html";s:9:"textStyle";s:13:"default-title";s:6:"layout";s:12:"title-layout";}i:1;O:8:"stdClass":5:{s:4:"role";s:6:"author";s:4:"text";s:15:"By Chris Schulz";s:6:"format";s:4:"html";s:9:"textStyle";s:14:"default-author";s:6:"layout";s:13:"author-layout";}i:2;O:8:"stdClass":4:{s:4:"role";s:6:"byline";s:4:"text";s:18:"July 7 at 12:18 PM";s:9:"textStyle";s:12:"default-date";s:6:"layout";s:11:"date-layout";}i:3;O:8:"stdClass":5:{s:4:"role";s:4:"body";s:4:"text";s:222:"
The American Red Cross of Central & Southern West Virginia is calling on all blood donors to give blood now. All blood types are needed, and donors who donu2019t know their blood type can learn it after donation.
u201cWhen there is no time to assess what someoneu2019s blood type is, you can reach for that O blood. O negative is that universal donor, and O positive is the most common blood type,u201c she said. u201cO is the most utilized type of blood that the hospitals need. That said, there are multiple blood types, and everybodyu2019s type is very helpful.u201d
The summer school break limits where blood drives can be held and how many people can attend. Mani said the rate of high impact incidents that can quickly deplete local reserves, like car accidents, also rises in the summer.
u201cThere are so many people in the summer who are traveling,u201d she said. u201cThere are more accidents as a result, and one car accidents can actually require up to 100 units of blood for an individual that has been impacted. With one accident taking 100 units of blood, your blood supply can quickly become diminished, particularly in a time where thereu2019s increased travel.u201d
Donors are being incentivized with a sunglasses giveaway through July 14, as well as Fandango movie rewards. Mani said the request is important because of bloodu2019s unique role in the medical system.
u201cIt is so unusual in this world to have a product thatu2019s needed that cannot be manufactured,u201d she said. u201cBlood is the one product that I can think of that we canu2019t manufacture, but we have to rely upon others to come out, roll up their sleeves and provide this product that is lifesaving. We hope that this message will inspire people to come out, our regular donors and new ones too.u201d
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This week, people with mental health challenges or substance use disorder often end up in jail. But crisis response teams offer another way. Also, one year after the Mountain Valley Pipeline went into service, people who live directly in the pipeline’s path have received compensation. But not everyone. And, the Sacred Harp songbook gets an update for the first time since the early 1990s. Send us your comments and questions.
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