Magistrate Gaujot resigns

March 2, 2023

BY DAVE WILSON Following an investigation and a second admonishment by the Judicial Investigation Commission of West Virginia, Monongalia County Magistrate Todd Gaujot has resigned and agreed not to seek judicial office again. The commission concluded Gaujot violated 10 rules, including “Compliance with the Law,” “Bias, Prejudice, Harassment,” and “Impartiality and Fairness.” The Commission found that formal discipline was not required but Gaujot agreed to immediately step down and not seek judicial office again. Gaujot was previously admonished by the commission in ...

Robbery suspect charged after arrest for prior misdeed

February 28, 2023

Vincent David Okoli, 20, of Morgantown, is facing first-degree robbery charges after he allegedly entered a Willey Street apartment, threatened the resident, and then stole their car. The alleged robbery occurred the evening of Feb. 25 while the victim was at home, the criminal complaint ...

House bill to promote reading and math literacy among long list of bills passed Tuesday

February 28, 2023

MORGANTOWN – Four education bills were among the long lists passed out of the House and Senate on Tuesday, including yet another version of a bill to promote literacy and numeracy – math literacy – in the early grades. HB 3035 aims to create a “multi-tiered system of support ...

Task force recovers over two pounds of drugs during raid

February 28, 2023

An array of illegal substances were recovered by law enforcement last week while searching a residence at 4439 Mason Dixon Highway. According to the criminal complaint, members of the Mon Metro Drug Force, United States Marshal Service and Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office arrested ...

One arrested after stabbing at storage unit

February 27, 2023

One man is in custody and another in the hospital after an alleged attempted murder at the 24/7 storage units off of Smithtown Road on Sunday. The Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department was initially dispatched to the storage unit for a report of a suspicious person.  According to a ...

Zombie drug ‘tranq’ hits streets of West Virginia

February 25, 2023

BY CARRIE HODOUSEK CHARLESTON — U.S. Attorney Bill Ihlenfeld says he fears a powerful drug that’s turning fentanyl addicts into “zombies” will lead to more overdose deaths in West Virginia. Xylazine, known as “tranq” or “zombie drug,” is an animal tranquilizer that is often mixed with fentanyl. The drug leads to skin-rotting symptoms, including leg wounds, swollen hands and even missing limbs. “Amputation is necessary in some cases in order to stop the spread of whatever is going through these individuals’ bodies,” Ihlenfeld said on Friday’s MetroNews ...