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Sen. seeks closer scrutiny of CPS

BY CHRIS LAWRENCE CHARLESTON — State Sen. Mike Stuart (R-7th) believes the time has come for the Legislature to take a much closer look at the internal workings of West Virginia’s Child Protective Services Division. The agency had already been the subject of scrutiny in recent years, but its operations have been called into greater question by a recent case in Kanawha County where two children were found locked up in a shed. Deputies found the two adopted teens, ages 14 and 16, locked in an out building near Sissonville with no running water, no food and no adequate toilet. ...

PEIA proposes premium increases for state, local employees

CHARLESTON — The Public Employees Insurance Agency is considering significant premium increases for the coming year. The PEIA Finance Board is proposing: 10.5% premium increases and no benefits changes for state employees who get the insurance. 13% premium increases for employees of local governments that opt into PEIA, plus the addition of a surcharge for eligible spouses of about $147. No changes in premiums or benefits for retirees who are eligible for Medicare. 10% premium increases and no changes in benefits for people who are old enough to have retired but not ...

City Council talks urban camping ban

BY JARETT LEWIS WHEELING — An anti-camping ordinance was introduced at Tuesday night’s Wheeling City Council meeting that would ban camping on public property. The proposed ordinance defines camping as “setting up, remaining in or at property for the purpose of sleeping, making preparations to sleep, storing personal property and/or performing cooking activities for habitation purposes.” Prohibited areas for camping would be on any street, sidewalk, alley, easement, nature preserve, park, conservation park, parking lots, public grounds, public right of way or under any ...

Mon County Courthouse hours to change Nov. 1

MORGANTOWN — The hours of operation for the Monongalia County Courthouse will change to 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. starting Nov. 1.  The Monongalia County Commission approved the new hours during Wednesday’s regular meeting.  Assessor Mark Musick explained the move away from the ...

Justice outpaces Mooney in third-quarter Senate campaign fundraising

MORGANTOWN — In the Republican race for U.S. Senate, Rep. Alex Mooney holds a slight edge over Gov. Jim Justice in terms of campaign account balances. But Justice — who led Mooney in a Justice campaign-funded poll 62%-23% — raised more than double Mooney's take during the third ...

House Health chairwoman question show CPS reviews possible missteps

CHARLESTON — House Health Chairwoman Amy Summers is asking how the public’s representatives can learn more about a state agency’s responses to sensitive child protective services cases. The question arose again following the discovery of two children locked in a shed at a Kanawha County home. Neighbors said CPS was contacted with concerns about the children, but the agency has not commented on whether that is true. “In the news has been the pending criminal case involving the three juveniles in Sissonville,” Summers, R-Taylor, said Tuesday during a legislative interim ...