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Justice signs bill putting more aides in classrooms

CHARLESTON — Gov. Jim Justice visited the school where the Senate Education chair is a teacher to celebrate signing a bill meant to bolster educational resources for students in kindergarten through third grade. School children reacted in awe at the governor’s dog, who also attended the bill signing. Sen. Amy Nichole Grady, who teaches fourth grade, gave the young students a quick civics lesson in the governor’s role in signing bills passed by the Legislature. “I’m the biggest kid in the room,” Justice said at Leon Elementary in Mason County. The governor told ...

State police under federal probe

CHARLESTON — Gov. Jim Justice announced Monday that he has accepted the resignation of West Virginia State Police Superintendent Jan Cahill amid an investigation of the agency that seems primed to continue at multiple levels. The governor named an acting superintendent, Jack Chambers, and directed him to follow up on specific inquiries into state police actions. And the governor confirmed the West Virginia State Police agency is under federal scrutiny. “Today is surely one of those tough days,’ Justice said during an afternoon news conference. Cahill’s resignation ...

Mileground project now expected to stretch into late 2023

MORGANTOWN — Construction on the Mileground widening project is now expected to stretch through the majority of 2023. West Virginia Department of Transportation Spokesperson Jennifer Dooley confirmed Friday the work is currently on pace to be completed this fall or winter. The exact ...

Gov signs off on PEIA changes, pay raises

CHARLESTON — Gov. Jim Justice acknowledged three inter-related bills with financial significance at a ceremonial signing of a budget bill, a bill making changes to the insurance program for public employees and a bill reflecting a pay raise for public employees. The governor described the pay raise and insurance bills — along with a broad-based tax bill — as trying to strike a balance. “We now have as close to a permanent fix to PEIA that we haven’t had in the past,” Justice said at Friday’s signing event. The pay raise legislation was described as an offset for ...

Justice says coal assets discussed for months

CHARLESTON — The Wall Street Journal has reported that Gov. Jim Justice’s family has started exploring the sale of coal assets, and the governor is vehement that has nothing to do with his consideration of a U.S. Senate run. “The thing that blows me away about stuff like that is they tie it to a Senate run,” Justice said Wednesday. “I mean, give me a bloomin’ break.” The possibility of a sale was raised last year as Justice’s coal company, Bluestone, worked to resolve millions of dollars in debt to the international lender Credit Suisse. The news in the Wall ...