Travel site says state has lowest overall debt per person in U.S.

January 18, 2020

West Virginians have the lowest overall debt — including mortgage — per person in the United States, according to a report by Upgradedpoints.com, a travel site for cost-conscious travelers. Using data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the website said the average debt in West Virginia is $29,430. Included in that total is $15,430 for things like student debt, the lowest in the country, as well as a $2,240 credit card debt, the second lowest. “West Virginia is a low-income state and people won’t be buying as much in general,” said John Deskins, director of West ...

Honor society fundraises for koala hospital

January 18, 2020

Submitted photos The T-shirts designed by Long are available in black and white and cost $25 each. The National Honor Society at Clay-Battelle Middle/High School have teamed with Morgantown designer Jamie Long to create and sell T-shirts to raise money for a koala hospital in Australia. ...

Candidate filings for Friday

January 18, 2020

KINGWOOD — The Preston County Board of Education race drew its first candidates late in the week. Bruce Huggins and Peter Liga, both of Kingwood, filed paperwork Friday to run for the board. Voters will elect two full terms, for the seats now held by Pam Feathers and Bob Ridenour, and the remainder of the unexpired term of Robert “Mac” McCrum, who resigned to seek state office. Huggins was appointed to fill McCrum’s seat until the election. James Maier and Peggy Pase, both of Kingwood, filed Friday to run for magistrate in Division 3. Earlier in the week, Aaron Knotts, of ...

Human trafficking a problem, even in West Virginia

January 18, 2020

Before the dust has settled on the case of Jeffrey Epstein, who died in jail after being accused of sexually trafficking girls, an eerily similar story emerged from Florida. This time, it’s centered on a man who launched a nonprofit to purportedly help children in the foster care system but was actually grooming them to be prostitutes. Foster children, along with runaways, are two very vulnerable groups when it comes to falling victim to sexual trafficking, noted Andrew Cogar, an assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of West Virginia who prosecutes federal cases of human ...

Proposed policy sets seven standards for effective schools

January 18, 2020

KINGWOOD — A proposed state education policy revision would change the way county schools are evaluated. “Basically, under Policy 2322, the state is going back to seven standards for effective schools,” Preston Schools Superintendent Steve Wotring said. The seven standards are: Clear and focused mission, instructional leadership, high expectations for success, positive and safe environment, equitable opportunities to learn and effective instruction, frequent monitoring of student progress and family and community partnerships. “Those seven things are how we are required to ...

Sentencing hearing delayed after concerns raised

January 17, 2020

KINGWOOD — A sentencing hearing for Clay Conor Johnson was delayed Friday after a woman raised questions about his mental health and sobriety. Johnson, of Bruceton Mills, was indicted in January 2019 on charges of fleeing while DUI, fleeing with reckless indifference and two counts of destruction of property, in relation to a June 2018 incident in which his vehicle hit two police cruisers. In August 2019, he was charged with misdemeanors in another incident, after his wife called police and said he had taken an entire bottle of medicine and was trying to leave the house. In ...