Latest West Virginia Headlines
All the headlines from our West Virginia Topic Page, ordered by recency.
WV Approves Raises for Corrections Workers as Lawsuits Filed Over Conditions
Aug 10 2023 // West Virginia`s state Legislature approved millions of dollars in raises and bonuses for corrections employees Tuesday, the same day as a lawsuit was filed against Republican Gov. Jim Justice and other state leaders over...
A WV Teacher Was Caught on Video Abusing Students. Her District is Settling for $11M
Aug 3 2023 // A school district in West Virginia has reached settlements totaling over $11 million in lawsuits involving a teacher who abused special education students in her classroom, according to a media report. Seven lawsuits...
After Decades of Delays, Coal Miners Hail Rule to Slow Black Lung Disease
Jul 25 2023 // A half-century ago, the nation`s top health experts urged the federal agency in charge of mine safety to adopt strict rules protecting miners from poisonous rock dust. The inaction since – fueled by denials and lobbying...
Florida Quelled Attorney Fees But WV Doctrine is Alive – With Limits
Jul 24 2023 // The Florida Legislature made national headlines late last year when it effectively curtailed one-way attorney fees and greatly limited plaintiffs’ fee multipliers in claims litigation. Property insurers celebrated...
Board Overseeing West Virginia’s $1B Opioid Fund Adds State Health Officer
Jul 18 2023 // West Virginia`s state health officer was selected Wednesday to represent one of the hardest-hit regions of the state for drug overdoses on the board of a private foundation that will be distributing the majority of the...
WV Governor’s Coal Mines Agree to Catch Up on $5M in Safety Violation Fines
Jul 13 2023 // Nearly two dozen companies owned by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice have agreed to catch up on fines owed to the U.S. government from a 2020 settlement over unsafe working conditions at his coal mines, according to a...
Industrial Gas Maker Messer to Pay $1.9M to Settle WV Pollution Violation Suit
Jun 28 2023 // A producer of industrial gas in West Virginia has agreed to pay $1.9 million to settle allegations that it violated the Clean Water Act by dumping copper, aluminum, residual chlorine, iron and phenolics into the Ohio River...
Coal Firms Owned by Family of WV Governor Sued Over Unpaid Penalties
Jun 2 2023 // Thirteen coal companies owned by the family of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice are being sued over unpaid penalties for previous mining law violations that the federal government says pose health and safety risks or...
West Virginia Fumigation Facility May be Barred by Zoning Rules
May 9 2023 // A West Virginia logging company hoping to locate a log-fumigation facility in the picturesque Allegheny Mountains won’t be allowed to build in that particular spot due to a zoning issue, a local official...
Court Affirms $2.5M Penalty for West Virginia Governor’s Coal Mines
Apr 11 2023 // A federal appeals panel has affirmed $2.5 million in penalties against Appalachian coal mines owned by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice over claims they violated a settlement meant to prevent pollution. A three-judge panel...
Coal Miner Killed in West Virginia, Second Fatality This Year in the State
Mar 24 2023 // A coal miner died Wednesday in an accident at a northern West Virginia mine, Gov. Jim Justice said. Cecil Barker, 62, of Philippi, was working as a surveyor at Century Mining’s Longview Mine in Barbour County. Two...
WV Lawmakers Cap Damages for Deliberately Putting Workers in Harm’s Way
Mar 13 2023 // A bill that would cap some of the damages West Virginia workers and their families can receive if their employer deliberately puts them in harm’s way on the job is headed to the desk of Gov. Jim Justice. The...
West Virginia House Backs Cap on Workers’ Damages in Deliberate Intent Cases
Mar 6 2023 // Republicans in the West Virginia House passed a bill last week that would cap some of the damages workers and their families can receive if their employer deliberately puts them in harm’s way on the job. The 52-45...
Kentucky Man Dies in WV Coal Mine, First U.S. Mining Fatality This Year
Mar 1 2023 // A coal miner has died in an incident in a southern West Virginia mine, Gov. Jim Justice said. William Mapes, 73, of Freeburn, Kentucky, died Sunday, Justice said Sunday in a news release. Mapes had 53 years of mining...
WV House Approves $105M for Gates-backed Green Energy Battery Plant
Feb 14 2023 // Lawmakers in West Virginia’s House of Delegates on Friday greenlit an investment of $105 million in taxpayer dollars to support a Bill Gates-backed company that is building a renewable energy battery plant in the...
Ohio Train Derailment Prompts West Virginia Utility to Take Water Safety Steps
Feb 14 2023 // A West Virginia water utility is enhancing its water treatment process as a precaution following the derailment of a train hauling chemicals that later sent up a toxic plume in Ohio. West Virginia American Water said...
Three College Students Killed in West Virginia Auto Accident
Feb 9 2023 // Three Virginia college students were killed when their vehicle left a road and struck a tree in West Virginia, authorities said Friday. The single-vehicle accident occurred Thursday night along West Virginia Route 259 near...
West Virginia Puts All DMV Transactions Online, Speeding Process for Motorists, Insurers
Dec 16 2022 // West Virginia plans to speed up the process for motorists doing vehicle registrations and other transactions with the state. Gov. Justice Jim Justice said Wednesday that the Division of Motor Vehicles will expand its...
Update: Florida Consultant on Demotech Alternatives Faced Issues in Other States
Dec 1 2022 // A Mississippi-based consulting firm hired to figure out Florida’s insurance company financial rating conundrum has faced scrutiny in other states after audits found improper disbursement of funds, long delays in...
West Virginia High Court Issues Slew of Rulings – Some For, Some Against Insurers
Nov 22 2022 // The West Virginia Supreme Court has handed down four decisions that could affect insurers’ payouts in auto, homeowners and worker injury claims. Non-employee Covered In Ball vs. United Financial Casualty Co., the...
