Mountain State Spotlight: West Virginia News and Reporting
WEBSep 25, 2024 — Mountain State Spotlight is a nonprofit investigative newsroom that exists to give West Virginians the information they need to make our state a better place. As a nonprofit, we rely on your help to power our journalism. We are committed to lifting up voices that aren’t always heard and spotlighting solutions that are making a difference.
About Mountain State Spotlight
WEBAbout Mountain State Spotlight. Our mission is to help West Virginians improve our state by producing “sustained outrage” journalism that exposes abuses of power by government, business and other institutions. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, West Virginia was at a crossroads. West Virginia is struggling through an historic economic ...
WV State Police scandal: What you need to know
WEBApr 3, 2023 — The sprawling scandal at the state’s top law enforcement agency has reverberated around West Virginia. As a dizzying number of allegations have emerged, here’s what you need to know. by Dan Lawton April 3rd, 2023 Updated July 7th, 2023. Then-Superintendent Jan Cahill, left, and Gov. Jim …
Why West Virginia’s State Health Improvement Plan matters
WEBOct 15, 2023 — Here’s why it matters. The Bureau for Public Health is in the process of identifying West Virginia’s most urgent health problems and planning how to address them. The document will be used to guide funding and policy decisions in the coming years. by Allen Siegler October 15th, 2023. Matthew Christiansen, state health officer, addresses ...
Tackling ‘persistent poverty’ in West Virginia
WEBJan 16, 2024 — 11 of West Virginia’s 55 counties are classified as “in persistent poverty” by the U.S. Census Bureau, having a poverty rate of 20% or higher continually for the past three decades. Datasets used include 1990 and 2000 Decennial Censuses, 2005-2009 and 2015-2019 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.
Here’s how Certificate of Need laws fit into the conversation about ...
WEBMar 5, 2021 — History: in brief. If you haven’t heard of certificate of need laws, you’re not alone. Starting in the early 1960s, states used CON laws to try to curb health care spending by making medical providers prove that a need existed before they could open new facilities or expand services to a community.. The rationale was that if providers flooded a community with more services than that ...
Philippi struggles following Alderson Broaddus closing
WEBby Erin Beck January 5th, 2024. Alderson Broaddus' campus is empty; it closed in August. Photo by Erin Beck. PHILIPPI — For the past century, students from all over West Virginia and the rest of the country came to Barbour County to study at Alderson Broaddus University. For many, the town of Philippi and the school were nearly synonymous.
What are West Virginia’s marijuana laws? - Mountain State Spotlight
WEBJul 23, 2024 — Non-medical sale, use and possession of marijuana remains illegal in West Virginia. Possession of a controlled substance, including marijuana, is a misdemeanor that comes with either a fine of up to $1,000 or three-to-six months of jail time. First-time offenders can be granted probation instead. The federal government still maintains laws that ...
West Virginia settles jails lawsuit for $4 million
WEBNov 9, 2023 — West Virginia has agreed to pay $4 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging inhuman conditions and improper treatment at Southern Regional Jail, lawyers told a federal judge during a hearing in Beckley on Thursday afternoon. “There’s still much work to be done,” Stephen New, a lawyer who brought the case against the state, said ...
Inside the crisis at West Virginia's Southern Regional Jail
WEBAug 29, 2023 — Jeff Sandy, former Secretary of West Virginia's Department of Homeland Security, is one of the state defendants in the class action lawsuit brought over conditions at Southern Regional Jail. On March 30, 2022, Jeff Sandy answered the phone. On the other end of the line — Brian Abraham, the Governor’s chief of staff.