News
WV spends $62M sending foster kids out of state; Morrisey wants $6M to bring them home
2+ hour, 28+ min ago (675+ words) Gov. Patrick Morrisey announces an update on his foster care reform initiatives on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, at the state Capitol in Charleston. West Virginia is spending more than $62 million putting hundreds of foster children in out-of-state facilities across the country. Some…...
Dear Abby: Daughter concerned about parents’ heavy screen time
2+ week, 1+ day ago (432+ words) Dear Abby: My young daughter and I had the pleasure of spending three months with my parents while my husband was deployed. We had a lovely visit, but over the course of our stay, I noticed my parents were spending…...
Number of WV foster children living in hotels hasn’t decreased on Morrisey’s watch
2+ week, 4+ day ago (985+ words) The West Virginia and United States flag fly in front of the Capitol dome, on the west side of the West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston on Feb. 27, 2024. Despite Gov. Patrick Morrisey's focus on improving West Virginia's troubled foster care…...
Dear Abby: Young girl's presence at playground raises serious questions
2+ week, 4+ day ago (302+ words) Dear Abby: To help out his parents, I pick up my grandson from day care two days a week. I recently started taking him to a local park for about 45 minutes before I take him home. I'm physically active and…...
Mattel adds an autistic Barbie to doll line devoted to showcasing diversity and inclusion
2+ week, 4+ day ago (533+ words) Mattel said it developed the autistic doll over more than 18 months in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, a nonprofit organization that advocates for the rights and better media representation of people with autism. The goal: to create a…...
Jeremy Straub: Education, not bans, will help with kids, AI (Opinion)
3+ week, 8+ hour ago (871+ words) Jeremy Straub: Education, not bans, will help with kids, AI (Opinion)Charleston Gazette-Mail The cut-off of Character.ai chatbot accounts to youth, resulting in them "saying tearful goodbyes to their AI companions," has brought the issue of youth chatbot and…...
'Massive' and mohawked: CAMC welcomes Sam Paxton, first baby of 2026
1+ mon, 1+ day ago (470+ words) On Friday, Jan. 2, Samuel Thompson Paxton became the first baby born in 2026 at Charleston's CAMC Women & Children's Hospital. Samuel Thompson Paxton " and his mohawk " made an entrance Thursday at 1:55 p.m., making him the first baby born at CAMC Women and Children's…...
Jessica Melugin: Social media bans won't work in America (Opinion)
1+ mon, 5+ day ago (342+ words) The world's first social media ban of users under age 16 is now in effect in Australia. Whatever parents' genuine concerns and understandable frustrations are around their kids' safety online, the Aussie approach is not the answer and should not be…...
Morrisey wants $6M fund aimed at bringing out-of-state foster children back to WV
1+ mon, 2+ week ago (997+ words) This map, presented at an interim legislative committee meeting on Dec. 7, 2025, shows where West Virginia foster children placed out of state. Gov. Patrick Morrisey wants the state to pay for more in-state group homes for foster children with the goal…...
‘Change for the worse’: Lawmakers troubled by DoHS handling of WV foster care providers
1+ mon, 3+ week ago (1388+ words) State lawmakers are questioning how the Department of Human Services is trying to get a handle on the foster care crisis, raising concerns about delayed payments and a more than $300 million foster care technology platform that doesn't fully work." Lawmakers…...