Mountain State Spotlight: West Virginia News and Reporting
5 days ago · 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.
WV State Police scandal: What you need to know
Apr 3, 2023 · Mountain State Spotlight explains: What to know about the West Virginia State Police scandal. 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.
Report shows West Virginia jail officials knew about SRJ issues
Dec 20, 2023 · by Henry Culvyhouse and La Shawn Pagán December 20th, 2023. In April 2022, public outcry about conditions at West Virginia’s Southern Regional Jail reached a fever pitch. For weeks, media outlets had been reporting serious mistreatment and neglect of people held at the jail. They were deprived of water and toilet paper and forced to sleep on ...
Why West Virginia’s State Health Improvement Plan matters
Oct 15, 2023 · West Virginia health officials are writing a five-year plan to improve public health. 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.
What are West Virginia’s marijuana laws? - Mountain State Spotlight
Jul 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
Nov 9, 2023 · West Virginia to pay $4 million to settle lawsuit over conditions in Southern Regional Jail. After a magistrate judge recommended a ruling against the state for destruction of evidence, a settlement was quickly reached in a class action lawsuit brought by people who were incarcerated at Southern Regional Jail. by La Shawn Pagán November 9th, 2023.
Here’s how Certificate of Need laws fit into the conversation about ...
Mar 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 ...
Thousands of West Virginians remain jailed, awaiting their day in …
Feb 18, 2021 · A new Mountain State Spotlight analysis of West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation incarceration data found that of the more than 2,000 people behind bars before trial for felony offenses on Jan. 19, fewer than half could be linked to charges that generally were violent, sexual or involved direct harm to children.
Tackling ‘persistent poverty’ in West Virginia
Jan 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.
West Virginia Amendments 1, 2 and 4 explained - Mountain State …
Oct 26, 2022 · One of four proposed constitutional amendments on the general election ballot could allow the Legislature to slash taxes that go directly to counties. In the case of Boone County, those taxes made up nearly half of the libraries’ $226,000 annual budget last year, and also support services like ambulance systems, schools and the local fire ...