Capito files for re-election

Senator Shelley Moore Capito has filed for re-election. That sets up a possible race with former presidential candidate Richard Ojeda. Ojeda faces progressive Paula Jean Swearengin in the Democratic primary.

PEIA says rainy day fund could be depleted by 2022

The State Public Employees Insurance Agency says it’s 105-million-dollar rainy day fund could be depleted by budget year 2022. The money is used to keep state workers from having to pay more for health insurance. The PEIA says they’ll need nearly 80-million-dollars to avoid a premium increase.

Kanawha County vaping ban

The Kanawha County Board of Health approved an indoor vaping ordinance. The ban treats e-cigarettes like cigarettes, and prohibits them in public places like restaurants and stores. The Cabell-Huntington Board of Health will host a public hearing on a similar ordinance next week.

Governor’s race heating up

On the same day Governor Jim Justice filed his paperwork for reelection, so did two others, as well. Boone County’s state Senator Ron Stollings and Kanawha County Commissioner Ben Salango are seeking the bid from the Democrats. Another Democrat, Stephen Smith, is expected to file his paperwork today.

Georgia man found guilty in Fairmont woman’s death

A federal jury found a Georgia man guilty of distributing drugs that resulted in the death of a Fairmont woman. Courtney Dubois was found dismember in a Georgia landfill in 2018. Thirty-five-year-old Terrick Robinson was found guilty of eight charges. Two other co-conspirators have pleaded guilty in the case.

Fatal crash in Jefferson County

A Jefferson High School senior and a 30-year-old woman were killed in a head-on crash near Charlestown. Seventeen-year-old Hunter Muse and Alisha Shamburg died at the scene on Route 51. Another teenager was injured, and is in stable condition.

Fire damages Association of the Blind building

The Huntington Fire Department responded to a fire at the Cabell-Wayne Association of the Blind building. No one was inside when the blaze broke out. The fire broke out in a crawl space and damaged the kitchen and bathroom area.

Sentencing delayed for former Miss Kentucky

Sentencing for former Miss Kentucky, Ramsey Bearse, has been delayed for a psychiatric evaluation. Bearse is a former Kanawha County middle school teacher who admitted to sending nude photos to a 15-year-old boy. Here sentencing was delayed until March.