WQBE News

There are nearly fifty new COVID-19 cases in West Virginia, bringing the total close to three-thousand. The death toll remains at 93, and the positive test rate is below two-percent.

A Beckley woman, who faked her own death to avoid sentencing, will spend more than three-years in prison for health care fraud. Julie Wheeler’s family reported that she fell into the New River Gorge National River and died. After a two-day search authorities found her hiding in a closet.

All city owned outdoor recreation fields and courts are now open in Charleston. Social distancing guidelines will remain in place, face masks are required, and gatherings of more than one-hundred are prohibited. The city is also offering free outdoor classes and virtual programming for the summer.

New Kanawha County Schools Superintendent Tom Williams is officially on the job. He says his goal is to have students and staff inside school buildings in the fall, but it’s unclear what that will look like. Williams isn’t ready to release a COVID-19 re-entry plan yet, but officials are planning for several different scenarios.

A new study shows the least effective face covering is the bandana. Scientists studied a sneeze or cough from a mannequin head wearing different face coverings and used lasers to detect the respiratory droplets. Cone style masks were the most effective in containing the spread of respiratory droplets. Droplets from a cough were able to … Read more

A West Virginia woman who faked her own death to get out of a fraud charge has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison. Julie M. Wheeler was sentenced for defrauding a federal health care program and now faces local charges for reporting a false emergency, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Mike … Read more

The annual Charleston Boulevard Rod Run & Doo Wop has been canceled for 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event’s board of directors voted to cancel the 15th annual event which was originally scheduled for Sept. 30 through Oct. 4. Anyone who is a registered participant, sponsor or vendor who already paid for the … Read more

It has been difficult for restaurants and other local businesses to make it during the pandemic, and some have been receiving help from their landlord. The Charleston Urban Renewal Authority has been forgiving rent for the four restaurant properties it owns: Black Sheep, First Watch and Subway on Summers Street in Charleston, as well as … Read more

Snowshoe Mountain Resort will open tomorrow for it’s summer season. Activities need to be prearranged to control crowdes, and masks are encouraged.

The Kanawha Public Library is now open in its temporary location at Charleston Town Center. The library will be at the mall for about two-years while their Capitol Street building undergoes a 24-million-dollar renovation.