Tim Armstead, chief justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, declared May 'Treatment Court Month' to recognize an alternative to incarceration that addresses substance use disorder.
April 4, 1980: Musician Red Sovine Dies in Nashville
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Musician Red Sovine died in Nashville following a car crash on April 4, 1980. He was 61.
Born Woodrow Wilson Sovine in Charleston, he was influenced by local radio musicians Frank Welling and Buddy Starcher, who were known for their sentimental monologues.
Sovine’s early radio career on WCHS in Charleston and WWVA in Wheeling was slow to take off. So, he took a factory job in the Putnam County town of Eleanor while performing on radio. After World War II, he pursued a full-time musical career in Montgomery, Alabama, Shreveport and finally Nashville.
Joining the Grand Ole Opry in 1954, he became famous for his recitations, especially ‘‘Giddyup Go,” “Phantom 309,” and this number-one hit from 1976:
Red Sovine was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame in 2008.
On this West Virginia Morning, the Jewish holiday of Passover is coming to an end. It is a time for celebration and reflection. This year, it has been a bit more difficult, according to Rabbi Victor Urecki from Charleston. He spoke with News Director Eric Douglas to discuss the holiday and the struggle with the war in Gaza.
On the same day the YWCA Charleston had a Race to End Racism in the capitol city, a group of men from the white supremacist group Patriot Front marched through the streets of downtown.
A ceremony held Thursday morning in Charleston honored survivors of crimes and their advocates. The annual event featured remarks from U.S. Attorney Will Thompson.