Author: Liz McCormick

Liz is WVPB's Webmaster/Digital Coordinator and Eastern Panhandle Bureau Chief, based in Shepherdstown, WV on Shepherd University's campus. Liz is a native of Charleston, West Virginia. She received a M.A. in Strategic Communication from American University in 2022 and a B.A. in Communication and New Media from Shepherd in 2014. Prior to her role as webmaster, Liz was WVPB's Eastern Panhandle reporter from 2014-2022, the House of Delegates reporter on "The Legislature Today" from 2015-2017, and she covered K-12/higher education from 2020-2022. Liz has also worked as a technical assistant and associate producer on "The Legislature Today."

2024 State Legislative Session Nears Its Close, This West Virginia Week

On this West Virginia Week, the 2024 West Virginia Legislative session is wrapping up. Saturday, March 9 is the final day state lawmakers can consider bills during this regular session. We bring you conversations with members of the House of Delegates and Senate who look back at the last 60 days — and ahead.

On this West Virginia Week, the 2024 West Virginia Legislative session is wrapping up. Saturday, March 9 is the final day state lawmakers can consider bills during this regular session. We bring you conversations with members of the House of Delegates and Senate who look back at the last 60 days — and ahead.

We also bring you conversations from our new student reporter program, and we hear from our statehouse reporters who share what they’ve been watching this session.

Finally, we’ll hear from a professor who helps us understand our vaccination laws in West Virginia.

Liz McCormick is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.

West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week’s biggest news in the Mountain State. It’s produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Randy Yohe.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

Conversations From The State Legislature And Morgantown Welcomes Ukraine Veteran, This West Virginia Week

On this West Virginia Week, the West Virginia Legislative session is in full swing, and lawmakers have been considering a number of pieces of legislation. We’ll listen back to a few of our conversations with our guests this week on our program The Legislature Today. Also, we’ll hear from a man who recently arrived in Morgantown from the front lines in Ukraine.

On this West Virginia Week, the West Virginia Legislative session is in full swing, and lawmakers have been considering a number of pieces of legislation – from education, jobs, energy, hunger and more. We’ll listen back to a few of our conversations with our guests this week on our program The Legislature Today.

We also hear from a man who recently arrived in Morgantown from the front lines in Ukraine.

Liz McCormick is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

Mental Health Needs And Retaining Government Emails, This West Virginia Week

On this West Virginia Week, we learned about mental health needs in southern West Virginia, and we heard about efforts to keep state agency emails as lawsuit evidence. We also have reports on the Hope Scholarship, renewable energy, conservation and a planned closure of a pharmacy.

On this West Virginia Week, we have a short show in light of the Thanksgiving holiday. This week, we learned about mental health needs in southern West Virginia, and we heard about efforts to keep state agency emails as lawsuit evidence.

We also have reports on the Hope Scholarship, renewable energy, conservation and a planned closure of a pharmacy.

Liz McCormick is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.

West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week’s biggest news in the Mountain State. It’s produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Caroline MacGregor, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Liz McCormick, and Randy Yohe.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

State Of Emergency Declared For Hampshire County Special Education

The review identified issues with administrative processes, incomplete, incorrect or out-of-date Individualized Education Plans (IEP) and inconsistencies in special education curriculum across the county.

The West Virginia Board of Education has issued a state of emergency for Special Education Services in Hampshire County Schools.

The West Virginia Department of Education’s Office of Accountability conducted a Special Circumstance Review in September of Hampshire County Schools following a “lack of progress” over a three-year period on an improvement plan that was developed for the county.

That plan included increased monitoring and technical assistance from the state, but the state board said sufficient progress wasn’t made during that time.

The September review identified issues with administrative processes, incomplete, incorrect or out-of-date Individualized Education Plans (IEP) and inconsistencies in special education curriculum across the county.

The review also identified inexperienced, uncertified or long-term substitute teachers in special education roles. And three schools in the county do not have any certified special education teachers. The review noted, however, that the county reported finding it challenging to recruit and retain certified staff.

State Superintendent of Schools Michele Blatt was directed by the state board to appoint designees who will coordinate on-site school improvement efforts.

The county will have six months from the time it receives recommendations to make changes before the state board considers additional action, according to a news release.

This designation joins recent state of emergencies issued by the West Virginia Board of Education in Upshur and Logan County Schools. Both school systems were taken over by the state board after investigations by the West Virginia Department of Education discovered financial misconduct.

W.Va. Partners With Tutor.com To Provide Free, Live Tutoring Daily For All Ages

Through a new partnership with Tutor.com, West Virginians of all ages now have access to free, real time, online tutoring, test prep and job help. West Virginians can access these resources by visiting TutorWV.com.

Through a new partnership with Tutor.com, West Virginians of all ages now have access to free, real time, online tutoring, test prep and job help.

West Virginians can access these resources by visiting TutorWV.com. Curator of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History Randall Reid-Smith announced the partnership Wednesday in a regular media briefing with Gov. Jim Justice.

“It’s from 10 o’clock in the morning to 10 o’clock at night. There’s 200 subjects that you can study,” Reid-Smith said. “It’s by grade level, it’s by subjects, and all you got to do is go [online], and you click a purple button that says ‘connect now.’ And that takes you to all of the wonderful live tutoring.”

Along with live tutoring, students can use a drop-off review service for essays and math problems.

If students choose to create a free account, they can keep working with the same tutor. The website also has self-guided resources, such as practice quizzes, video lessons and test-preparation resources like the ACT.

“[TutorWV.com] can help people prepare for their SATs, for their LSATs for law school and for their MCAT for medical school,” Reid-Smith said. “So it’s a great, great opportunity.”

Jobseekers also have access to a plethora of resources, such as live interview preparation, help with job searches and applications, and resume and cover letter help. An expert will respond to these submissions within 12 hours.

“I’m incredibly proud to support this program and look forward to seeing the positive impact it’ll have on our state,” Justice said in a news release. “Since taking office, my administration has made it a priority to improve our academic programs. We owe it to our students to give them the best opportunities imaginable. On top of that, this program also addresses the need for career growth for our citizens.”

A similar announcement was made last week for some southern West Virginia counties where 7th and 8th graders have 24/7 access to academic support through Tutor.com. This program is through a partnership with GEAR Up Southern West Virginia.

17 Therapy Dogs Now In W.Va. Schools Through ‘Friends With Paws’

Skye is the seventeenth therapy dog to be placed in West Virginia’s public schools through Friends with Paws. The program began in April 2022 with the first placement at Welch Elementary.

A school in the Eastern Panhandle is the latest recipient of a therapy dog through the Communities In Schools: Friends With Paws program.

Berkeley Springs High School in Morgan County received its very own therapy dog this week named Skye. First Lady Cathy Justice made the announcement in a press release Wednesday.

“I am very happy that we were able to place Skye in beautiful Berkeley Springs,” she said in the release. “I think this will be a great home for her, and I can’t wait to hear about all the ways that Skye’s presence will make a positive impact on students’ lives. This is a day of celebration!”

Skye is the seventeenth therapy dog to be placed in West Virginia’s public schools through Friends With Paws. The program began in April 2022 with the first placement at Welch Elementary.

The therapy dog program, according to the governor’s office, was launched as a way to alleviate some of the social-emotional effects of poverty, addiction and other at-risk situations in the state’s Communities In Schools (CIS) counties.

Gov. Jim Justice also noted at the time of launch that the program would help to combat the emotional effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Therapy dogs, according to the National Institutes of Health, provide a benefit in the classroom by increasing a positive mood and providing anti-stress effects on the body.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) last year produced a documentary on the Friends With Paws therapy dog project under the same name. It can be viewed for free on WVPB’s YouTube channel or through PBS Passport.

“Berkeley Springs High School is very thankful for this opportunity through the Friends With Paws program. We are extremely excited to have Skye with us to support and comfort our students,” Principal Mitch Nida said.

Friends With Paws is a partnership between the governor’s office, West Virginia Communities In Schools, and the West Virginia Department of Education.

Fifty-three of the state’s 55 counties are part of CIS.