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This week, it’s not easy to find a place to play hockey in Appalachia, and if you happen to be young and ambitious, it can be harder. Also, rappers and musicians across West Virginia come together for a song challenge. And, farmers learn to turn unwanted sheep’s wool into home insulation.
Putnam County Judge Selected To Fill US Magistrate Vacancy
Joseph Reeder of Hurricane was selected as magistrate judge for Huntington on Monday.Pixel-Shot/Adobe Stock
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Joseph Reeder, a judge for West Virginia’s 29th Judicial Circuit Court in Putnam County, has been selected as the new United States magistrate judge for Huntington, West Virginia.
Reeder is originally from Parkersburg and received both his undergraduate and law education at West Virginia University. He practiced law in Kanawha County following law school, and in 2003 relocated to his current city of Hurricane in Putnam County.
In Hurricane, Reeder founded a law firm in 2003, and operated it until he was elected to the circuit court in 2012. He was reelected to the circuit court in 2016 and 2024.
During his time on the circuit court bench, Reeder has largely focused on issues surrounding substance use. He established the Putnam County Adult Drug Court and the Putnam County Family Treatment Court — both of which offer alternatives to incarceration for individuals with substance use disorder who are convicted of nonviolent crimes.
Reeder’s appointment follows the retirement of Judge Cheryl Eifert from the magistrate bench. He is slated to serve an eight-year term in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, pending a federal background check required for the role.
Joseph Reeder was first elected to Putnam County’s circuit court bench in 2012, winning reelection in 2016 and 2024. Photo Credit: West Virginia Judiciary
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On this West Virginia Week, a Lincoln County student asks the state supreme court to step in, a state of emergency is declared in several counties, and a new initiative honors Dolly Parton.
The suit, filed with the support of the American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia, asks the court to declare the state’s school funding system unconstitutional and order the state to meet its duty to provide a thorough and efficient education to every child in West Virginia.
Hockey is still finding fans and players in central Appalachia, but just because it’s an emerging sport in this region doesn’t mean we don’t have hockey heroes. Inside Appalachia’s Abby Neff met with Gwyneth Phillips, a goalie for the gold-medal winning U.S. Olympics Women’s team, to learn more.
Duties of poll workers can include delivering election supplies to polling places, verifying voter identities and registrations and securing the materials after polls close.