MetroNews This Morning
MetroNews This Morning 7-12-24
An official message from Medicare. A new law is helping me save more money on prescription drug costs. Maybe you can save too. With Medicare's Extra Help program, my premium is zero, and my out-of-pocket costs are low. Who should apply? Single people making less than $23,000 a year, or married couples who make less than $31,000 a year. Even if you don't think you qualify, it pays to find out. Go to ssa.gov/extrahelp. Paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. [MUSIC PLAYING] This is Metro News this morning, bringing you this morning's biggest news headlines from across the state. Good Friday morning to you, July 12, 2024. And this is Metro News this morning. Over the next 15 minutes or so, we will be offering you news from across the state of West Virginia sports and happy Kirchivos commentary. I'm Jeff Jenkins. Thanks for joining us this morning, as we set a way in for what's going to be another hot weekend in West Virginia. But without further ado, let's get us started with the news update from the Metro News anchor desk on Metro News this morning. Here's Carrie Houdesack. Good morning, Carrie. But deadly shooting is under investigation in Mongelya County. Deputies in Mongelya County are investigating a shooting that took the life of one on Mountain Valley Drive early Thursday. The incident was reported at 1.40 AM. The victim was taken to Ruby Memorial Hospital where he died. No names have been released. Detectives are looking for tips, residents in the area that may have seen something should contact the department at 304-291-7260. I'm Mike Nolting for wvmetronews.com. There will be no criminal charges filed against the driver of a vehicle that struck and killed a woman near a convenience store in Hutton'sville. The Randolph County Sheriff's Department says the person who died appeared to be distracted as she walked close to US Route 250. The 41-year-old was struck and killed early Tuesday morning. State Attorney General Patrick Morrissey says the state has officially petitioned the US Supreme Court asking it to overturn a lower court ruling that struck down the state's Save Women Sports Act. Morrissey says the state will have a strong case. It's important that the Supreme Court not take the case and getting it right. There is nothing equal about having biological males compete against girls and women. Nothing. Gender identity is beside the point. The case stems out of Harrison County, where a transgender girl was allowed to compete in middle school track and field against biological girls. A Wall Street Journal article is raising some key questions about the viability of an ominous fuel technologies plants take over the Pleasant's Power Station and generate energy using a hydrogen byproduct of the company's graphite production operations. Governor Jim Justice says coal to hydrogen may not happen, but at least the plant is open and people are working. It may not work out that hydrogen may not be at our fingertips right now. It may work out that we change the world, but absolutely we are running a power plant there with 200 people and jobs. Read more at wvmetronews.com. Nearly 600 parcels of property owned by Governor Jim Justice's family businesses are on the auction block in Raleigh, McDowell, and Monroe counties because of unpaid taxes. Metro New Statewide correspondent Brad McElhaney asked the governor about that Thursday, and here's what he had to say. At the end of the day, it's like a constant barrage over my family stuff. And at the end of the day, it seems to always get worked out. Justice says his son and daughter are doing a good job running the businesses. The governor will be at Hawks Nest State Park today to break ground on a new $8 million ADA accessible aerial tram, State Tourism Secretary Chelsea Ruby, the State Division of Natural Resources Director, Brett McMillian, and local officials will also be on hand. A ceremony is set for noon. The project is scheduled to be completed next spring. The Kanaw County Emergency Ambulance Authority has secured $1 million from Governor Jim Justice to build four stations in South Charleston, St. Albans, Marmette, and Dunbar. Executive Director Monica Mason says this will allow them more space to house their ambulances. - So we currently are in those communities. It's just now these will be stations that are owned by Kanaw County Emergency Ambulance Authority. There'll be stations that will house our employees, but also will be able to get our vehicles out of the weather and they'll be able to be in a garage bay at those facilities as well. - The governor presented a check to the Ambulance Authority Thursday. Meanwhile, financial concerns continue with EMS personnel in Preston County. Commission President Don Smith was part of a work session this week where community members raised concerns over response times in certain parts of the county, as well as the closure of their Roseburg Ambulance Service. - What we're trying to do is just find a solution that everyone can live with, that everyone will trust so that both the residents will trust us to use whatever funding we decide to establish and do with the levy, or they can pass an ordinance and have a fee. - The commission voted to create an advisory board. Read more at wvmetronews.com. The city of Charleston says the USA Cycling Pro-Road Championships that the city hosted in May generated more than $4.5 million in economic impact. New numbers were released Thursday. The event featured more than 400 cyclists from nearly every state in the country. Marshall University has a new vice dean for education at the Jonesy Edwards School of Medicine. Dr. Paulette Weiner was recently named to the job. She begins the role on August 1st. There will be a pig roast in Boone County tomorrow to raise scholarship money for local high school students going to WVU. WVU Alumni Association board member Denise Workman says this is a student-focused effort. - We want that opportunity that many of us had to get a good education. And then maybe a lot of our group come back and be able to give back. - The event gets underway at 3.30 tomorrow afternoon at the Waterways Amphitheater near Julian. - Gonna be so warm, you may not need fuel to (laughs) to do the pig roast. Yeah, it's gonna be warm across the state of West Virginia. Thanks, Kerry, today into the week. And we get back into the '90s today. We'll talk about the weather throughout this morning. Thanks for joining us. And when we come back, we'll hear from President Biden some what he said in that all-important news conference last night and also Kyle Wiggs on sports. It's Friday, good morning. Thanks for joining us. - West Virginia, the all-new Metro News TV app has arrived. Metro News Television brings our award-winning content to your connected device. So now you can watch on your phone, television, tablet or laptop, just download the app. And you've got Metro News Television absolutely free. It's Metro News for your ears and your eyes. Download the free app on Roku, Amazon devices, Apple TV, iOS and Android. Direct links to each platform available at wvmetronewstv.com. Metro News TV, now you can watch the voice of West Virginia. - It's two hours of sports conversation to wrap up your weekend. It's the sitting at Sunday Night Sports Live. Hey, this is Travis Jones, joining myself and Greg Hunter every Sunday night from 6.06 until 8 o'clock. As we wrap up the sports weekend, we talk Mounted Ears, high school, Mounted East Conference and the latest in the national scene. The Sunday Sports line is Lister Interactive. You could call or text the show. At 304, talk 304. It's a perfect weekend sports wrap up on your favorite Metro News affiliate. Or watch the show at wvmetronews.com. (upbeat music) Stay tuned in just a moment, Kyle Whigs will have sports. First though, in our back grounder for this Friday morning, President Joe Biden says don't believe the polls that have him trailing former President Donald Trump in the presidential election. That's how Biden finished up. He has much talked about news conference last night. We hear more in our back grounder. - I think you don't acknowledge and you're all experts. I'm not being solicited about the president. You're experts on this stuff. How accurate does anybody think the polls are these days? I can give you a series of polls where you have likely voters be versus Trump, where I win all the time. When the unlikely voters vote, he wins sometimes. So bottom line is all the polling data right now, which I think is premature because the campaign really hasn't even started. I mean, it hasn't started in earnest yet. Most of the time, it doesn't start till after September, after Labor Day. So a lot can happen, but I think I'm the best call, I know I believe I'm the best qualified to govern. And I think I'm the best qualified to win. But there are other people who could be Trump too, but it's awful start from scratch. And we talk about money raised. We're not doing bad. We get about $220 million in the bank. We're doing well. So with that, do you have anyone want to follow up in any of that, and just ask me? Yes. (audience laughing) You earlier explained confidence in your vice president. Yes. If your team came back and showed you data that she would fare better against former president Donald Trump, would you reconsider your decision to stay in the race? No, unless they came back and said, there's no way you could win. Me. Don't say that. No Paul Sexton. President Joe Biden. (upbeat music) It's Friday in time for an update from the sports desk with Kyle Wigs. Good morning, Kyle. Thanks, Sam. Good morning. Paul Skeens of the Pirates. He throws seven, no hit innings in that game on Thursday. He was removed after throwing 99 pitches. Skeen struck out, 11 walk, just one. Colin Holerman relieved, and the Brewer hitter that let off the bottom of the eighth got a base hit. So the no hitter was gone. Although Skeens again, offering seven, no hit innings. The Pirates would hold on to win that game, one to nothing. There were six shutouts in Major League Baseball on Thursday, and none of the starters finished the game. That's beat Washington, seven to nothing. Boston over Oakland, seven to nothing. Seattle blanked the Angels, the 11 to nothing. Arizona won, and Atlanta, nothing. Red's got a pair of home runs from Tyler Stevenson, a three run shot early, a two run shot late, so he drives in five since daddy beat Colorado eight to one. The rookie Rhys Hines, he went two for four with a double. That's his sixth extra base hit in a very short period of time since being recalled. Cubs again beat the Orioles. That final was eight to nothing. Point Park, University in Pittsburgh is the start of the move to the Division II level from NAIA. And Point Park was also officially accepted as a member of the Mount Knees Conference. Point Park will begin the reclassification process in pursuit of NCAA Division II membership. It could take two to three years. They will immediately begin competing for Mount Knees Conference championships, although they'll be ineligible for NCAA championships until that membership, until that membership in NCAA Division II is final. WNBA from Thursday night. Record crowd, 17,758 largest in New York Liberty history since they played at the Barclays Center. The Liberty beat the Chicago sky, 91, 76, the final. - Thanks, Kyle, and we'll continue to post stories from what was said at Big 12 Media Days this week at our website, WVmetronews.com. And Metro News Statewide Sportsline tonight comes your way at 606. It is Friday, July 12, 2024. I'm Jeff Jenkins, and this is Metro News this morning on Metro News, the voice of West Virginia and the voice of Metro News is Hoppy Kirchivol. - Jeff, West Virginia has made a significant jump in CNBC's annual rankings for the best dates to do business. The mountain state jumped from 46th a year ago, up to 40th. The business network said the study measures all 50 states across 10 categories of competitiveness. The methodology assigns weight to each category based on how frequently states cite it as a selling point. The idea, according to CNBC, is to measure the states based on the criteria they use to pitch themselves to business. West Virginia's strongest category was cost of doing business. The state ranked third behind only Oklahoma and Ohio. West Virginia's ranking is down from Ohio first place last year, but still thirds pretty good. West Virginia took a huge jump in the category of business friendly, rising all the way from 49th last year, up to 17th for this year. The ranking for the overall economy also shut up from 48th a year ago to 28th this year. The rankings also quantified some of the usual trouble spots for West Virginia. Infrastructure fell from 41st last year to 45th. The state did climb out of last place among the states in the workforce category, but only three spots up to 47th. That reflects the state's ongoing challenges of having enough trained and drug free workers to meet the demand. Technology and innovation remain a trouble spot for businesses here. CNBC's ranking for West Virginia held at 47th from the previous year. West Virginia landed in the middle of the pack in quality of life at 31st down four spots from 2023. Here's some other notes from the survey. Virginia was at the top of CNBC's competitiveness ranking for the sixth time and the third time in the last five years. The Commonwealth edged out last year's winner, North Carolina, which fell to second. Texas, Georgia and Florida round out the top five. Alabama was the most improved state, surging 22 places to number 20 overall. Alabama benefited from a big increase in net migration and better performance of worker training programs. Unfortunately, West Virginia's business ranking, although improved, is still lower than any of our neighboring states. We already talked about Virginia. Ohio came in at 7th, Pennsylvania's 17th. Kentucky landed at 27th and Maryland came in at 31st. At the other end of the scale, no, Mississippi was not 50th, but it was 49th. The unfortunate distinction of last place on CNBC's business competitiveness scale belongs to Hawaii. The network reported its ranking is dragged down by its off-the-charts costs, including childcare and rising climate risks. But back to West Virginia, I looked at the CNBC rankings back to 2007 and the previous high for West Virginia was 44th. That was twice in 2007 and 2022. Typically, West Virginia ranked 47th to 48th, close to the bottom. Yes, it would always be better to have higher rankings, but the data show progress, and it's good to be out of that bottom 10. Jeff? - Thanks, Op, and you can read his commentary right now at wvmetronews.com. And Metro News Talkline comes your way at 10.06 this morning, both on our website and on great radio stations across the state of West Virginia. But weather forecasters tell us that after a little reprieve on Thursday, temperatures head back above the 90-degree mark today, and that will continue as a high pressure system settles in for the next several days, at least through midweek, next week, very little rain and temperatures in the nights, maybe an afternoon thunderstorm in the mountains for Hoppy and Kyle. And Kerry, who to sec, I'm Jeff Jenkins. You've been listening to Metro News this morning for this Friday morning, July 12th. Have a great day, and a great weekend. Metro News This Morning is an exclusive production of the Metro News Radio Network, all rights reserved. (upbeat music) - An official message from Medicare. - A new law is helping me save more money on prescription drug costs. You may be able to save too. With Medicare's extra help program, my premium is zero, and my out-of-pocket costs are low. Who should apply? Single people making less than $23,000 a year, or married couples who make less than $31,000 a year. Even if you don't think you qualify, it pays to find out. - Go to ssa.gov/extrahelp, paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.