MetroNews This Morning
MetroNews This Morning 7-9-24
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First though, let's get an update from the Metro News anchor desk. Here's Carrie Hootesack. Good morning, Carrie. - Good morning, Jeff. A man charged in a Lincoln County murder case is dead. 35 year old Tony Williamson was found unresponsive with a western regional jail on July 4th. State corrections officer say Williamson's body was found during a routine check. He was arrested in Parkersburg a few days before and charged with murdering 34 year old Marissa Branges, whose body was found in a wooded area in your hearts. And autopsy confirmed she died of a single gunshot wound. The state parole board has rejected a request in a high profile murder case. - One convicted in the 2012 killing of Schuyler Nice in Morgantown, Rachel Schof has been denied parole. Schof and co-defended Schuyler Eddie lured Nice from her star city home to Pennsylvania where the parent murdered Nice and hit her body. Months later, Schof broke down and confessed to the crime. She's serving a 30 year sentence for second degree murder. Co-defendant Eddie is serving a life sentence for first degree murder with Mercy. She's not eligible for parole until 2028. I'm Mike Nolting for wvmetronews.com. - A former McDonald's employee is apologizing for stabbing and robbing a customer last year. 32 year old Richard Thornton spoke Monday in Kanaw County circuit court before a judge sentenced him to 100 years in prison. - There's nothing I can ever say or do to change what happened or to take this back or to even to begin to ask for any kind of forgiveness for this. I would like to get my sincere apologies. - The incident happened in the Elfview McDonald's bathroom in January, 2023. A Charleston woman who allegedly stabbed her boyfriend's daughter to death is set to go on trial this October pending the result of a criminal responsibility evaluation. Kanaw County public defender Ricoliker says it was necessary to delay the trial for a 43 year old Amber Weimer. - You still need the criminal responsibility evaluation and I'm going to take some responsibility for the fact that you don't have it yet. - Weimer is accused of murdering 20 year old Abigail Marson Kowski at a home in Charleston in January of 2023. State intervention will continue in three county school districts. The state board of education received progress reports Monday for Logan, Upsher and Hampshire counties. State officer of educational accountability, Jeff Kelly says these state takeovers share a common thread. - The decision makers set aside accountability to appease adults, to make adults happy. And they do so at the expense of student learning and what's best for kids. That is the one consistent thing that I think existed in all three of those scenarios. - The board also named a new president, Nancy White will serve in that role taking over for Paul Hardesty who will remain on the board as a regular member. The Cabell County Board of Education meets tonight to vote on possibly restoring funding to libraries and parks as part of a new school excess levy. The original levy was voted down in the May election. A special meeting will be held at 5.30 tonight in Huntington. The Ohio County Board of Education is considering a possible cell phone ban for six through 12th grade students. The board discussed the measure during a Monday meeting. Many other school districts across the country are considering similar policies to boost classroom focus if approved the policy would take effect this fall. The city of Charleston is considering a proposed ordinance to decriminalize simple possession of marijuana. The city's committee on ordinance and rules met Monday night to discuss two bills after community leaders submitted a petition to create a new city code. Corey Zinn supports the change. - We'd really like to see cannabis be decriminalized for everyone that I'm pretty core beliefs that in decriminalization in general for drugs and what I would call non-serious crimes that aren't harming others. - Charleston City Councilman Chad Robinson says they're working to iron out the details before submitting the final version to the full council. House Finance Committee Chairman Vernon Chris says state lawmakers should consider Governor Jim Justice's tax cut proposal before a new administration takes over. - I think it's prudent to do it now. I do. I think we need to along with the other things but the surplus dollars that we continue to have left over that we need to take a look at. - Chris was a guest on Monday's Metro News Talkline. The governor earlier this month said he wants to follow up on an automatic reduction in the personal income tax with another 5% on top of that. WVU Provost Marianne Reed is reflecting on her time at the university before she retires this October. - I have made wonderful friends and there've been great people who've guided me along the way and I'm truly grateful for all the WVU has done for me but it is time for me to open a new chapter. - Reed says she'll continue to report to the president and wrap up projects related to student retention and land grant outreach. Assistant Provost Paul Kreider will serve in the interim and it's going to be another hot day in West Virginia. The National Weather Service has placed seven counties under an excessive heat warning this afternoon and evening while more than two dozen other counties are under a heat advisory. Heat index values will be in the triple digits. - Man, you can see those counties at our website, www.metronews.com. Thanks, Kerry. Coming up, we'll hear what they're saying in the White House. There's been a new development overnight in connection with a doctor, a specialist that has visited the White House in speculation about what he's been doing there. And so we'll get into that a little bit coming up and Kyle Whigs has sports, all of that. Thanks for joining us on this Tuesday morning. Good morning. - 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. News in the Mountain State happens quick. And for decades, you have depended on Metro News for accurate news delivered fast. Now here's your chance to help keep your fellow West Virginians informed. If you see news happening, become a Metro News Hawk by texting news 23561. If you take a picture or video of what you see, submit that as well. Text the word news 235651 to submit your tip or story. Standard texting rates apply. Please don't text and drive. (upbeat music) - Stay tuned, we're a couple moments away from hearing from Kyle Wigs at the sports desk. First though, in our background, or at Monday's White House briefing, ABC's Chief White House correspondent, Mary Bruce, tried to get press secretary Corinne John Pierre to explain whether several White House visits by a specialist on Parkinson's disease was consulting on the president's health. We hear more in our background. - And you've noted that there are thousands within the Walter Reed system may be treated by specialists who visit here at the White House. But this neurologist had a meeting with the president's physician, with his doctor. You're experiencing to say if he was here to evaluate the president or if he was consulting on the president's health, so what then was that meeting about? - And I will say that Dr. O'Connor leads the medical unit. He's literally, he's literally, he leads the medical unit. No, because we will not confirm or speak to names that are you're providing to me. It is out of security reason, is out of protecting someone's privacy. We're just not going to do that. But they are. The reason that I mention that is because there are a thousand military members that do indeed use the White House medical unit. They do. They get care from them. - We're talking about the president of the United States. - Guys, I'm trying to answer the question so you can connect the dot, that there are multiple neurologists that come, met neurologists, specialists that come through here because there are more than a thousand medical military personnel here. I'm a military personnel here. - I certainly can clear this all up just by saying what he was doing there and if it was connected to the president, yes or not. - I am not going to confirm that a particular neurologist, anybody. It doesn't matter if they're a dermatologist or a neurologist, I'm just not going to do that. I shared with all of you that the president has met, has been with the neurologist three times as it relates to his physical, three times. So you know, guys, I'm just not going to do that out of security reasons, out of privacy. It is not something that I'm going to do. A measure of privacy, we have to be able to give people from here. - Now there's a new development overnight where the president's doctor put out a letter saying the neurologist visited the White House to visit military personnel. (upbeat music) Kyle Wigs with sports and with 16 members of the Big 12, you could take like four days to do media days but they're going to squeeze it into two. First up today, West Virginia not part of this first day but things get underway in Vegas today, right? - Yes, things get underway with the state of the conference address from Big 12 commissioner Brett Jormorck, that'll kick things off. And then eight of the 16 teams will be presented during media day today, including league newcomers, Utah and Arizona state. Utah, of course, was picked to win the league in the preseason poll. The matineers will go as part of day two. On Wednesday, head coach Neil Brown will be joined by lineman Wyatt Milum, defensive lineman Sean Martin, defensive back Aubrey Burks and quarterback Garrett Green, Wednesday at Big 12 media days. And the event's been moved from Texas to Las Vegas. That's where media days go on today and tomorrow in Las Vegas. Former Wheeling University basketball standout, Heywood Highsmith has re-signed with the Miami Heat on a two-year $11 million free-agent deal. The 27-year-old Highsmith, you may remember, the 2018 Mountain East Conference Player of the Year. Out of Wheeling, he was a division two. All-American went undrafted out of Wheeling, had stents in the G League and overseas before landing a series of 10-day contracts with the Heat, he eventually stuck and now he's rewarded with a two-year contract extension. Jefferson High School head basketball coach, Richard Lewis, has resigned the post to take over as head coach at St. James in Maryland. Jefferson, looking for a new boys basketball coach. Now Lewis was with the program for 13 seasons, including 12 as head coach. Reds beat the Rockies, six-nothing. Rookie Resheins has major league debut doubled at Homert. Pirates over the Mets, eight to two. Thanks, Kyle, and read the Sports of the Day, including those from Joe Picado and those filings from Greg Carey at our website, WV, MetroNews.com, MetroNews statewide Sportsline tonight at 606 and more from Big 12 Media Days, coming up during the Sportsline this evening. This is Metro News this morning for the Tuesday morning of July 9th, 2024. I'm Jeff Jenkins on Metro News, the voice of West Virginia, and the voice of Metro News. This is Hoppy Kirchivol. Jeff, Governor Jim Justice, may not pack a pistol on his person, but he is inclined to shoot from the hip sometimes when it comes to public policy. Last week, Justice held a ceremony to announce that general revenue collections for the just completed fiscal year would reach a level to trigger another three to 4% reduction in the state's marginal income tax rates. Then the governor surprised many. When he said he wanted a special session of the legislature to tack on an additional 5% reduction, he said, I want to call you back and I want to challenge you to some way, somehow, try to do an additional 5% on the personal income tax. Legislative leaders were caught by surprise. And Senator Eric Tar, the finance committee chairman and a budget hawk was not pleased. He said, the governor dropped the bomb on us there on stage because we didn't get a heads up, which tends to be his MO. Tar said during an appearance on Talkline last week that he would have preferred a discussion ahead of time with Justice to hear his rationale. You see, Tar is worried that adding on another $100 million in tax cuts on top of the 90 million of the scheduled tax reductions and the 10 million in the phase out of the remainder of the state income tax on social security benefits could put the state in a financial bind. He predicted that future state spending cuts to pay for the tax reduction would be damaging and unpopular. He said, either you're going to have to go in and reduce spending that is so bloody that you can afford that. By bloody, he said, I mean, it is going to be politically challenging and it will be a citizen uproar on some of these services. Kelly Allen, executive director of the Progressive West Virginia Central and Budget and Policy is at the opposite end of the political spectrum from Tar. But she's also worried about the impact of additional tax cuts. She said, for the governor to propose additional tax cuts, when child care centers are closing, public schools are losing support staff, and we face the worst child welfare crisis in the country is, she said, unthinkable. But we'll see. Tax rates have already come down 21 and a quarter percent. And if justice gets his way, total income tax reductions will reach nearly 30% just since January 2023. Tax cuts are popular and this is an election year and the state is running big surpluses. Justice challenged lawmakers to be bold. He said, for God's sake of living, don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Actually, when it comes to budgeting, a dose of fear is healthy because the future is so uncertain. Some legislators have been around long enough to remember when the state had to implement spending freezes and go long periods without giving any pay raises to teachers and staff and state workers. Administration officials are working now to put together more detailed numbers to justify the governor's proposal. That should provide some clarity for lawmakers who need more than that 5% bullet shot from Justice's hip last week. Jeff. - Thanks, Op. You can read his commentary at wvmetronews.com. Plus he'll be live with Metro News Talk Line this morning at 10.06. The National Weather Service is out with an excessive heat warning for the Huntington- Charleston corridor and also just points just north and south of that corridor today when temperatures expected to get well into the 90s and then most of the rest of the state, at least from the central part of the state, the I-79 corridor from Charleston up to Morgantown and west, including the northern panhandle or under what's called a heat advisory today from the National Weather Service. So that means temperatures feeling like way up into the 90s and past 100 degrees. So exercise caution with the heat today. For Kerry Hooters at Kyle Wigs and Hoppy Kirchivol, I'm Jeff Jenkins. You've been listening to the Metro News this morning on Metro News. The voice of West Virginia. Have a great day. - Metro News this morning is an exclusive production of the Metro News Radio Network. All rights reserved. - 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. - Lucky land casino asking people, what's the weirdest place you've gotten lucky? - Lucky? In line at the deli, I guess? - Behind my dentist's office. 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