Alex Wiederspiel

Police searching for exotic snake after it escapes confines in Morgantown area

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Authorities and the City of Morgantown confirmed Friday morning that a pet snake, a python, escaped its confines early Friday morning on Earl L. Core Road. Morgantown Police and an exotic animal expert are searching for the…

One dead in wreck in Monongalia County

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A motorcycle driver is dead following an accident involving a motorcycle and a passenger vehicle. The wreck occurred around 11:30 a.m. on U.S. 19, heading north bound near the Shack Neighborhood House. One person was in the other…

Gene Vance Jr. Day in Morgantown features new shift towards veterans issues

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — After eight years honoring Gene Vance Jr., the foundation that carries the Morgantown native’s name is hoping to pivot towards a larger purpose. “The issues that we’re addressing at this moment in time where we’ve got delays in…

Graduates enter new stage of life as colleges around the state hold commencements

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — This weekend was about celebration, achievement, and crossing the finish line. In fact, it would be hard to begrudge a recent college graduate from taking an extra day or two to revel in the moment. Soon, though, reality sets in.…

Morgantown Police investigating woman found dead behind church

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The death of a Morgantown woman is now under investigation by Morgantown Police. A staff member at Lutheran Campus Ministry discovered the body of Elizabeth Ann Leo, 34, Friday around 7:30 a.m. The staffer found Leo behind the…

Indicted West Virginia magistrates suspended indefinitely

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Two West Virginia magistrate judges have been suspended in the wake of allegations of wire fraud, mail fraud, and obstruction charges. Roger D. Clem, Jr., 47, of Weston, a Lewis County Magistrate, and Alton L. Skinner, II, 57, of…

Voters in Morgantown re-elect five incumbents, but make history in the process

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — At times tumultous and contentious, but the voters who took the time to vote in Tuesday’s Morgantown City Council race gave the incumbents their seal of approval — sending five of the seven incumbents back for another…

Morgantown home invasion ends when family dog chases assailants out

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Two women from the Pittsburgh area are facing multiple charges following a home invasion in Morgantown that came to an abrupt conclusion when the victim’s dog chased the assailants to the street. According to the victim, two women…

Hospitals in West Virginia and Kentucky sign onto massive suit aimed at pharma industry

MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — Thirty-seven hospitals in two states have filed a lawsuit in Marshall County against numerous opioid manufacturers, distributors, and several individuals. Stephen Farmer of law firm Farmer, Cline, and Campbell announced the suit,…

122 percent increase in fentanyl deaths troubles WVU researchers

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The implications behind the 122 percent increase in fentanyl-related deaths between 2015 and 2017 suggest the opioid problem is “only getting worse,” according to WVU School of Public Health researcher Dr. Gordon Smith. As this…

Monongalia delegates think DOH shorted their district by nearly $15 million

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Some Monongalia County state delegates believe DOH District 4 was shortchanged nearly $15 million across the last two years. Del. Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia, believes the Division of Highways likely shorted the six-county District…

Search team rescues man missing for days in Preston County

KINGWOOD, W.Va. — A Preston County man is in Ruby Memorial Hospital after being rescued from a heavily wooded area where he fell. A rescue effort comprised of more than 35 volunteers, first responders, and search and rescue dogs searched for Joshua…

Mattea is “first face you see” in Burns country music doc

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Returning to all her familiar haunts, country musician Kathy Mattea expects Mountain State residents to enjoy the full “Country Music” docuseries, once it is released. For now, she’s enjoying her trip to Morgantown for a select…

Structure declared sound, but WVU art historian mourns losses from catastrophic Notre Dame fire

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — In tears, Dr. Janet Snyder expressed her hope that Notre Dame cathedral would one day be restored. “It belongs to everyone,” she said Tuesday on MetroNews “Talkline” with Hoppy Kercheval. “It belongs to everyone. It’s part of our…

WVU Medicine set to add 5th hospital in 2 years

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Twenty-three years later, the major mission to increase West Virginians’ access to healthcare remains largely unchanged. Albert Wright, President and CEO of WVU Medicine While the mission continues, some of what WVU Health System…

Ken Burns, Dayton Duncan to premier parts of 16-hour epic “Country Music” in Morgantown

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A flower in a field of manure, the universal expression of shared experiences, a family of musicians and fans alike; those are just a few of the ways the creators of Country Music describe the soon-to-be-released eight-part…

Marion County murder suspect arrested in Morgantown; victim has been identified

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A Fairmont man is now in police custody following a Wednesday shooting in Fairmont. Morgantown Police arrested Christopher Tyrone Keldo, 25, without incident early Friday morning. Keldo turned himself in at 12:37 a.m. to…

Police release photo of suspect’s car in fatal Fairmont shooting

FAIRMONT, W.Va. — A Fairmont man is dead following a shooting Wednesday afternoon. A 27-year-old man, currently unidentified, died after someone fired a single gunshot along Hawthorne Street. When police arrived on scene, the victim was still alive,…

AG Barr answers federal prison staffing questions in front of Senate committee

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — During a second consecutive day of testimony Wednesday, U.S. Attorney General William Barr addressed questions regarding staffing shortages inside the Bureau of Prisons. U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-WV, pressed the issue…

Facing driver shortage, Manchin among bipartisan group supporting changes to trucking regulations

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — 69 trade organizations, including the International Food Service Distributors Association (IFDA), agree that America needs more truck drivers. Mark Allen, the President and CEO of IFDA, said those same trade organizations are…