cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/9476352

This kind of debt likely means that he's for sale, which is not great when it comes to public officials

I've only had some localized high water, but co-worker just posted to group chat that authorities are advising people in his area to seek higher ground.

Stay safe. Turn around, don't drown!

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - It has been two weeks since a U-Haul crashed into the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association. What remains is a giant hole in the building covered by tarp. And the inside where that hole sits is still a daily reminder of that chaotic day.

“Its been kind of a learning process. We are trying to see what works and what doesn’t work,” said Angie Gillenwater, Community Engagement Manager at KCHA. “We know that there’s definitely a long journey ahead of us, there’s a lot of gray area a lot of I don’t knows right now.”

In terms of what’s next, Gillenwater said the rebuilding process is expected to be a long one, with about $100,000 worth of damages and repairs. But she said since the accident they have been able to raise about $60,000 from the community.

“We’re looking at about a month of operating at half capacity, a month of having a hole in the side of he building. Hopefully once that month is up, three to four weeks once that’s up, we should be putting pieces back into the building, putting our pieces back together and rebuilding.”

And looking ahead -- it’s out with the old and in with the new

“We want to keep that momentum going of getting animals out of here and getting them into homes. Like I said, we do know there is a long journey ahead. We are prepared for any type of news ahead of us, good bad great, great news. Whatever it is, we are prepared and we know that we are going to come out on top of this, possibly even stronger than we were before,” Gillenwater said.

Around 10:45 this morning, every device in my house was screeching with a NWS tornado warning. Considering it was almost noon and getting very, very dark out, I ushered the dogs down to the basement and grabbed my laptop (I work from home).

My area was pretty lucky and didn't get much damage (power was flashing like a strobe light but ultimately stayed on).

This all went down like 90 minutes ago, so I've only got some preliminary photos from local news and ones my friends sent.

And, yay, another strong storm forecast to come through around 3:30.

Tree demolishes a car

Billboard blows down in Ona, damaging nearby homes

Tractor trailer knocked over on the road in Cabell County

Trees down all through South Hills.

A facade blew off a building in Charleston

A billboard leveled in Kanawha City

Utility lines heavily damaged in Dunbar

Sam's Club door frame blown in in Southridge

Tree knocked down traffic lights on Kanawha Blvd

Many, many trees down in 5th Street Hill

This asshole (yeah, it's a little guy, but we typically don't get many tornadoes here)

Phone blowing up with tornado warning alerts, sirens blaring outside.

Currently chilling in the basement with the dogs waiting for this to blow over.

Update: Worst of it seems to have passed.

West Virginia’s Republican-dominated Legislature pushed forward a slate of contentious bills Wednesday that would arm teachers, allow people to sue libraries over books that offend them and restrict where transgender kids can use the bathroom at school.

Described by conservatives as efforts to protect children while they learn, the legislation comes as GOP-led state Legislatures across the country are embracing bills expanding gun rights and restricting LGBTQ+ rights.

“This is the only way really that I can see to defend these students,” Republican Del. Bill Ridenour said before lawmakers in the House Education Committee greenlit the bill allowing K-12 public school staff with concealed carry licenses to volunteer to carry firearms on campuses.

All three bills are opposed by the American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia. The state’s only LGBTQ+ advocacy organization has decried the bathroom and book proposals.

In Weirton, W.Va., in the heart of coal country, a company started by MIT scientists plans to build a plant that will produce a metal and alloy critical for clean energy, fuel cells and cleaner steel.

In Vernon, Texas, also a former coal town, a third-generation wind entrepreneur plans to manufacture turbines suitable for remote, rural locations.

And in Vandergrift, Pa., and Louisville, Colo., a window maker plans to retrofit aging factories to produce thin, insulated units that help make buildings more energy efficient.

They’re all projects getting federal funding designed to help small- and medium-sized manufacturers bring clean-energy jobs to former coal communities, part of a $1 trillion infrastructure package signed by President Biden in 2021. The Energy Department announced the projects on Monday.

The program is an effort by the Biden administration to win support for its agenda to reduce American dependence on coal, oil and gas, the main drivers of global warming. But it also points to the broad realization that as the world transitions toward cleaner energy sources like wind and solar, workers in fossil-fuel industries — as well as regions that depend on them — risk getting left behind.

Coal mining jobs have declined precipitously over the past decades, and there were less than 50,000 miners left in the United States in 2022, half the number 10 years ago, according to the latest figures from the Energy Information Agency.

And these energy workers haven’t been finding clean-energy jobs, despite the rapid growth in industries like solar and wind. A recent study that examined 130 million online work profiles found that in 2021, fewer than 1 percent of all workers who left jobs like coal, mining and oil and gas transitioned to “green” jobs in renewables.

Coal workers, in particular, have struggled in the transition, the study found. Less than a quarter of a percent of workers who left a fossil fuel job in West Virginia moved onto a job in renewable energy, said E. Mark Curtis, an economist at Wake Forest University who led the study. Education was another factor: Fossil fuel workers without a college degree were significantly less likely to find clean energy jobs.

“In places like Texas or in the middle of the country where there’s a lot of solar and wind, fossil fuel communities are relatively well positioned to take advantage of renewables,” Mr. Curtis said. “Coal communities generally don’t have that, especially when you think about Appalachia.”

He said it made sense for government funding to target former coal regions, and to focus on manufacturing projects, because data showed that former fossil fuel workers most frequently sought to switch to manufacturing jobs. “I think that’s a very viable type of transition for a lot of these workers and communities to make,” he said.

With the grant program, the United States is also trying to reclaim more clean-energy manufacturing, which China and other countries have come to dominate over the past decade.

The goal is to “bring new economic opportunities and ensure these communities continue their key role in strengthening America’s national and energy security,” said Jennifer M. Granholm, the U.S. Secretary of Energy.

The program will distribute $275 million to seven projects in its initial round and the D.O.E. said it expects its funding to be matched by about $600 million more in private investment.

The companies building the new plants said they are eager to tap local expertise. “The most valuable asset for the project is a legacy work force that has played a significant role in the U.S. metals industry” Tadeu Carneiro, the chief executive of Boston Metal, said in an interview.

Its new West Virginia plant expects to hire 200 to 250 people and will manufacture ultrapure chromium metal and high temperature alloys that are critical materials needed for clean power, fuel cells and steel. Currently, foreign manufacturers dominate those materials.

West Virginia Northern Community College, which teaches about 1,600 students in Weirton, said in a letter of support for the project that it was ready to set up courses and internships for students interested in jobs at Boston Metal.

The proposed project, it said, “can help revitalize metals manufacturing in the region after decades of decline.”

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/8481673

Zach Shrewsbury faces an improbable task to replace the conservative Democrat in the face of a Republican onslaught – but he won’t be put off.

To launch his campaign for US Senate, Zach Shrewsbury chose the site of one of America’s most famous hangings.

Charles Town, West Virginia, was where state authorities executed the abolitionist John Brown after he led an attack on a federal armory a few miles down the road in Harpers Ferry, a pivotal moment in the lead-up to the civil war. One hundred and sixty four years later, Shrewsbury – who decided against attempting to get a permit for the event at the site of the insurrection, which is now a national park – stood on the courthouse grounds where Brown’s hanging took place to announce that he would be the only “real Democrat” running to represent West Virginia in the Senate next year.

“We need leaders that are cut from the working-class cloth. We need representation that will go toe to toe with corporate parasites and their bought politicians. We need a leader who will not waver in the face of these powers that keep the boot on our neck,” Shrewsbury said to applause from the small group of supporters gathered behind him.

“So, as John Brown said, ‘These men are all talk. What we need is action.’ I’m taking action right now to stand up to these bought bureaucrats.”

Joe Manchin warns second Trump term will ‘destroy democracy in America’ Read more The remarks were a swipe at Joe Manchin, the Democratic senator who for the past 13 years had managed to represent what has become one of the most Republican states in the nation. In recent years he has used his power as a swing vote in Congress to stop several of Joe Biden’s legislative priorities – attracting the ire of progressives and prompting Shrewsbury to mount a primary challenge.

A few weeks after Shrewsbury began campaigning, he was showing a friend around an abandoned mining town when his phone rang with news: Manchin had decided not to seek re-election, leaving Shrewsbury as the only Democrat in the race.

By all indications, Shrewsbury, a 32-year-old Marine Corps veteran and community organizer, faces a difficult, if not impossible, road to victory. West Virginia gave Donald Trump his second-biggest margin of support of any state in the nation three years ago, and Manchin is the last Democrat holding a statewide office. Political analysts do not expect voters to elect the Democratic candidate – whoever that turns out to be – and predict Manchin will be replaced by either Governor Jim Justice or Congressman Alex Mooney, the two leading Republicans in the Senate race.

Shrewsbury’s message to them is: not so fast.

“People were really sold on the fact that Joe Manchin could be the only Democrat that could win in West Virginia, and I very much disagree,” Shrewsbury told the Guardian a week after the senator made his announcement.

Also a former governor, Manchin is considered the most conservative Democrat in the Senate, and when the party took the majority by a single vote in the chamber in 2021, Manchin stopped the Biden administration from passing policies that would have made permanent a program to reduce child poverty, and more forcefully fight climate change.

Sitting in a conference room at the Fayette county Democratic party’s headquarters in Oak Hill, where visitors pass a lobby displaying an American flag, a pride flag, and a stack of Narcan, the opioid-overdose reversal medication, Shrewsbury outlined his plans to run a campaign distinctly to the left of Manchin’s policies – and one he believes can win.

“People want someone who’s genuine. They don’t want a politician. They want someone who actually looks like them. I mean, hell, you can’t get much more West Virginia than this,” said Shrewsbury, fond of wearing flannel shirts and hunting caps.

Among his priorities are creating universal healthcare and childcare programs, and reducing the role of incarceration in fighting the opioid epidemic ravaging West Virginia.

“Everyone here just is thankful for the scraps or crumbs that we get from whoever we elect. And that’s who we keep electing – whoever can keep the little crumbs coming along. I’m trying to say there is a better way,” Shrewsbury said.

He also doesn’t shy away from identifying as a socialist, arguing the term may be less politically damaging than it appears – West Virginia Democrats voted for Bernie Sanders in the 2016 presidential primary, and the independent senator, he argues, is popular even with the state’s Republicans.

“If caring about working-class people, caring about people having bodily autonomy, water rights, workers’ rights, makes you a socialist, then call me whatever you want. Doesn’t bother me,” Shrewsbury said.

Raised on a farm by a Republican family in rural Monroe county, Shrewsbury dropped out of college after a semester and joined the marines. In the years that followed, he guarded the perimeter at the US base in Guantánamo Bay, and was deployed to Japan, Malaysia and South Korea before eventually moving to Seattle and then returning to West Virginia, where he realized how bereft his home state was of the prosperity he saw elsewhere in the country and overseas.

“Why can’t my home be as economically profitable as the rest?” Shrewsbury recalls thinking. “It woke me up in the Marine Corps a little bit, and once I got back home, I really just kind of put the nail in the coffin there for what I was gonna be for work. I want to help people.”

He turned to community organizing, seeing it as a way to help a state with the fourth-highest poverty rate in the nation, which is struggling to transition from the declining coal and logging industries that have historically undergirded its economy.

“I know Zach’s a long shot. It’s like David against three Goliaths,” said Pam Garrison, a fellow community organizer. “Zach is able to be hardline when he needs to be. I’ve seen him being forceful and steadfast in his principles and what things are. And then I’ve seen the compassionate and empathy side of Zach too, And that’s what makes a good politician.”

Since 2020, Shrewsbury has helped towns dig out from flooding, door-knocked in the narrow Appalachian valleys – known as hollers – to find out what residents were looking for from the state legislature, and talked to mayors and city councils about the opportunities presented by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which incentivizes consumer usage of renewable energy, including home solar panels.

Though Manchin played a key role in authoring the IRA, he also nixed the expanded child tax credit, which has been credited with cutting the child poverty rate by half in 2021, the sole year it was in effect. Shrewsbury was outraged by reports that later emerged of the senator privately expressing worries that people would use the program’s money to buy drugs, and jumped into the race.

Despite the state’s conservative leanings, Sam Workman, the director of the Institute for Policy Research and Public Affairs at West Virginia University, believed Manchin may have had a path to victory had he decided to run. But he said the same cannot be said for Shrewsbury or any other Democrat.

“It’s kind of a fall-on-your-sword moment,” Workman said. “Politics is like sports: you should never say never, but I do not see the Democrats winning the Senate seat, no matter who runs.”

Shrewsbury may be alone in the Democratic primary at the moment, but he expects other candidates to enter. Since launching his campaign, he has not heard from the state Democratic party, nor the national party’s senate campaign arm.

“I’m not exactly what the party wants, because I speak my mind. You know, I’m not going to toe the party line,” he said. “I wish the party would get back in more touch with the workers. But like I said, I have the message that many people aren’t saying.”

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.one/post/6853686

The thing is, Democrats have always had zero margin for error heading into 2024. Manchin was always unlikely to hang on to his seat. In West Virginia, the likely Republican candidate for Senate in 2024 is Jim Justice, the current governor of the state. Justice was elected governor as a Democrat, but switched parties at a Donald Trump rally in 2017, just a few months into his term, in one of the more pathetic “kiss the ring” maneuvers you will ever see from a full-grown adult. Manchin was most likely toast the minute Justice declared for the seat, and some polls have Justice beating Manchin by over 20 points.

Manchin was going to lose, and Democrats who hoped that he’d help them hang on to the Senate were simply fooling themselves. Frankly, instead of a conservative “Trump-lite” Democrat, the party should go find the most pro-abortion, pro-labor city commissioner in Wheeling and try to run a single-issue campaign on reproductive rights. That kind of candidate can lose just as hard as Manchin would have, but with a lot more dignity.

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – A lawsuit has now been filed against Mountaineer Gas Company and West Virginia American Water Company regarding the gas crisis on Charleston’s West Side.

The law offices of Calwell Luce diTrapano, PLLC, and Forbes Law Offices, PLLC, say the suit was filed on behalf of the 1,100 West Side residents and businesses who were impacted by the outages. The problem began when the force of a high-pressure water main break pierced a main gas line on Friday, Nov. 10, flooding 46 miles of the gas lines with water.

Numerous West Side residents have been without a heat source since the incident, and some were also without water for a few days. Attorney Dante’ diTrapano, co-counsel, says the two companies should have taken more precautions to prevent the incident from happening.

“The presence of water in natural gas lines is dangerous and renders the lines unavailable for use, and hundreds of residents are suffering without heat during consecutive cold evenings,” said diTrapano. “West Virginia American Water knew or should have known that the high-pressure water main was prone to failure because of its construction, joints, layout, and usage characteristics and the lack of standard, required maintenance and repair. And Mountaineer Gas knew or should have known that West Virginia American Water has a history of poor maintenance and repair and catastrophic failure, and they failed to take necessary precautions to prevent the contamination of the gas lines with water.”

As of Wednesday morning, Nov. 15, Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin announced 200 customers on Charleston’s West Side have their natural gas service restored.

Mountaineer Gas has told 13 News that it will take three to four days to start restoration of natural gas services, and seven to ten days for full restoration.

They say a representative — in uniform, with an ID and in a Mountaineer Gas vehicle — will have to come into your residence to begin to restore gas services in three to four days. If you are not home, they will leave a note on your door to set up an appointment.

Anyone affected by this is being urged to not fix anything by yourself and to wait for a Mountaineer Gas official.

Attorney Jesse Forbes, co-counsel, says the colder weather adds to the urgency of the situation as residents need the natural gas to keep warm, cook and for other basic needs.

“A major outage such as this creates a dangerous situation for all those affected. With temperatures dropping, people need heat and basic services. There are children living here, a school is closed, and the elderly and those with health conditions are even more susceptible and need help,” said Forbes.

A class action lawsuit was also filed against the gas and water companies by Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler, PLLC. This one is to not allow the companies to seek a rate increase due to its own conduct.

Charleston Fire Department officials are saying it’s important to remember safety during such a stressful time.

The crisis has caused Mary C. Snow West Side Elementary School — which is only a few blocks away from the scene — to close for the rest of the week.

Students will have to log into Schoology each day for their assignments. Anyone who needs help with Schoology can go into the school from 10:30 a.m. to noon, or go to “Schoology office hours” from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. online. Lunches are also available to pick up between 10:30 a.m. and noon.

(WJW) — An invasive species of tick known as the Asian longhorned tick, found in at least 18 states, including West Virginia, has been rapidly spreading across Ohio.

According to scientists from The Ohio State University, the ticks originally arrived in 2021. The ticks are believed to be responsible for the death of three cattle due to severe blood loss, according to Ohio State researchers.

Scientists from The Ohio State University are now conducting research focused on monitoring and managing these pests.

“They are going to spread to pretty much every part of Ohio and they are going to be a long-term management problem. There is no getting rid of them,” said Risa Pesapane, senior author of the paper and an assistant professor of veterinary preventive medicine at Ohio State.

“The good news about the ticks, though, is that most tick control agents that we currently have seem to kill them. Still, managing them is not easy because of how numerous they are and how easily they can come back.”

Originating from East Asia, the Asian longhorned tick was first confirmed in the U.S. in 2017, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture says it may have been here since 2010 or earlier. As of September 2023, the USDA reports the ticks have also been confirmed in Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The longhorned ticks appear to enjoy being in a group, as thousands may be found at a time in grass, shrubs, or on animals, according to the CDC. The Asian longhorned ticks possess a unique ability to reproduce asexually, with each female capable of laying up to 2,000 eggs. Moreover, all offspring can reproduce in the same manner, allowing for exponential population growth.

The ticks appear to be less attracted to humans than native ticks, the CDC explains, but have shown a preference for livestock and wildlife including cattle, deer, horses, goats, opossums, raccoons and mice, among other animals. According to the USDA, the tick — about the size of a sesame seed — has also been found on birds such as owls and hawks.

The first tick in Ohio was found on a stray dog on a farm in Gallia County in 2020. During investigations, researchers collected nearly 10,000 ticks within a short period from the infested farm, leading to an estimate of over 1 million ticks in the about 25-acre pasture.

Ohio researchers say they have also identified the tick-borne illness Anaplasma phagocytophilum in a small number of the ticks, which can cause diseases in both animals and humans. Additionally, cases of bovine theileriosis, caused by a pathogen carried by these ticks, have been reported in Ohio, according to the study.

The CDC says a recent study found that the longhorned tick is “not likely to contribute to the spread of Lyme disease in the United States.”

If you believe you’ve found an Asian longhorned tick on you, another person, or an animal, you should remove it as quickly as possible. Then, contact your health department or veterinarian for the next steps, the CDC advises. If you are concerned about the ticks impacting your livestock, contact your state or local agriculture office.

WASHINGTON, DC (WBOY) — Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) addressed reporters from his home state via Zoom Wednesday for the first time since announcing he would not seek re-election to the Senate.

Most of the questions Manchin fielded were about his political future and whether he would seek a third-party run for the White House.

Manchin has said he wants to travel the country, holding town halls and visiting coffee shops, gaging whether there’s a groundswell of support for a more centrist political movement.

When asked point blank if he wanted to be President of the United States, Manchin answered that he had no “burning desire” to win the Oval Office.

“I have an unbelievable burning desire to save the nation,” Manchin said. “If they said ‘you’re the only person who could do it,’ I would do whatever I can to save this nation.”

Manchin made similar remarks in an NBC “Meet the Press” interview Wednesday morning, saying he said he would “absolutely” consider running for president.

He also strongly criticized both former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden for catering to the “extreme” wings of their respective parties.

“I think there’s other people, other movements that have to figure out—they’ve got to get off their cans and start doing something,” Manchin said. “Because these parties have taken over to where they’ve weaponized us against each other.”

Manchin has been linked to the No Labels organization, which is attempting to assemble an alternative presidential ticket to the two major party front-runners.

Nitter link

via Reddit

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — Mothman, Bigfoot and …Sheepsquatch? Although it may not be one of West Virginia’s most well-known cryptids, the Sheepsquatch is still one of the most unique cryptids in West Virginia folklore.

What is it?

The physical appearance of the Sheepsquatch varies between accounts, and is usually described as either:

• A large creature that walks on two legs, similar to a bigfoot or sasquatch.
• A four-legged creature larger than a dog, but smaller than a horse with sharp teeth.

However, the Sheepsquatch is almost always described as having white fur and horns, and stories usually describe the creature as aggressive, with some accounts detailing how the Sheepsquatch would eat horses and other farm animals.

Sheepsquatch and “white thing” folklore

The name “Sheepsquatch” and “white thing” are sometimes used interchangeably to describe the creature in folklore. The term “white thing” is probably most notably featured in White Things: West Virginia’s Weird White Monsters, a book by Kurt McCoy filled with stories about white, hairy monster encounters in West Virginia.

Sightings of Sheepsquatch are far-reaching. The West Virginia Tourism website says sightings of the creature have been reported in the Point Pleasant “TNT area,” and Marion County Tourism reports sightings of Sheepsquatch as far north as Rivesville.

West Virginia Ghosts, an online repository for West Virginia ghost stories, credits the first stories of Sheepsquatch to the book “The Telltale Lilac Bush,” a collection of West Virginia folklore by Ruth Ann Musick published in 1965. One of the stories in Musick’s book titled “The White Thing” tells the story of a woman who encountered a white beast while traveling home from church on horseback.

According to the story, the creature charged at the woman, but retreated back into the trees after she fled on her horse. Once she got home, the woman left her horse outside and went into her house, but the next morning she found her horse dead, with most of the flesh torn from the horse’s bones.

However, whether this is a story of the Sheepsquatch or just another story of a white monster in West Virginia is unknown, and the original story in Musick’s book makes no note of any sheeplike qualities about the monster other than its white fur.

Clio, a website where people can document local historical and cultural sites, also describes the story of a Croatian immigrant who encountered the creature on his way home from work in Marion County in 1929. According to the story, Frank Kozul took a shortcut through the woods after working at the Jordan 93 mine. During his walk home, he claimed to be attacked by a “beast about the size of a large dog with white hair, a bushy tail, and sharp teeth,” though it didn’t leave any signs of injury on Kozul after he escaped.

This story is another example of encounters with white monsters being attributed to the Sheepsquatch, despite the original sorry not making any reference to any sheeplike features of the creature. Are these stories of Sheepsquatch, or possibly another creature entirely? You can read about more reported sightings of the Sheepsquatch on the Cryptid Wiki.

Sheepsquatch in pop-culture

Although not as popular as Bigfoot or West Virginia’s Mothman, the Sheepsquatch has found itself represented in TV shows, video and card games.

Season 1 episode 12 of the show “Mountain Monsters” focuses on the Sheepsquatch of Boone County. During the episode, a team of West Virginia monster hunters constructs a razor-wire trap in an attempt to capture the creature. The first episode of the show “Monsters and Mysteries in America” also contains stories about the Sheepsquatch.

Players of the adventure survival game Fallout 76 can also fight the Sheepquatch in-game, and there’s even a Sheepsquatch plush toy for sale on the game publisher’s website, although it is currently out of stock.

The trading card game MetaZoo released a playable Sheepsquatch card only a few months ago in its Seance set. MetaZoo is a trading card game made for cryptid and ghost story lovers, with each card based on a different ghost story, cryptid or local legend.

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — Have you ever felt like visiting all of West Virginia’s most haunted destinations in one go?

12 News is no stranger to covering the spooky lore and ghost stories unique to the Mountain State. Whether you’re a true believer or just enjoy the Halloween “spirit,” West Virginia has plenty of ghost stories to enjoy.

Here are the most well-known haunted places, and a route you could take to see all of them.

Harpers Ferry

No haunted West Virginia road trip would be complete without Harpers Ferry. Some studies have found it’s the most haunted place in West Virginia. Some visitors have reported seeing the ghosts of soldiers performing marching drills and abolitionist John Brown—the man whose raid of the armory is credited with igniting the Civil War.

West Virginia University

West Virginia’s Department of Tourism lists the state’s most well-known university as one of its most haunted places as well. Urban legends tell of the spirit of a little girl named Sally who can be seen dancing in the halls of the Mountainlair, as well as the ghost of Elizabeth Moore walking through E. Moore Hall, which was named after her.

West Virginia Penitentiary

The former prison in Moundsville is “widely regarded as one of the most haunted” in the country, according to WV Tourism. It’s seen several riots, fires and more than 100 executions. Now, visitors say they see a “Shadow Man” haunting the grounds or whispering or arguing coming from the basement.

The penitentiary is open to the public for various types of paid tours, ranging from guided day tours to public ghost hunts or private paranormal investigations.

Blennerhassett Island

In Parkersburg, Blennerhassett Island is known for its history, but locals believe it’s haunted by Native American and Irish aristocratic spirits. Back in 2021, a tour guide told 12 News about how archaeological evidence suggests that there was a Delaware Nation village where the mansion was built and that Native Americans inhabited the island as late as 1767, meaning there are burial grounds on the island.

Silver Run Tunnel

Located on the North Bend Rail Trail just outside of Cairo, The Silver Run Tunnel is the most well-known rail trail tunnel that is said to be haunted by the ghost of a woman wearing a white dress who was abandoned at the alter by her lover and then killed by a passing train.

Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

The old asylum in Weston is believed to be haunted due to the number of people who died there while it was in operation. In the 1950s, it was believed to have held more than 2,000 patients, even though it was only supposed to hold 250.

Lake Shawnee Abandoned Amusement Park

In Mercer County, Lake Shawnee Amusement Park was built in the 1920s. But Visit Mercer County says six visitors ended up dying during the park’s brief time in operation, including a little girl who died on the swings and a boy who drowned in the pond. It was abandoned in 1966, and when a developer bought it 20 years later, construction crews began work only to find bones and Native American artifacts.

Historic Lewisburg

WV Tourism describes the Lewisburg Historic District as a “hotbed of paranormal activity.” The Old Stone Church served as a hospital during the Civil War, and visitors have heard cries and moans like those of injured soldiers coming from it late at night. Those who have stayed at the General Lewis Inn have reported run-ins with spirits.

The area is also home to the Greenbrier Ghost, or the spirit of Elva Zona Heaster Shue. Elva was found dead in her home, presumably of natural causes, but in the weeks following her death, her mother claimed that she had a vision from the spirit of her daughter, telling her that “her neck was squeezed off at the first joint.” When Elva’s body was exhumed, the medical examiner found she had a crushed windpipe and a broken neck, likely caused by strangulation, according to greenbrierwv.com. The case is known as the “only known case in which testimony from a ghost helped convict a murder.”

Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park

This state park in Pocahontas County is home to one of West Virginia’s most prominent and historic Civil War battlefields. Some visitors report smelling gunpowder, hearing galloping horses or even seeing the spirit of a headless Confederate soldier and another soldier sleeping against a tree.

Seneca Rocks and Seneca Caverns

Seneca Rocks was named for the Seneca tribe that once lived in the area. Near Seneca Rocks, the “Big Book of West Virginia Ghost Stories,” by Rosemary Ellen Guiley, details reports of “time and dimension slips.”

Seneca Caverns nearby has also been reported to be haunted, with guests and employees claiming to see phantom voices and footsteps as well as floating lights, often close to the Council Room where the tribe held meetings and rituals.

West Virginia has so many haunted destinations that this is actually the maximum amount of stops that Google Maps will provide directions for. Visiting all of the top haunted destinations would take you 14 hours and 13 minutes of driving, and you’d traverse 765 miles.

Archive link

Check out the cross-post; Jason Lively is a Lemmy user.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/6648743

Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton has been battling severe pneumonia in a hospital intensive care unit, daughters of the famed American gymnast said.

A Tuesday post on a crowd-funding page by Retton's daughter, McKenna Kelley, characterized the Hall of Fame gymnast as being critically ill. Another daughter confirmed the illness to NBC News.

On the crowd-funding site, McKenna Kelley wrote: "My amazing mom, Mary Lou, has a very rare form of pneumonia and is fighting for her life. She is not able to breathe on her own. She’s been in the ICU for over a week now."

No Exit published September 18, 2021

Source: https://www.playwv.com/longest-poker-game-lasted-14-years-in-thurmond-wv/

According to Ripley’s Believe It or Not, the longest poker game ever lasted 14 years and was played at Dun Glen, one of two hotels in Thurmond, WV. The hotel was owned by the McKell family in a town that was often referred to as the Las Vegas of its time.

The town was known for drinking, gambling, and prostitution, with Dun Glen being the hub for all such activities. Thurmond had saloons on one side and brothels on the other. It was also often referred to as “Hell.“

Thurmond is not technically a ghost town

Online poker in West Virginia is legal, but you wouldn’t know it. As of yet, no online poker sites have expressed interest in serving West Virginia.

When you think of poker and the longest game in history, you probably don’t picture it being in a ghost town. And technically, it wasn’t. The supposedly longest-running poker game was played in Thurmond, which to this day isn’t completely abandoned. The 2010 Census confirmed there were still five people residing there. That number had shrunk to three by 2021.

Regrettably, nothing else is known about the longest poker game in history.

The history of Thurmond

In 1844, the town was settled by W.D. Thurmond, who would become a Confederate Army captain in the Civil War two decades later. More people followed Thurmond’s lead and helped turn the settlement into a town, naming it after the captain.

Thurmond eventually boasted its very own post office in 1888. Four years later, a railway depot was built. Eventually, the Dun Glen Hotel, run by the McKell family, became the hot spot to party at. It opened in 1901 and was a popular destination. Unfortunately, arsonists set fire to the hotel in 1930, marking the beginning of the end of Thurmond.

The Thurmond National Bank shut down the next year in 1931, and the McKells moved their New River Bank to another town in 1935. By the 1950s, Thurmond was pretty much a ghost town.

Perception of poker has evolved over the years

Much like the town of Thurmond, the game of poker has transformed tremendously.

Poker has had a reputation, and in some cases still does, for being attached to drinking, drugs, and irresponsible gambling. It was played in the back of bars, restaurants, and in homes in its early beginnings. Smoking used to be permitted at the tables. And if you got caught cheating, you could be met with a bullet.

Fast-forward to 2023. People are now playing poker as their career. Players are signing up for training sites, paying coaches an hourly rate, and studying simulations using solvers.

Poker is now televised and played in some of the most prestigious rooms across the world. People even travel to locations such as the Bahamas, Macau, and Brazil, to name a few, just to play in a poker tournament.

Despite its popularity nowadays, it’s a good bet that Thurmond’s record for the longest game ever will never be broken.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/6336065

Two children were found locked inside a barn in West Virginia without any running water or bathroom facilities and their adoptive parents are now facing felony child neglect charges, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office says.

An investigation was launched Monday just before 6 p.m. after authorities received a 911 call regarding the welfare of the children, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.

A sheriff’s deputy went to the barn in Sissonville and forced her way inside to find a boy and girl in the 20-foot by 14-foot room, the release said.

The children were locked inside without access to water, a bathroom, food or adequate hygienic care items, authorities said. At the main residence, another small child was found locked inside alone, the release stated.

The adoptive parents, Donald Ray Lantz, 61, and Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 61, later arrived and were arrested on felony gross child neglect charges, the sheriff’s release said.

Sgt. Joshua Lester told CNN the couple has five adoptive children ranging from 6 to 16 years old.

One child was with Lantz and Whitefeather as they arrived and another was with a separate caretaker.

All five children were placed in the immediate custody of Child Protective Services, Lester said.

CNN has been unable to determine if Lantz and Whitefeather have obtained a lawyer at this time. They are being held at South Central Regional Jail in Charleston, West Virginia, on a $200,000 bond each.

Sissonville is about 15 miles north of Charleston.