A landmark $17.1 billion mult-state settlement with Meta Platforms, Inc.— considered to be the largest state consumer protection settlement in history outside the Big Tobacco settlements of the 1990s – has been announced by state attorneys general, who joined in a lawsuit about dangers to youth on social media platforms.[Read More…]
Government
Oral arguments before state Supreme Court set in Shambaugh suspension
Morgan County magistrate Vince Shambaugh will have a hearing before the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia on September 2 regarding his temporary suspension with pay from the bench back in June. Shambaugh’s suspension came from an order from the Judicial Disciplinary Counsel in response to accusations that he[Read More…]
Value of Morgan County’s tax base rises 7.6% to $1.5 billion
by Kate Shunney The Morgan County Assessor’s annual Certificate of Valuation was released to taxing bodies on March 3, setting out the values of various classes of real estate, personal property and public utility property for the 2026 assessment year. Morgan County’s taxable property is valued at $1,506,704,740. That figure[Read More…]
WV Secretary of State Kris Warner says he won’t release protected personal voter information to U.S. Department of Justice
West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner said on Wednesday, February 11 that the Secretary of State’s Office will not volunteer the release of personally identifying information (PII) of every registered West Virginian to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The DOJ’s request, reportedly sent to almost every state, seeks[Read More…]
School board approves details of special levy to go before voters in May
by Kate Shunney County school officials have approved the date of a special levy election in Morgan County as May 12, West Virginia’s primary election date. Members of the Morgan County Board of Education on February 3 voted in favor of the date and unanimously approved the text of the[Read More…]
Postmark dates may not match the day you mailed your letter, according to U.S. Postal Service
by Kate Shunney A postmark from the United States Postal Service (USPS) has long served for the public as an official confirmation of the date that a mail item was sent, especially items like tax returns or documents that have to meet certain time deadlines. Now, those who use the[Read More…]
Matthew L. Harvey sworn in as United States Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia
United States Attorney Matthew L. Harvey took his formal oath of office in a special ceremony at Shepherd University on Friday, January 16. U.S. Attorney Harvey was nominated by President Donald J. Trump on June 30, 2025, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 7, 2025. U.S. District Judge[Read More…]
W.Va. legislators, health officials detail Rural Healthcare-funded plans
by Matthew Young reprinted with permission from the Charleston Gazette-Mail Diabetes, obesity and “seven pillars” of health care to combat them were the topic of a panel discussion Friday, which focused heavily on the $199.5 million in grants West Virginia is set to receive through the federal Rural Healthcare Transformation[Read More…]
State offices, courthouse will close half-day on Wednesday
Resulting from a governor’s proclamation giving West Virginia state employees a half-day off before Thanksgiving, the offices of West Virginia agencies across the state will close at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, November 26. This includes offices like the DMV and Human Services. The Morgan County Commission has elected to follow[Read More…]
West Virginia makes changes to SNAP on November 1 to comply with federal work rules
The West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS), Bureau for Family Assistance (BFA), will implement federally mandated changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) policy for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD), effective November 1. These changes are required under federal law H.R.1 and ensure the state remains compliant with[Read More…]
