General Excellence awards are given to papers who have shown outstanding work in news coverage, editorials, in-depth or investigative reporting, feature writing, sports reporting, columnist work and newspaper design during the previous year.

The Morgan Messenger competes in Division 3 and was chosen as the top newspaper in that category.

Still owned by the Buzzerd family that founded the weekly paper in November of 1893, The Messenger is one of very few independently-owned newspapers still publishing regularly in West Virginia. Published on 51 Wednesdays of the year, the Messenger has roughly 4,000 subscribers, with both print and digital readers.

“We have an outstanding team that has stayed dedicated to our weekly mission to produce a paper that reflects our whole community,” said Editor Kate Shunney. “That’s increasingly valuable to protect common ground among neighbors of all perspectives and experiences and our staff does that with skill and style.”

The Morgan Messenger staff includes Flip Henry, Rebecca Cain, Cheyenne McCumbee, Bev Buzzerd, Jamie Harris, Geoff Fox, Lisa Schauer, Patty Riggleman and Morgan Buzzerd. Jody Crouse is the Managing Editor. Todd Buzzerd is the owner and publisher.

During the annual convention, Messenger staff was recognized in a variety of categories of work produced in 2025.

Managing Editor and Advertising Director Jody Crouse won First Place awards for:

— Best Color Ad of a Quarter Page or Less

— Best Online Advertising Campaign

— Best Newspaper Promotional Campaign.

Crouse also won Second Place for Best Newspaper Promotional Campaign.

The Messenger staff won First Place awards for:

— Best Editorial Page

— Best Special Section

— Best Headline Writing

— Best Single Issue

— Best Newspaper Design.

Staff also won Second Place for Best Special Section and Best Single Issue.

Former Messenger staff reporter Trish Rudder won First Place for Best Lifestyle Feature for her story about a Great Cacapon man’s father who carried a pencil with him during the duration of the Korean War.

Messenger reporter Lisa Schauer won Third Place for Best Lifestyle Feature for her story about the Civil War history of an Unger property known as Camp Mud.

Food and nutrition columnist Stacy Schultz won Third Place for Best Lifestyle Columnist for her “It’s Stacy—Health Eats” column featuring recipes and family stories.

Contributing photographer Betsy Hovermale won a First and Second Place for Best Sports Photography for her wrestling photos.

Lisa Schauer won First Place for Best Photo Essay for her collection of pictures from Paw Paw’s Memorial Day parade.

Contributing photographer Zachary Sipe won First Place for Best News Photography for his photos of the Coolfont fire.

Sports writer Jamie Harris won Third Place for Best Sports Event Reporting for Berkeley Springs High School football coverage.

Editor Kate Shunney won Second Place for Best Coverage of Breaking News, First Place for Best In-depth or Investigative Reporting about potential plans to extend rail service towards Hancock, Second and Third Place for Best Governmental Affairs Reporting and Third Place for Best Legal Affairs Reporting.

She won Second and Third Place for Best Sports News and Feature Reporting for stories about a Largent shooter competing for the USA and the high school’s e-sports team, plus First, Second and Third Place for Best Editorial. Winning editorials included a tribute to the community spirit behind the 50^th Apple Butter Festival and a call for renewed civility in political life.

This year’s press entries were judged by the Minnesota Press Association, whose editorial members chose West Virginia’s winning entries.

During the annual convention, the Charleston Gazette-Mail was named the Newspaper of the Year.

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“I recognize the historical and ecological importance of chestnut and chinquapin trees at the former Clements State Tree Nursery and am committed to ensuring their preservation,” the governor said.

His office said after an October 5 assessment involving The American Chestnut Foundation, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, and the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, “a plan is now in place to protect these trees and preserve their genetic lineage.”

The nursery was closed by the West Virginia Division of Forestry in May 2021 due to financial losses.

The governor’s office says that since 2023, access to the property for seed and sapling harvesting has continued uninterrupted as tech companies took possession of the land.

“The American Chestnut Foundation, the Division of Natural Resources, and the Division of Forestry have already taken steps to preserve the genetic lineage of these trees, establishing multiple two-acre stands on state land, along with two additional plots using grafts and seedlings,” said the governor’s office.

The preservation plan involves moving the existing trees to “a more suitable environment within the property”. According to the governor’s office, a professional arborist will supervise that work in late 2027 during the dormant season of the trees. Those will remain accessible for seed and sapling harvesting for propagating the varieties.

Gov. Morrisey said Nscale will cover the full cost of the preservation and relocation efforts, with no expense to West Virginia taxpayers.

Nscale is building the 2,250-acre Monarch Compute Campus in Mason County, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) microgrid that the company claims will be part of a $20 billion capital investment in AI infrastructure in the state.

“I am committed to working together with NSCALE, the Department of Agriculture and concerned citizens to ensure the concerns about the trees are addressed and I thank everyone for their thoughtfulness in developing solutions,” the governor said.

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West Virginia News Service

West Virginia is seeing a sharp rise in alpha-gal syndrome as lone star ticks spread across the state.

The tick-borne condition can make people allergic to red meat, dairy and other products from mammals. Reactions can include stomach problems, hives, wheezing and trouble breathing.

Madison Flory, fellow at the West Virginia Science and Technology Policy Initiative, said state figures are showing a steep uptick in the numbers.

“The West Virginia Department of Health, as of August 27th, has 93 confirmed or probable cases, whereas last year at about that same time, there were only 14 cases,” Flory reported.

Alpha-gal became a reportable condition in West Virginia in 2025. Flory said symptoms can be difficult to connect to food because reactions are often delayed. She urged people to cover exposed skin, use insect repellents and check for ticks after spending time outdoors. She pointed out rural West Virginians may face greater exposure.

“There’s a higher rural population, so people might be spending more time outdoors in the woods doing outdoor activities that might put them into higher proximity of these kind of ticks,” Flory explained.

Flory stressed because healthcare providers must now report identified cases, it is easier to track the disease and identify hot spots. People diagnosed with the syndrome generally manage it by avoiding foods and products containing the alpha-gal sugar molecule. But she added it should be treated as a serious condition.

“It definitely could if somebody has an anaphylactic response to it. If you don’t get medical attention for that, it could not end well for you,” Flory cautioned.

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West Virginia University’s 27^th president, Michael Benson, continued his 55-county “Welcome Home Tour” last Wednesday, April 29 by visiting Morgan County as he gets to know the Mountain State.

Benson, who took over leadership of the state’s land-grant university in July of 2025, has been exploring the different regions of West Virginia and meeting people, many of whom have ties to WVU.

On Wednesday, Benson and his team started their day…

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The contest, which opened in early December 2025, invited both professional and amateur photographers to submit winter-themed images captured within West Virginia State Parks, forests, and rail trails. Entries were judged across three categories.

Winners of the “Mountains Are Always Free” Photo Contest:

Winterscape Category

Matthew Marsh of Keyser, WV – Ekalaka Falls, Blackwater…

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WVSOM second-year student Morgan Christian has been awarded The
Health Plan Scholarship, which covers tuition and fees for up to four
years, allowing Morgan to graduate medical school without worrying
about those costs.

“4-H taught me to…

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WVSOM first-year student Lenzie Stiltner has been awarded The Health Plan Scholarship, which covers tuition and fees and is renewable for four years, allowing Lenzie to graduate medical school without worrying about those costs.

“I am truly…

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GERRARDSTOWN, W.Va. — This year marks the 64^thanniversary of the Peace Corps and Peace Corps Day is celebrated annually on March 1st. Since its beginning, over 250,00 Peace Corps Volunteers have served in 140 countries around the world. Over 722 of those volunteers have been from West Virginia. Since resuming operations after COVID, the Peace Corps is now in 61 countries with 7,300 volunteers. Currently, there are three volunteers serving…

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In a recent column, state Delegate Scot Heckert argues that West Virginia’s Certificate of Need (CON) program is needed to protect health care services in rural communities. Unfortunately, his defense ignores clear evidence that these outdated laws reduce access to care and increase patient costs.

Health care CON laws make it difficult or impossible to open new facilities or offer new services, as existing providers use these…

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