Talkline | August 21, 2025

Brad McElhinny has news on a reported plan to address PEIA. Talking Farm to School and complying with the new food dye ban with Cabell County Schools Director of Food Services, Travis Austin. Sportsline's Kyle Wiggs stops by to talk about WVU players getting their eligibility and former Martinsburg HS and Shepherd QB Tyson Bageant's contract extension with the Bears. Plus, info on the WVRC Media Cares for Kids Radiothon!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:13):
Good morning, Welcome in Metro News talk Line. We've got
a full show for you today. Let's not waste any time.
Metro News talk Line is underway.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Radio turned off from the studios of w v r
C Media and the Metro News Radio and Television Network,
the Voice of West Virginia comes the most powerful show
in West Virginia. This it's Metro News talk Line with
Dave Wilson and t J Meadows.

Speaker 1 (00:51):
So it's network control.

Speaker 2 (00:52):
From Charles stand by to David TJ.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
You're on.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
Metronews. Talk Line is presented by Encova Insurance, encircling you
with coverage to protect what you care about most. Visit
incova dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
Good morning, Welcome into the Encova Insurance studios Dave and Morgantown.
TJ is in Charleston. Our phone number is eight hundred
seven sixty five Talk eight hundred seven sixty five eight
two five five. You can text the show at three
oh four Talk three oh four. Got a full show
for you today. A little bit later, Ryan Schmels Fox
News Radio will stop by latest on the DC crime

(01:34):
stats since the President's Public Safety initiative.

Speaker 3 (01:39):
Those four w.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
Football players we were talking about yesterday, they'll be eligible
to play in the twenty twenty five season. We'll get
the details from Kyle Wiggs. Plus, it's a big couple
of days across the WVRC media family of radio stations.
We'll tell you why Radiothon is going on. We'll get
you the details on how you can help support wq
Medicine Children's over the next couple of days. So lots

(02:03):
to dive into this morning, but first we must say
hello to TJ. Meadows from the Charleston Bureau. Good morning, TJ.
Good morning, sir. How are you today? I'm doing great,
doing great because we are one week, one week from
the kickoff of high school football, going to go to
the scrimmage tonight, check things out, do a little advanced
preparation for next week's game. So it's here, man, it

(02:26):
is here.

Speaker 3 (02:27):
Are you on the call next week? Do you have that?

Speaker 1 (02:29):
Yeah? Well, I'll have the radio Morgantown and Parkersburg. The
kickoff game will be on Metro News TV, but I
will have the hometown radio call as I always do
for the Mohegans on waj R Morgantown. John Halbreder, he
is my second longest relationship you know that seriously.

Speaker 3 (02:46):
Hope to goodness, your wife is the first.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
My wife is the first. And John and I I
think we're starting. Oh, dear John, I forgot our anniversary.
We'll have to discuss that on the opener. Let me
see ten twelve. I think we'll start our thirteenth year,
thirteenth or fourteenth year together? Uh, doing Morgantown football. Yes,
that's relationship. Yeah, you know, he treats me well. He
treats me well, takes me to dinner every once in

(03:09):
a while. It's a good relationship.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
Good.

Speaker 4 (03:12):
I look forward to football season. It's nice to be
able to go Friday night. You know, maybe the.

Speaker 3 (03:16):
Generals, my Winfield generals.

Speaker 4 (03:18):
We'll see how they do. I haven't followed. I got
to get up to speed. But nice to go catch
a game or two.

Speaker 1 (03:23):
Yep. And well, you know, of course Fred and Dave
Jacklin have us all beat. They've been doing the show,
you know, Game Night for twenty some years together. They're
like an old married couple on Friday nights.

Speaker 4 (03:34):
So I remember the night that went on the air.
I was actually in the career building a night of
the first broadcast. Yes, and it was something special and
everybody's you know, scrambling around because how are we going
to get all these scores? And they literally had, you know,
and I think they still do. Mountains of people on
telephones calling and updating the website. And that was a
very special broadcast. And yeah, twenty five years, I think

(03:56):
it's the most listened to show on the network.

Speaker 1 (03:57):
I believe, Yeah, I think I believe. So I'm wonderful
next to this. But of course, of course, so anyway,
high school football a week away, looking forward to it.
So we've been talking all off and on throughout the
summer about a special session for Peia. Is going to happen?
When's it going to happen? Well, Governor Morrisey has said

(04:18):
a couple of times that discussions have been ongoing. He
and his staff have been talking to state lawmakers and
there'll be something. Just wait, stay tuned. Well, it looks
like something is starting to take shape or has taken shape.
Metro News is Brad McElhenny is reporting this morning that
the governor has a four point proposal for changes to

(04:39):
p ei A and a bill to reflect that. That
is the lead story at wv metro news dot com
this morning. Brad McElhenny joins us for the details. Brad.
Good morning.

Speaker 5 (04:51):
Oh hi, good morning guys.

Speaker 1 (04:52):
Glad you could join us. Brad. So, we've been talking
about PEI a special session off and on. Is it
going to happen? Is it not going to happen. I
don't know if it's going to happen yet, but it
looks like there is at least a proposal on the
table for discussion.

Speaker 5 (05:08):
There is movement behind the scenes. And you know, if
you look at the calendar, it's the twenty first of
August of a special session, aligning with the next regularly
scheduled legislative interims that is September seventh to ninth, so
three weeks away. The governor and his administration have been

(05:29):
talking to lawmakers behind the scenes about what potential potential
changes to the Public Employees Insurance Agency might look like,
and those have been held pretty close to the vest
I've got a story up on the Metro News website
with four sources who are knowledgeable about what's been said.

(05:51):
And I will tell you guys that among those sources,
among the four, Morsey is not one of them. So
Governor Morris, if you're out there listening, call in and
tell us what this proposal is. But I I A
has long been a hot stove of West Virginia politics.

(06:12):
You may remember the statewide teacher strike over insurance costs
a few years ago. There were some painful cost increases
for both, you know, frankly, both state agencies and employees.
You heard more about the employees the last few years,
and the governor has talked about trying to make some

(06:33):
changes to the program. The significant thing is, though, that
three weeks out from this potential special session, it is
not clear the level of support his proposals have among lawmakers.
They fall into different buckets, to use a phrase of
the prior governor, different buckets. Two of them, lawmakers who

(06:57):
talk to me contend could be just be handled internally.
I mean, the executive branch could do a couple of
them administratively. The others are themselves moves, and they may
take either more time to think through or they're just
not There might not be the taste for moving on these.

(07:20):
If you want, I can get now into the four possibilities.

Speaker 1 (07:24):
How about we start with the two that are probable,
or at least there is some warmth to let's start
with those two.

Speaker 5 (07:33):
Yeah, so there's a couple that These are the ones
that lawmakers who I spoke with say there's no need
for a special session to handle them, could just be
handled within the administrative branch. And so one is the
establishment of a PIA fraud unit. I don't know a
lot about the details of that, but it could be

(07:56):
trying to put up safeguards for fraud for doctors, insurance companies,
or even individuals who you know are trying to bill
for more than they really should. There is there has
been some recent concern over the years about how fraud
may be affecting the overall cost of medicated So this

(08:18):
would established a fraud unit. Could could the PA Finance
Board or the governor and his administration just handle that maybe?
And then you know, you've heard recently about pharmacy benefit managers.
I don't want to get into that a whole lot,
but they're the middlemen of all this process. Separately, Attorney
General G. B. Mccusky announced a lawsuit this week about

(08:42):
the role of West Virginia's pharmacy benefit manager that handles
p i A in in the context of the opioid crisis.
This is separate from that, but the state would like
greater leverage over these pharmacy benefit managers when it comes
from the negotiating, especially with specialty drugs like glp ones, ozempic,

(09:05):
wagov those kinds of things. PIA covers people with diabetes
who need to to get prescriptions for those drugs. It
does not cover them for their very popular weight loss function.
But either way, they are very expensive drugs, and PIA,
the governor and the administration would like to get that

(09:27):
on more under control mention.

Speaker 1 (09:29):
New State White correspondent Brad Mackleheney joining us and TJ
jump in here before we get to the two that
may not be so popular. Brad, do those actions need
legislative or do those items need legislative action?

Speaker 5 (09:46):
My back of the napkin math says probably not.

Speaker 6 (09:50):
You know.

Speaker 5 (09:50):
I mean, if a unit were to cost a significant
amount of money, that might be a budgetary matter, But
it seems otherwise the administration's own budget could handle it,
and it really could just be established by the administration
if they want more resources to come back fraud.

Speaker 4 (10:09):
So Brad, a couple of things on these, and I'll
go quickly because I want to get to the guts
of what will be more controversial fraud. Sure, we all
want to prevent fraud. Here's my question, how are we
going to do that? Do we have the expertise in
state government to do this? That's why we have a
third party administrator for PEI. A Now legislative oudor can say, hey,
we would like to see ABC. That's great, and we

(10:30):
should give those bits of feedback to this third party
auditor and third party administrator.

Speaker 3 (10:36):
I should say, but if we're going to set up.

Speaker 4 (10:38):
A fraud unit, that's going to cost money, it's going
to cost expertise. We don't have it necessarily, so I
don't know how we're going to do that. And then
the other parts of the GLP ones, Look, we're small potatoes,
a couple of what three four hundred thousand people in
PIA whatever it is. I don't know how much negotiating
power that really buys us. Yes, we should be trying,
but these seem like common sense efforts that may not

(11:01):
necessarily bring a lot of money.

Speaker 5 (11:03):
My two cents, The gentlemen's point is well taken, and
I mean when I hear fraud unit, I think personnel
with expertise. I also wonder if maybe there are some
software upgrades like AI that can scan for double billing
or whatever. That will probably be an additional capital expense.

(11:24):
But I don't know the details of what we're talking
and it really seems like if there are significant expenses
that should be built into broader budget discussions during the
regular session Atjerning.

Speaker 1 (11:36):
State line, correspondent Brad Macklehenning joining us. So, Brad, what
are the two items on this four point plan that
may not be so popular?

Speaker 5 (11:47):
One is removing coverage elibility for eligibility for spouses who
are offered health insurance through their own employer. There have
already been some changes to PAA on that. That instance,
you may remember that there was a surcharge established for
families who, you know, if my health insurance plan for

(12:09):
my employer less generous than what PIA offers, maybe we
do want to opt in for me to be on
p ii A. Also, so just two or three years
ago the state established a surcharge to allow people to
do that. This would remove the possibility entirely. I should

(12:30):
say that there is a caveat to my understanding that
spouses who don't have insurance, who don't have eligibility otherwise
would still be allowed. And I believe, you know, without
seeing the fine print, I believe children would still be eligible.
It's merely the spouses. But you know that will be
another significant change. And you know plenty of West Virginians

(12:56):
PIA despite all of the concern about its financial standing
the last few years, it's still a pretty good and
generous insurance program. There are a lot of West Regians
who probably are on insurance programs that are not as generous.
And so this is a benefit for state employment.

Speaker 1 (13:18):
Oh you want me to go into the next point, Well,
hang on one second to sorry not to go behind
the pull the curtain back. TJ and I we cannot
see each other day because so we're flying a little
bit blind. But TJ, it's my understanding that that surcharge
pretty much covers the cost of adding the spouse, So
it might it might be a wash if you just
make the spouse.

Speaker 4 (13:38):
Ineligible there, mate, My understanding is the original intendant the
surch charge was to cover the full actuary cost and
so that in other words, it would be a net
zero out to p E.

Speaker 7 (13:47):
I A.

Speaker 4 (13:47):
And if you bring a spouse on who could otherwise
obtain insurance from their job, the state didn't want to
shoulder a subsidize that burden. So the SURG charge was
intended to be able to cover that. Now with that said,
is that actually what's happening? So is that search arge
estimate actually covering the costs? Are those costs escalating? That

(14:10):
could be so there could be some issues where we
either have to continue to increase that or we need
to play catch up. Some have told me that, yeah,
that was the intention, but that's not happening. So there
may be some savings there, But Dave, how much would
those savings be. You'd have to have the numbers in
the pro formance. But to your point, yes, originally I
think that was the case.

Speaker 1 (14:28):
All right, what's the final point.

Speaker 5 (14:29):
Brad, Yeah, the final The final possibility is establishing a
new plan for new employees. It's we have discussed a lot.
PIA has an eighty twenty cost split, meaning that the
employer typically the government in this case, pays eighty percent
of the insurance cost the employee pays twenty. This would

(14:52):
change for new employees to a seventy five twenty five splits.
You know, I mean, I guess the the question there is,
if you want good government, you want good employees. Staffing
that government and one of the benefits in a time
where you know, last year there were not employee pay raises,

(15:16):
there were several of the years prior to that. But
if if employee pay is going to be relatively flat,
the insurance has been considered a benefit above and beyond
that to kind of make up for it, and in
this case, potentially it would be less generous for those
new employees, so it would be you know, I think

(15:38):
it would be potentially a recruitment issue where do people
get excited about the insurance to make up for public
sector pay raise and public ticket pay.

Speaker 1 (15:50):
And TJ, we're gonna spend some more time coming up
in the second hour kind of hashing this out a
little bit at least what we know, and granted, look
we've not seen that actual bill, not seeing the actual proposal,
though Brad's done some outstanding reporting here, so we still
need to wait to see the final product. But that'll
be a tough sell for every delegate and senator who

(16:10):
has to go back to a district and speak to
public employees, teachers, unions, and teachers in particular. TJ. That
seems like it'd be a tough tough.

Speaker 4 (16:18):
Sell especially in terms of teacher retention. Right, because if
you graduate or live somewhere from an institution, or live
somewhere in a border county, and it's now seventy five
to twenty five, you go across the border, you were
already going to make more money. Now you know you're
gonna have better benefits across the border, across the river,
whatever it may be. Here, here's I think, Dave, how
to boil this down. Does the governor think this fixes

(16:40):
pi A, because that's what we always hear, fix pei A.
The ANSWER's governor think this fixes pi and the answers, well,
I'm sorry no.

Speaker 1 (16:48):
But I don't think one single thing fixes PIA either.
So yeah, I think that, Like I said, we'll have
some more time to talk about this coming up at
the top of the in the next hour. It's going
to take a series of things. What those things are,
I'm not even going to try to claim I know,
but this seems like one step in a multi step
process to fix amusing scare quotes there, fix pe I A, Brad,

(17:15):
anything to add.

Speaker 5 (17:18):
It might suppress some costs. I mean, I don't know
about fixing, but it might it might result in some
cost control. But I mean two questions about that. Does
it need to be done is in an emergency? Does
it need to be done in September when the regular
session is the beginning of January. Secondly, you know, lawmakers

(17:38):
now have roughly three weeks to consider these possibilities, and
I just so far have not heard a real embrace
one source that I spook with that it's headed for disaster.
Question that it would even hit the floor, meaning a
floor vote in the House or the Senate. Does the

(18:02):
governor want to weigh the political risk here? I mean,
if I have done the story to look ahead to
the policy possibilities, but it is almost just as likely
that things will be pulled back, come off the table.
Maybe we don't go ahead right now because there is

(18:22):
political risk too, and it is just unclear to me
which way this is going.

Speaker 1 (18:26):
As they say, Brad, the situation remains fluid at this point.
Metro New state Wide correspondent Brad mclhoney read his story
right now. It is the top story over at the
website wv Metronews dot com. Excellent work as always, Brad.

Speaker 5 (18:42):
Governor Collin and tell us all about it.

Speaker 1 (18:44):
Thanks appreciate it. Brad. Mcahoney also associate producer just earned
that title as well. Three or four Talk three or
four that's the text line, eight hundred seven and sixty
five Talk. That's the phone number. This is talk line
from the Cove Insurance Studios.

Speaker 8 (18:57):
A lot of attention has been directed towards something pressent
sident Trump calls clean beautiful coal. That phrase often describes
the clean burning aspect of West Virginia coal, But there
is another type of coal, metallurgical coal, which is used
to make the steel our economy depends on, and West
Virginia has some of the highest quality met coal in

(19:17):
the world. West Virginia coal miners produce more met coal
than any other state, and seventy percent of all steel
makers in the United States rely on West Virginia met coal.
This accounts for two hundred billion dollars in economic impact
throughout the country and help sustain over a half billion jobs.
As President Trump reinvigorates our economy, he will need a

(19:37):
lot of our high quality met coal. So the West
Virginia Coal Association asks you to join with them to recognize,
honor and salute our West Virginia coal miners. They built
this country and will play a vital role in rebuilding
the economy that will power the twenty first century. A
message from the friends of Coal.

Speaker 2 (20:09):
Metro News talk Line is presented by Encova Insurance and
circling you with coverage to protect what you care about most.
Visit Encova dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (20:19):
Text line is three or four talk three oh four.
Phone number is eight hundred seven sixty five Talk eight
hundred seven sixty five eight two five five. Let me
see three or four. Yeah, we got a couple of
seconds here, three or four talk three oh four. My
paycheck deduction every two weeks is four hundred and ninety

(20:40):
three dollars and one cent just for my wife. Peia
insurance is a ripoff anymore, says the Texter. Texter says,
these Republicans want to run the government like a business. Well,
part of a business is good customer service. It's absolutely
terrible customer service to raise insurance without a pay raise
to even out the insurance raise, much less keep up

(21:02):
with the cost of living. State workers are also customers
of the state, and we are treated like expendable commodities.
We'll talk more about this, and look, this is Brad
did excellent reporting. This is still in the development phase
at this point, although again Brad did some excellent reporting there,
so don't get too far ahead of yourself. But at

(21:23):
TJ about twenty seconds here these discussions we know we've
been told they've been going on ongoing, and here's the
result of these discussions.

Speaker 4 (21:32):
And your point about being preliminary is exactly right. But
the devil's in the details and the numbers, and we
need to see the numbers. But if I'm being honest,
I don't know that this saves a lot of money.

Speaker 1 (21:44):
Frankly, we'll discuss further talk a lot of Metro News,
the Voice of West Virginia. It is ten thirty. Let's
get a news update and check in with the Metro
News radio network. Find out what's happening across the great
state of Western Virginia.

Speaker 9 (21:56):
West Virginia Metro News, I'm Jeff Jenkins. The state's final
propose for a federally funded broadband expansion program called BEAD
is now out for public comment. Governor Patrick Morrisey is
urging state residents to comment on the plan.

Speaker 3 (22:08):
This is big and now we want to make sure
we finish the job.

Speaker 4 (22:11):
But way in another common period and I hope we're
gonna have some even bigger announcements to come very soon.

Speaker 9 (22:17):
The state's plan would expand broadband to seventy four thousand locations,
including unserved, underserved, and community anchor institutions. Two investigations are
in different stages.

Speaker 10 (22:28):
In Bridgeport, Mayor Robert Mathenie says an investigation into harassment
uncovered other potential misconduct among city employees. Counselors have now
voted to delay the investigation into a possible pay for
play scheme involving city contracts.

Speaker 5 (22:43):
You know, I don't want to speculate on that.

Speaker 11 (22:45):
I think we just got to let it play itself
out and you know, the truth will come to light.

Speaker 10 (22:49):
Counselors could vote to restart the investigation at their regular
meeting Monday. I'm Mike Nolton for wv Metronews dot com.

Speaker 9 (22:58):
Davis Mayor Al Thompson says he and many fellow Tucker
County inns recognize that data centers and their associated power
plants are necessary, but their concerns are aware of Virginia
Company wants to put one of those in his county.
Thompson says, right now, it's just too close to town.
Statedp is Okay to their quality permit for the project
in recent days, but Tucker County residents say they'll continue

(23:19):
to voice their concerns. You're listening to Metro News for
forty years, the voice of West Virginia.

Speaker 12 (23:24):
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into a resilient plant. Recovery takes patients intention and a
willingness to listen. Every path is different, and every story
of substance use is an opportunity for transformation. When it
comes to growing and restoring our communities, we need everyone

(23:45):
to break through addiction. Learn more at back to Life
wv dot org.

Speaker 3 (23:53):
An official message from Medicare.

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Speaker 9 (24:23):
Authorities in Buchanan County, Virginia say the body of a
McDowell County man was found Wednesday morning in an abandoned
coal mine, shares Deputy State of Peers. Fifty three year
old Jerry Jenks of Painsville and forty nine year old
Jerry Chambers of Jewel Ridge, Virginia died not long after
entering that mine on Tuesday. They were reported missing early
Wednesday morning. Authorities say the old mine was a drift mine.

(24:45):
Their bodies have been taken to a state Medical Examiner's
office in Virginia. From the Metro News anchor desk, I'm
Jeff Jenkins.

Speaker 1 (25:14):
Your thoughts three or four? Talk three or four. We'll
get to those coming up just a little bit. Remember
a couple of weeks ago, around the first of the month,
we were discussing a bill that had been introduced in
the US Senate by Senator Justice and Senate Democrat Jack
Reid from Rhode Island. It was called it is called
the Strengthening Local Food Security Act, aiming to enhance food

(25:35):
security by supporting local food systems. Specifically, it would enable
states and tribal governments to purchase local food from small,
mid size beginning veteran and underserved producers and distributed to
schools and community organizations. The bill also includes provisions for
technical assistance for producers to aim to strengthen farm to

(25:56):
food bank supply chains. So we were talking about that
during the conversation. Yeah, that seems like a good idea.
Farmed A school in particular, got a message from a
director of food and nutrition at one of the school
system says, hey, we're already doing that. I said, okay,
let's talk about that to discuss and the big changes

(26:17):
going into the school year this year complying with the
food dive band. Travis Austin joins US director for food
nutrition with the Cable County Schools.

Speaker 11 (26:24):
Travis, good morning, Hey, good morning, Thanks for having me.

Speaker 1 (26:28):
Appreciate you coming on. We'll get to the farm to
table or farm to school discussion here in just a moment.
But there was a lot of talk headed into the
school year about complying with the new state law banning
those artificial dies. How has Cable County complied with the
new legislation.

Speaker 11 (26:47):
Yeah, we were paying attention to that winter early spring
when House Bill I think it was twenty three fifty four.
We had a lot of momentum and we knew where
it was going, and I personally agreed with that. I
think it's a different step in the right direction. So
we reached out to our main distributors and all of

(27:07):
our cooks and all of our schools, and we just
decided to make the change to go ahead and cut
them at that time. So I got to tell you
when it happened, I thought we were going to have
a lot of headache. But it's not been it's not
been tough at all. We found good replacements and it's
really been seamless. We've had a lot of good help
from the state offic child Nutrition and navigating.

Speaker 4 (27:30):
Travis, Can you give us a sense of some of
the foods that you did have to go to a
different vendor or replace. What kind of foods that you
were serving Were those that you had to change gears,
so to speak, to ensure that compliance was met.

Speaker 11 (27:44):
Yeah. Mostly, I would say mostly breakfast cereals. There are
probably ten or twelve that we can order from, and
about three of the main ones had some dyes in them,
and we just eliminated as options and you know, informed
that our vendors we weren't going to be purchasing them
so they could stalk up and supply the ones that

(28:05):
do meet the criteria. And then you know, when we
served launch, really the only thing that stood out were
some of the chips that were served on the side.
So same thing with that, We just eliminated those and
replaced them with ones that were good to go.

Speaker 1 (28:19):
Were there already producers out there or suppliers ready to
answer the call for you?

Speaker 11 (28:26):
You know, we've seen some changes recently. I was afraid
back in January or February March when they started rolling
that they weren't that West Virginia wasn't going to move
the needle alone. That was my fear. But actually, working
with our distributor, we've just picked up more. And I
have seen in recent weeks that heard some big announcements

(28:50):
of cal Lowl's and some other companies that are changing
their formulation, stagments and all that.

Speaker 4 (28:56):
Is there a price difference? Are these foods without the
dies are they more expensive?

Speaker 11 (29:02):
No? I'm not seeing a difference in price at all.

Speaker 1 (29:07):
Well, the million dollar question, Travis is what do the
kids think? Are they eating it?

Speaker 6 (29:13):
The kids?

Speaker 11 (29:14):
Hey, look, the kids will adjust. Again. My personal opinion,
I think it's a step in the right direction and
that the kids will be the judge and hey, they're
just going to have to adjust, and they will.

Speaker 1 (29:26):
Travis Austin is joining us. He's director of food services
for Cable County Schools. I also wanted to talk to
you because we were talking about this bill and it
makes a lot of sense, right, locally sourced food, locally
sourced produce, whatever the case may be, coming from the
local farm in West Virginia going to schools in West Virginia.
And you reached out and said, hey, hey, this is
already going on. So how do you in Cable County

(29:49):
take locally sourced products and put them on the table,
on the plate for kids at school.

Speaker 11 (29:55):
Yeah, that's a great question. And I got to tell
you that Farmer Schools is probably the favorite part of
my job. I love everything about it. It takes a
lot of planning, a lot of planning in advance, sometimes
up to six months in advance. You've got to start
with the end in mind, and the challenge is finding
producers that can feel the need. You know, if we're

(30:15):
doing eight thousand lunches a day, you've got to find
somebody that can do that. And I just think formed
to school is when when the students get a great
product and it's superior, it's local, it's fresh, and it
helps local farmers, helps our local economy. I fail to
see a downside inform the school.

Speaker 4 (30:35):
I was pleasantly surprised that we were already doing this
when Dave alluded to the fact you reached out candidly.
I figured this would be bogged down in so much
regulation that it wouldn't be possible talk about that.

Speaker 3 (30:48):
It sounds like it's been easy to do.

Speaker 11 (30:51):
It's not easy to do. That would be a misrepresentation
it is. There is a lot that goes into it,
Like I said, the planning and the legit of everything,
but you know, following purchasing guidelines of procurement, all those
things still come like any other purchase in the school system.
But the challenge really remains finding the producers that can

(31:14):
feel that need. This week alone, we've got a local
farmer in the stage just up the road from where
I am right now, and he delivered forty six years
of fresh, local corn. And we got that with lots
of hands helping, and was served on the lunch trades
that some of them had middle schools and high schools

(31:35):
had it yesterday and then some aven it today and
we'll do the next shipment and we'll serve our elementary students.
But so it's working in events planning out there is
a lot that goes into it.

Speaker 1 (31:48):
But you know, Travis, and we're talking to Travis Austin.
He is director of food Services Cabal County Schools school lunches. Travis,
they have a bad I don't know if you know this.
They have a bad reputation because I always here about
back in the day, the home cooked sausage, gravy, biscuits,
whatever the case may be. You know, I'm not saying
I didn't like the square pizza in high school in school, Travis,

(32:10):
but I mean Square pizza left a lot to be desired.

Speaker 11 (32:14):
You're You're right, we do have there is that stigma
out there, but I would argue there are some good
things going on out there. We purchase locally sourced, raised
and processed ground beef. We buy about three to four
thousand pounds a month, and that beef goes into our spaghetti,

(32:36):
our taco or lasagna recipes. It's used in soups, and
you can tell the difference in the quality when you
get fresh local versus something that comes from a big
box truck. And I'm not knocking our suppliers, it's just,
you know, it's the truth.

Speaker 4 (32:54):
Given your experience here, you ever thought about i'll call
it a county school garden. Kids are interested in agriculture,
maybe like a votech kind of thing. They want to
get a garden going and learn about farming. You guys,
every think about doing something like that and then you've
got your product right there.

Speaker 11 (33:13):
So that's a great point. We do that at Milton
Middle School. We have an ag program set up there.
They've got a greenhouse, and there are some counties and
directors that are doing awesome things across the state. It's
not just going on in Capital County, and it's really
it's a priority. At the State Office of Cholt Nutrition,
we have a lot of that going on, and we

(33:35):
do purchase items from that greenhouse and put on the
salad bar as they become available. But you're right, there's
an educational component too when you incorporate the students, and
we had lots of students helping us clean corn this week,
so that was an educational thing and gave them a
little break from the classroom.

Speaker 1 (33:54):
Any break from the classroom, you'll tell you if it's
shuck and corn string and green beans, I would have
been all about it if it got me out of
Spanish class for a few minutes back in the day.
So Travis Austin, director of food Services in Cabal County,
thank you very much for the insights today. Travis appreciate it.

Speaker 11 (34:10):
Hey, thank you guys very much.

Speaker 1 (34:12):
Thanks absolutely. Coming up, it is radiothon across the WVRC
media radio stations today helping out the WU Medicine Children's Hospital.
We'll talk about that right after this. This is talk
line from the en Cove Insurance Studios.

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Speaker 2 (35:39):
Metro News Talk Line is presented by Encova Insurance, encircling
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Visit Encova dot com to learn more.

Speaker 1 (35:49):
Second Hour, we'll talk to Ryan Smells Fox News Radio.
Kyle Wiggs will stop by. Tyson Pagent is Chicago Bears
quarterback for Martinsburg quarterback. He's got a big contry extension.
We'll talk about that. Plus four w football players will
be eligible for the twenty five season coming up well
Today Across the WDVRC Media family that's the parent company

(36:12):
of Metro News stations are in the midst of the
annual radiothon today and tomorrow benefiting WVU Medicine at Children's.
You can get involved by calling eight seven seven seven
one nine kids. That's eight seven seven seven nine five
four three seven For more on today's Radiothon, Taylor Griffith

(36:33):
joins this, director of the Children's Miracle Network. Taylor, Good morning,
Glad you could join us.

Speaker 17 (36:39):
Good morning, How are.

Speaker 1 (36:40):
You doing well? So Radio Thon today and tomorrow benefiting
ww Medicine Children's Why should people get involved?

Speaker 17 (36:49):
Yes, we have the Radio Thon happening today and tomorrow
broadcasting live out of the tenth floor of the Family
Resource Center, and I think that's really important to broadcast
live out of here and just be able to hear
the stations around the states, just because patients are coming
up here right now to receive gas cards and hotel
stays and mill vouchers, and we're fund raping for that
right here in front of them, and they're hearing the

(37:10):
cheers and knowing that we reach that totalmount off that
shopping list this year, and it's so just really important
for them to understand that the community is behind them
and this tough time of them being at the children's Hospital,
it's really important to know that they have people behind them,
and we're excited to be able to provide those resources
for them in the coming times.

Speaker 4 (37:29):
Taylor, give us a sense of the need. How many
patients does the Children's Hospital at Mortontown see from across
the state each year, and maybe give people an idea
of how important it is to keep that money local.

Speaker 17 (37:41):
Yes, we had over one hundred thousand patients in the
last year come to w Medicine. Today, in total, we
have one hundred and thirty two patients in our hospital
as of this morning, So those patients are from all
over the state of West Virginia and surrounding region, and
your radio stations also are in those areas. So it's
just really important for everything to stay local here. We have,

(38:02):
like I said, hotel s days, gas cards, and mill
vouchers that these families need to be able to travel
and get here for their appointment or if something were
to come up and they didn't expect this stay. We're
able to provide those resources, but also let a kid
be a kid. This morning, we were able to buy
iPads and xboxes, and that's huge because when they come here,
it's the unknown for them and we want to be
able to provide that comfort for them and just be

(38:24):
a kid while they're in the hospital. So having those
resources if it's a stuffed animal or if it's flyining,
different things like that. We just want to be able
to have everything on deck for those moments, and even
clothes for the adults, like we purchased adult clothing so
parents were if they were to come here in the
middle of the night and they didn't expect it, were
able to provide that or a simple phone charger. So
all these funds stay local, and it's very important to

(38:45):
be able to realize that these families need this hospital
and they need the partnership with the VRC media, and
it's really important to be able to give back.

Speaker 1 (38:52):
To them and the idea obviously being with the children's hospital.
Parents have so much going on. DOUBLEVU does such an
outstanding job WV Medicine Children's of trying to just make
certain everything else is taken care of us so you
can focus on that one thing as a parent that's
getting your kid better.

Speaker 17 (39:11):
Yeah, that's that's the main goal here. No kids ever
turned away, and we want to be able to help
in any aspect, whether that's childlife services or nutrition services,
or the Family Resource Center, or just simply our clinical
team and all all hands on deck when you walk
through the front door and it's a it's a family atmosphere,
and we want to make sure that you feel comforted
while you're in our doors.

Speaker 1 (39:31):
It is the dou WVRC Media Cares for Kids radiothon
benefiting w Medicine Children's Hospital. We've got stations all across
the family broadcasting up at the hospital today up on
the tenth floor. You can help out by calling eight
seven seven seven one nine five four three seven that's
eight seven seven seven one nine kids, or you can
text DOUBLEV Kids to three four nine eight four radiothon

(39:55):
today and tomorrow. Taylor Griffith, director of the Children's Miracle Network,
thank you so much joining us, some good luck.

Speaker 17 (40:02):
Thank you having great day guys, you as well.

Speaker 1 (40:04):
Coming up final segment of our number one. We'll tell
you what's coming up in our number two. This is
talk Line on Metro News from the Cove Insurance Studios.

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The Powerball jackpot are you sitting down seven hundred million dollars?
The Megamillion's jackpot is two hundred and thirty four million dollars,
So go ahead, play today. Text line three oh four
Talk three oh four Dave and TJ. My now nine
year old granddaughter was born at wv Medicine Children's three
months early. She was bedbound there for at least the

(42:13):
first four months of her life to laying her crawling
and walking developments. She was impatient in the nick you
for months, had open heart surgery before her first birthday,
then developed a staff infection in her bloodstream. Just two
weeks later. After coming home to Charleston, she was rushed
back to Morgantown to be opened up again. I love
the WVU medical staff and the volunteers at the Ronald

(42:35):
McDonald House there. I encourage people to donate items no
money needed to the Ronald McDonald House as well. The
hospital and the RMH work. Ronald McDonald House work hand
in hand. I love them both, says the Texter. Let
me give the numbers again if you would like to
donate again. The WVRC Media Cares for Kids radiothon today

(42:59):
and tomorrow benefiting ww Medicine Children's w Kids. Text that
to three four nine eight four to donate, or you
can call eight seven seven seven one nine Kids eight
seven seven seven one nine five four three seven we'll
have an update for you coming up later next hour.

Speaker 4 (43:16):
Can you imagine dealing with all of that? I can't either,
and then the fact that you know what, I don't
have a cell phone charger. We had to come up
here in the middle of the night. I don't have
a cell phone charger. I gotta be able to communicate
with people back home. I'm gonna have to leave my
child or only one parent's gonna be there instead of two,
so I can find Walmart or someplace that I can

(43:36):
buy a cell phone charger, and then for a couple
bucks that you give WVU Children's they've got some of
those already there. Oh no, no, no, no, no, you've
got more important things to do. Here you go, and
that's off your list.

Speaker 1 (43:48):
Yeah, yeah, I can't. No, I'm a I'm a guy
that I'm the guy that annoys the wife because I
want to fix try to fix the problem. That is
a helpless feeling. There's such a helpless feeling when you
can do nothing. And no, I cannot imagine that. But again,

(44:09):
we'll continue, We'll get you an update coming up next
hour from Radiothon as well. Texter says, has anyone ever
said that's a bad question during an interview. I had
to think about that for a moment. I can't think
of an instance offhand, and if it did happen, it
was probably a football coach, is my guess.

Speaker 3 (44:28):
I don't know that you get that, Dave.

Speaker 4 (44:30):
But maybe we get the raised eyebrow from people who
are here in the studio, you know what I mean.
Maybe that's the way that they articulate their displeasure of
a certain question.

Speaker 1 (44:40):
I have been in that doesn't so much. You get
that Sometimes you ask a difficult question or a hard
question and they don't really want to answer. And sometimes
in news, you just need to get the person to
say the thing. You need the person to say the thing, right,
So you have to ask what's kind of an obvious question,
and you kind of feel little sheep is asked because

(45:01):
it's such an obvious question with such an obvious answer.
But I'm like, sometimes I just need you to say
the thing, And that's when you kind of get that look, well, like, yeah,
that we needed to do whatever the case may be.

Speaker 4 (45:14):
So not being the seasoned journalist that you are, here's
the way I look at that. If we ask a
tough question, there's a reason. We're asking it, we're thinking
about it. Everyone else is thinking about it. Tough questions
are sometimes obvious, I would think, so it's the respondent's
opportunity to win or lose the day and make their case.
We're giving them an opportunity. We're not presenting them with baggage.

(45:37):
That's the way I look at it.

Speaker 1 (45:38):
I will say I have been in interviews before, both
in sports, politics, news, whatever, thinking to myself, I could
answer this question better than they could. Why are they
not answering it this way or thinking, oh boy, you're
digging a hole. I would stop if I were you,
but please continue. I'll take the content that has happened.

(45:59):
If you times.

Speaker 3 (46:00):
Yeah, uh three or four?

Speaker 1 (46:03):
Three or four is the text line?

Speaker 21 (46:04):
All right?

Speaker 1 (46:04):
Coming up second hour, we're gonna get back to this
conversation a little bit about Brad's story if you haven't
seen it already at WV Metro News dot com. The
governor reportedly has a four point plan and an accompanying
bill to deal with some of the issues with pei A.
Brad breaks that down over the website WDV Metro News

(46:25):
dot com. We're gonna get back into that coming up
next segment, and like you pointed out in the conversation
earlier this hour, does it fix and I don't know
what even that means? We need to fix PIA. We
just throw that out there all the time. Does it
fix it?

Speaker 10 (46:40):
No?

Speaker 1 (46:40):
Could it be a first step? Maybe? Is this still early?

Speaker 18 (46:46):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (46:46):
Yeah, but we'll get into that coming up. A couple
of minutes from now. Kyle Wig stops by, Tyson Bage
It gets a new contract. Plus the four ww football
players whose eligibility was in question, they will be playing.
They got the preliminary injunction they were seeking against the NCAA.
Ryan Schmells stops by as well. Eight hundred seven to

(47:06):
sixty five Talking three or four Talk threeh four second
hour Metro News talk Line is coming your way in
six minutes. Come back and join us. This is talk
Line on Metro News for forty years, the voice of
West Virginia. Metro News.

Speaker 2 (47:29):
Talk Line is presented by Encova Insurance, encircling you with
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Speaker 1 (47:42):
Bech News talk Line already in progress. Eight hundred seven
to sixty five Talk. That's the phone number. Eight hundred
seven sixty five eight two five five, three or four
Talk three oh four. That's the text line. Miya Hikins
is our producer today. Jakelink and Zach Krouchek both are

(48:06):
manning the video stream on Metro News TV. Coming up
a little bit later, Ryan Schmels will join us. We're
going an update from DC. So what are the crime
statistics now that the President's Public Safety initiative has been
in place? We'll talk to Ryan about that. Kyle Wiggs
will stop buying a little bit later on WU football

(48:28):
players who were seeking eligibility their eligibility in question because
of their Juco transfers will be eligible. Plus Ticeon Bagent,
the former Martinsburg High School star and Shepherd University star
getting a contract extension with the Chicago Bears. Kyle Wiggs,
host of Metro News Sports Line, will join us. Coming
up in just a bit three or four talk three

(48:49):
or four. Eight hundred and seven and sixty five eight
two five five is the phone number. Good morning, TJ. Meadows.
Did did the Texas Democrats get the Epstein files released yesterday?

Speaker 3 (49:00):
I don't think so. I think that went down.

Speaker 4 (49:02):
I didn't check the vote, but there was no breaking
news that there was a resolution or anything. So I
don't think they were able to get that across the
finish line. Maybe as equally preposterous, Dave, depending on your
point of view. Something that's breaking the internet this morning.
See Cracker Barrel changed their logo.

Speaker 1 (49:20):
I did. I don't know that they're woke. I just
think it's a bad logo.

Speaker 4 (49:24):
Yeah, here's the thing, this is the beauty of the
free market. This is why I always come back to
the free market. If you think Cracker Barrel is woke
because they changed their logo, if you don't like the
new logo because you think it's bad, or if you
love the new logo, either spend your dollars there or
don't vote with your pocketbook, and they'll face the consequence.

Speaker 3 (49:46):
But the Internet has been broken over the Cracker Barrel logo.

Speaker 1 (49:49):
Because it's a bad logo. I mean somebody got paid
to make that.

Speaker 3 (49:55):
Well, they used the same font, they used the same colors.
They just the man in the barrel off removed the
old Country's store. I don't know if that's somehow pejorative
or not.

Speaker 4 (50:06):
And yeah, now it's the same it's just a different shape,
same colors, same everything same font and it says cracker Barrel.

Speaker 3 (50:13):
So I guess at least I know where I'm at.

Speaker 1 (50:16):
Yeah, Bob Evans.

Speaker 3 (50:19):
Because they have better pancakes.

Speaker 1 (50:21):
You got that. Well, we do not endure so particular. Well,
that's casual dining. Is that that's referred to casual dining?
I guess I don't know all right. First hour Metro
to State White Correspondent Brad McIlhenny joined us. Brad has
a story over at wv Metro news dot com right now.
Governor Morrissey has a four point proposal for changes to

(50:42):
the Public Employees Insurance Agency and a bible to reflect that. However,
it's not clear how much support that would have. Brad
joined us in the first hour and explained some of
those points, which include a couple of points lawmakers think
at least the ones Brad spoke to could be doable.
A couple of others that well, may not be so popular.

Speaker 5 (51:02):
And so one is the establishment of a PIA fraud unit.
I don't know a lot about the details of that,
but it could be trying to put up safeguards for
fraud for doctors, insurance companies, or even individuals who you
know are trying to build for more than they really should.

Speaker 1 (51:20):
Okay, sounds good, It sounds good. And as you pointed out, boy,
we're going to probably say this twenty eight times in
this segment. Devil's going to be in the details of
what that actually would look like administratively, who would be
involved in that, what the actual goals are, how you're
going to monitor all this. A lot of questions and again, well,
look we're this isn't official yet, we don't have a

(51:41):
special session yet. We you know, there are a lot
of things that can change, but as you pointed out,
that will be in the details when you start to
get into the actual operation of such a unit.

Speaker 4 (51:52):
Well, and isn't that why you have a third party administrator?
We don't have that expertise. The people at PEIA do
a wonderful I don't know if they're necessarily experts at
fraud detection and creating controls that would prevent fraud detection.
The Legislative auditor gave recommendations to the third party administrator.
That seems appropriate, But how are you going to procure

(52:16):
that expertise? And what's the cost going to be? And honestly,
do you need a law for that. I mean, I
don't I'm asking honestly, I don't know that you need
a law for something common sense like that.

Speaker 1 (52:25):
Hang on to that thought. We'll come back to that
in the moment.

Speaker 3 (52:28):
Yep.

Speaker 1 (52:28):
Brad also went on to say that in addition to
the establishment of a Pea Peia Fraud Unit, the governor's
plan would leverage over get greater leverage over pharmacy benefit
managers and negotiating, especially with specialty drugs like the glp
ones such as ozempic. That has been a big talking point.

(52:49):
What do we do with these jlp ones. They're very,
very expensive. How do you handle those? There are a
lot of benefits if you do cover those, as far
as you know other health associated problems or health problems
associated with being overweight, diabetes, et cetera, et cetera. Again,
I like the proposal on paper, I don't know how

(53:11):
effective it will be in practice. Again, devil's in the details.

Speaker 4 (53:15):
At this point, we have two hundred and thirty thousand
public employees in Peia that are covered. I don't know
that that has enough buying power to really do anything.
When you have GLP ones and the rate in which
they have taken the market, and look, you should always
try to exercise your buying power, but I don't know
that that translates to a lot of money. I would

(53:36):
like to be shown the performance and then we could
make a more determined evaluation.

Speaker 1 (53:41):
Now you asked the question, I want to talk about
these two specifically. Then we'll get through the other two
in a moment. And even these may fall into the
category I'm not sure. Well, probably not, but these two specifically,
do you need legislation? Do you need the legislat chore
legislature involved? Could you do these administratively? It's sounds like
you could probably do both of those things administratively without

(54:04):
having to bring the legislature in. However, However, what has
been one of the criticisms of the Morrissey administration to
this point, and we've talked about it this week, not
bringing the legislature in on crucial decisions, impactful decisions, And
you could even say, you know, the state run hospitals
fall into that category. The administration did what it had

(54:27):
the authority to do, and people got upset about it.
So why would you not want to bring the legislature
in on something that would have such wide range of
impacts possibly to this, this PIA system. So do you
need to maybe not should you? Well that's kind of
the same question we were talking about four days ago.

Speaker 4 (54:45):
Well, I mean, look, we can Monday morning quarterback this
and I'm not trying to do that.

Speaker 3 (54:50):
Give we are.

Speaker 4 (54:52):
Benefit of the doubts. You want to be inclusive, that's fine,
But PIA has a board. These kinds of things. These
are board issues. Least in my experience in business, These
aren't law issues. These are board issues, and executive authority
via that board should take care of three and four
here on the tick list. But you know what, a
four point plan sounds better than a two point plan.

Speaker 1 (55:13):
Now here are the other two points to the plan
that may not be uber popular, as the kids say.
One of them would remove coverage eligibility for spouses who
are offered health insurance through their own employer.

Speaker 5 (55:25):
Two or three years ago, the state established a search
charge to allow people to do that. This would remove
the possibility entirely. I should say that there is a
caveat to my understanding that spouses who don't have insurance,
who don't have eligibility otherwise still be allowed.

Speaker 1 (55:44):
All right, So if there's only one of you working
in the house or your husband or wife or working job,
but they don't get health benefits, they'd still be eligible. Again,
I want to be fair criticizing a plan that we
know kind of the forty five foot view of if
we're going to break even. And you said, TJ, well,

(56:05):
maybe the search charge isn't working quite like we thought
it would. If it's a net zero, what are you
getting out of it? I guess is My question is
the is the savings there that are going to be
worth what will be a very unpopular I think this
would be very unpopular among public employees, and.

Speaker 4 (56:23):
I think it would be marginal frankly, because if we're
not covering the nut actuarily increase the fee.

Speaker 3 (56:32):
Here's the other part, unintended.

Speaker 4 (56:33):
Consequence, Dave, And this is why PEIA, in my humble opinions,
has always been in trouble. It's not ran as an
insurance program. It's a benefits program. We have no idea
these spouses. What if they're healthy overall and they're low
cost additions, that means they're subsidizing In theory, if you
rant it like an insurance program, someone else's bad health

(56:54):
might not be the people you want to kick off.
I don't know, it's just mean you get where I'm going. Yes, yes,
so again sounds good, Okay, we're doing something. I don't
know that it adds up to big dollars at least
this particular point. If we're going to save any money,
it's going to be in this next one. And the
final point in this four point plan that Brad is

(57:17):
reporting on would take the state split and would establish
a new plan for new employees. Of course, PEIA has
had an eighty twenty cost split, meaning an employer the
government pays eighty percent employee plays twenty. For new hires,
that ratio would shift to seventy five twenty five.

Speaker 1 (57:38):
Again. I a couple of arguments against that, number, one
being retention and recruitment. If you're we're already short on teachers,
you're already short at on employees, that would possibly make
it more difficult. But I think this is a long
run or a long range type solution TJ. And what
I mean by is, well, we can use PIA right

(58:02):
if you are a long time there might be some
employees still around from back in the DAYDJ when that
was what was one hundred percent coverage at one time, right,
So they tell the story that, oh, yay, you know
back in the nineteen eighties or whatever the case was.
If there's any of those long time or still around,
this is what the coverage was. I hear those stories

(58:24):
from you know, people in this company. Hey, you know,
thirty years ago we used to get da da da
da dah. This was the policy. I've never known the
policy to be that. I don't know any different. So
that to me is a long range solution or a
long range proposition that's somewhere down the road. Eventually nobody
will ever know the difference of eighty twenty seventy five
twenty five.

Speaker 3 (58:45):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (58:45):
I mean, you're recasting your long term operating expense. That's
what you're doing. That's not bad in and of itself,
and that's something that we need to look at. If
this is about budget, if this is about trying to
address some of these out years where the governor has
said we have financial challenges, what's the delta here, Dave.

(59:05):
The delta is those two hundred and sixty thousand and change.

Speaker 3 (59:09):
That we have today that we're covered. They're not affected
by this.

Speaker 4 (59:12):
So really the delta is that five percent times how
many ever, new employees that we think we're going to
onboard within the next one to two to three years
as we look at the budget in those out years
and we try to make up these changes. Now, there's
an estimate that's been floated around. I think it was
what twenty one million dollars. I don't know if that's
an annual number. I don't know if that's over a

(59:33):
certain period of years. We haven't got those details yet,
but it frames up the question is twenty one million
dollars in savings, which is not bad, save all you can,
but is that a good trade off versus where we
are with teachers? We cannot get teachers in this state.

Speaker 3 (59:52):
We have.

Speaker 4 (59:54):
Areas of expertise that we can't fill hard subjects like chemistry, math.
We don't have enough teachers in the classroom. Those that
are in border counties that are new graduates, they're already
going to make more in Loudon County than they do
in Berkeley County. And now we're going to shift the
increase in premiums to those new enrollees or those new

(01:00:16):
graduates that we would hope would become enrollees and teach
here in West Virginia. That's what you have to weigh
on the scale, and the legislature will have to decide that.
I don't know when we have the surpluses that we have,
and I guess it all depends on what budget you
believe in. Right, is that a good investment to make
twenty million now versus more teacher shortages and more problems

(01:00:37):
in education? Smarter people that me can answer the question.
But that's the way I'm framing it up as I
think about this.

Speaker 1 (01:00:42):
Well, at least they're having the I've always been a
proponent you just don't do something to do something. But
at least they're having discussions and there is a proposal
on the table.

Speaker 18 (01:00:54):
Now.

Speaker 1 (01:00:54):
You may not like the proposal. Lawmakers who have been
in on these discussions may not like the proposal, and
that it's fine. At least they're having the discussions. I
don't think there's any one, one plan, one piece of
legislation or administrative fix to the long term issues with
p E I A. Actually, I think there is a
solution out there. I just don't know the state's willing

(01:01:15):
to go that far with it. But this is a
step in the direction, yes, a step, A step now
there has to be subsequent steps along the way as well.
In somewhere you got to address teacher pay included in
there that I believe. I believe if you want to
recruit good people and keep them, you got to pay them.
That's I mean, that's true in any business right now. Absolutely,

(01:01:38):
So that's that's part of this equation somewhere when you're
doing the Pythagora theorem trying to figure all this out.

Speaker 4 (01:01:44):
Well, and the other part of this too, that's not
in this plan. And maybe you know, things happen in
small waves, right you have to take baby steps. That's fine,
and that may be a sensible way to go about this.
But we've heard from others before. What was Peia designed
to do. It's basically teachers and state employees. That was
the genesis of the program that morphed into county employees.

(01:02:08):
There may be some cities, I know there are.

Speaker 3 (01:02:10):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:02:10):
Yeah, So we've grown beyond no talk about pairing that
back and saying to a county or a city, you know,
go work with whomever, or a university for that matter,
saying to the university you got health system, work with
your employees. And look, we've had conversations on this show

(01:02:31):
with healthcare executives who have talked about well, maybe there's
an option there, and I think there are rumblings, but
this isn't the one that makes the big change. How
does labor react to this? What do teacher unions say
about this?

Speaker 3 (01:02:46):
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (01:02:48):
Well, we'll find out. And again I go back to this,
this is early. Brad did an outstanding job, yes, supporting,
it's still early. Nothing is set in stone. A lot
can change between now and any special session if that
happens or January. Well, I mean that's a whole other question.
Do we need to have a special session to do
this or can we do it in January when the
legislature's back in session.

Speaker 4 (01:03:08):
Anyway, Well, let's go one step further on that. Hopey
talked about this yesterday. Reflective of the thinking you and
I have shared. A governor doesn't have the best rapport,
shall we say, with the legislature. He's going to need
them to get this done. So what kind of political
will is there in the legislature, not only representative of

(01:03:30):
what constituents may think about this, but the fact that
there is political animosity between many in the legislature and
the governor. How does that all get worked out in
trying to move forward and find a fix for this?

Speaker 1 (01:03:43):
Well, all right, I have a thought, but I'm going
to keep it to myself for now.

Speaker 3 (01:03:47):
You are for now?

Speaker 1 (01:03:49):
For now?

Speaker 3 (01:03:50):
Are we going to get it before the end of
the show.

Speaker 1 (01:03:52):
No, not today. It's it's early, DJ, It's early.

Speaker 3 (01:03:55):
It's always early, brother.

Speaker 1 (01:03:57):
Well, you got to let people get used to things.
The lawmake legislature needs a chance to actually work it out.
The governor needs a chance to propose it. Pitches plan,
explain why you know these are the things, these are
the right steps. You got to give people a chance
to do that.

Speaker 3 (01:04:12):
No, I agree, that's fair.

Speaker 1 (01:04:13):
I will. I will let that happen before I tell
them all to put the big boy pants on and
get something done. I responsible to say that Ryan Schmell
is going to join us next. So is crime going
down in DC? We'll discuss This is talk line from
the Encove Insurance Studios.

Speaker 22 (01:04:30):
City Nets.

Speaker 23 (01:04:31):
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from our roots in West Virginia to customers across the nation.
We deliver cybersecurity, managed i T fiber connectivity, and modern
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(01:04:52):
Virginia backyard. Visit cittynet dot net or call eight four
four city net City Net. We connect, Protect Perfect.

Speaker 2 (01:05:00):
Get ready for some hard hitting high school football. Her
twenty twenty five season kicks off with a showdown you
won't want to miss. It's the SSAC Kickoff Game presented
by the West Virginia Army National Guard featuring up Parkersburg
Big Reds versus Morgantown Mohee Gands Thursday, August twenty eight
at seven pm at Morgantown High School. Ought to you
by Gomart, Fresher Engineering, Marshall University, and the Mountaineer Challenge Academy.

(01:05:25):
Stream the action live on Metro News Television. Visit WV
METRONEWSTV dot com for more information.

Speaker 1 (01:05:46):
Schmells is ghosting us, so we'll do texts instead. Three
four tuck, three oh four, Hey, Davin TJ. My first
in school training as a teacher, when Hoppey and I
were juniors in college, was at Fairview High School in
Marion County. The lunch was amazingly good. About ten o'clock,
the whole school smelled like baking bread. Go Indians, says

(01:06:08):
the Texter.

Speaker 3 (01:06:09):
The rolls were always awesome.

Speaker 1 (01:06:12):
There was something about those, the roles at school school
lunch rolls. I remember we had a head cook in
high school and name was Carol Brown or Carol Bills,
Carrol Bills, excuse me. She would be homemade strom bowli
once in a while, and it was it was the
only day they would not let you buy two lunches,
because guys like me would probably buy usually buy two

(01:06:34):
lunches every day, but that was the only one, and
that was the only day. Almost everyone in the school
ate the school lunch that day because Carol would make
strong bowli and you would negotiate. You want to talk
about some hard negotiations to you, Jay, trying to get
your buddy strong bowlie. You're You're like, all right, I
got two milks a brownie and I'll owe you pizza
next week. Generally didn't work out well.

Speaker 3 (01:06:55):
Bunker hills were also good. Do you have those bunker hills?

Speaker 1 (01:06:58):
No?

Speaker 3 (01:06:58):
Yeah, some things like.

Speaker 4 (01:06:59):
A month bread kind of thing. I think they call
them book bills. They were good. The things giving dinner
was always especially good. Even when they did it not
during thingsgiving, it was always a.

Speaker 1 (01:07:08):
Good We always had pizza, pizza Fridays, always pizza choice.

Speaker 3 (01:07:15):
Every day. You could have pizza if you.

Speaker 1 (01:07:17):
Not at our place. Man, you got whatever the ladies
were cooking and you were going to either eat it
or go hungry.

Speaker 4 (01:07:24):
You had to put your order in ahead of time,
but you could do that pizza choice.

Speaker 1 (01:07:28):
How can three or four talk? Three four? Cracker Barrel
has way better pancakes, says the Texter. Let's see, boy,
we got a lot of cracker barrel bob Evans back
and forth here. A lot of people don't like the logo,
by the way, scrolling through, Uh boy, boy, we opened

(01:07:50):
up a weird can of worms there with the cracker
barrel and bob Evans. People don't like change. No breakdown here,
by the way. Cracker Barrel Casual dining Holty Fast Casual
currently number one most popular way to eat, by the way,
McDonald's fast food and find dining would be like Ruth
Chris Steakhouse. So choose your options wisely.

Speaker 4 (01:08:12):
I prefer TJ's Bar and Grill over all of them.
I'll smoke my own steak, do it my way. But
I'm really into that these days. I'd rather just get
a great cut of quality, top prime a beef and
do my thing on the smoker.

Speaker 1 (01:08:27):
Then go out get your own side. My folks, my parents. Now,
just buy a side of beef off the local guy,
the local Yeah, rancher. Rancher is a bit of a
stretch here, and let me tell you, you're gonna get
the prime cuts. You get the best cuts. They're delicious,
They are delicious. All right, Now, I'm hungry and I
still have a half an hour left. Serenity Now coming up,

(01:08:50):
Kyle Wiggs will join us. We'll talk about Tyson Beagin's
new contract. Plus those Mountaineer players will be eligible to
play in the opener next Saturday. That's coming up. On
the other side of the break, David tj from the
Encove Insurance Studios. This is talk Line on Metro News
for forty years, the voice of West Virginia. It's eleven thirty.
Let's get a news update. Check in with the Metro

(01:09:11):
News radio network. Find out what's happening across the great
state of West Virginia.

Speaker 21 (01:09:17):
West Virginia Metro News I'm Chris Lawrence. Governor Patrick Morrissey
has a four point plan to revamp PIA. Brad McIlhenny
reports the administration has produced a bill to reach those
four goals, but sources familiar with the discussions indicate there's
not enough support from lawmakers right now. Brad writes more
at ww metronews dot com. Employment numbers in the state
show concerning decline since last year. Worries are growing after

(01:09:39):
July's Workforce West Virginia Jobs report showed a total employment
decrease over four thousand in the last year. West Virginia
Chamber of Commerce President Steve Roberts says steps have been
taken to help workers, but more work needs to be done.

Speaker 24 (01:09:51):
One of the things that we've been saying for a
long time is West Virginia can't continue to be an outlier,
especially when it comes to the economy, finale, and education,
and so let's start fixing those things.

Speaker 3 (01:10:04):
The report shows declines in key industries like manufacturing, mining, hospitality,
and retail. I'm Daniel Woods, WV metro News dot com.

Speaker 21 (01:10:12):
And Jackson County Work goes on on the state of
the art titanium plant that the community of Millwood owner
time met gave reporters an update on the project, which
will be largely powered by a nearby micro grid which
is also taking shape. Hannah Hessen is the human resources
manager at time ED and says there have been some
vast interest in the jobs.

Speaker 13 (01:10:30):
We're looking at having a first smelt toward the end
of Q four, so we'll be ramping up hiring.

Speaker 21 (01:10:35):
The plant wants operational will create titanium and other specialty
metals for the aerospace industry. You're listening to Metro News
for forty years, the voice at West Virginia.

Speaker 2 (01:10:45):
For over forty years, Metro News Radio Network has kept
West Virginia informed with breaking news, sports and talk programming.
We are West Virginia's trusted source.

Speaker 21 (01:10:56):
The Vigil continues this hour in the Upshire County community
of Tollmansville as desperate relatives a white word on the
fate of thirteen coal miners trapped in the Sego mine.

Speaker 2 (01:11:04):
Metro News has a wide range of daily programming, including
the Morning News talk Line, Metro News, Midday Hotline, State
White Sports Line, and West Virginia Outdoors and Now. You
can watch all your favorite Metro News programming on Metro
news television plus the most comprehensive high school sports coverage
in the States.

Speaker 1 (01:11:22):
They get it into C. J.

Speaker 8 (01:11:23):
Burks three seconds, two seconds, one second.

Speaker 1 (01:11:26):
He launches it. Good if it goes No. Five. The
redscans that hot.

Speaker 21 (01:11:31):
Set for number three seed Hedgesville Eagles.

Speaker 2 (01:11:34):
For forty years, Metro News Radio Network has been one
of the most trusted, respected, and award winning radio networks
in America. The voice of West Virginia Metro News Radio Network.

Speaker 21 (01:11:46):
McDowell County man is one of two individuals whose bodies
were located in an abandoned coal mine in Buchanan County, Virginia.
Authority has found fifty three year old Jerry Jenks of Painsville,
West Virginia and forty nine year old Jerry Chambers Junior
of Jewel Ridge, Virginia inside the old mind after ten
thirty on Wednesday. They'd been reported missing the night before.
I Kaaoha County man is in jail after an incident
in Braxton County Monday night. Twenty three year old williammself

(01:12:09):
charged with nine counts of wanton endangerments after firing shots
into a home from the Metro News anchor desk.

Speaker 1 (01:12:15):
I'm Chris Lawrence, you guys are on point today. I
hope this is an omen for Steamer lease tomorrow. Texter says,

(01:12:41):
Dave two Big Max and a hydrocodo and will fix
you back up at lunchtime. You had Nancy.

Speaker 3 (01:12:47):
Called you a Nancy.

Speaker 1 (01:12:53):
Three or four talk three or four is the text
that's great. If akal arthritis makes walking, exercise or imbing
upstairs unbearable, it's time to consider your treatment options. Ankle
replacement surgery can relieve ankle pain and restore motion when
non surgical treatments are not effective. WVU Medicines Fellowship trained
foot and ankle surgeons routinely perform ankle surgeries as well

(01:13:16):
as revisions from ankle fusion to ankle replacement. Visit DOWVU Medicine,
dot org, slash Joint or call eight five five WVU care.
Yesterday we talked to Greg Carey about the eligibility those
four WVU football players who had been seeking an injunction
regarding their eligibility because of JUCO transfer rules with the NCAA.

(01:13:39):
Thought we might get a ruling from the federal judge
this week. Well, we got one yesterday. Those players are
eligible joining us on Metro News talk Line. The guy
you'll hear a little bit later on this evening on
the Metro News Sports Line, host Kyle Wiggs joins us Kyle,
good morning, Good morning. So, okay, the four players had
been in question. One of his eligibility is still in question,

(01:14:01):
but it looks like at least three of them will
be able to play in the opener coming up a
week from Saturday.

Speaker 7 (01:14:07):
Yes, there is a separate issue with Jamari Robinson, who
is really the guy that I think West Virginia I
think would make the biggest impact out of this group.
But there was a question of his eligibility that was
brought up by the nc DOUBLEA during the preliminary hearing.
And we'll see how that plays out if the NCUBA

(01:14:28):
continues to pursue that or they got beat in this regard,
will they just kind of give up and not press
the academic issue. But we had the attorneys on the
show last night, just hours after Judge John Preston Bailey
ruled in favor of the four football players, granting a

(01:14:49):
temporary restraining owner and a preliminary injunction against the NCUBLEA.
And you're right, it looks like as of right now,
ty Edwards, Justin Harrington, Jeffrey Weimer, we'll all be able
to play for West Virginia against Robert Morris and hopefully
Jamari Robinson as well, although that academic issue has come

(01:15:10):
up with him. Attorney John Gianola joined us on sports
Line last night, again about two to three hours after
the ruling from the judge, and this was his initial reaction.

Speaker 6 (01:15:22):
I think he did a very detailed analysis sort of
the legal landscape involving college students and the anti trust.
I think ultimately he agreed with us, And of course
it's important to remember this is not a final ruling,
is simply a preliminary injunction. So I think he ruled
that we had shown we had a high likelihood of

(01:15:43):
success in showing that these were anti trust violations. I
think he sort of may have invited another court, the
Supreme Court or the Fourth Circuit, to weigh in on
the issue. He's not the first judge, he would not
be the first judge to do that, but it seemed
to be that he large we agreed with us that
at this stage it looks like, you know, these are

(01:16:03):
anti trust violations.

Speaker 7 (01:16:05):
So here's another really key piece to this the judge
granted the four injunctions, allowing the four players to play.
He also granted a fifth injunction that covered the rule
of restitution. It's not applicable. According to the injunction granted
by the judge yesterday meeting, the players are permitted to

(01:16:26):
play without concern for penalty in case it's overturned, penalties
against them or penalties against WVU for using ineligible players.
So that was a key part of that ruling yesterday
as well.

Speaker 4 (01:16:41):
Kyle, that was going to be my question. But is
that preliminary as well? From this Federal Circuit judge the
rule of restitution, they go to the Fourth Circuit. Could
the nc TWA try to overturn that as well, and
then WVU might face action. I'm not sure how that
works or if that's been tried. Maybe it hasn't.

Speaker 7 (01:16:58):
I don't think it has at this point has been tried.
But again, with that ruling was key because, as Rocky
genal have pointed out on the show last night, without that,
you have essentially a hollow victory because the university wouldn't
risk it. They just wouldn't risk it. So you're right
in terms of it being a preliminary injunction. But I

(01:17:20):
think at this point all parties move forward with the
belief that these four players, hopefully all four will be
eligible and there will be no blowback or no ramification.

Speaker 1 (01:17:31):
Yeah, Kyle, with the NCUBLEA, I mean, what is the
benefit to fighting this at this point? Don't you just
lick your wounds, go back and go all right? I mean,
I don't what's the benefit if you're the NCUBA to
fight to keep these four particular players off the field
when you've lost this type of a case prior with
with the quarterback of Vanderbilt.

Speaker 7 (01:17:49):
So well, what the NCUBA needs to do at this
point is come up with some uniform guidelines. And as
you know right exactly, I mean, this all started with
Diego Pavia, who played at New Mexico, went to Vanderbilt.
Vanderbilt course beat Alabama famously last year, and then he
went to court to get another year of eligibility this

(01:18:11):
year and was granted. That kind of started the avalanche
of these types of cases and the nc DOUBLEA. From
the way I understand it, they the nc DOUBLEA allowed
these players with that that have had junior college years
and all four of these WVU players have had multiple

(01:18:32):
junior college years. They granted one extra year of eligibility
for this season twenty twenty four, two thousand, I'm sorry,
twenty twenty five, twenty twenty six for this year only.
So they've got to go back and again establish some
sort of uniform guidelines for everybody going forward.

Speaker 4 (01:18:54):
Kyle and Dave, I don't follow this the way you do,
especially in terms of the nc DOUBLEA. But from an
outsider's perspective, this just seems like one more reason, especially
for some of the bigger schools, to say we don't
really need you.

Speaker 7 (01:19:09):
Yeah, yeah, I think you're right. I mean, that's obviously
a much, much, much larger issue, but you're probably right.
It's probably trending that way, and I think many of
us who have followed college athletics for the last five
or six years kind of maybe see that coming where
I don't know, Dave, what the top forty to fifty

(01:19:30):
sixty schools break off their super conferences and they compete
for a college football national championship that's not sanctioned by
the NCAA.

Speaker 1 (01:19:40):
It's coming, it is. We'll get there. We'll get there someday,
probably not this year, probably not next year. I think
we'll get there someday. Kyle Kyle Wiggs joining US host
of Metro News Sports Line, which of course you can
hear across the Metro News radio network and watch on
Metro News TV week nights six oh six until seven,
also News Yesterday. Kyle the Martinsburg former Martinsburg quarterback, former

(01:20:03):
Shepherd quarterback Tyson Beagen gets a big contract extension with
the Chicago Bears.

Speaker 7 (01:20:08):
Yeah, he's a backup and he gets a two year,
ten million dollar contract extension to at least for now,
continue to be the backup because Caleb Williams is Chicago starter.

Speaker 1 (01:20:19):
But who knows.

Speaker 7 (01:20:20):
I mean, he was backing up justin fields two years
ago as a rookie in fields got hurt and Beijen
actually played in started games and won games as an
NFL starter. But this is such a really unbelievable and
cool story. Tyson Beijen from Martinsburg said, all kinds of
you know, had a great prep career, went to Shephard,

(01:20:42):
won the Harlan Hill Award as the top player in
Division two college football, led Shepherd to the national semi
finals two years in a row. Put up unbelievable numbers
and he stayed at Shephard. I mean that was the thing.
There were some Division One opportunities for him going into
his season, but that's a Martinsburg family, that's a Shepherd family.

(01:21:05):
He stayed there, had another great season, didn't get drafted,
but immediately signed with the Bears. And now this is
his third year. He's got this contract extension, and it
really is an amazing story. And I don't know if
you heard. I've got the cut with him yesterday. He
was very, very emotional when he talked about life changing money. Right,
ten million dollars over two years, plus the money he's

(01:21:27):
already made. And Tyson Bagent addressed the media after signing
this contract extension yesterday.

Speaker 21 (01:21:34):
You know a lot of.

Speaker 25 (01:21:34):
People don't know this, but you know, my dad is
my he's my right hand man, and he didn't he
didn't have running water until he.

Speaker 3 (01:21:43):
Was in high school.

Speaker 25 (01:21:43):
So there's definitely a lot of things that and people
that I could that I think I could certainly help
with this gift I've been blessed with. But yeah, just
little things like that. You know, I don't really know
anybody back at home with any money, So yeah, it
feels good. I mean it's certainly a weight off my

(01:22:06):
shoulders and my family shoulders, and yeah, definitely means a lot.

Speaker 7 (01:22:10):
So there you go. Everybody in West Virginia became a
Tyson Bagent fan if you weren't already.

Speaker 3 (01:22:16):
Yeah, how Calmon? Is that Kyle? That kind of deal
for a backup.

Speaker 7 (01:22:19):
Very rare, extremely rare. But he's a rare guy in
a sense that he's been praised the Bears Avenue head
coach and Ben Johnson, and from the moment he arrived,
he has praised Tyson Bagent's ability to grasp the offense,
his ability to have a feel for the game and
understand the game. So it's pretty rare for a backup

(01:22:42):
to get a deal like this, and it sets up Tyson.
I mean, who knows, maybe he'll go, maybe he'll play
another ten years as a backup in the NFL and
make money, or after this two year deal he gets
a chance to sit and learn and understand every nuance
of the game. You know, that's four years in the
league and who knows, if the right opportunities out there,

(01:23:06):
he could you know, he could cut a deal with
a team and become a starter in the NFL in
a few years, it's going to really be interesting to follow.
But to answer your questions, it's pretty rare that a
backup quarterback gets a deal with this much security. It's
only two years, but again, he's a backup. That's a
lot of money and a lot of security.

Speaker 1 (01:23:26):
Well, in today's NFL though, seventeen game schedule and how
many teams got through the air, their starter was not
didn't miss any time last year, any did any Having
a solid backup is probably he's probably worth every penny
for the Bears. With Caleb Williams, who's a runner, he's
a mobile quarterback. You're going to get hit at some point.
So yeah, it makes a lot of sense. It's very true.

Speaker 7 (01:23:47):
It's very true, and he's proven that he can do
it again. Justin Fields two years ago goes down. I
think Tyson started four games and won two of them
with a Bears team that wasn't very good at all.
So he's proven that he can step in and run
the offense and win games as a backup quarterback. And
that's a very very rare commodity.

Speaker 1 (01:24:09):
I believe what's going on on sports Line tonight.

Speaker 7 (01:24:12):
Well, we tried to we tried to track down Tyson's
College coach Ernie McCook last night, and then right before
we went on the air, all of that, you know,
blew up with the news about the court case, so
that really dominated the show last night. So I think
we might try to you know, it might be one
night late, but I think we might try to catch
up with Ernie McCook of Shepherd tonight, get his thoughts

(01:24:34):
on Beagent and the Beagent family. And you know, Shepherd's
a team that's pretty much a perennial playoff team in
the Pea sack Over in the Eastern Panhandle, so we'll
catch up with him. I know Brad has a pretty
interesting text question concerning the Mountaineers that we're going to
get into tonight.

Speaker 1 (01:24:51):
I'll leave that as a tease.

Speaker 7 (01:24:52):
You'll have to listen to the show or watch the
show to find that out. And then I know, Friday night,
of course we've got the Metro News. I say, see
Kickoff Classic coming up next Thursday with Dave. You'll be
there to do radio, and Brad and I are going
to do TV. We're gonna start previewing that game Friday
with Morgantown coach Sean Buyzer and then we'll get to

(01:25:13):
the Parkersburg side of things next week. So that's what
we've got, and of course next week's game week, so
it'll be tons of Mountain your talk every night.

Speaker 1 (01:25:21):
He's Kyle Wiggs. He's hosted the Metro News sports Line
six oh six to seven on most of these same
Metro News radio stations. Kyle, by the way, do you
have a pontoon boat? And no, I don't you know
where you can get one? Yes?

Speaker 7 (01:25:33):
I do.

Speaker 1 (01:25:35):
Check out their entire inventory Louwindomrine sales dot com.

Speaker 7 (01:25:38):
I've got a I've got a Lake one exit down
the interstate cheat Lake, but I don't have a pontoon book.

Speaker 1 (01:25:43):
I'm just saying, Kyle, you're there, You're here. Two and two, Buddy,
two and two, Kyle, thank you very much, Buddy. All right,
Kyle Wiggs Mention News sports Line. We're backing them all
with This is talk Line on Metro News from the
en Cove Insurance Studios.

Speaker 26 (01:25:59):
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improve symptoms and restore function. Call three oh four, five
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(01:27:43):
Three or four talk three or four. Let's get in
a couple of texts. Will Happy continued to do three
guys before the game and continue his work with all
the guys during the game. I think Brad Howe would know,
Uh yeah, yeah, these there on three guys all the time.
They can't get rid of him even if they wanted to.
They don't. I'm just saying they couldn't. Uh three or

(01:28:04):
four talk three four. How long do you have to
play in the NFL to qualify for retirement. I think
it's six years. I believe it is six years, but
you check me on that one. The top breakaway, the
stumbling block, march Man all the time about the top conferences.
Yeah yeah, march Madness is the heck, you could do
it for football. It may have. It may be one

(01:28:26):
of those things that is football only where they break
away and they do their own thing with rich Rod
and Pat both back at home the first game next week,
and now Pitt not selling tickets. L O L is
the vibe and hype regarding Mountain or football starting to
feel as strong and as exciting as it did twenty
years ago. I hope so by the year. By the way,

(01:28:47):
twenty years already. OMG, it sucks getting old, amen, brother.

Speaker 3 (01:28:51):
Yes it does.

Speaker 4 (01:28:52):
There was a piece online I read about rich in
the fact he likes to put ketchup on his stake,
and I say, that's fine.

Speaker 1 (01:29:01):
You do you? I say, that's blasphemous and should be
condemned and mocked mercilessly. If he likes it, why do
you care? Not eating it is because it's just it's
not common courtesy and decent, polite society springing. Just Jamie

(01:29:21):
our friend from over on WVAQ, the WVRC Media Cares
for Kids Radiothon is today and tomorrow benefiting wv Medicine
Children's Jamie is over at up in the hosteler room,
up in the tenth floor of the hospital Children's Hospital Tower. Jamie,
good morning. How's Radiothon going?

Speaker 27 (01:29:40):
Hey, good morning, Dave, Riyathon's going really great. It always
does every year, but this year it's there's a special
something in the air. We're all enjoying ourselves here at
the hot Setler Family Resource Center at WVU Medicine Children's.

Speaker 1 (01:29:54):
So tell folks how they can get involved, how they
can help out the children, not the children's hospital necessarily,
but the children and the families who are being served there.

Speaker 27 (01:30:04):
Yes, So every hour we are doing we're like going
shopping for special items, like until noon we are going
to be raising money specifically for Nicky car seats, which
is like a specialty car seat that's one hundred and
fifty dollars. But every hour we're letting everyone know new
needs that the hospital have and how you can donate.

(01:30:25):
You can text WVU Kids to three four nine eight four,
or you can give a call to one eight seven
seven seven one nine five four three seven. And it's
really I mean you can see with the passion that
the doctors are coming in talking about their patients, talking
about how important these kind of resources are and these

(01:30:45):
kind of fundraisers. So uh, it's it's it's important to
donate if you can, because you never know when you
or your family or someone you love is going to
need WV Medicine Children's.

Speaker 4 (01:30:55):
Jamie, you're a promoter. I mean, what are you going
to do to get the money through the doors. Or
I mean, you don't repel down the side of the
building if people donate so much, or what what are
you doing to make this app You.

Speaker 27 (01:31:06):
Know what, That's an idea that I'm going to bring
to the table next year. Maybe I'll have Jack Loger
propel off the building. I'll volunteer somebody else to do that.
But I love where your head's got.

Speaker 1 (01:31:17):
Maybe you could just camp out you You seem to be
pretty good at that.

Speaker 27 (01:31:22):
I have done that before and I was actually just
telling someone this is the easy this is this fundraisers
a little bit easier. At least there's air conditioning and
you know, lots of snacks coming in and I'm not
dehydrated and delirious when I call into your guys' show.

Speaker 1 (01:31:36):
All right, It is the WVRC Media that's the parent
company of Metro News. The dou WVRC Media cares for
Kids Radiothon benefiting wv Medicine Children's You can donate by
calling eight seven seven seven one nine five four three
seven that's eight seven seven seven one nine kids or
text WVU Kids two three four nine eight four. Thanks
for the update, Jamie, have a good time.

Speaker 27 (01:31:59):
Thanks Ontime listener first time call. Are you so guys?

Speaker 1 (01:32:04):
Thank you Jamie, Just Jamie Famara friends over at WVAQ
in Morgantown. That's well done, well played by just Jammy.

Speaker 3 (01:32:13):
Long top listener first to College's true.

Speaker 1 (01:32:16):
That's true.

Speaker 3 (01:32:17):
I know, I know, all right. I can seriously see
her doing something crazy to raise money.

Speaker 1 (01:32:21):
She's good at that final break back to wrap it
up in a moment.

Speaker 22 (01:32:25):
The free Metro News TV app is the place to
watch the Voice of West Virginia. See talk Line with
Dave and TJ, Sports Line with Tony Coreedy, three Guys
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(01:34:08):
The Mega Millions jackpot is two hundred and thirty four million,
So go ahead play today. We are plumb at time
for today's proceedings, but we will return tomorrow morning at
ten oh six. Chris Stywaltz schedule to join us. Plus,
of course it will be Steam release at eleven thirty three,
so prepare and if today's text line is any indication,

(01:34:30):
tomorrow ought to be pretty good, all right? For TJ.
Jake zach Mia, I'm Dave. Thanks for listening. Met your
News Midday coming up on many of these same stations
on Metro News for forty years, the Voice of West
Virginia