All Episodes

October 2, 2025 15 mins
Today on MetroNews This Morning:
--It's day two of the Government shutdown and a number of West Virginians who work for the feds are impacted
--A plane had to make an emergency landing in Monongalia County
--State Board of Education President Paul Hardesty pulls no punches in his criticism of lawmakers and the state of public education
--In Sports: The Reds' season is over and WVU prepares for a long and difficult road trip
Mark as Played
Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is Metro News this Morning, bringing you this morning's
biggest news headlines from across the state.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
It is Wednesday, October Seco twenty twenty five. Good morning,
I'm Chris Lawrence, and this is Metro News this Morning,
where we aim to get you completely informed to head
out and face the workday with all the information you're
going to need. We begin with the forecast, more fall
like conditions, warm sunshine and a few passing clowns, but
not much rain in the forecast, at least not until
next week, cool nights with valley fog. We'll run down

(00:32):
the full forecast in just a moment right now, though.
An update of news happening across the Mountain State from
overnight at the Metro News anchored US this morning is
Jeff Jenkins.

Speaker 3 (00:40):
Good morning, Jeff, Good morning, Chris. Thank you. President Donald
Trump telling us Senate Republicans the federal government shutdown is
an opportunity to cut federal jobs. The shutdowns in its
second day, US Center shuttingmore Capital is part of the
Republican leadership that is promoting a clean funding resolution.

Speaker 4 (00:56):
We do care, I do care, and I've take I
can't stand the government's shutdown, but you know, I'm voting
consistently to keep it open and.

Speaker 3 (01:06):
Have The Senate is not expected to take any votes today.

Speaker 5 (01:10):
Now.

Speaker 3 (01:10):
There are more than twenty six thousand federal workers in
West Virginia, some of them in uniform.

Speaker 6 (01:15):
Uncertainty looms for West Virginia National Guard members as the
shutdown of the federal government means essential employees are still
going to work without knowing when their next paycheck is
going to come. Retired National Guard Adjutant General Bill Crane
says the Guard still conducts drills, but the members don't
know when they'll be paid for them.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
They allow us to still drill because they consider that essential,
so they come.

Speaker 6 (01:35):
They still do the drills.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
It's just they don't get the paycheck right away.

Speaker 6 (01:38):
US Senator Jim Justice is frustrated with the shutdown, but
admits he's not sure how quickly the government could reopen.

Speaker 5 (01:44):
Anything is possible. I think this saying is probably going
to have to play its way out just a little bit.
A quick resolution may be more difficult than you think.

Speaker 6 (01:53):
The shutdown officially began at midnight Wednesday on Daniel Woods
WV metro News dot.

Speaker 3 (01:58):
Com Monegay County Authority. They say no injuries reported with
a small plane and after it had to make an
emergency landing Wednesday afternoon in the field south of the
community of Core. First responders got the called around two
forty four. Mountingaye County Shares Deputies refirst on the scene.
No word yet on what forced that emergency landing. Montingaye
County Sharfes deputy say have persons in custody charged with

(02:18):
making terroristic threats toward the Mountingay County school System. Investigators
say they learned the threats late Wednesday morning. Schools were
placed on a special alert as a precautionary measure. A
short time later, the person was taken into custody at
around one thirty. Definitely say the threats were not made
toward a specific school student or staff member. State Board
of Education President Paul Hardesty says the public school system

(02:41):
in West Virginia has lost thirty five thousand students in
the past decade. In the name of school choice, Hardesty
says state lawmakers have created an unleveled playing field in
favor of charter schools and homeschooling. He says, at the
same time, lawmakers have not changed the state school aid
formula and counties losing student population are hurting.

Speaker 7 (03:00):
Changes have been made, nothing has been done to accommodate
this hemorrhage in education loss. So this has been systematic.

Speaker 3 (03:08):
Hardesty predicts continued school population drop and school closing.

Speaker 7 (03:11):
We'll have the results in three weeks to see how
many more children we have hemorrhaged from our enrollment numbers,
and I think the number will be quite large, and
then closures will start in respective counties and they'll come
before this board.

Speaker 3 (03:26):
Hardesty spoke for fifteen minutes on the issue at the
beginning of wednesday State Board of Education meeting. Read more
of those comments at wv metronews dot com. The first
quarter of the physical year has produced a modest revenue
collection surveplus for the state. State Revenue Secretary Eric Nelson
says the surplus is sixty one million dollars after three months.
He says September was a strong month.

Speaker 8 (03:45):
We were off a very crisp forty three million, about
three percent over budget, and that's about five hundred and
forty two million for the quarter, which is three point
two percent better than prior year.

Speaker 3 (04:00):
Nelson says all areas are performing well. He says the
big drivers for September surplus collections or personal income tax
and severance tacks, which Nelson said benefited from a timing issue.
A Putnam County manufacturer plans to hire around one hundred
people in the months to come, and some of those
hires may come today during a job fair in Eleanor.
We told you this week about Invents expansion plans is

(04:21):
now constructing backup power buildings for data centers. Facility controller
Andrew met says they need more workers every year.

Speaker 9 (04:29):
It's more work than what we've had before, and we're
to the point where we're changing our processes to almost
become like a manufacturing facility for buildings, so we're trying
to actually have a gigantic assembly line.

Speaker 3 (04:40):
Today's job fare is scheduled from three until six at
Invents Building in Eleanor. Big draw in the southern col
fields are the elk at the tom And Wildlife Management
Area in Logan County. There's now a better way to
see the herd. State Vision Natural Resources open a watchtower
and education center building Wednesday. D and R director Brett
macmillion says, you need to bring your binoculars or a
spotting scope, but it's a great place to look out.

Speaker 10 (05:02):
So they will be off to a distance. I believe
the staff here has some plans to do a little
bit of tree removal right in the right where the
heel starts to crest over. And I think there's going
to be a food plot or two at the bottom
which may help to draw some closer for Liliazy reviewing.
That's our hope and desire anyway.

Speaker 3 (05:18):
And our Chris Lawrence is down there yesterday. He has
more at wv metronews dot com, including some photos and
Ohio man accused of attempting to run over in Elkin's
police department officer has agreed to plead guilty to one
kind of fleeing in a vehicle with reckless indifference. Prosecutors
charged or prosecutors drop the charge of attempt to murder
against Kevin Strickland as part of the plea deal. Strickland

(05:40):
will be sentenced November twelfth. Governor Patrick Morrison has a
news conference schedule for eleven thirty this morning at the
state Capitol. The Governor's office says state police or joined
the Governor as part of that announcement. No specific shet
on what they'll be talking about.

Speaker 1 (05:53):
By the way.

Speaker 2 (05:53):
If you're going to down that way into Logan County, it's
a great day trip. You don't necessarily have to see.
Even if you don't see the elk, you can see
for miles up there, just gorgeous southern West Virginia country.
And in a few weeks that's going to be pure
color up there, so that'd be a great place to
look at some leaves.

Speaker 1 (06:11):
Thank you, Jeff.

Speaker 2 (06:11):
Coming up in our backgrounder, Senator Justice talks about the
government shutdown, and then Daniel Woods. So we have sports
all stell ahead.

Speaker 11 (06:19):
The second half of the high school football season continues
Friday night with our go mart Game of the Week,
Fort Hill, Maryland at Bridgeport, Lass Catch Greenbriar West against
Fort Fry, Ohio, Just Sales versus Capitol Midland, Wheeling Park
in Morgantown, and Maryetta versus Williamstown. All on Metro News
TV brought to you by the Thrasher Group, Marshall University,
hand On Mountaineer Challenge Academy. Download the free Metro News

(06:41):
TV app on your iPhone, iPad, Android, Apple, TV, Roku
or Fire TV, or visit DOBDV Metro newstv dot com
for more information.

Speaker 4 (06:51):
Hey there, it's Dave Allen. I'd like to invite you
to join myself along with thirteen News in Tonight Live
anchor Amanda Baron. Each weekday from noontil three for Metro
News mid Day, brought to you by Selango Law, We'll
cover the news from across the state of West Virginia,
the news West Virginians need to keep them informed during
their workday. It's weekdays from now till three. Metro News
Midday with thirteen News and Tonight Life anchor Amanda Barrett,

(07:14):
brought to you by Selango Law on Metro News, the
Voice of West Virginia.

Speaker 2 (07:21):
Still ahead, Daniel Woods. We'll have to check on sports
right now in our background or the shutdown of the
federal government is into a second day. US Senator Jim
Justice says shouldn't be that way this situation.

Speaker 5 (07:32):
I believe what's happened is terrible from the standpoint of
the Democrats. But at the same time, this place up
here is dysfunctional in so many ways. I mean, it's
it's it's just what I said, you know earlier, you know,
in a statement, it becomes a food fight, it becomes
a contest. A lot of times the House is doing this.

(07:53):
We got to out do the House, even whether they
be Republican, Republican to Republican or Democratic Democrat. It is
absolutely dispensing in so many ways because we've lost we've
lost our ability to set down and be reasonable and
negotiate and be respectful and everything else. And so absolutely

(08:15):
there's there's uh, there's there's bad stuff on both sides here,
but in this one, in this one, this one is
absolutely preposterously ridiculous on the Democrats side.

Speaker 2 (08:27):
That's just as from an appearance Wednesday on Metro News
talk Line Time Now to get an update on sports,
Daniel Woods is in for that, we have we seen
the last of Nico Markil in a Mountaineer uniform.

Speaker 6 (08:42):
It's entirely possible, Chris, the West Virginia football team expected
to be without its starting quarterback the rest of the
season and maybe for good. Nico Markiel is believed to
be taking a medical rend shirt with plans to enter
the transfer portal at the end of the season. According
to reporting by Pete Knakos of on three. Markiel started
the first four games for the Mountaineers this season before
being ruled out of last week's game against Utah with

(09:04):
a foot injury. Head coach Rich Rodriguez previously said Markiel
had gone to Colorado to see a foot specialist and
added he was still away from the team this week
seeing doctors in Arizona. Jalen Henderson started for WVU and
saturdays forty eight to fourteen loss against Utah, and no
starter has been announced for tomorrow night's game at BYU.
As far as that game goes, West Virginia offensive line

(09:25):
knows it needs to improve. Left tackle Nick Kray says
they just need to keep working at it.

Speaker 12 (09:30):
Just trying to improve every week is a big thing
for us and John together Sophie hard on the offensive
line to do that, but especially with a new group,
but seeing improvement every week within practice and games is
going to be big for us.

Speaker 6 (09:41):
The Mountaineer offense still looking for a spark wide receiver.
Justin Smith Brown says more success can come with more focus.

Speaker 13 (09:47):
A lot of the guys that were coming through had
a question like, oh, can you play at the next level,
Like if you can't play at the next level in college,
how do you expect to play at the NFL? And
just to be able to come here and improve myself,
that was something I wanted to do.

Speaker 6 (09:59):
Smith Brown coming in from South Carolina State as a
transfer this season. WVU and BYU kickoff tomorrow at ten thirty.
Mountaineer wide receiver Rodney Gallagher is on the watch list
for the twenty twenty five Jason Witton Collegiate Man of
the Year Award. The award recognizes athletes who demonstrate a
record of leadership, courage, integrity, and sportsmanship both on and
off the field. Gallagher, who lost his mother at age seven,

(10:20):
is an active participant in Children's Grief Awareness Day and
war an awareness patch on his jersey during the Mountaineer's
win over Pitt this season. In the Major League Baseball Playoffs,
Hedgesville native Chase Delatter made his Big League debut for
the Cleveland Guardians as they won six to one over
the Detroit Tigers. De Latter went zero for two at
the plate with a walk as Cleveland scored six runs

(10:40):
on six hits to extend that series for a third game.
Other results in the American League, the New York Yankees
forcing Game three with the Boston Red Sox and Austin
Wells RBI single in the bottom of the eighth securing
a four to three win the Los Angeles Dodgers in
the NL, moving on to the Divisional series with an
eight to four win over the Cincinnati Reds Mookie Betts
with four hits and three are b and the other

(11:01):
National League series deadlocked with the San Diego Padres shutting
out the Chicago Cubs three to ninh thing. Manny Machado
hit a two run home run, and four pitchers combined
for that complete game shutout.

Speaker 1 (11:11):
Thank you, Daniel.

Speaker 2 (11:12):
Friday Night catch all of the high school football scores
from across the state. A Metro News game Night, Fred
Persinger and Dave Jeckelin have the full scoreboard for you,
plus live reports and in interviews from games throughout West Virginia.
It gets started at nine to thirty Friday night, or
will be joined in progress at the conclusion of the
play by play of your local high school game on
the radio or at WDV Metronews dot com. It runs

(11:34):
live right up through midnight. Metro News Game Night Now
your commentary for the day with the Dean of West
Virginia Broadcasters, Hobby Courgiable.

Speaker 1 (11:42):
Chris.

Speaker 14 (11:43):
Patience is a virtue often lost in sports. The fact
that athletic events are decided by wins and losses frequently
produces either or thinking a team is great or it's terrible.
A coach is a genius or a dunce. Sports are
not given to nuance. Consider what has happened so far
this season for the WVU football team. The come from

(12:04):
behind win over Pitt sent a sell out crowd into
a wild celebration and gave Mountaineer fans everywhere hope for
the future. Coach Rish Rodriguez at least partially eclipsed the
shattering loss to the Panthers eighteen years earlier. The new
era had a strong foothold, but the subsequent blowout losses
to Kansas and Utah the stunning defeat at Ohio University

(12:27):
were cold reminders of just how far Mountaineer football must
travel to be competitive.

Speaker 5 (12:33):
Now.

Speaker 14 (12:33):
WVU faces a short week and a road game in
a difficult environment against a ranked BYU team that is
favored by nearly three touchdowns five games in. There's enough
evidence to make even the most optimistic Mountaineer fan confront
the reality that Rodriguez's first year back will be marked
by the disappointment of a losing record. WVU Director of Athletics,

(12:56):
Rin Baker remains undeterred. He is not given to the
emotional trappings of fandom. His tenure has been marked by
rational and thoughtful decision making rather than unrestrained mood swings.
He still believes Rodriguez and company are going to build
a program the right way. What exactly is the right
way in this new era of college sports That rests

(13:18):
on how coaches combine traditional recruiting of high school athletes
with smart portal decisions and efficient use of revenue sharing
money combined with nil opportunities. WV Athletics does not share
specifics about revshare, but it's believed that next season football
will be able to combine the Lion's share of the
more than twenty one million dollars available in revshare with

(13:41):
a pot of money that was not spent this season. Again,
we don't know the exact numbers, but we do know
that football did not max out this season on revshare
money it had available. Baker is also conscious of the
struggles typically associated with first year head coaches, including those
adapting to the changing land escape. He points to Arizona

(14:02):
State coach Kenny Dillingham during his first year in twenty
twenty three, when NIL really took hold went three to nine.
The following year, new Arizona coach Brent Brennan.

Speaker 1 (14:12):
Was four and eight.

Speaker 14 (14:14):
None of this is intended to make excuses for rich
Rod and company, He and his staff and how many
of his players are paid to do a job. The
expectations of that job is to produce a football team
that is at the very least competitive in the Big
twelve and at some point can compete for a league title.
How long will that take? How long will Mountaineer Nation

(14:36):
wait to see more positive results?

Speaker 5 (14:38):
Now?

Speaker 14 (14:39):
With player transfer freedom revenue sharing in NIL, the leash
on coaches has shortened from five or six years.

Speaker 1 (14:46):
To two or three.

Speaker 14 (14:48):
It is said that patience is not the ability to wait,
but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting,
and that is the challenge for Mountaineer fans everywhere.

Speaker 1 (14:58):
At least for this season.

Speaker 2 (15:00):
Chris Thanks hop Man. Hoppy's commentary is posted at wv
metronews dot com. You're West Virginia. By the forecast for
the day, gorgeous fall weather, continuing high pressure to bring
plenty of sunshine, dry conditions, and very warm afternoons for
the next several days. High temperature is going to be
in the upper seventies to lower eighties. That's more than
ten degrees above normal for this time of year. Nights
are going to be clear and cool. Low's dipping down

(15:21):
into the fifties. It's a pattern that will lead to
some patchy or fog in the river valleys each morning,
and that could be dense in some places. Next chance
for rain doesn't arrive until sometime early next week. And
now you are up to date, have yourself a great
day for hoppy Kerchival, Daniel Woods, and Jeff Jenkins. I'm
Chris Lawrence on Metro News for forty years, the voice

(15:41):
of West Virginia.

Speaker 1 (15:43):
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