All Episodes

October 3, 2025 17 mins
Today on MetroNews This Morning: 
--Governor Patrick Morrisey says WV will help keep open a couple of National Park Service units duuring the federal government shutdown
--Two more vaccination lawsuits are filed in West Virginia courts
--A bust in Mercer County is the biggest haul of illegal drugs ever in West Virginia 
--In Sports: the high school football season hits the halfway point and WVU plays a rare Friday night game on the road with a very late kickoff. 
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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's Friday, October third, twenty twenty five. Good morning, I'm
Chris Lawrence, getting set for bringing you up to date
on what you need to know to start this day
in West Virginia. The forecast first Sunday skies, warm temperatures today,
potentially some clowns, but they're not going to pack any rainfall,
at least not this weekend. We'll run down the full
forecast for you in just a moment. First, though, let's
get caught up on what's been happening overnight in West

(00:30):
Virginia with an update from the Metro News anchored US
this morning is Jeff Jenkins. Good morning, Jeff.

Speaker 3 (00:36):
Good morning, Chris, Thank you. Governor Patrick Morrisey has announced
a donation agreement from the state to keep services open
at two national parks in West Virginia impacted by the
ongoing federal government shut down. Morrisey says the state will
spend up to ninety eight thousand dollars to fund visitor
centers and other services at New River Gore's National Park
and Preserve and Fatte County and Harper's Ferry National Historical

(00:57):
Park in Jefferson County. Visitors centers are typically closed during
government shutdowns. The Morsey and State Tourism Secretary Chelsea Ruby
say October is a key month for tourism in West
Virginia because of the changing leaves. More than two hundred
thousand of the gorges one point eight million visitors last
year came in October, or nearly seventy eight thousand of

(01:18):
Harper's Ferries. Twenty twenty four four hundred and eighty eight
guests visited the park in October. The donation will be
reviewed in two weeks if the shutdown continues. Read more
at wv metronews dot com. Morsey said to be at
the gorge this afternoon for a news conference. In another
shutdown development, the one hundred and thirtieth Airlift Wing of
the West Virginia Air National Guard has canceled the celebration

(01:38):
in the plan for tomorrow marking the fiftieth anniversary of
the C one thirty transport planes being in Charleston. Guard
Interim Public Affairs Officer started a first class area on
a Shoemake says the celebration did not make the cut.

Speaker 4 (01:51):
The government must close if there's a lapse of appropriations.
There are some activities that will continue. However, this was
not one of those activities that was considered accepted. According
to the Secretary of.

Speaker 3 (02:03):
War, it's unsure if the event will be rescheduled. A
change of command ceremony, also set for tomorrow, will take place,
but it'll be a private service. There are two new
court cases dealing with the fight over school child vaccination
requirements in West Virginia metro New State. White Course Bond
of Brad mcaheney reports one of the cases in Kennaw County,
the other in Jefferson County. He says that Jefferson County

(02:25):
case comes from five families seeking religious exemptions and damages.

Speaker 5 (02:29):
The filing contends the students have been denied access to
a fundamental public education, and the filing describes additional irreparable harm,
including the purchase of school supplies and clothing.

Speaker 3 (02:41):
Accord Hearing on a high profile vaccination case in Raleigh
County resumes next week. Brad writes more this morning at
wv metronews dot com. State Board of Education President Paul
Hardesty says the comments he made this week at the
State Board of Education meeting about leveling the playing field
for public education appears to have jumped to art Is
some conversation. Artessey says school choice has grown in the

(03:03):
state at the expense of public education. He says he's
heard from state lawmakers we.

Speaker 2 (03:07):
Released started the dialogue down the road to making some change.

Speaker 3 (03:11):
Morrisey has spoken to Montingaye County Delegate Joe Statler. He
says questions need to be asked. Statler says, of those
families leaving public.

Speaker 6 (03:19):
Schools at that point in time, they need to ask them,
why are you choosing to do this and not in
an adversarial way, in a way is what are we
not doing that we could do? That's not happening, and
that's got to happen.

Speaker 3 (03:31):
State lawmakers may talk about this at the upcoming interim
committee meetings that get started on Sunday at the Capitol.
And Elkins's pastor is charged with using a computer to
solicit an underage girl. Thirty three year old Kevin Curtis Jones,
the pastor at Summit Church in Elkins, was charged Thursday
in connection with an a less incident with a teenage
girl in December twenty twenty three. The alleged victim is

(03:52):
now an adult. Jones was arrested in an R and
V campground this week. A criminal complaint says the alleged
victim was also there. Jones's bomb was originally said at
fifty thousand dollars. The numbers are eye opening. Fifty four
pounds of fentanyl, seventy pounds of crystal meth, twenty three
pounds of marijuana all seized in a Mercer County drug bust.

(04:12):
Governor Morrisey says authorities believe it was one of the
largest in state history.

Speaker 7 (04:16):
We're going to keep the drugs off our streets. We're
going to protect people as much as we humanly can.
This is a higher priority for this administration than the
state's ever seen. We must keep our people safe.

Speaker 3 (04:28):
Morrisey and state police say several people have been arrested
in connection with the investigation. A traffic death is do
A traffic death investigation continues in the Eastern Panhandle.

Speaker 8 (04:37):
A man is dead after being struck by a tractor
trailer on Interstate eighty one in Berkeley County. The Berkeley
County Sheriff's Office says it received reports from Chrysler pacifica
driving the wrong way in the northbound lanes, as well
as a man running along the interstate. When deputies responded
to an area near the eight and a half mile marker,
they found twenty five year old Christian Zones of Texas
unresponsive on the northbound side of the highway. Investigation determined

(04:59):
that Zones was struck by a tractor trailer and he
was pronounced dead at the scene. I'm Daniel Woods WV
Metro News dot com.

Speaker 3 (05:06):
At deadly collision occurred on Wednesday. Putnam County share Bobby
Egleton says a Winfield area woman died in her driveway
Thursday after her car backed over her. Thatenon says seventy
eight year old Rosarleie Gore made a quick run to
the Dollar General Thursday morning. When she got out of
her car back home on her inclined driveway, she failed
to put it in park in it rolled backwards.

Speaker 9 (05:24):
Just a horrific accident, of.

Speaker 3 (05:25):
Course, body spotted by a neighbor beside the driveway. Going
to be a late night from Mountaineer football fans West
Virginia Place tonight at BYU kick off set for ten thirty.

Speaker 2 (05:40):
Definitely gonna leave the nap. Thank you, Jeff coming up
in her background, and it is a football Friday. Fred
Persinger will join us and we'll talk about high school
football across the mountains.

Speaker 10 (05:50):
Day.

Speaker 2 (05:51):
We've reached about the halfway point. Then Daniel Woods will
have more on the Mountaineers than the rest of the
day of sports. It's all still ahead. Stay with us.

Speaker 1 (05:57):
For over forty years, Radio Network has kept West Virginia
informed with breaking news, sports and talk programming. We are
West Virginia's trusted source.

Speaker 2 (06:08):
The Vigil continues this hour in the Upshire County community
of Tollminsville as desperate relatives a white word on the
fate of thirteen coal miners trapped in the Sego mine.

Speaker 1 (06:16):
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 state. They get it into C. J.

Speaker 9 (06:35):
Burks three seconds, two seconds, one second.

Speaker 1 (06:38):
He launches it. Good if it goes no fine.

Speaker 9 (06:41):
The red scans have half set for number three seed
Hedgesville Eagles.

Speaker 1 (06:46):
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 11 (06:58):
The second half of the High School for All season
continues Friday night with our go mart game of the Week,
Fort Hill, Maryland at Bridgeport Loss, Catch Greenbriar West against
Fort Fry, Ohio, Just Sales versus Capitol Midland Wheeling Park
in Morgantown, and mary Atta versus Williamstown, all on Metro
News TV. Brought to you by the Thrasher Group, Marshall
University hand the Mountaineer Challenge Academy. Download the free Metro

(07:20):
News TV app on your iPhone, iPad, Android, Apple TV,
Roku or Fire TV, or visit do WEDV Metro newstv
dot com for more information.

Speaker 2 (07:32):
Still to come. Daniel Woods will check sports for us,
but right now in our backgrounder, as we are always
joined on a football Friday in the fall. Fred Persinger,
the voice of high School Sports, is in studio. Good morning, Fred,
how are you? I'm well, Chris? I was looking last night?
Is this week six of the season it is.

Speaker 9 (07:48):
Indeed, that's halfway through, over halfway over, halfway. Well, for
some teams, this is the halfway point they'll still have
after the night though, Yeah, it's past halfway because I'll
either have four games left or they already played seven.

Speaker 2 (08:00):
I have three games left. Starting to separate the weed
from the chaff here, Yeah, definitely.

Speaker 1 (08:04):
And I think you see that.

Speaker 9 (08:06):
You know a lot of somebody jumped on me the
other day because I said I don't care about the ratings,
and I really don't. It doesn't mean a thing.

Speaker 1 (08:12):
It really doesn't mean a thing.

Speaker 9 (08:13):
Now you get to week eight, all of a sudden,
now they mean I mean, so now you're talking about
them going on the road in the playoffs or not those.

Speaker 2 (08:20):
Look at some of the games that you guys have
picked as the marquee matchups tonight. Number one, Morgantown, number three,
Wheeling Park. I think that was a safe pick in
Class four.

Speaker 9 (08:27):
A yeah, no brainer really, Wheeling Park has played extremely well.
Morgantown still undefeated. I think Morgantown proved their metal last
week when they went to Spring Mills and shut down
and beat them, beat them handily, And I thought that
was very impressive.

Speaker 1 (08:41):
What they did.

Speaker 2 (08:41):
Your Class Triple A game of the week and it's
being played at Triple A Capital, but it's Quad A
Huntington that's coming in there. Huntington number three in Class
Quad A, Capital number ten in Class Triple A ten
years ago. This would have been an amazing matchup. You
all call it the game of the week, and yes,
Capital's coming back, but Huntington's awful good.

Speaker 9 (09:02):
You know what's more frightening about playing Huntington? Playing Huntington
after they've had a week off, and they had a
week off last week, So that's not good for John
Carpenter's ball club, I don't think. But again, David Robinson's
one of the butter players in the state. He led
that charge back last week in the win over South Charleston.
So we'll see tonight. I just think Billy Seals ball

(09:23):
club has so many weapons.

Speaker 2 (09:24):
Yeah, but with great with great challenges, come great opportunities.
Exactly right, we will see Capitol. Capitol could be on
top of the world with this if they can get
a win tonight. Class Double A number four Petersburg and
number eight DODDERSNY Dodders County. Are they number eight or six?
I can't read. I can't read. They can't the screen.

(09:44):
There number eight, two undefeated teams and both of them
playing well.

Speaker 9 (09:49):
Very seldom in high school football do you get the
week six and you still have two undefeated ball clubs,
So that one kind of picked itself.

Speaker 2 (09:55):
Yeah, exactly. And the class single A game of the
week is number five meta Bridge making the long trip
to Blacksville to take on number A.

Speaker 9 (10:05):
Clay bettel brand new head coach at meadow Bridge. The
Wildcats Brandon Wicklines doing a great job. Long trip though.
You had a long trip from metal Bridge in Fayette
County to Blacksville in Mont County, so that will be
a good I think Clay Betel's playing extremely well. Metal
Bridge still undefeated. We'll see what happens. We did have
three games played last night, Grafton Forest Festival underway this

(10:26):
weekend Grafton and Elkins. And Elkins bounced back. They get
the win over Grafton thirty five seven. Couple of single
A games last night Barnesville, Ohio, the team that GW
went on the road and beat last week. They snapped
their forty two game winning streak. Well, they got another
winning street started because they beat a good Wheeling Central
team last night forty three to fourteen. I think that

(10:46):
shows you how big a win that was for Steve
Edwards Junior's ball club. And then the other one, Tiger's
Valley beat Richwood last night twenty nine to twelve.

Speaker 2 (10:54):
All right, well, here are the rest of those scores.
Tonight a Metro News game night, following coverage of your
local high school game on many of these Metro news stations.
I'll talk to you and Dave tonight, Fred having a
good broadcast, Thank you, Chris, you too. Daniel Woods is
able to check on sports. Daniel, I hope you're getting
a nap this afternoon because it's a late kickoff for

(11:14):
the Mountaineers as well.

Speaker 8 (11:15):
That's right, Chris. I think there's gonna be a lot
of Mountaineer fans trying to get some rest earlier in
the day if they want to stay up to see
WVU against BYU tonight, a ten to thirty kickoff, as
the Mountaineers aim to write the ship after back to
back blowout losses. Head coach Rich Rodriguez says that starts
with stopping Cougar quarterback Bear Bachmeyer and running back LJ.

Speaker 1 (11:34):
Martin.

Speaker 2 (11:35):
Very athletic, tough guy, really really composed and really impressed
with him.

Speaker 11 (11:39):
The running back is I think one of the better
ones and big physical guy, one of the better ones
in our league.

Speaker 5 (11:43):
And it starts up front him and they got some
grown men up there.

Speaker 8 (11:46):
Literally WVU and BYU tonight at ten thirty on ESPN.
In the Major League Baseball Playoffs, the Wildcard Round is
complete divisional series matchup set after yesterday, the Detroit Tigers
Game three over their division rivals, the Cleveland Guardians, six
to three and advancing the American League. West Virginia native
Chase de Launter picked up his first big league hit

(12:08):
for Cleveland, but it wasn't enough, as five Detroit pitchers
combined to hold the Guardians to a single earned run.
The New York Yankees or the other American League team
to advance, beating the Boston Red Sox four to nothing.
Rookie Cam Schlitzler made his postseason debut on the mound
and threw eight shutout endings with twelve strikeouts. In the
National League pitching came up big again for the Chicago Cubs,

(12:28):
advancing over the San Diego Padres three to one. Michael
Busch went three for four and homerd and Jamison Tyn
through four scoreless endings for Chicago. Game one of each
divisional series is set for Saturday. Thank you, Daniel Tomorrow
join me for hunting Fishing talk on the radio and online.
West Virginia Outdoors comes your Way live at seven oh
six tomorrow morning on Metro News radio stations throughout West Virginia.

(12:49):
We also streamed the show live at that time at
DOUBDV metronews dot com. After it airs live, we wrap
it up into a podcast and posted at all podcasts
providers sites or the podcast page of wv metronews dot com.
Download it from wherever you get your podcasts and listen
anytime you want tomorrow's episode or past episodes. Now with
today's commentary, the co host of Metro News talk Line Tjmeadows.

Speaker 10 (13:14):
Chris State Board of Education President Paul Hardesty's comments on
school choice and the school aid funding formula cut through
the noise this week. His words echoed from one end
of West Virginia to the other. Social media, radio, television, print,
people are talking and that's healthy. Yes, the Hope Scholarship
has drawn students away from public schools, but Let's not

(13:37):
pretend that's the only reason enrollment has fallen. Decades of
population decline have done far more damage. Hardesty admitted that
on Talkline Thursday, and yes, fewer students mean fewer dollars.
That's the cold math of a funding formula tied to enrollment.
Reform is overdue. But no, Hardesty is not trying to

(13:58):
kill school choice. He isn't campaigning to eliminate the Hope Scholarship.
In fact, the scholarship has opened doors for many families,
and in many cases those students are thriving. Still, we
can't abandon public schools. Some families have no alternatives, others
can't cover tuition gaps. A strong public school system remains

(14:22):
essential for every child and for every West Virginian. And yes,
the regulatory burden on educators deserves a hard look. The
massive book Hardesty held up, Dave Wilson joked it looked
like the Gutenberg Bible tells the story very well. The
Department of Ed has a ton of regulations it has
to adhere to. That said, the either or argument is

(14:44):
a false one. We should want both strong school choice
and excellent public schools. That's not only possible it's necessary.
But here's the deeper problem. It's not just funding formulas
or scholarships. The real issue is at West Virginia is shrinking, aging,
and underemployed. In nineteen eighty, our population was nearly one

(15:07):
point nine to five million. By twenty twenty two, it
had fallen to one point seven to seven million. During
that same time, America grew by almost half. Our labor
force participation is stuck at fifty four percent, among the
worst in the country, and our median age keeps climbing.
Look at Boone County for an example. Since nineteen eighty

(15:29):
it has lost nearly a third of its population, yet
it still maintains the same number of high schools, the
same roads, the same infrastructure, only with far fewer taxpayers
to support it. That math doesn't work, and Boone isn't alone.
For too long we could ignore these trends. We can't anymore.
Hardesty is right to raise alarms about school funding, but

(15:51):
the bigger issue is survival. West Virginians need the courage
to face some hard truths. We can't cling to every school,
every outlome dated system as though nothing has changed. Better
to make tough decisions today, while we still can than
to wait until tomorrow, when the choices will be even
tougher and the costs far higher.

Speaker 2 (16:13):
Chris, thanks TJ. And he'll be back this morning at
ten oh six with Dave Wilson for Metro News talk Line.
You're West Virginia. About the forecast. High pressure to continue
to bring plenty of sunshine, dry weather, and warm afternoons
through early next week. High temperature is going to be
in the upper seventies to lower eighties, above normal for
this time of year. Nights are going to be clear
and cool, dipping down into the fifties. It's a pattern

(16:34):
that could lead to some patchy fog in the river
valleys each morning, and that could be dense in some places.
Next chance for rain probably around Tuesday and Wednesday with
the front arriving. And now you're up to date, have
yourself a great day and a great weekend for TJ. Meadows,
Daniel Woods, and Jeff Jenkins. I'm Chris Lawrence and this
is Metro News for forty years, the voice of West Virginia.

Speaker 1 (16:54):
Metro News This Morning is an exclusive production of the
Metro News Radio Network. All rights reserved.

Speaker 5 (17:00):
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