All Episodes

October 9, 2025 16 mins
Today on MetroNews This Morning: 
--More testimony today in the Raleigh County court case over required vaccinations for children vs. religious exemptions
--A Charleston teen is headed to prison for life for his role in the death of another and a Kanawha County jury has acquitted a man of involvement in a shooting that incited panic at a youth soccer tournament
--The Berkeley County sheriff defense actions of his deputies in a fatal officer involved shooting
--In Sports: the WVSSAC suspends Braxton County's football coach for a year 
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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 (00:10):
It is Thursday, October ninth, twenty twenty five. Good morning,
I'm Chris Lawrence. Ready to get the dayho started with
the information you're gonna need in West Virginia. We begin
with the forecast that's calling for cooler temperatures, bud sunny
skies all the way through the weekend. We'll give you
that very autumn like forecast in just a moment. Right now, though,
let's get caught up on what's been happening overnight in
West Virginia. At the Metro News anchor Dass this morning

(00:32):
is Jeff Jenkins.

Speaker 3 (00:33):
Good morning, Jeff, Good morning, Chris, and thank you. Testimony
resumes later this morning in Raleigh County Circuit Court in
the school entry vaccination case Metro New State White Course
byder Brad Mickaelheiney says. Judge Michael Froebel made three rulings
from the bench Wednesday, including making the case a class
action lawsuit covering all of those seeking exemptions from the
vaccination mandates. There are more than five hundred people who

(00:54):
have had exemptions denied by the state Department of Education.

Speaker 4 (00:57):
The judge said that is reason enough for him that
sheer number to go ahead and consider this case, which
began as a couple of Rowley County families, as involving
the entire class of potentially affected people.

Speaker 3 (01:11):
Brad writes more at wv metronews dot com. The state's
chief health officer expected to be on the witness stand today.
A Charleston teenager could spend the rest of his life
in prison.

Speaker 5 (01:19):
Brock Williams was sentenced to life in prison with the
possibility of parol in fifteen years for the twenty twenty
four murder of Caden Martin, in which Williams served as
a lookout while his co defendant, bro John Williams Hampton,
robbed the tobacco shop where Martin worked before shooting him.
Williams gave a statement during the sentencing hearing which he
maintained he had no awareness of what Williams Hampton planned

(01:40):
to do that night, which prompted this statement from Judge
Mary Claire akers, that was possibly.

Speaker 6 (01:49):
Not the worst thing I've ever heard of dependent say,
but it was close.

Speaker 5 (01:54):
Williams, who is fifteen years old, will be resentenced when
he turns eighteen. I'm Daniel Woods metro News dot com.

Speaker 3 (02:01):
Knau County jury has acquitted a man in a shooting case.
The twelve member jury found Caden Bowman not guilty on
two counts and what't in danger with a firearm in
connection with a shooting near the Shawnee Sports Complex in
Dunbar last year. Bowman exchanged gunfire with two other men.
His attorneys told the jury he did so in self defense.
Those other men pleaded guilty were sentence a prison. Bowman

(02:22):
walked out of the court room a freeman Wednesday afternoon.
A nineteen year old man wanted in connection with the
murder in Ohio is in custody this morning after being
arrested in Preston County. US Marshall's apprehended Wayman Donnette Wednesday
at the residence in Masontown. He was arrested without incident.
Authorities say Donnett was involved in a shootout in Cleveland
back in April where one person died. Berkeley County chef

(02:45):
Rob Blair is criticizing those who have taken the social
media to criticize his deputies and a fatal officer involved
shooting from earlier this week. Deputy shot and killed twenty
nine year old David Brown and Martinsburg Sunday after he
attacked a deputy with a hatchet. This criticism of the
deputies is un warranted.

Speaker 7 (03:02):
This Facebook stuff is out of control. Some of the
ignorant comments that people make, they have no clue, And
I say that with all sincerity, they have no clue
what these offsters were there for and the professionalism they displayed.

Speaker 3 (03:16):
Blair made those comments on Metronews affiliate WEPM Radios Panhandled Live.
The death RMines under investigation. Blair says he'll release bodycam
video to the media. The National Transportation Safety Board has
issued six citations to the Calhoun County Board of Education
in connection with that school bus wreck last year in
the Mountain Zini area that injured several students. The NTSB

(03:37):
says the board allowed bus driver Jeffrey Brannan to drive
the bus without a CDL endorsement and properly administered random
drug tests and didn't have the right personnel in place
to order the drug tests. Brandon was drunk when he
wrecked the bus. He was convicted in court sentenced to
twenty two to one hundred and ten years in prison.
The NTSB says Brandon wasn't drug tested at all in

(03:58):
twenty eighteen, twenty twenty one, twenty twenty two, or twenty
twenty three. The SSAC has suspended Braxton County High School
football coach Ezra Lewis. Daniel Woods will have more on
sports in just a couple of minutes there. Marsha University
President Brad Smith says for enrollment numbers will be finalized
next Wednesday, but they already know those numbers will show
a third straight year student enrollment gains after a decade

(04:20):
of dropping enrollment at Marshall. Smith telling Marshall's Bard of
Governor's Wednesday, there's lot a credit to go around.

Speaker 8 (04:25):
This reflects the amazing work of our student success teams
are faculty and our staff across the campus. So I
want to thank our campus community for their efforts to
remain focused on growing enrollment and student success. It is
clearly the power of weed in action.

Speaker 3 (04:41):
But Smith also said the university cannot take a break.
He says another enrollment cliff is projected to hit next
year and could continue for a decade. The Raleigh County
Commission has approved an ordinance that will require a permit
to panhandle in the county. The Sheriff's office will be
in charge of issuing those permits. Governor Patrick Morrisey is
a new hu's conference schedule for this afternoon at the

(05:02):
state Capitol, scheduled to begin at twelve thirty. Grab the
jacket before heading out this morning. Many areas in West
Virginia in the upper forties higher elevation has got at
or close to freezing last night. Another cold night is
in the forecast four tonight.

Speaker 2 (05:17):
Thank you, Jeff. Coming up on our backgrounder. More from
President Brad Smith about that third consecutive year of enrollment
growth at Marshall and then, like Jeff said that they
have a new football coach for the time being at
Braxton County High School. Daniel will have that story and
more on sports coming up. It's the time of the
year when Friday nights are special. That's because Friday nights

(05:39):
are reserved for high school football. This is Fred pur
Singer inviting you to join Dave Jeckman in me every
Friday night through November twenty eighth, for year number twenty
four of Game Night. Every Friday night, We'll bring you
all the scores and stories from around the state US.
We'll take your phone calls and talk about your favorite team.
It's Game Night, presented by Match, a Mountain State Assessment
of and Community Health Survey.

Speaker 6 (06:01):
Visit wvmatchsurvey dot org. Football season is here. Get Mountaineer
football coverage and watch live high school football games every
week by downloading the Metro News television app. It's Metro
News shows all day, including talk Lines, Sports Line, three
Guys Before the Game, Metro News, Middays Hotline, and our
new feature State of Minds, right on your smart TV
or streaming device. Get more information at WV metronewstv dot com.

(06:25):
Metro News Television is powered by Dancaba, GMC go mart
Lou Wendell, Marines, Thike, Wealth Enhancement, Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration,
and Polka Valley.

Speaker 2 (06:35):
Daniel Woods will be Bible with sports in just a
moment right now. In our backgrounder, Marshall University seeing the
third consecutive year of enrollment growth. However, they are getting
ready to face some challenges. Simmu's president Brad Smith if
the unofficial update to the Board of Governors during their
meeting Wednesday.

Speaker 8 (06:53):
Nabers won't be confirmed and talked Toober fifteen. Our fall
twenty twenty five enrollment currently reflects a third consecutive year
that increases. As of today, total student enrollment is unpaced
to increase nearly eight percent year every year, which is
up over twenty percent over the past three years, having

(07:13):
reversed more than a decade plus decline.

Speaker 6 (07:16):
Full time first time.

Speaker 8 (07:18):
Freshmen have grown about five and a half percent year
every year, and that's up twenty four percent over the
past three years. As we navigate the demographic cliff nationally
with shrinking high school classes, our implementation of a strategic
enrollment management plan several years ago is paying off. For example,
our decision to expand our metro tuition rates and the

(07:40):
catchment area to now include one hundred and fifty mile
radius into Ohio and Kentucky has produced metro enrollment increases
of nineteen percent this year and more than sixty percent
over the past three years. As we've embraced an on
demand option to deliver our curriculum, whether it's face to
face or high flex or hybrid learning environments, online enrollment

(08:03):
for what we call distance learning has grown more than
twenty four percent this year and it's also over sixty
percent over the past three years. I am delighted of
a collective campus's efforts in producing these results. However, we
do recognize it's only going to get more difficult as
we enter the depth of the enrollment cliff be getting
next fall, a cliff which will persist for the next

(08:27):
decade according to the demographic data. So there's no off season.
We're already working on next fall's enrollment with seventy five
high school and college fare events on the books and
innovative new approaches to inspire and approved students.

Speaker 9 (08:41):
To join the herd.

Speaker 2 (08:41):
That's Marshall University President Brad Smith. Now to the sports desk.
Daniel Woods is in and Daniel the SSAC has issued
the punishment for a rules violation in Braxton County. We
don't know what the rule was, but the punishment was severe.

Speaker 5 (09:02):
That's right, Chris, Braxton County's football program without its head
football coach because Ezra Lewis received a one year suspension
from the WVSSAC. Braxton County School Superintendent Doctor Donna Burge
Tetrick released his statement Wednesday afternoon, saying she was contacted
about a potential rules violation on Monday and that the
school system fully cooperated with the SSAC. Braxton County is

(09:24):
three and three this season and Billy McDonald will serve
as the acting head coach for the rest of the season.
Fairmount native and former WVU baseball standout David Carpenter is
rising in the coaching ranks. He just finished his first
season as manager of the Class Triple A Jacksonville Jumbo
Shrimp and says it's a unique level to coach.

Speaker 9 (09:42):
You have to bring a group of guys together at
the Triple A level. Some of them have been Big
leaguers and have come down. Some of them are coming
up from Double A and they're trying to fight for
their way to get to the big league. Some guys
have been at Triple A for a number of years
and they're still trying to get their first taste of
the big league. So you have three different types of
personalities there that are striving towards the same thing to
get to the big league.

Speaker 5 (10:01):
Carpenter led Jacksonville to a Class Triple A national championship
last Saturday. The West Virginia High School Volleyball Coaches Poll
is out for the second time this season. Hedges Villa
is the unanimous number one team in Class Quada. Herbert
Hoover ranks the top Triple A, Charleston Catholic edges Oak
Glenn for the top spot in Double A, and Wart
County is the leader in the Class A poll. Regional

(10:22):
play begins for volleyball on October twenty seventh, and you
can find the full rankings right now at wv Metro
news dot com. In the MLB playoffs, the Toronto Blue
Jays are onto the American League Championship Series with a
five to two win over the New York Yankees in
Game four of the Alds. George Springer hit a go
ahead sacrifice fly in the fifth inning. Toronto awaits the
conclusion of the other Al Division series after the Detroit

(10:44):
Tigers forced Game five with the Seattle Mariners nine to three.
Game five scheduled for tomorrow night. In the National League,
the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs both the void sweeps.
The Phillies beat the Dodgers eight to two with two
home runs from Kyle Schwarbert. Chicago held off a Milwaukee
comeback to win four to three. Both of those series
go to Game four today.

Speaker 2 (11:03):
Thank you Daniel coming up at noon today, It's Metro
News Midday with Dave Allen and Amanda Baron. They'll get
you caught up on what's been happening during the morning
hours in West Virginia and bring some great feature material
to tide you over to the afternoon. Check them out
on Metro News radio stations or the live stream at
wv metronews dot com. It's Metro News Midday Now with
commentary for the day the Dean of West Virginia Broadcasters,

(11:25):
Happy kerchievill Chris.

Speaker 10 (11:27):
Former Soviet political prisoner Nathan Sharansky wrote that there are
two kinds of societies, fear and free. He wrote in
the book The Case for Democracy that a society is
free if people have a right to express their views
without fear of arrest, imprisonment, or physical harm. A society
where dissent is blocked or punished is rooted in tyranny.

(11:51):
Sharansky would know. He spent nine years as a political
prisoner in the Old Soviet Union. After he gained his freedom,
he moved to Israel, where he held a number of
positions within the government. Sharansky's book was published twenty one
years ago, but it should serve as a cautionary tale
for what is happening now in the United States. President
Donald Trump and his power hungry sycophants are creating a

(12:14):
fear society right in her own backyard. Trump is employing
authoritarian tactics to consolidate his power, trample democratic norms, and
repress opposition through force and intimidation. He's chipping away at
constitutional protections and replacing them with his personal whims and vendettas.
The latest example is his politicization of the military. His

(12:37):
speech recently to top ranking generals and admirals was especially chilling.
His reference to the US fighting a quote war from
within end quote set the table for the military to
be dispatched to democratic run cities. Now, one can reasonably
argue that some of these cities have failed to control
crime and have been overly tolerant of individuals in the

(12:58):
country illegally. However, the correct response lies in local and
state jurisdictions improving policing. The U S Military is neither
properly trained nor responsible for local law enforcement, and should
only be dispatched in emergencies. Thankfully, there is resistance to
the overreach In Oregon. U S District Court judge Karen

(13:19):
Immigrut blocked Trump's attempt to send in federalized National Guard
members from other states. Immigrut, who was appointed by Trump, wrote, quote,
this country has a long standing and foundational tradition of
resistance to government overreach, especially in the form of military
intrusion into civilian affairs. Now pre Trump, Republicans howled at

(13:42):
such federal overreach as Trump is employing Now they would
quote enthusiastically from the eighteen seventy eight Posse Coommatatis Act
that barred federal troops from Civican affairs. Nowadays, they either
cheer or sit stoically for fear of falling out of
favor with Trump and Magie. Now Trump may simply ignore
the courts and invoke the Insurrection Act. If so, then

(14:05):
all bets are off. We will have officially shifted into
authoritarianism and military control and has not far reached to
believe that Trump could use that authority to interfere with elections.
Protect Democracy writer and editor Amanda Carpenter wrote that the
intimidation of the media and protesters today could be the
intimidation of voters tomorrow. She said, if federal forces can

(14:29):
make citizens afraid to exercise their First Amendment rights on
the street. They can make them afraid to attend a rally,
support an opposing candidate, or cast a ballot in upcoming elections.
Our country was founded on the fundamental principle of freedom.
The founders formalized in the Bill of Rights the limitations
on government's ability to erode that freedom. They have stood

(14:51):
the test of time so long that we take them
for granted. But those limitations are now being stress tests
by auto intent. The outcome will determine whether America will
remain a free society or become a fear society.

Speaker 2 (15:08):
Chris thanks open Hoppy's commentary has posted at WDV metronews
dot com. Your West Virginia Weather Forecast. There's another stretch
of dry weather underway courtesy of high pressure. Today is
going to be cool despite abundant sunshine, highs only in
the mid to upper sixties across the lowlands and mid
fifties to mid sixties in the mountains. Now tonight it's
going to be chilly again, frost possible in the deeper

(15:29):
mountain valleys, and after that temperature is going to moderate
just a bit to more seasonal levels. That's going to
end the frost potential. There's a coastal storm forming this weekend,
not likely to impact our weather directly, but its upper
level counterpart may provide showers across northern and EA eastern
parts of the state. Now, as long as that low
moves offshore next week, high pressure will become re established

(15:50):
over West Virginia and the dry and seasonable weather will prevail.
And now you are up to date, have yourself a
great day for hoppy Kerchival, Daniel Woods, and Jeff Janigins.
I'm Chris Lawrence on Metro News for forty years, the
voice of West Virginia.

Speaker 1 (16:05):
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