State News

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — There’s a wide array of music set to emphasize the 34th year of a multi-cultural and diversity festival in Charleston.

The Multi-Cultural Festival returns to the Capital City Thursday, August 1 through Sunday, August 4.

The musical line-up for this year’s MultiFest celebrating diversity in the area includes The Chuck Brown Band, Ginuwine, Petey Pablo, Brian McKnight and more.

Organizers of the four-day event met with Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin among other city and community representatives Wednesday to announce the lineup. MultiFest Executive Director Tamara Eubanks said it’s an exciting lineup this year.

“The artists we have picked up this year have been phenomenal in working with us, so we’re very, very excited,” Eubanks said. “This music is not just for one set, it’s for all ages, different ethnicities.”

The festival will kick-off with “GoGo Night” featuring the Washington D.C-based Chuck Brown Band on Thursday, August 1. 

On Friday, August 2, is All White Ladies Night, where all of the ladies who attend the event are encouraged to wear their best white attire. R&B singer Ginuwine, who also hails from Washington D.C. will take the stage with his hit songs on that night followed by British rapper and radio personality from New York, Monie Love.

An all-day musical lineup on Saturday, August 3, Las Vegas-based Jazz musician Justin Young is the first to take the stage. He will be followed up by Joe Little III, the lead singer of Rude Boys out of Cleveland, Ohio. Greenville, North Carolina singer and rapper Petey Pablo will help headline Saturday’s lineup, along with Brian McKnight, an Atlanta, Georgia R&B singer.

Finally, on Sunday, August 4, Kelontae Gavin, a South Carolina gospel singer will kick off the day, followed by Paul Wall, a hip-hop performer, rapper and DJ out of Houston, Texas, and the Original Lakeside Band, an American funk band from Dayton, Ohio.

Eubanks said they listened to the community on what they wanted to see and hear.

She said they particularly had people approach them about bringing back GoGo Night after they held that theme for the first time last year.

Eubanks said the 34 year mark of MultiFest is a testament to everyone who comes together to help put the event on.

“We are the largest diversity festival within West Virginia, and one of the longest-running festivals within West Virginia, and that is solely due to our sponsors and the dedication of our board members who are volunteers, as well as the community who comes out and supports us,” she said.

Like in previous years, Eubanks said the festival will also host various food and artesian vendors, kids activities, and a Sunday morning worship session.

She said, though, that the music stands as an ultimate reflection of what the event is all about.

“We have jazz, we have R&B, we have hip-hop, we have gospel, and it represents a huge array of music that our participants will be exposed to as they come,” Eubanks said.

However, Eubanks said more than the music and activities, MultiFest is a chance for the community to come together and learn from one another and celebrate the diversity that makes them up.

The event will be held at Haddad Riverfront Park along the Kanawha Boulevard August 1-4.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A well-known Charleston business developer could now face up to 20 years in federal prison for bankruptcy fraud.

John Wellford III, 73, pleaded guilty Wednesday to falsification of bankruptcy records.

United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, Will Thompson joined officials from the U.S. Trustee Program, the FBI, and the WV State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, who all worked on the now six-year-old case in some capacity, for a news conference Wednesday.

According to court documents, Wellford filed for bankruptcy on March 29, 2019 on behalf his real estate company, Corotoman Inc.

Thompson said Corotoman had received a large influx of money approximately 10 months prior to filing for bankruptcy while the business was struggling financially and while one of its creditors was trying to collect an outstanding debt. Thompson said Wellfords’ crime was not making the transfers of this money known.

“As part of the bankruptcy, he was required to do a statement of financial affairs, which required him to disclose all monetary transfers from Corotoman outside the ordinary course of business that had occurred in the two years prior to filing for bankruptcy, that’s just a typical bankruptcy filing requirement,” Thompson said.

Despite the requirement to disclose all monetary transfers, Wellford admitted that he did not inform officials of the more than $925,000 that he had transferred from Corotoman on or around May 2, 2018 to another of Wellford’s businesses, Marsh Fork Development.

Prior to that transfer, on April 30, 2018, Wellford deposited a close to $2 million check from American Electric Power in Corotoman’s account.

From the over $920,000 that went into Marsh Fork’s account, however, Wellford transferred $680,000 to his lawyer’s client trust account, causing his lawyer to transfer all of those funds back into various businesses of Wellford’s over the next five months.

Thompson said that Wellford admitted to wanting to keep the money for himself and his companies and not make it available to creditors.

“He was given multiple opportunities even after the initial bankruptcy filing to correct this error,” Thompson said. “The filing of the bankruptcy is done in the penalty of perjury, there was a meeting of creditors where he was placed under oath, and he failed to disclose this.”

Wellfords’ sentencing date is set for Aug. 7. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

In addition, Wellford also owes approximately $925,326 in restitution, the same amount that was transferred to Corotoman in which he failed to report.

Working closely on the case, Keven Rojek, Special Agent in Charge for the FBI of Pittsburgh said financial crimes undermine the conviction of the system’s economic integrity, and he was proud of the FBIs’ investigative work in the case.

“This conviction should send a clear message that our economy is not a marketplace for manipulation, theft, or criminal activity,” said Rojek. “No one is above the law, and our resolve to uphold the law remains resolute.”

Thompson said people need bankruptcy in the event they are unable to pay their debts, so when someone commits bankruptcy fraud, especially in this magnitude, it’s a huge discredit to the U.S. Trustees, the FBI and everyone working towards a fair financial system.

“When people are doing this and gaming the system, it undermines everyone’s trust in the economy, in the court system, in whether or not I pay my credit card bill or not, so I think it’s very important that we do look at cases like this and we do prosecute it when we can,” he said.

Thompson said so far this year, there have been eight bankruptcy fraud convictions across the country, and three of those came out of the Southern District of West Virginia.

He said while there’s always been fraud and sloppiness, U.S. attorneys and those working against fraud are now trying to put a bigger spotlight on the issue than ever before.

Thompson said if someone thinks they can commit fraud without any consequences, that will only encourage others to commit the crime.

“So, I’m hoping I’m sending the exact opposite message that we’re not discouraging anyone from filing for bankruptcy, in fact, there are situations that warrant it every single day, but when you do, make sure you tell the truth,” said Thompson.

The West Virginia State Auditor’s Office Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU), along with the U.S. Offices of the Insurance Commissioner-Special Investigations Division also had involvement with investigations into the case.

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Two Jefferson County commissioners were removed from office today based on their refusal to attend meetings and conduct the business of the county.

One, Tricia Jackson, is a statewide candidate for auditor. The other is Jennifer Krouse. The two were removed by a three-judge panel.

“I am working with my attorney and plan to file an immediate appeal. In the meantime, my focus turns fully toward the May 14^th primary,” Jackson said in an email to MetroNews.

Other candidates in the statewide Republican primary for auditor include state Senator Mark Hunt of Charleston, House Majority Leader Eric Householder of Martinsburg and former Delegate Caleb Hanna, now of Charleston. The only Democratic candidate is Mary Ann Claytor of St. Albans.

Jackson and Krouse were accused of failing in their duty to perform their duties by willfully refusing to attend commission meetings, starting last September. Moreover, they repeatedly refused to meet and help select a fifth commissioner who would fill a vacancy.

Local officials contended that being unable to get a quorum resulted in real-life consequences including failure to hire and promote essential county employees, failing to approve contracts including a security contract for the county’s computer software, failure to release bonds or letters of credit, failure to approve grant applications and more.

“The court FINDS that the allegations of the Removal Petition of either official misconduct and/or neglect of duty have been proven by clear and convincing evidence and are sufficient to warrant the removal of the Respondent Commissioners from office,” wrote judges Joseph Reeder, Perri Jo DeChristopher and Jason Wharton.

The two commissioners continued to accept pay for their elected positions, despite not participating in the work of the county over a period of weeks.

The filing to remove Krouse and Jackson was made last November.  Hearings were in late March. 

The three-judge panel agreed that the evidence was enough to conclude the two commissioners should be removed from office.

“This court therefore FINDS the Respondents willfully ignored this duty, prioritized their own agendas over the needs of the citizens of Jefferson County, and weaponized their deliberate and intentional refusal to attend meetings and appoint a Fifth Commissioner in order for the Respondents to advance their own agenda,” the three-judge panel wrote.

The conflict dates back to the resignation of Commissioner Clare Ath, effective last June 16. That left four members.

An initial attempt for the remaining commissioners to choose a fifth resulted in a split on June 23. Of five potential nominees, Krouse and Jackson favored Isabel Simon. The other two commissioners favored Matthew McKinney.

The tie meant the matter was referred to the Jefferson County Republican Executive Committee to choose three possibilities and present them to the commission.

Once the three candidates were presented to the commission, an argument about eligibility broke out during an August 17 meeting. Krouse and Jackson then refused to participate if the selection process continued.

Krouse posted on her Facebook page that evening that the Republican committee had not provided “three actual conservatives for the Commission to review. Unfortunately, far too many of the elected ‘Republicans’ in West Virginia seem to be either incompetent, self-interested, closeted liberals, or some combination thereof.”

After that, Jackson and Krouse posted statements to their Facebook pages to say they are protesting the meetings by denying a quorum.

“I want to move forward with county business, but I won’t proceed with this appointment the way things currently stand,” Krouse wrote on social media.

Similarly, Jackson posted last year that the commission should meet on basic governance matters without taking up the issue of the fifth commissioner, questioning whether the local Republican committee followed a legal procedure when it came up with its candidates list.

“We feel strongly that the Jefferson County Commission should not discuss filling the Charles Town Commission seat until the current legal matter is decided by the court. We don’t want to vote on candidates who may be invalidated by a court decision,” Jackson wrote on Facebook.

The two finally agreed to participate in a meeting and fill the vacancy late last November after a local business filed cause and a judge ordered the commissioners to get to work. The commissioner finally chosen was Pasha Majdi, a Harpers Ferry resident who calls himself a “freedom-loving conservative conservationist.”

At their removal hearing before the three-judge panel last month, attorney Traci Wiley argued the two were not guilty of misconduct. Wiley also blamed Jefferson County Commission President Steve Stolipher for continually leaving the item on the county commission agenda that Krouse and Jackson refused to attend meetings over. Wiley called the whole process a “legal impossibility.”

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West Virginia University is seeing stars over one of its outstanding astronomers.

Maura McLaughlin, the Eberly Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

It’s a rarity and an honor. McLaughlin is the first WVU faculty member elected to the academy.

McLaughlin’s selection was one of 120 announced this week by the academy — bringing its total number of active members to 2,617. The National Academy of Sciences is a private, non-profit society of distinguished scholars. Scientists are elected by their peers to membership in the academy for outstanding contributions to research.

“This is a really big deal,” said Fred King, vice president for research at West Virginia University, in a telephone interview. “It’s recognition of Maura’s work in astrophysics.”

He continued, “It’s a fairly small group of individuals. It’s a very selective group that’s self-elected, and they represent truly the people who are the leaders in physics, science, engineering and medicine.”

McLaughlin has a long track record of scientific contribution but made international news last year because of a 15-year effort producing evidence of low-frequency gravitational waves pushing and pulling on the universe. Essentially, over many years the study focused on how gravitational forces in space affected pulsars.

Also last year, McLaughlin and her husband, WVU physics professor Duncan Lorimer, received the Shaw Prize for “distinguished and significant advances” — specifically the discovery of fast radio bursts. The Shaw Prize’s annual awards in astronomy, life science and medicine, and mathematical sciences honor “exceptional individuals who have made groundbreaking contributions.”

“It’s a really exciting day for the university, it’s a first for us, and it’s a great day for West Virginia because a key part of what they do is work with folks at Greenbank Observatory,” King said of McLaughlin and Lorimer.

“And that, in part, has led them to move to West Virginia, live here for the last 20 years, so it’s a great day not just for the university but for the state as well.”

King said honors from WVU for McLaughlin are still taking shape. Right now, the university is appreciating the designation from the National Academy of Sciences just announced this week.

“It’s a great way to end the spring semester and the year for WVU,” he said.

Roger Hanshaw, speaker of the House of Delegates, applauded the honor in a statement today. Hanshaw, R-Clay, has a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Notre Dame.

“Our state is home to a lot of exceptional people, but with the news that one of our own has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, West Virginia truly has reached an impressive benchmark through WVU astrophysicist Maura McLaughlin,” Hanshaw said.

“I know most people aren’t proud science geeks like I am, so I want to lead us all in standing up to cheer for this recognition of Dr. McLaughlin and her research in neutron stars and their environments. Only 2,617 people have achieved this honor, and it’s something every West Virginian should be proud to now say one of our own has achieved.”

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Story by David Beard, The Dominion Post 

BELMONT, W.Va. — The unnamed plant and pipeline company that Hope Gas has petitioned the Public Service Commission about have come forward,

The plant asked the PSC on Tuesday to dismiss the petition so that their project can move forward. On Wednesday, Hope asked the PSC to hold the case in abeyance so that it and the other parties can discuss the issue.

The plant is Quantum Pleasants, formerly the Pleasants Power Station in Belmont. Pleasants was mothballed in May 2023 and 160 workers were laid off, Quantum reminded the PSC. When it bought the plant, Quantum entered into a one-year purchase agreement with Hope so that it could restart the plant, which it did on Aug. 30.

Quantum then transferred the plant to an affiliate, Omnis Pleasants, which owns and operates it.

Another Quantum affiliate, Omnis Fuel Technologies, plans to buy land next to the plant and build “New Facilities” to produce hydrogen, graphite and graphene using natural gas and coal. The plant itself will be converted to a hydrogen-fuel power plant and will use no more gas.

But the New Facilities will use far more gas than the plant ever did, Quantum said, and Hope has told Quantum it can’t supply the needed amount. So Quantum began talks with Texas-based Icon New Energy Pipeline, which plans to build a new line to serve the site.

Hope petitioned the PSC saying that the pipeline plan skirted state law by failing to provide adequate notice to Hope, and wanted the PSC to intervene and require Quantum and Icon to conform with state regulations.

Quantum made several points regarding the economic and legal issues of Hope’s petition.

It said the New Facilities need to be operational by the end of 2025 in order to meet financial goals. Icon believes it can meet that deadline, and then provide gas cheaper than Hope could.

The unregulated bypass law Hope refers to in seeking PSC intervention doesn’t apply here, Quantum said, because the New Facilities and Omnis Fuel are not existing customers.

And the law doesn’t specify a time for notice, Quantum said. It only requires the customer to take a pay for a large volume of gas in the next calendar year. So providing premature notice would obligate them to pay for gas they may not be able to use. Therefore, it’s legal and prudent wait to provide notice to Hope until it can take the gas and the supplier can provide it.

Quantum said that, contrary to Hope’s assertion, the loss of the plant as a customer won’t significant affect other Hope customers. The plant’s gas volume is a relatively minor portion of Hope’s sales.

Quantum adds a criticism: “As it has done elsewhere on its system, Hope has refrained for too long from making capital investments so that it could be in a position to adequately and fully serve the needs of its customers.”

At the higher sale price Hope would require, Quantum said, the New Facilities might not be competitive or viable. But, when opened, they will employ about 800 workers – far more than the old Pleasants plant. “The commission should allow the New Facilities to develop according to business dictates, and not prematurely impose financial commitments.”

Icon’s comments

Icon engaged the same legal team as Quantum to provide conditional comments on Hope’s petition and the PSC’s initial order seeking more information.

Icon noted that as an LLC, not a utility, it doesn’t fall under PSC jurisdiction, except for safety regulations.

Icon told the PSC it was formed to develop gas infrastructure solutions for underserved areas of West Virginia’s Ohio Valley. In this project, it will build a 20-inch steel pipeline running from Tyler County to the Omnis Fuel site.

Icon will transport 100% West Virginia gas. The line will be built by West Virginia union workers and operated by West Virginia employees. It is not condemning any right of way but negotiating with landowners and has received positive community support.

To meet Quantum’s deadline, Icon said, it will begin construction in January 2025 and have the line in service by Aug. 1, 2025. It will be submitting permits this month.

Icon told the PSC it is willing to work with Hope for their mutual benefit. “Icon is more than willing to sell transportation to Hope Gas and can do so at a materially lower rate than what Hope Gas would incur by building its own pipeline. Icon’s objective is to drive costs for consumers down, resulting in economic expansion and growth for all people in West Virginia.”

Hope, in its Wednesday request to hold the case in abeyance, said it will advise the PSC at a later date if it wishes the PSC to proceed with consideration of its earlier petition or if Hope will withdraw it.

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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A fifth-place finish at last week’s Big 12 Conference Tournament has propelled the WVU golf team into NCAA Regional competition. The Mountaineers were awarded an at-large spot in the Rancho Santa Fe Regional Wednesday afternoon. The NCAA Tournament bid is the program’s first since 2019. The Rancho Sante Fe Regional at The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. will be played May 13-15.

The San Diego Regional was the last to be unveiled on the GolfChannel Selection Show broadcast.

“This year never felt like we were in,” said WVU head coach Sean Covich. “Even until the last two seconds. I felt like we were going to be in based on how we finished at the Big 12’s and based on how we played at home, and based on the rankings. But you just never know. That’s why I was so emotional. You realize how hard it is with so many great players and great programs.”

“I think we were all nervous and sweating a little bit,” said Max Green. But we got it done. So now we can get prepared for the next two weeks and go to San Diego.

West Virginia climbed the leaderboard over the final three rounds of last week’s Big 12 Tournament in Trinity, Texas to earn their best finish in program history at the event. The Mountaineers placed fifth out of 14 teams and scored better than a handful of nationally-ranked opponents.

“We all just kind of came together as a team, not just one but all five of us stepped up when it mattered,” said Todd Duncan.

Max Green, Shady Spring High School graduate Todd Duncan, Jackson Davenport, Pierce Grieve and Kaleb Wilson comprised WVU’s five-man team at the Big 12 Tournament. Previously, West Virginia cruised to victory in their final regular season event, the Mountaineer Invitational at Pete Dye Golf Club.

In 2019, the Mountaineers narrowly missed qualifying for the NCAA National Championships. WVU finished sixth in the Louisville Regional, falling two shots short of advancing.

The WVU golf team has earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. They are the No. 10 seed in the Rancho Santa Fe Regional hosted by San Diego (May 13-15): pic.twitter.com/OHQ7AO3y8c

— Joe Brocato (@joebrowvm) May 1, 2024

81 teams have qualified for play in six regionals across the country. 30 teams earned automatic bids. WVU will be joined in the Rancho Santa Fe Regional by Arizona State, Washington, Oklahoma, California, Oklahoma State, North Florida, Chattanooga, South Florida, San Diego, Kansas, Wright State, Seton Hall and Winthrop.

The top five teams in each regional advance to the National Championship at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. from May 24-29.

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CAMP DAWSON, W.Va. — Students from five high schools gathered Wednesday at Camp Dawson in Preston County for the West Virginia National Guard’s Future Leaders Program.

The students were part of the North Schools competition at the Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy gymnasium.

Retired U.S. Army Command Sargent Major and FLP Executive Director Deborah Patterson said teams from Brooke, Buckhannon-Upshur, Morgantown, University and Tucker County high schools participated in the event.

“There’s not one particular group of students that we want in our class—we want everybody,” Patterson said. “Because we believe providing equal opportunity to all students is what’s important in the state of West Virginia because we want all kids to feel like they have value, purpose, and impact.”

The voluntary program is for grades 9-12 and focuses on first aid, emergency preparedness, citizenship, leadership, physical fitness, drill and ceremony and a healthy lifestyle.

“A lot of these kids don’t have structure at home,” FLP Instructor at University High School Warren Bosch said. “Wherever they might be in West Virginia, we have a big mix of kids here, so just providing some type of structure for them is awesome, and many of them respond to it very well.”

Lesson topics deal broadly with leadership, citizenship, life skills, and military science. The program emphasizes the importance of working as a team, having pride, developing self-confidence, and coping with challenges or failure.

“It’s a continual thing throughout the school year,” Patterson said. “Everything they face in the future, they’ll know because we also teach them resiliency skills that are built into our program, so when they fail now, they have coping mechanisms they need for the future.”

The courses are presented to the students by veterans who have been trained and employed by the West Virginia Military Authority (WVMA).

Bosch said the students benefit from the discipline lessons that are the backbone of the program. Over the course of the course of the four-year program, students learn and become accustomed to expectations.

“The biggest thing with high school kids is they don’t want to take orders; they want to be on their phones and listen to music in their earbuds,” Bosch said. “It’s a huge part of life, and we’re trying to teach them to be better people.”

During phases of the program, instructors bring civic and business leaders to address the classes. The sessions introduce students to the people behind the processes they learn about during the school year.

“We expose them to dignitaries, and we bring those people inside the schools so they can learn that type of thing,” Patterson said. “So, when they do participate in community events, they have better communication skills and a better presentation.”

FLP can be a one-year or multi-year program and is a lower-cost alternative to JROTC and the National Defense Corps of Cadets.

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DAVIS, W.Va. — An over abundance of bass at four popular fishing lakes in western West Virginia has state biologists concerned it may negatively impact the number of larger fish anglers enjoy catching.

Therefore, the Division of Natural Resources has proposed lifting the longtime catch and release regulation on North Bend, Woodrum, O’Brien, and Elk Fork Lakes. Instead, the Natural Resources Commission will consider a change at their next meeting in July to establish a six-fish limit, but only one could be over 16 inches in length for black bass at all four impoundments.

“All have been catch and release since they were created. Now looking at about 20 years of bass data which is showing some deleterious effects of that, I think some harvest is probably justified at all of them,” said Nate Taylor, Fisheries Biologist of DNR District 6.

The limit of one fish over 16-inches, according to Taylor, will leave some of the larger bass in the lakes, but will also allow any angler who might eventually catch a state record from one of the waters the opportunity to have it certified.

The issue which creates a management concern for Taylor isn’t big fish, it’s the high number of smaller fish.

“North Bend and Woodrum in particular, we’re seeing really high density of smaller fish. Our average size in those lakes is 10 to 12 inches. I’d really like to thin that lower end out,” said Taylor. “Elk Fork we get a tremendous amount of fish in there. Historically we used to get about 500 fish an hour shocking, we’re down now to about 250 an hour, but it’s still extremely high in comparison to most lakes in the state.”

O’Brien has its own set of issues according to Taylor. The impoundment has a large number of big bass, but he said with some adjustment he thinks they can get bigger.

“They get about 10 years old and they get to about 20-inches and they essentially stop growing at O’Brien. There’s very few fish exceeding 21or 22-inches. I think a little bit of harvest on that upper end may allow them to exceed those lengths,” he said.

Taylor also addressed concerns some anglers raised about predation, particularly from musky. He said there’s no evidence it’s hurting the lake, in fact he believes it would be a positive if it were happening.

“We only have muskies at North Bend and Woodrum. I’d say they’d eat some (bass), but typically muskie prefer softer fish and gizzard shad and spotted suckers are present in both so that’s primarily what they are eating. But those are also the two lakes we’re seeing an over abundance of smaller bass which is what the muskies would be consuming if they were eating bass. I think they would only potentially improve the size structure in those lakes if they were consuming bass,” said Taylor.

Although die-hard bass anglers are largely supportive of the catch and release ethic, Taylor said it can reach a point of diminished returns. He added, just because the regulation changes doesn’t mean a big number of anglers will suddenly start hauling stringers full of bass limits home. Some won’t keep the fish even if they are allowed.

The proposed regulation change was reviewed at the recent Natural Resources Commission meeting at Blackwater Falls. The Commission will vote on the change at its next regularly scheduled meeting July 21 at Twin Falls State Park.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — There’s two months to go in the fiscal year and it appears the state is on its way to what may be an $800 million revenue surplus.

State Revenue Secretary Larry Pack said tax collections in April exceeded estimates by $114.5 million. He said after 10 months of the fiscal year, the state has a $637.4 collection surplus.

Pack, during a Wednesday appearance on MetroNews “Talkline”, said the next wo months could yield another $100 million more to the surplus taking the state close to $800 million June 30.

State lawmakers have voted to allocate about $150 million of the surplus for school construction projects—the rest still needs decided, Pack said.

“There’s $500 million to $600 million that’s been unallocated as far as surplus,” Pack said. “We also have additional funds related to the unallocated amount for the fiscal year 2025 year budget which is approximately $300 million. So we have a lot of work to do to determine how we’re going to allocate that money and what that’s going to look like.”

MORE See revenue collection breakdown for April here

Pack said Wednesday he doesn’t believe the non-severance revenue collections hit a trigger to further reduce personal income taxes. He said it happens it only be about a 1-2% reduction.

“It would be a really small amount,” Pack said.

The governor and legislature lowered personal income taxes by 21.5% last year.

That decision continues to impact personal income tax collections this fiscal year. Pack said those collections are down 18% year-to-date. He said it will likely end around 15% less than the year before which he said shows the strength of the economy given the taxes were lowered by more than 21%.

Pack said collections for corporate net income taxes continue to have a strong 2024 fiscal year. He said those collections are up 19%.

“That shows that are larger businesses are having a good year,” Pack said.

The state is also in good shape with the processing of state income tax returns in connection with the April 15 tax filing deadline. Pack said the state has returned $160 million to taxpayers. He said last year at this time $43 million had been refunded.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The 10-day early voting period for the May 14th Primary Election in West Virginia got underway Wednesday.

Charleston voters Troy Giatras and Matt Stonestreet make it a tradition to vote early each election year and did so at the Kanawha County Voter’s Registration Office on Quarrier Street.

“The two of us have been voting together for about 12 years now,” said Giatras.

“We’re voting buddies even though we’re not in the same political party,” Stonestreet added.

Down the street, members of AARP-WV held a “honk and wave” event to encourage voters to head to the polls. The non-profit works to improve the lives of West Virginians 50 and older.

“We’re reminding people to vote. We’re reminding people that are 50+ voters that their voices should be heard and we’re asking them to honk in support,” Marks said holding a big sign in bold red letters that said “VOTE!”

Marks is also reminding candidates to listen to West Virginia’s older population.

“People age 50+ are the large majority of voters here in West Virginia,” she said. “This is a great way to fulfill one of our most fundamental rights. We can facilitate change if we want change but it’s also a way to stay the course if that’s what we prefer.”

Early voting for the Primary Election is underway in West Virginia. @AARPWV was outside Charleston City Hall near the Kanawha County Voter Registration Office this morning encouraging people to get out and vote.

The early voting period runs through May 11. pic.twitter.com/8mmhOtbPXe

— Carrie Hodousek (@CarrieHodousek) May 1, 2024

Secretary of State Mac Warner said early voting got off to a smooth start statewide Wednesday morning. He said there are plenty of opportunities to get out and vote.

Ballots can be cast at county clerk’s office as well as other sites. A full list of voting locations is listed at govotewv.com.

“One of the advantages of voting early is that you can go to any of those early voting locations and cast your ballot. On Election Day, you have to go to your specific precinct,” Warner said on Wednesday’s “580 Live” with Dave Allen heard on MetroNews flagship station 580-WCHS in Charleston.

Giatras said it’s better to cast his ballot before Election Day when he knows he has the time.

“We have work we’re going to do, and we don’t know if we’ll be around possibly on Election Day, so we want to make sure we get it done when we’re here,” he said. “It’s best to do it early. We know who we want to vote for. It’s our constitutional right. We want to exercise it quickly,” he said.

Stonestreet said not only is it an important year for the election of the next president and governor, but there are also many local races in Kanawha County he’s watching too. He said he also can’t ignore what’s happening overseas.

“It’s obviously a very turbulent time internationally and I just think it’s important to get out and vote,” he said.

The early voting period runs through May 11.

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