
Experts don’t trust state’s “artificial” COVID-19 data for correctional facilities
Over the past month, an average of 160 people in state custody have been tested daily for COVID-19. That means on any given day, officials are only aware of the COVID-19 status for 1.6% of the more than 10,000 people incarcerated in West Virginia.

One in nine people housed at W.Va.’s most overcrowded, under-vaccinated jail has COVID-19
As the Delta variant drives Covid-19 to new heights across the state, an outbreak in West Virginia’s North Central Regional Jail has reached 101 active cases. Built for 564, NCRJ currently holds 842 people, making it the state’s most overcrowded facility. As of Friday, one in nine people there had COVID-19.

W.Va. officials unsure on vaccination rates in jails
By only tracking vaccines administered in facilities—not the number of inmates who have been vaccinated—officials with the state’s Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation are missing key data in preventing the spread of Covid-19 according to an expert.

Politics of harm reduction: HIV outbreak in W.Va.’s capital shows police and politicians can’t replace doctors and public health experts
Despite warnings from multiple organizations, city officials ushered in the “most concerning outbreak in the nation” by pressuring the shutdown of the Kanawha Charleston Health Department syringe program. After five years of inaction, officials are voting to make the CDC’s recommended practices illegal.

Leaked document shows W.Va. Republicans considering tax raise to offset income tax cut
Email shows list of proposed measures to fill $2.1 billion hole created by removal of personal income tax. Experts say even with tax increase, the plan is still $500 million short.

VIDEO: W.Va. Delegate live-streamed storming U.S. Capitol building, deleted moments later
W.Va. Republican State Delegate Derrick Evans stormed the United States Capitol in now deleted live-stream video, claims to be member of media.

W.Va. courts are unconstitutionally barring access to public hearings due to Covid-19
A Dragline survey found that the majority of lower courts in West Virginia aren’t allowing citizens, including the media, to attend public hearings.
Charleston, W.Va. officials still dancing around police reform nearly one year after beating of unarmed woman
A timeline shows how city officials have failed to deliver on promises of police reform after the controversial arrest of Freda Gilmore.

Pipeline industry CEO uses his own newspaper to pen pro-pipeline editorial
Doug Reynolds took to his own newspapers to criticize opponents of pipeline construction.

Federal agency investigates City of Huntington over trash unlawfully moved into Ohio River
Dragline revealed that the City of Huntington unlawfully moved trash into the Ohio River.