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DUNBAR, W.Va. — High school students in Kanawha County are receiving some recognition as they get a head start entering the workforce.

The Ben Franklin Career Center in Dunbar was host to its second annual #I Am Going To Work signing day Thursday for students who completed various programs and were hired on with different companies across multiple industries.

Ben Franklin Assistant Principal Nicole McCartney said these students deserve to be acknowledged.

“It’s a great event, we recognize students a lot of times for college and for military, but I feel like this is a kept secret, and we need to recognize these students for going to work,” McCartney said.

She said Ben Franklin offers about 17 high school programs that gives students the opportunity to acquire a career directly following their high school graduation. McCartney said they also offer six post-secondary programs where students will return to Ben Franklin after they graduate to complete the program.

Some of the programs offered at Ben Franklin include Animal Systems, Automotive Technology, Coding App and Game Design, Early Childhood Classroom Assistant Teacher, Law and Public Safety, Manufacturing, Medical Assisting, Pre-Nursing, and Welding.

McCartney said the programs offered at Ben Franklin are beneficial for every student as it gives them lots of options while they figure out their futures.

“It’s a good stepping stone, it’s an exploratory time,” McCartney said. “Kids need to be able to come to CT centers and decide, ‘is this for me, is this a skill that I am going to be good at, is this something that I want to do.”

Ben Franklin student Brooke Shaw is a graduate of the Honors Medical Assisting program. She was one of the few dozen students being recognized Thursday.

Shaw got an opportunity to go to work for WVU Medicine Thomas Hospitals. She said the program was an experience she can truly be proud of.

“It’s a really great experience, I’ve been in here for two years and I’ve made a lot of great friendships and it’s really great to see them graduating with me,” Shaw said. “We’ve learned a lot about the Medical Assisting program, how great the healthcare field is, and how many options there are.”

She said tuition is free and she recommends every area high schooler to enroll at Ben Franklin as it’s a way to help them explore all of their options.

Shaw cautioned, however, that it’s sometimes not an easy path to navigate, and one that takes a lot of hard work and dedication.

“We’ve all debated a lot of times if we wanted to finish, and we’ve taken a lot of tests, and it has been a hard, bumpy ride, but we made it, and we can finally say that we finished,” said Shaw.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, 55% of young people ages 16 to 24 were employed in the U.S. as of July 2023. It’s still remains below the previous level of 56% of young people who were employed prior to the Covid-19 Pandemic in 2019.

McCartney said it’s always exciting to see more young people entering the workforce in the state and making the choice to stay and make West Virginia the place they work and live.

“It’s probably one of my favorite events so far that we’ve created here at the school, and it’s an exciting time, because I think it’s something that we miss sometimes,” said McCartney. “Like I said, we recognize our college, our military students, but we don’t always recognize our students that are going to work, and that’s important, that’s our workforce, that’s where we are as a state, so we need to recognize that.”

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act said that 34% of young people in West Virginia currently make up the state’s workforce.

WINFIELD, W.Va. — Putnam County voters will find a school excess levy question at the bottom of their primary election ballot when they go to the polls.

It’s a continuation of the excess levy which has been in place since 1949.

“It does not increase the tax rate and it is a continuation,” said Putnam County School Superintendent John Hudson.

The excess levy helps fund a number of different areas of the school system. It allows for the hiring of additional personnel above the state aid formula. Hudson said the additional personnel help improve student instruction.

The $23.7 million levy also covers the cost for many areas of school security. The salaries of some School Resource Officers and the cost of safety equipment and upgrades are funded by the levy. There are also dollars from the levy to supplement extra curricular activities like sports or fine arts programs in the county. Transportation to sporting events for teams is one of the costs covered by the levy. Teaching supplies and instructional materials along with programs like 4-H and the Putnam County public library also get a chunk of the funding.

Hudson said county taxpayers are getting their money’s worth out of the excess levy.

“The last two years in West Virginia among public school systems we’ve been number one on the reading and math assessments,” Hudson said.

He added it’s an important funding source even if you don’t have children in the school system. Hudson stressed the money helps enhance education in the county and becomes a huge factor for those who are looking to move into the region.

“Parents really move into this area because of the school system and the economics and community minded folks we have here in Putnam. That increases home values and it has an economic effect on all people in Putnam County,” he said.

The levy needs only a majority of the voters’ approval to be renewed.

The body was recovered near the Raymond City Boat Ramp Thursday. (Photo/WCHS-TV)

POCA, W.Va. — The body of a Putnam County man was recovered Thursday afternoon after he died earlier this week while kayaking near Poca.

Putnam County Sheriff Bobby Eggleton said Joseph Thomas, 57, of Poca, drowned on the Poca River Tuesday.

“He was last seen on the 30th (Tuesday) when a missing persons report was filed by his ex-wife,” Eggleton said. “He was last seen in a kayak on the Poca River. He was not wearing a life preserver.”

Eggleton said no foul play is suspected. He said it’s a tragic reminder of how important it is to be safe around the water.

“We’re fast approaching the boating season and we encourage people to have a good time but be safe. A life preserver is not only required in a kayak but it’s only commonsense to wear one,” Eggleton said.

Thomas’ body, which was brought down to the boat ramp at Raymond City after it was discovered, has been sent to the state Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.

DUNBAR, W.Va. — Recent events involving Dunbar police officers are becoming one of the main issues in the city’s primary election.

Democratic mayoral candidate, city councilman, Bob Yeager said the city got hit with another lawsuit recently in connection with alleged police actions which will probably end up costing the city more.

Bob Yeager

Yeager, a guest Thursday on 580 Live with Dave Allen, said even with a position on city council, there is little communication or transparency with Mayor Scott Elliott.

“I get very little information,” he said. “The city administration is not very forthcoming with what’s going with these situations, I find out about most of this stuff just like you do when I read it in the paper or hear it on the news, so that’s one issue where the city is not very transparent when it comes to these issues.”

Yeager said when the current administration took office, himself included, there were already four or five lawsuits pending. He said there was no plan from the mayor’s office.

“I sat down and talked to the mayor and said ‘Hey, what are we going to do about this,’ and he didn’t really have a plan, and here we are three years later, now I think we’re up to maybe 12 lawsuits that I’m aware of,” he said.

He said before he filed to run for office, he went back to the mayor to again address the mounting lawsuits, and he said again, nothing got done about it.

Elliott, also a Democrat and a retired Dunbar police officer, told 580 WCHS Thursday his office has responded appropriately.

“We have taken steps to do what we need to do by suspending officers until the investigations are over,” Elliott said. “From day one if the first incident, we have suspended the officers, contacted outside agencies to investigate them, to make sure there are no criminal laws that the police officers have broken. If they are we will fully cooperate.”

Two people filed suit against the city in February claiming public records relating to misdemeanor arrests were denied. The lawsuit cane after a $2 million wrongful death settlement was made in Dunbar where a man was fatally injured while in police custody.

Dunbar Mayor Scott Elliott previously served as a police officer in the city for 22 years. (WCHS)

There was another lawsuit in recent days, Elliott confirmed Lt. Chad Shafer has has been suspended after being accused in a federal lawsuit of violating a woman’s constitutional rights, sexual harassment and battery.

Yeager, who retired as a South Charleston police officer after 26 years, said the problems are too many and confidence needs to be restored. That’s why he’s running.

“When the Friday before the filing day, when that federal judge issued that default order against the city for failing to respond to a lawsuit, that was the moment that I felt, well, now’s the time, I can’t put this off for four more years,” Yeager said.

He said if elected, he plans to get Dunbar’s image back in good standing to the way it once was.

“The people that live there, we know what a great place it is, but the outside world, with all of the negative publicity going on right now, if you Google Dunbar, West Virginia, you’re not going to see what a great place it is, you’re going to see these lawsuits,” said Yeager.

Elliott said he believes he’s earned another four years in office. He said he’s given the city more than 30 years of his life.

“I just everybody to know that I am here to talk to and I feel the city has went in the right direction and we’ve got a lot of things done over the last four years and I hope they continue to vote with confidence,” he said.

Elliott said accomplishments during the last four years, his first term in office, include an active program to remove dilapidated houses from the city and an agreement with Prestera to provide counseling to residents with substance abuse disorder.

Courtney Williams (Facebook)

“We definitely have tried to talk people into going to drug rehab and there are a lot of success stories,” Elliott said.

A third Democratic candidate for mayor in the May 14 primary is long entrepreneur Courtney Williams.

Williams’ campaign announcement said she recognizes Dunbar’s potential.

“She has made it her mission to foster a safe and thriving environment, leading her to run for Mayor in the upcoming election. For over a decade, Courtney has fearlessly confronted injustices and tirelessly worked to improve the lives of her fellow citizens,” the release said. “Known for her exceptional ability to build bridges and foster unity, Courtney rallies people towards common goals that benefit the entire community.”

The winner in the primary will advance to the November General Election. There are currently no Republican candidates in the mayor’s race.

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.

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.

Will Thompson

“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.

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.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Residents of Kanawha County had the chance to meet the candidates running for Board of Education during a forum Tuesday evening.

11 individuals are vying for a seat or to retain their position on the board. Incumbents running for reelection are Kate White from District 1, Jim Crawford from District 3 and Ric Cavender out of District 4.

Tuesday’s forum was held at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Charleston. Candidates answered questions and discussed a range of topics from student behavior and test scores to bus driver and teacher shortages.

Jim Crawford, who has served on the Kanawha County School Board since 2000, said he’s still in it for the kids.

“I’m all about what’s best for our children in Kanawha County,” he said.

Crawford’s been in the education system for over 56 years in Kanawha County. He’s a retired teacher and coach from St. Albans High School.

Kate White, another current board member, is a parent of three children who are in Kanawha County Schools. She said that’s important to someone who wants to serve on the board.

“I very much care about our students and our kids and I have a lot of experience with working with them,” said White, who replaced her husband Ryan on the board. He’s running for the Intermediate Court of Appeals of West Virginia.

Dr. Casey Sacks is currently the President at BridgeValley Community and Technical College in Charleston. She said as a lifelong educator herself, there’s nothing more rewarding than helping students achieve in the classroom.

“I love being a part of the school system,” she said. “It’s something I’ve dedicated my career to.”

Kanawha County parent Emily Lanham said if she were elected to the board, she’d make sure there’s no unnecessary spending and that every decision made is one that benefits the students and teachers.

“Does the end justify the means,” she asked. “We need people on the board who are so dedicated and so loving to our students.”

Lanham is the mother to five children who are or have learned at Nitro.

Dennis Westover has spent many years in construction as an electrical engineer. He believes his expertise in that field and teaching younger generations the skills needed to succeed in the workforce will help him as a member of the school board.

“We need to make our schools great again,” Westover said. “We need to do things better that are more about going back to the basics.”

Westover has over 30 years of experience in the construction industry.

Harry Bruner is an attorney with a long line of family members that learned and graduated from Kanawha County schools including his four children. He has a great concern for how kids today are learning and the low test scores that have the state ranked towards the bottom.

“Is 100% good enough for today’s students,” asked Bruner. “I’m going to suggest that 110% is better. We should let teachers teach.”

Other candidates who were not at the forum Tuesday are Heidi Bonnet Adams, Ric Cavender, Will Ferrell and Elisha Lewis.

The Primary Election in West Virginia is Tuesday, May 14. Early voting starts May 1.

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State lawmaker Amy Summers remembers walking through the State Police Crime Lab a few years ago with several other lawmakers and they noticed water dripping from a hole in the ceiling.

“It was dripping in on equipment which could have also been evidence,” Summers, R-Taylor, said Tuesday at a groundbreaking for the new $250 million State Consolidated Lab project to be located at the West Virginia Regional Technology Park in South Charleston.

“We set up tours of every single lab and we said, ‘They’re deplorable. They are horrible,’” Summers said. “We need workers and these workers that we do have deserve better workspace, better conditions.”

Summers, the chair of the House Committee on Health, said the visits created the momentum that resulted in the funding for the project. The last half was approved in last August’s special session.

“And that’s what it took, it took taking people to the different labs to see the condition and realize we have to spend money on this,” Summers said.

House of Delegates Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, said the state’s current labs are in sore need of replacement.

“They are at the end or well past the end of their functional life. We have people working in conditions that are substandard. We are unable to perform some of the services that need to be performed in a timely manner because of lack of space,” Hanshaw told MetroNews Tuesday. “We are unable to afford dignity to human remains that are in our care.”

State Department of Administration Secretary Mark Scott told state lawmakers back in February that the facility will be approximately 300,000 square feet.

Moving in will be the state Department of Health’s Office of Laboratory Services, which is currently three labs in separate locations. The state Medical Examiner’s Office, which is currently located on Charleston’s West Side. The State Police Crime Lab that is currently located at State Police Headquarters in South Charleston. The Division of Labor’s Office of Weights and Measures will move from its lab in St. Albans into the facility. Labs associated with WVU and Marshall will also have a presence there.

Although there will be some shared space like restrooms and lobby areas, each of the labs will be self-contained and strictly controlled by the agency in charge.

State Department of Health Secretary Dr. Sherri Young said her agency is excited to bring the Office of Laboratory Services and the Chief Medical Examiner into the new lab.

“We’re going to be able to be more efficient in getting these services out to the folks of West Virginia and we couldn’t be more excited about it,” Young said.

Young, Hanshaw and Summers all agree the new facility will be a great recruitment tool.

“I’ve always believed that if we can get folks to West Virginia we can keep them and when you have a state-of-the-art facility this is just another tool in our pocket to get folks into West Virginia,” Young said.

Plans for the facility won’t be completed until early next year. Construction is expected to take two to three years. Gov. Jim Justice, who attended Tuesday’s groundbreaking, expressed hope that the project could move more quickly.

“I’m the most impatient person in the room,” Justice said.

Technology Park Executive Director Matt Ballard said the new labs will bring about 300 additional people to the park which currently has approximately 950 workers who are employed by 28 STEM-based businesses.

Crews have cleared about 10 acres at the park for the project. The dirt taken from the site was used on the Park Place shopping complex in South Charleston.

“This is very exciting and it further solidifies us as a science-innovation hub,” he said.

The state Department of Agriculture is not part of the consolidated lab project. Gov. Jim Justice announced plans earlier this year to build a new state agriculture lab at West Virginia State University. State lawmakers have yet to approve funding for the project.