CHARLESTON, West Virginia, March 3 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia issued the following news release: * * * Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime BECKLEY, W.Va. - Leondus Whittenburg, 42, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 6, 2023, Whittenburg sold 320 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in the par  more

WASHINGTON, March 4 -- Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, ranking member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news on March 3, 2025: * * * Blumenthal Announces Former VA Inspector General Michael Missal as Guest for Joint Address to Congress Before being terminated by Trump, Missal served for nearly a decade under Republican and Democratic administrations protecting veterans from waste, fraud & abuse [WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), R  more

WASHINGTON, March 3 -- Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: * * * Blumenthal Announces Former VA Inspector General Michael Missal as Guest for Joint Address to Congress [WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, announced today that Michael Missal, the former Inspector General (IG) for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), will be his guest at President Donald Trump's Joint Addre  more

WASHINGTON, March 3 -- Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, issued the following news release: * * * Capito, Colleagues Request Policy Clarifications from NCAA on Biological Males in Women's Locker Rooms WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) joined a group of her Republican colleagues in sending a letter--led by U.S. Senator Jim Justice (R-W.Va.)--to NCAA President Charlie Baker, urging the organization to clarify its stance on the privacy and safety of   more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, March 5 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia issued the following news release on March 4, 2025: * * * Fayette County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime BECKLEY, W.Va. - Nicholas D. Plumb, 25, of Oak Hill, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 23, 2023, law enforcemen  more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, March 3 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia issued the following news release: * * * Final Defendant Pleads Guilty to Role in Drug Trafficking Organization BECKLEY, W.Va. - Jermaine Antoine Johnson, 34, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Johnson admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl as well as cocaine  more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, March 5 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia issued the following news release on March 4, 2025: * * * Kanawha County Man Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Prison for Federal Drug Crime CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Jonathan Fitzpatrick, 33, of Pratt, was sentenced today to 16 years and two months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for distribution of 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing   more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, March 3 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia issued the following news release: * * * Lisa G. Johnston Named Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Lisa G. Johnston has been named the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia. As Acting United States Attorney, Johnston is the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Southern District of   more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, March 5 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia issued the following news release on March 4, 2025: * * * Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Silvester Barcenas, 23, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 12, 2024, Barcenas arrived in Charleston, West Virginia, wi  more

CLARKSBURG, West Virginia, March 5 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia issued the following news release: * * * Michigan Man Sentenced to 14 Years for Fentanyl Trafficking CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - Cedrick Dion Tyron Griffin, age 26, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, the Fairmont Police   more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, March 3 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia issued the following news release: * * * Parents of Former Boone County Schools Maintenance Director Plead Guilty to Evading Financial Reporting Requirements CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Michael P. Barker, 68, and Lana Barker, 65, both of Foster, pleaded guilty today to structuring transactions with one or more domestic financial institutions. According to court documents and statements ma  more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, March 3 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia issued the following news release: * * * Parkersburg Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime CHARLESTON, W.Va. - David Eric West II, 43, of Parkersburg, was sentenced today to seven years and eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to deliver quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl. According to court docume  more

WASHINGTON, March 4 -- Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, issued the following news release: * * * Senate Democrats Block Tuberville Bill to Protect Female Athletes "At least 900 medals that belonged to women went to men instead over the past few years." WASHINGTON - Yesterday, the U.S. Senate took a procedural vote on U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville's (R-AL) Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, his legislation to require federally-funded institutions to keep men out of women's sports,  more

ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 4 -- The following federal patents were awarded to inventors in West Virginia. *** Handheld Device for Chambering a Bullet Into a Rifle ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, March 4 -- An inventor from Fort Ashby, West Virginia, Todd M. Thorne has been awarded a design patent (No. US D1065413 S1, initially filed Dec. 17, 2021) for "Handheld device for chambering a bullet into a rifle." *** Waterjet Cutting Apparatus and Related Methods ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, March 4 -- AURORA FLIGH  more

WASHINGTON, March 4 -- Sen. Katie Britt, R-Alabama, issued the following news release: * * * U.S. Senators Katie Britt, Tim Kaine, Representatives Mike Lawler, Salud Carbajal Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Proposal to Make Child Care More Affordable WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) along with U.S. Representatives Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.) today introduced the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act and the Child Care Workfo  more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, March 3 -- West Virginia State Treasurer Larry Pack issued the following news release: * * * Treasurer Pack Announces Opening of Hope Scholarship 2025-2026 Application Period for New Students Families Must Apply by June 15 to Receive 100% Full-Year Award Amount of $5,267.38 State Treasurer Larry Pack, who serves as Chairman of the Hope Scholarship Board, today announced applications for new students to apply for the Hope Scholarship for the 2025-2026 academic year,  more