'We have nowhere to go'

By Leann Ray | Editor-in-chief

“We have nowhere to go. There is no emergency housing or housing for a disabled person.” — Sarah Mathes of Rock Cave, West Virginia

Sarah and Ricky Mathes have been living in a leaky camper while they wait for accessible housing in Upshur County. (Photo by Lori Kersey/West Virginia Watch)

‘We have nowhere to go’: WV handicap-accessible housing in short supply for low-income residents

By Lori Kersey

ROCK CAVE, W.Va. — Sarah and Ricky Mathes waited out July’s deadly storms in the only home they know — a 30-foot camper off of a gravel road in the rural community of Rock Cave in Upshur County, West Virginia.

The trailer has been deteriorating since they bought it used in 2022 to put a roof over their heads. They’ve covered the top in a blue tarp, a futile attempt to keep out water. The windows and doors don’t seal anymore.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey speaks to the press and public during a news conference in Beckley, West Virginia, on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (West Virginia Office of Gov. Patrick Morrisey video screenshot)

Morrisey commits $145 million for Southern West Virginia drinking water infrastructure

By Caity Coyne

The state of West Virginia is committing $145 million to address the longstanding water infrastructure issues that plague residents in the state’s southern coalfields, according to an announcement from Gov. Patrick Morrisey.

Elliott Pritt, a Republican, withdrew his name from the ballot for the House of Delegates District 50 race. Pritt recently resigned from the House after being charged with enticement of a minor in Fayette County. (Photo by Perry Bennett/West Virginia Legislative Photography)

Federal jury indicts Pritt on 3 felony counts, including alleged sexual exploitation of a child

By Amelia Ferrell Knisely

A federal grand jury indicted Elliott Pritt, a former West Virginia lawmaker and public school teacher, on three felony counts, including the alleged sexual exploitation of a child.

Board members and staff for the West Virginia First Foundation pose for a photo at its quarterly board meeting on June 18, 2026. Attorney General J.B. McCuskey announced this week that the nonprofit would not receive its share of future opioid settlement funds. (Photo courtesy of the West Virginia First Foundation)

WV to redirect future opioid fund shares to state, local governments instead of First Foundation

By Caity Coyne

The West Virginia First Foundation will no longer receive funds from the state’s opioid settlements, according to a Tuesday news release from Attorney General J.B. McCuskey.

Several ticks rest on top of a plant. New research suggests that mice, not deer, are closely linked to increases in young ticks, while large acorn crops can help predict higher tick numbers two years later. (Photo courtesy of Robin Moore/Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies)

Mice may drive Lyme disease more than deer

By Amanda Watford

For more than three decades, researchers have been tracking ticks, mice, oak trees and other wildlife in a New York forest to better understand what makes Lyme disease more likely to spread.

ICYMI

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