West Virginia

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, the Republican front-runner for Tennessee governor, has declined to debate or appear on stage with challengers, including Democratic nominee Jerri Green, and has largely avoided detailed press interviews ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Early voting is underway. Critics, including some traditional Republicans, describe growing "Blackburn fatigue," citing her reliance on front-runner status, close alignment with President Trump, and a reserved campaign style. Her August primary turnout of roughly 311,392 votes was down slightly from 2018. Green has cited polling showing a close race. Blackburn's campaign has answered written questionnaires but has not engaged directly with reporters or opponents on policy specifics.

Tennessee voters will weigh two criminal justice amendments in the November midterm election. Amendment 1 would expand judges' authority to deny bail beyond capital murder to include crimes such as second-degree murder, child rape, terrorism, and aggravated torture, requiring judges to record their reasoning. Supporters cite public safety; opponents say it undermines the presumption of innocence. About 22 states already allow broader bail denial, while 10 jurisdictions, including New York and Georgia, do not guarantee a constitutional right to bail.

Amendment 3, a version of Marsy's Law, would add victims' rights protections, including notification, participation in proceedings, and restitution, while preserving due process. Early voting is underway ahead of the November 3 election.

Leigh Ann Rinehart, 54, of Elkins, West Virginia, has pleaded guilty to bank fraud for her role in a scheme that funneled more than $440,000 in COVID-related unemployment benefits through her home address. Prosecutors said unemployment claims were filed in the names of people living in Nevada, California, New York and other states, none of whom resided in West Virginia or authorized Rinehart to use their benefits.

More than 24 Electronic Benefit Payment debit cards tied to the fraudulent claims were mailed to Rinehart's home between June 2020 and November 2022. She activated the cards, withdrew cash, purchased money orders and cryptocurrency, and passed funds or goods to others involved in the scheme. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Workforce West Virginia, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Conklin. It is part of the Justice Department's broader crackdown on pandemic-era benefit fraud under its new National Fraud Enforcement Division.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey has launched West Virginia's bid to host the proposed United States Space Academy, with nearly every higher education institution in the state joining the effort. Marshall University and West Virginia University's joint grant resource centers are coordinating the submission ahead of an Oct. 26 deadline, with participating schools potentially offering curriculum and support while a permanent campus is built and accredited.

The academy stems from Executive Order 14423, signed by President Trump on Aug. 28, which created a commission to plan the institution; NASA has since asked states and communities to propose locations. Federal plans envision an inaugural class of 300 students in 2028, growing to 1,200 by 2031 and eventually up to 4,000. A permanent campus would require at least 300 acres, with construction starting no later than 2027. Morrisey acknowledged competition from states with established space industries, including Florida and Texas, but said West Virginia has a strong case, citing recent job and investment growth in the state.

A double homicide in Moundsville, West Virginia has left the Marshall County community in mourning. Authorities say David Will, 44, and his wife Monica Will, 46, a teacher at John Marshall High School, were found dead after a silent 911 call brought deputies to their home near the board of education office early Thursday morning.

Sheriff Mike Dougherty says deputies were met with gunfire upon arrival and then saw the suspect, 25-year-old Cyle Fabrizio, holding a 16-year-old girl hostage at gunpoint in the doorway. A deputy shot and killed Fabrizio to protect the hostage. She and her 14-year-old brother, the Wills' children, were taken to safety; both parents were found dead inside. Investigators believe Fabrizio had developed an obsession with the daughter, whom he met through church, after she rejected his advances. Officials stress there is no ongoing threat to the public. John Marshall High School canceled classes and its homecoming parade, offering counseling to students and staff as the community grieves.

Marshall County Sheriff Mike Dougherty says 44-year-old David Will and his wife, 46-year-old Monica Will, a teacher at John Marshall High School, were found dead inside their Moundsville-area home early Thursday after a silent 911 call prompted deputies to respond around 1:40 a.m. Deputies were met with gunfire and took cover before spotting suspect Cyle Fabrizio, 25, holding a 16-year-old girl hostage at gunpoint in the doorway. A deputy shot and killed Fabrizio to protect the hostage. She and her 14-year-old brother, the Wills' children, were taken to safety and are now with family.

Dougherty said preliminary investigation suggests Fabrizio had an obsessive interest in the teenage girl, whom he met through church, and had been rebuffed when he sought to date her. Fabrizio had a prior criminal record dating to juvenile offenses. Authorities stress the community faces no ongoing threat. John Marshall High School canceled its homecoming parade and Thursday activities but plans to resume classes, with counseling available, and hold its football game and homecoming dance as scheduled.

Cleveland City Council voted 13-1 on Sept. 14 to adopt a resolution renaming a stretch of Lake Erie along the city's shoreline the "Gulf of Cleveland," a tongue-in-cheek response to President Trump's push to rename bodies of water, including his recent declaration that Lake Ontario would be called Lake America. The resolution, sponsored by Councilman Kris Harsh, directs city departments to use the new name on official maps and documents for the portion of the lake extending two miles offshore.

Cleveland's move echoes similar, mostly unsuccessful efforts elsewhere. Mississippi lawmaker Steve Holland proposed a satirical "Gulf of America" bill in 2012, years before Trump's own Gulf of Mexico renaming directive; it died in committee. West Virginia tried unsuccessfully in 2000 to rename part of the Ohio River the "West Virginia River." Pennsylvania State Rep. David Maloney is now circulating a memo — not framed as satire — proposing "Lake Pennsylvania" for Lake Erie, citing state identity and tourism. None of these renaming efforts carry legal weight beyond local or state symbolic use.

Bill Keaton, a retired air traffic controller who worked at Cleveland Center in Oberlin, Ohio, has shared his account of tracking United Airlines Flight 93 as it entered the facility's airspace on Sept. 11, 2001. Controllers heard unusual noises from the cockpit, watched the plane turn east, and lost transponder data around 9:40 a.m., leaving only a primary radar location. A hijacker transmission meant for passengers was overheard, and Keaton kept other aircraft clear of the plane's path as it headed toward Washington. The flight disappeared from radar after 10:03 a.m. and crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all 40 aboard.

Cleveland Center was evacuated soon after, though Keaton volunteered to remain with a small skeleton crew as the FAA ordered a nationwide ground stop, safely landing roughly 4,500 planes within three hours. Keaton has consistently rejected the "hero" label, calling the controllers' response commendable but not heroic.