Highlanders Race Past Greyhounds

Highlanders getting ready for second half action against Valley-Fayette.

The Webster County Highlanders' boys basketball team notched their first win of the season over the visiting Valley-Fayette Greyhounds by a score of 69 to 58 Thursday evening.

This game for the Highlanders was certainly a Dr. Jekyl-Mr. Hyde performance as Webster raced out to an impressive 47 to 33 halftime lead.  The second half, however, was a slow stalemate as the Highlanders managed only 22 points and Valley tallied 25.  

Webster improved to one win, one loss on the season and they next play at home on Monday against rival Richwood.

The scoring for Webster appeared to be balanced.  In this writer's opinion, Mathias Palmer stood out in scoring, defense, and overall presence under the hoops.  Somewhat of a surprise off the bench in limited action was the strong play of Michael Malcomb, who had at least three perfect assists, strong defense, and a few points.  In addition, Hayden Williams, Bradin Miller, and Dorian Groggs led the fast paced first half attack.  For the second game in a row, the Highlanders were without the play of senior Dalton Gray, who is recovering from an ankle sprain.

Parents of the Year Award Nominees

The list of folks contending for "Parents of the Year Award" continues to grow in West Virginia.

The latest two nominees includes a couple from Boone County who allegedly smoked marijuana and took muscle relaxers before going to bed and while they were sleeping their three year old child was found at 3:00 a.m. wandering the streets clothed only in a diaper in the 30 degree weather.

When police located this couple, they allegedly found the house full of cockroaches and knats over spoiled rotten food in the kitchen, and the house was in generally filthy condition.

Reports say this is the second time in the past few weeks that the child was found unaccompanied outside the house. 

The child (who was treated at the hospital and was found to be suffering from a lung infection and severe ear infection), and another child in the house, are now in Child Protective Services' custody.

Both parents are in jail.

Rocky Start for Highlander Boys Basketball

Information received from our anonymous tipster Richard Rose is that the Webster County Highlander boys' basketball team lost its first game of the season to host Doddridge County by a score of 66 to 37.  The Highlanders have their home opener and next game scheduled for this Thursday against Valley-Fayette.

The girls team opened their season on a similar sour note at Calhoun County, losing 47 to 25.  The girls play Wednesday evening at Gilmer County before returning for their home opener on Friday against Roane County.

Class A All-State Football Team Announced

The West Virginia Sports Writers Association released its Class A all-state football team yesterday and while no Highlander player made the first or second teams, three players were given special or honorable mention.

Luke Hardway received special honorable mention and Chase Rose and Jay Stiltner received honorable mention.  The Highlanders finished their season with 6 wins, 4 losses and missed out on the playoffs when they lost their regular season finale 8 to 7 against Clay County.

The full Class A teams can be found at this link: Class A all-state teams

Glenville State College on the Budget Chopping Block

Countless Webster County residents have attended and are presently attending Glenville State College. The College has in the past few years made significant expenditures in upgrades at its campus, particularly with the new multi-use WACO center.

That, however, is not stopping a group of West Virginia state Republican legislators from suggesting that both Glenville and Bluefield Colleges be closed as part of cost cutting measures to balance the state's budget. According to a Cardinal Institute report, the two colleges each serve fewer than 2,000 students but combine to cost state taxpayers $11.8 million annually. The report ranks Glenville and Bluefield as the two least efficient colleges in West Virginia.

Cardinal's report, entitled "Wild and Wasteful West Virginia: Exposing Waste, Fraud and Abuse of Your State Tax Dollars," states:  Today, thanks to virtual education options, there is little justification for throwing good money after bad in an attempt to keep failing colleges afloat. If West Virginia is wise enough to combine, privatize or shutter a few of its least successful schools, students at those institutions would be able to transfer to another state university, if they so choose. If moving or commuting is prohibitive, the impacted students could continue their studies online using the robust virtual opportunities offered by many of the state’s top schools.

With no end in sight to West Virginia's ongoing budget deficits, any cost cutting measures are fair game.

The full Cardinal report can be downloaded at this link: Waste Report

Morris Nets 25 Points to Lead Glenville in Win

Some things never seem to change.

And so it was today, December 3, 2016, at the WACO Center in Glenville as former Webster County basketball standout Brett Morris led his Pioneers to an 82 to 74 win over the Cavaliers of the University of Virginia at Wise.

In his typical manner, Brett, now a senior at Glenville, drained a game high 25 points and added 10 rebounds for his fourth "double-double" of the season.  With the win, Glenville improved to 2 wins, 3 losses on the season.

The video shows Brett tipping in a shot with about a minute remaining in the game to give the Pioneers a 77 to 72 lead.  He immediately followed that up with a monster block on the other end.

Flyer That Got Judge-Elect Callaghan in Trouble

This is the front side of the flyer that resulted in Judge-Elect Steve Callaghan facing a one year suspension.

Although the West Virginia Judicial Hearing Board recommended that Judge-Elect Steve Callaghan be suspended for one year, the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals today ordered that he can take office on January 1, 2017 pending a full hearing before the Court on January 10, 2017.  At that time, the Court will decide if Callaghan should be suspended.

It should be noted that the WV State Bar disciplinary counsel had agreed not to file any charges against Callaghan because he made radio ads apologizing for the flyer.  Disciplinary counsel did tell Callaghan that if anyone else complained, they would have to then determine if charges were appropriate.  Judge Gary Johnson's brother, a lawyer in Charleston, filed the complaint which was eventually heard by the Judicial Hearing Board.