radioNOVO News WV News Roundup for July 21, 2026

 Good morning. We lead with emergency declarations and storm preparations across the Mountain State. Governor Patrick Morrisey has officially declared a State of Emergency for Barbour County following severe weekend flash flooding. Heavy downpours overwhelmed local creeks and drainage systems, washing out several bridges, damaging water lines, and forcing major road closures north of Philippi. State agencies and National Guard crews have been mobilized to coordinate cleanup efforts and distribute emergency drinking water.This comes as weather forecasters issue an urgent statewide alert for severe weather today. The National Weather Service warns that an unseasonably strong cold front will sweep across West Virginia starting early this afternoon. The storm system brings a rare, enhanced risk for damaging straight-line winds, large hail, localized flash flooding, and isolated tornadoes tracking from the Ohio River east toward Morgantown and Charleston.In public safety news, a major multi-agency raid led by the Huntington Violent Crime Drug Task Force resulted in seven arrests on Monday. Officers executed a search warrant at an apartment building on 7th Street following community tips regarding illegal narcotics, seizing crack cocaine and issuing multiple felony drug charges.Meanwhile, emergency crews responded to a dramatic scene in Randolph County after a single-engine plane was forced to make a emergency landing on Route 33. State Police report the pilot safely landed the aircraft in the highway median near Faulkner Road after losing engine power. No injuries were reported, and the plane was refueled on site before safely taking off toward the Elkins airport.In economic news, positive manufacturing momentum is returning to Marion County. City officials in Fairmont confirm that aluminum manufacturer Kibar Americas is officially preparing to restart local plant operations. The company has begun re-hiring workers and plans to ramp up full production in the coming weeks.And finally, families across the state are reminded that applications are officially open for the West Virginia back-to-school clothing voucher program. The Department of Human Services program provides crucial funds for more than eighty-thousand eligible children, with applications accepted online at the W-V-P-A-T-H portal or at local county offices.Reporting from the state capital, I’m Codi Gaboff, radioNOVO News, a service of Seven Mountains Media.