radioNOVO News WV News Roundup for September 01, 2026

Good morning. Here is your West Virginia state news roundup.West Virginia’s highest court has officially welcomed its newest member to the bench. Justice H-L "Kirk" Kirkpatrick participated in a formal investiture ceremony at the State Capitol in Charleston. Kirkpatrick fills the seat left vacant following the death of former Justice Tim Armstead. A graduate of the West Virginia University College of Law, Kirkpatrick steps into his new role just in time as the Supreme Court’s fall term gets underway with eight cases on the docket.In economic infrastructure, U-S Senator Shelley Moore Capito toured the new LIFT Center project on Charleston’s East End. The twenty-million-dollar advanced manufacturing center is being built on the historic site of the former Kanawha Manufacturing Plant, which provided local jobs for more than a century. Set to open this November, city leaders confirm the development has already created fifty construction jobs and express confidence in securing future commercial tenants.Meanwhile, state corrections officials are permanently shutting down the Ohio County Correctional Center in Wheeling. All fifty-four inmates previously housed at the facility are being transferred to other correctional institutions across West Virginia. Division officials confirm that all employees affected by the closure are being transitioned into other positions within the state corrections system.With a late-summer heat wave returning to the region, public health officials are opening cooling stations across the Tri-State area. Designated locations—including public libraries, senior facilities, and community centers throughout Cabell County—will remain open through Friday to offer air-conditioned shelter and relief from high heat indexes.And in higher education news, West Virginia Northern Community College has launched its fall semester with a new leader at the helm. Dr. Andrew Langrehr has officially stepped into his role as college president following the retirement of Dr. Daniel Mosser. Dr. Langrehr arrives with extensive administrative experience as students return to classes across campuses in Wheeling, Weirton, and New Martinsville.For more news, download the radioNOVO app. I’m Codi Gaboff, radioNOVO News, a service of Seven Mountains Media.