radioNOVO News WV News Roundup for September 09, 2026

 Good morning, here is the latest from across West Virginia.A group of Mingo County parents has filed a lawsuit aiming to block the expansion of West Virginia's Hope Scholarship program. The suit contends that the program—which now serves over twenty-five thousand students—is draining critical resources from public schools as local facilities face closure. Plaintiffs also argue state lawmakers have failed to address West Virginia's public school funding formula.In the Northern Panhandle, Brooke High School Principal Eric James is facing criminal charges and a new class-action lawsuit after hidden recording devices were discovered in the school’s female locker room. Several female students filed the suit against both the principal and the Brooke County Board of Education following his arrest last week.Meanwhile, WVU Hospitals is facing a separate lawsuit over hidden cameras found in employee bathrooms at Ruby Memorial Hospital. A staff member filed the suit alleging healthcare leaders failed to protect employees, causing severe emotional distress. Former hospital anesthesiologist Lance Parks already faces criminal charges in connection with the cameras.To improve emergency response times, new statewide school safety requirements have officially taken effect. Under the law, West Virginia school districts must develop standardized building mapping data to share with local police, fire departments, emergency medical services, and the state Division of Homeland Security.In feature news, legendary Big Creek High School science teacher Freida Riley has been inducted into the West Virginia Hall of Fame. Riley, whose mentorship inspired her students to become NASA engineers and inspired the book and movie October Sky, was honored during a weekend ceremony at Pipestem Resort Park attended by members of the Rocket Boys, including Homer Hickam.And in sports, the West Virginia Mountaineers kicked off their football season with a thirty-one to twenty-four win over Coastal Carolina. Running back Cam Cook led the offense, rushing for one hundred forty-two yards and two touchdowns in the victory.For more news from across the Mountain State, download the radioNOVO app. I’m Codi Gaboff, radioNOVO News.