Phil Faini: ‘The Chief’ knew how to keep the beat

June 13, 2023

Hail to the Chief. If you want to know the unbridled joy Phil Faini had for the wondrous act of making music, just go to his Facebook page. There, you’ll find a prominent photograph of the former WVU Creative Arts dean in action. He’s not in a tuxedo in a concert hall. Nope. In this candid, the drummer and academician, grinning like a loon, is leading an impromptu percussion concert, smack in the middle of a Taipei restaurant. Let it be known that he’s wielding chopsticks on a beer bottle — the Faini-fashioned instruments at hand. Call it an international ...

Heated words: Mon Schools’ ‘Summer Sizzler’ mobile book distribution this week

June 12, 2023

Don’t wait for the movie — read the book. And enjoy a nice boxed lunch from Monongalia County Schools while you’re at it. That’s the motivation behind the district’s “Summer Sizzler” bus stop program, which runs through Thursday. The program offers free books to ...

Morgantown charter school plans an expansion to Preston

June 9, 2023

The West Virginia Academy, the state’s first brick-and-mortar charter school, is expanding its Morgantown campus to Preston County. “This is a second campus and not a campus move,” board chairman John Treu said of the project set to begin in 2024. The academy, which just completed ...

SUPCO: Don’t sue the gov. over charter schools

June 9, 2023

In a question of whether West Virginia’s system for approving charter schools is constitutional, the state Supreme Court has ruled that Gov. Jim Justice isn’t the guy who should be sued. The justices concluded that the West Virginia Public Charter Schools Board, which was established by the legislature as a way of approving and assessing the schools, is the entity with the actual authority. “Upon thorough review, we conclude that Respondents lack standing to seek the preliminary injunction at issue against Governor Justice because (1) he does not have the ability to ...

An Avalanche of breakfast and lunch is coming to Mon Schools

June 6, 2023

A chicken tender can’t take up for itself — but Monongalia County Schools can. Should any freezer across the district begin an unplanned thaw, be it by power failure or a compressor issue, Brian Kiehl’s smartphone will immediately chirp with texts and emails of warning. Which means, he said, an interlocking safety net of technology to keep the tenders, and any other menu item on ice, out of harm’s way. “Whatever works,” said Kiehl, the district's director of child nutrition services. “We just emptied our last freezer last week, so we can clear the ...

Laurel graduates 31

May 30, 2023

Laurel College of Technology held its Spring graduation recently at the Holiday Inn in Morgantown. Opening comments were given by Nancy Decker, president and CEO of Laurel Institutes, then Campus President Sherri Rimel presented degrees and diplomas to the graduates. Degree valedictorians, Lisa Fortner and Krystle Wolfe, addressed their fellow students together with a congratulatory and encouraging speech. They were followed by fellow valedictorians Mary Hylton, Isaiah Hanna, David Kern and Madison Olinger. Class salutatorian, Billy Wright Jr., also addressed the class with ...