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 The WVU School of Nursing BSN Program Class of 2024 located on the Potomac State College campus, in Keyser, recently participated in their white coat and pledge ceremony. The purpose of the ceremony is to celebrate students’ entry into the study of nursing and highlight their commitment to professionalism, humanism, and compassion in their clinical studies. Additionally, students were given a humanism pin to remind them of the commitment they are making.

 Guest speaker for the event was Michelle House, Behavioral Health Therapist, MSW, at Potomac State College. Refreshments were made available following the ceremony by the WVU Potomac State College Alumni Association.

 Don’t pack up your fishing gear just yet. Fall trout stockings has returned to nearly 40 lakes and streams around the state as of Oct. 18.

 Fall trout stocking only lasts two weeks, so make sure you plan a trip while there’s still time. Use the lists below to plan your fishing adventure today.

 Lakes and Ponds

• Brandywine (Pendleton)

• Buffalo Fork (Pocahontas)

• Cacapon (Morgan)

• Coopers Rock (Monongalia)

• New Creek Dam 14 (Grant)

• Pendleton (Tucker)

• Rock Cliff (Hardy)

• Seneca (Pocahontas)

• Spruce Knob (Randolph)

• Summit (Greenbrier)

• Teter Creek (Barbour)

• Watoga (Pocahontas)

 While most of Monongahela National Forest is open year-round, closing only when access roads are snow-covered, some developed campgrounds, picnic areas and both visitor centers routinely close from late fall through midspring.

 Closing dates for recreation sites on the Cheat-Potomac Ranger District (304-257-4488) in the Petersburg and Seneca Rocks areas:

• Big Bend Campground – Oct. 31

• Dolly Sods Picnic Area – Dec. 1

• Forest Roads 19 and 75 in the Dolly Sods area – Dec. 31

• Gatewood Group Campground – Area available for pack it in, pack it out camping with no services provided and no fees charged

• Jess Judy Group Campground – Oct. 24

• Johnny Meadows in Gandy Creek Dispersed Camping area – Area closes when snow-covered; toilet closes Dec. 1

 The first segment of a special deer hunting season for youth and senior citizen hunters and hunters with a Class Q/QQ permit opened in West Virginia last weekend.

 The first segment of the Youth, Class Q/QQ and Class XS Deer Season was Oct. 16-17. The second segment will run Dec. 26- 27. During the special season, hunting is permitted on private and public lands in 51 counties with a firearms deer hunting season.

“This special antlerless season provides an excellent opportunity to pass on hunting traditions to youth hunters,” said Nick Huffman, a wildlife biologist for the WVDNR. “This season also provides a tremendous opportunity for seniors and hunters with a Class Q/QQ permit to enjoy this unique hunting experience at a time when there is a noticeable reduction in hunting pressure.”

 Kids 8-17 may participate in this special season. Senior citizens 65 and older, who have a resident Class XS lifetime hunting, trapping and fishing license, may also participate.

 Resident youth hunters 8-14 don’t need a hunting license, stamps or hunter safety education card, but must be accompanied by an unarmed, licensed adult who may not hunt. Resident youth hunters 15-17 must comply with all licensing requirements, but don’t need a Class N Stamp.

 After years of watching erosion eat his property one inch at a time, Scott Beam of Sugar Grove is seeking answers.

 Beam’s home sits on a piece of land that includes a stream which is part of the Dam Site 18 waterway system. The stream runs along his property to a flood pool that sits just above the dam. Because the stream corsses his property, he is under an easement with the Potomac Valley Soil Conservation District, a group which he claims has failed to properly maintain the stream. Beam purchased the property in 2016.

 In an effort to stop the damage to his property, Beam began working to contact government groups, officials, representatives and anyone else who could help get him answers. His efforts came to a head last month, when an inspector with the Army Corps of Engineers visited his home to inspect the stream.

 During the inspection, Beam also pointed to concerns about potential contamination the erosion could be doing to the cleanliness of the water, saying the soil and rocks being moved along the stream increase greatly during storms and high water incidences. The steam on Beam’s property is part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed system, which is heavily monitored and maintained. Concern about contamination is an issue that he also brought before Senator Shelly Moore-Capito’s office.

 By Greg Jordan Bluefield Daily Telegraph

Seventy-four years ago, a native West Virginian climbed into the cockpit of a rocket-powered aircraft and proved that he had “the right stuff” by becoming the first pilot to blast past the sound barrier.

 On Oct. 14, 1947, 24- year-old Capt. Charles “Chuck” Yeager, World War II fighter ace turned test pilot, took the bullet- shaped Bell X-1 rocket plane dubbed “Glamorous Glennis” past 660 mph to break the sound barrier for the first time.

 In 1968, Yeager said that he had been apprehensive about the historic flight.

“When you’re fooling around with something you don’t know much about, there has to be apprehension,” he said then. “But you don’t let that affect your job.”

 After breaking the sound barrier in 1947, the modest Yeager stated that he could have gone even faster if the plane had carried more fuel, adding that the ride “was nice, just like riding fast in a car.”

 The Public Service Commission has approved Appalachian Power Company and Wheeling Power Company’s request to keep the Amos, Mountaineer, and Mitchell plants operational until at least 2040.

 The order will not immediately affect the power bills of West Virginia customers. The original order in this case resulted in a rate increase that would add approximately $2.64 per month to the current bill of a residential customer who uses 1,000 kWh per month. Any additional amount that results will require the companies a further proceeding to recover the costs of implementing the upgrades.

 The order points out that benefits of the plants’ continued operation to the state’s economy are considerable. Direct employment at the plants; use of West Virginia coal; state, county and local taxes related to operating generation plants; and related employment in businesses supporting the plants and the coal industry cannot be discounted or overlooked. The Commission also considered the reliability of fuel secure base load generation capacity in making its decision.

 The mission of the WVCALA, a nonprofit organization, is to bring attention to and combat lawsuit abuse in West Virginia.

 Lawsuits continue to have a negative impact on the economy and reduce access to affordable healthcare for West Virginians.

 This year’s annual CALA (Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse) economic study found lawsuit abuse results in $160.1 billion in excessive tort costs, costing every American approximately $488 in a “tort tax.”

 These excessive costs have hurt American businesses and consumers, eliminating approximately $435.6 billion in overall economic activity. This equates to 1.2% of the overall U.S. economy.

 Furthermore, tort costs were found to impact 2,211,450 jobs across the United States, with a total loss of $143.8 million in wages and a $435.6 billion decrease in the economic pie.