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Opinion: All lawmakers and the governor agreed: SB 181 is necessary. We will make sure it’s clear and effective
BY SEN. LINDSEY TICHENOR Now that Senate Bill 181 is in effect, having passed 137-0 and been signed into law by the Governor in April, lawmakers have received questions about its implementation and overall necessity. The law requires school staff and volunteers to use traceable, district-approved platforms for direct communication with students—tools that parents can
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West Virginia appoints new superintendents in counties under state oversight
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia’s top education official announced a slate of leadership appointments May 23 for school districts currently under state control. The move signals a renewed emphasis on academic outcomes in the affected counties. State Superintendent Michele Blatt named four superintendents to lead districts where the West Virginia Board of
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Eden FPS team crowned state champion
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN After falling just short of the top prize last year, Eden Elementary’s Future Problem Solving team returned to the state stage with a renewed sense of purpose—and this time, they finished what they started. The Wildcats claimed the 2025 Kentucky state championship in Future Problem Solving. Their win marked a
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School board celebrates Eden’s dominant academic season
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Eden Elementary’s academic team took center stage ahead of the Martin County Board of Education’s April 14 meeting. The BOE recognized the team for an exceptional season of competition. The Wildcats swept every category at the District 116 Governor’s Cup and went on to finish as Region 29
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BSCTC unveils high-tech welding lab
PRESTONSBURG — Big Sandy Community & Technical College (BSCTC) unveiled its state-of-the-art welding facility this week. The grand opening signals a bold investment in the future of skilled trades and industrial technology. The event at the Prestonsburg campus drew state leaders, faculty and students. Dr. Todd Brand, BSCTC’s interim president and CEO, and State Representative
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Martin County FBLA ‘shows out’ at state conference
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT Talent and determination reside in the ZIP code of Martin County Area Technology Center’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter. Against a field of more than 2,200 of Kentucky’s top young business minds, Martin County made its presence known last week at the FBLA State Leadership Conference in Louisville. Eight students placed
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FBLA growth, success take center stage at Kiwanis luncheon
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Business education was the focus of Thursday’s Kiwanis Club luncheon in Inez. Martin County Area Technology Center instructor Thomas Ray and members of Future Business Leaders of America highlighted their achievements and growth. Ray, who serves as business instructor and FBLA advisor, detailed the chapter’s exponential growth and
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Young singers stand out at prestigious vocal competition
Rudd, Vela, Campbell earn top NATS honors MOREHEAD — The stage at Baird Music Hall pulsed with talent as nearly 300 singers, teachers and accompanists gathered for the Mid-South Region conference of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), hosted this year by Morehead State University. Among the standout performers were three students from the
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Leadership ousted at Southern West Virginia Community & Technical College
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT LOGAN, W.Va. — The president of Southern West Virginia Community & Technical College (SWCTC) was placed on administrative leave Monday. The action followed a vote by the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education, marking a sharp shift in leadership at the troubled institution. During an emergency virtual meeting April
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KY education commissioner sounds alarm about sudden halt in federal COVID payments to schools
by McKenna Horsley, Kentucky LanternApril 1, 2025 Kentucky Education Commissioner Robbie Fletcher on Tuesday urged school superintendents to contact their lawmakers in Congress about a sudden halt in payments from federal pandemic relief funds. His call to action comes after U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon notified state education departments on March 28 that they
