Jesten Richardson

WAYNE — Former Mayor James Jr. Ramey III has again been elected to be the Town of Wayne's mayor, according to unofficial results from the 2026 Town of Wayne election.

WAYNE — Voters in the Town of Wayne have selected two incumbents and three new additions, including their current mayor, to represent them on the Wayne Town Council, according to unofficial results from the 2026 Town of Wayne election on May 12.

EAST LYNN — Wearing their caps, gowns and smiles, graduating Wayne High School seniors returned to their old stomping grounds and saw some familiar faces on Thursday, May 21, as they visited four Wayne High feeder schools for their Grad Walk.The members of the Class of 2026 walked through East Lynn, Genoa, Lavalette and Wayne elementary schools, where they were met with cheers by the schools' students and staff members and had opportunities to reconnect with some of the people who have made an impact on their lives.

WAYNE — The Wayne County Board of Education, during its regular meeting on Tuesday, May 26, voted to declare Dunlow and Genoa elementary schools as surplus properties.The board voted earlier this year to close both schools, effective July 1, due to declining student enrollment and district-wide budget shortfalls."To go through the process of disposing of property and for us to consider other entities that could possibly utilize the property, the first step is the board has to declare it a surplus, and then what that will do is it will authorize me to go ahead and seek proposals for the property," Wayne County Schools Superintendent Todd Alexander explained during the May 26 meeting.

KENOVA — A Wayne County school bus, carrying one driver and seven middle school students, was involved in a crash on Sharps Branch Road in Kenova on Tuesday afternoon.

KENOVA -- A Wayne County school bus, carrying one driver and seven middle school-aged students, was involved in an accident on Sharps Branch Road in Kenova on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 2.West Virginia State Police Capt. L.T. Goldie Jr., deputy chief of staff, said in a news release Senior Trooper C.D. Newman responded to the crash in the 3000 block of Sharps Branch Road. It was found to be a single-vehicle incident and did not result in damage to any personal property.

FORT GAY — Fort Gay has a new, history-making police chief and a new town public utilities superintendent, following actions at the town council's regular meeting on Tuesday, June 2.Then-Fort Gay Police Chief Evan Wilson announced he was stepping down from the role for another career opportunity, and Officer Payton Smith would be promoted to chief. Wilson is continuing with the department in a part-time officer role.Smith, 31, who lives in Huntington and whose family is from Kenova, has been with the Fort Gay Police Department since late April. She came to Fort Gay from the Kenova Police Department, where she served as an officer. She is also a lawyer, and she served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Cabell County for three years before she attended the West Virginia State Police Academy, where she was valedictorian of her class.

WAYNE — Wayne County Commission and Wayne County Economic Development Authority leaders discussed their ideas for some potential uses of the newly surplussed Genoa Elementary School during the commission's regular meeting on Thursday, June 4.

As they were counting down the final days of the 2025-2026 school year, some students and staff members were also counting down their final days at their current schools.

During the Wayne County Board of Education's regular meeting on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at Wayne County Schools' main office in Wayne, Superintendent Todd Alexander, center, gives a progress update