Steve Keenan

The Fayette County Chamber of Commerce/New River Gorge CVB will celebrate another prosperous year next week.

Inside the numbers: • From July 2023 to June 2024, 24 juvenile offenders participated in a teen court hearing, eight more than the previous year. Of those, 21 involved tobacco on school property, and the other three were shoplifting. • From July 2023 to June 2024, 12 of 24 juvenile offenders, or 50 percent, successfully completed their disposition. • In that same time span, 56 youth volunteers attended teen court monthly hearings and extracurricular events, which marked an increase of 16 from the previous year. • The 56 volunteers gained 983.5 hours of community service time, 395 higher than the previous year. And, the 12 juveniles who completed teen court gained 216 hours of community service. • Teen courts receive funding as part of State Code. According to Diane Callison, executive director of the Fayette County Family Resource Network and coordinator of the Fayette County Teen Court, the court receives $5 of every fine paid to the county except for parking tickets. And, Oak Hill, Fayetteville and Ansted all have an agreement that provides a complementary funding component monthly; Montgomery gave a one-time donation for the program. The ticket proceeds are the lone funding source for teen court. Fayette County Teen Court has left an imprint on numerous students since its inception in 2021, including Midland Trail High freshman Evie Jones. “I was initially drawn to teen court because I wanted to make a positive impact in my community and help my peers learn from their mistakes,” said Jones, one of the current youth volunteers who comprise the teen court. “Through my involvement, I've gained confidence in public speaking and a deeper understanding of the justice system.” The teen court has pushed the initiative forward in recent months, according to Diane Callison, executive director of the Fayette County Family Resource Network and coordinator of the Fayette County Teen Court. Five of the teen court's youth volunteers participated in a recent Fayette County Board of Education meeting to help present the most recent data infographic detailing the teen court's activities. “As the numbers show, we've grown from the 2022-2023 school year, including an increase of juvenile offenders, increased volunteers and increased community service hours for the youth volunteers,” said Callison. “We hope to continue showing growth over this next school year, including an expansion of the cases heard within teen court.” The teen court allows volunteers from various Fayette County schools to serve as either defense attorney, prosecuting attorney, clerk, bailiff or jury member, all under the supervision of a sitting judge, a retired judge or an individual who has passed the bar exam. Each hearing of the teen court, of which there were 24 in the most recent period, must include at least a youth defense attorney, a youth prosecuting attorney and eight youth jury members. Under the supervision of adult attorney mentors and qualified judges, they argue and deliberate in cases involving transgressions of fellow students. “Judge (circuit judge Thomas) Ewing presides over hearings when he can, but we also have adult attorney mentors who fill in,” Callison said. “Year one, it was Judge Ewing every single time.” “We can take referrals from any school administration, any law enforcement officer or the prosecuting attorney's office,” she added. “Having the youth volunteers be part of the school, we've just been really heavy on school referrals.” That doesn't mean all referrals have come from within the confines of the school environment. In fact, three referrals concerning shoplifting cases came from law enforcement personnel, Callison noted. All of the 21 possession of tobacco referrals were from the school system. Besides sharing data concerning the teen court with BOE members, Callison said the main thrust during the meeting was to ask for continued board support of the program. “A lot of our referrals for the students who are in trouble come from within the school system,” she said. “When Judge Ewing and I started this program, we started looking at it in 2019,” Callison said. “Then with the pandemic and trying to finalize cases, we heard cases in 2021. That was our first year.” Callison, who started with the Fayette FRN around the same time, said, “We knew right from the start that my knowledge was not enough to decide if that student would be a good fit for teen court, so we created a group (including herself, Ewing, a board of education representative, and representatives from the prosecuting attorney's office, sheriff's office and probation). The six of us receive every referral, and we as a group decide if teen court would be the right intervention for that student. Once we say yes, then I get parental and juvenile consent. If the juvenile consents to teen court (and parents or guardians agree), then we move forward. “We received 44 referrals last year and, of those 44, 24 went to an actual hearing. And that could be because we removed them, or they declined.” Once the teen jury delivers its disposition, the juvenile and the guardian have to agree to it, Callison noted. “So, there is an opportunity ... to decline it. That's not happened in our three years. “The whole program's about accountability,” Callison continued. “Most times, juveniles don't feel they can make their own decisions, and they chose the decision that got them in trouble, so they now get to choose how they make up for that. “About half of our juveniles that actually complete teen court don't become a repeat offender. The whole program is meant to be early intervention. If we stop these risky behaviors early, hopefully they won't continue those behaviors or have those behaviors escalate to something.” In teen court, Jones says she has held roles such as juror, prosecuting attorney and defense attorney. “Participating in these roles has indeed sparked my interest in pursuing a career in law, though I was already considering it prior to joining the program,” she said. In addition to the actual courtroom preparation and hearings, teen court members also participate as West Virginia legislative pages, take part in an annual awards dinner at Adventures on the Gorge, and get to participate in an escape room in appreciation of their volunteer work. They are also eligible for scholarships, with the largest totaling $1,000. “Last year, (teen court) grew pretty dramatically,” said Judge Ewing. “Most of the cases were pretty much vape-related, so we were having two to three hearings each month. “We're at a place now this year where we're just getting some referrals trickling in.” “The main referral source throughout the first few years has been the board and school resource officers,” he said. “We now have a school-based probation officer who may see things and can make referrals.” Ewing said more outreach is necessary for the program to expand its scope. “That's an area that really needs a lot of work as far as our outreach to do a better job making it known how the program works, why law enforcement would choose the program, why a juvenile defender would choose the program,” he said. “That's something we definitely need to do a better job of getting out there and explaining that process, the referral process and sort of the why behind the program. “It's still fairly new and it's really focused on issues coming out of the school system. So, for the law enforcement community, it's just not intrinsically an option to think about.” There is more than one aspect to the program, Ewing said. “Just looking at teen court as a program, you've got the juveniles who come into the program who are the offenders, and (the option is looking for) a different way to handle their case rather than them paying a ticket or getting a fine.” Along those lines, opportunities exist for community service, cessation classes and other remediation avenues. On the other side of the equation, students who are involved in the court situation as volunteer arbiters “are getting to publicly speak, to make arguments, to write and formulate questions and do critical thinking and analysis. That's the part where you see the students who come into the program as volunteers, some of them their confidence grows. You can watch them get confidence and start growing and get more comfortable. There's a handful of them every year ... that grow like that. That's pretty cool to see.” Callison and Jones both concur with Ewing's assessment concerning the maturation of the students. “The program is two-fold: We're there for the students that are in trouble, and we're there for the youth volunteers,” Callison said. “They get public speaking, advocacy, and they're in a safe place with safe adults.” In her estimation, Jones says the program “has been effective and beneficial for both participants and those who appear before the court. It encourages accountability and personal growth for offenders, while providing a supportive environment for teens to develop important life skills.” She, too, embraces the methodology behind the teen court program. “Teen court provides a restorative justice approach, enabling young offenders to participate with peers while focusing on accountability and personal development,” she summed up. “This program enhances empathy, decision making and community engagement. “This program has taught me so much that I will carry through my entire life. In teen court, you're a part of the family no matter who you are or where you came from or how you got involved. This program really makes a difference in our communities, in our schools and in our own personal lives.” Callison said she feels the program would benefit from having a full-time coordinator position, although a funding source is not yet available. “I started with the FRN in 2019, as well. The Fayette Prevention Coalition and FRN formalized a relationship, and we became their fiscal agent,” said Callison. “It was through the coalition that the concept of teen court was presented. As that grows and FRN as an organization grows, capacity is one of our biggest barriers. “Teen court is one of the best parts of my job, and I'm glad to be a part of it and excited to see where we'll go.” “I like (teen court),” said Ewing. “Diane has a full-time job at FRN, and she does this part-time. It is where it is because of the efforts she makes, and the adult volunteers that help her. She pretty much makes it work. And she does a lot with the students beyond the courtroom stuff.” For more, visit Fayette County Teen Court on Facebook, or visit

The Fayette County Chamber of Commerce/New River Gorge CVB will celebrate another prosperous year this week.

Meadow Bridge’s Kierston Rozell stepped to the foul line during this regular season game in 2023-24. The Wildcats are among the girls teams statewide opening their season this week. File photo

of 2 The story's the thing, says author T.S. Kincaid.

of 2 Showing up and continuing the fight is crucial.

FAYETTEVILLE – Circuit Court Judge Paul M. Blake Jr. has definitely put in the hours during a public service career spanning nearly 50 years.

steve keenan, the fayette tribune, oak hill, w.va. Dec. 12—Boys high school basketball teams hit the hardwoods in West Virginia this week.

The trail system at Needleseye Park got a huge boost in 2024 and is poised to offer locals and visitors alike more recreational opportunities in the coming year.

With a 40% increase in visitation from its redesignation in 2020, the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is contributed nearly $33 million more to local economies in neighboring gateway communities in 2023 than in 2019, says Eve West, chief of visitor services for the park as well as the Gauley River National Recreation Area and the Bluestone National Scenic River. In 2019, pre-redesignation total visitor spending for New River in gateway communities was $53.4 million, according to West, while in 2023, three years after becoming a national park and preserve, visitor spending rose to $86.2 million, a 61 percent increase. As the fourth anniversary of the re-designation which resulted in the birth of NRGNPP arrives later this month, as well as being four years away from the New River celebrating its 50th anniversary as a National Park Service component, local parks officials are still coming to terms with the increased visitation numbers created by the national park designation. “New River is four years away from celebrating its 50th anniversary as part of the National Park Service,” West said this week. With increased tourism traffic, stewardship of national parks includes tasks ranging from helping provide a financial stream of support to people cleaning up local trails and streams as they depart the region after their explorations. There's a role all interested individuals and organizations can play in the success of the parks, West said. “Everyone has a role to play in the stewardship and support of our country's national parks and helping to ensure safe and enjoyable experiences in parks,” she said. “Visitors are encouraged to plan ahead, choose activities that align with skill levels, and practice Leave No Trace principles,” West said. Reducing instances of resource damage mitigation or the need for emergency services enables park staff to concentrate on other essential duties, she said. “Right now, we are reflecting a roughly 40 percent increase park-wide. Visitation is also increasing at the Gauley River NRA with the second-highest month ever on record happening this year. To allow the parks to be equipped to handle the ongoing influx of visitors as well as visits from local residents, officials must continue to maintain and upgrade facilities and offerings as time marches on. Sometimes funding for that is limited or takes a little longer to develop. A report earlier in December written by Mike Magner of CQ-Roll Call and distributed by Tribune Content Agency highlighted that the NPS has seen a surge in private support in the face of a maintenance backlog of more than $23 billion. Visits to national parks rose from about 275 million in 2010 to 325 million last year, the report revealed. Many individuals also gave back by volunteering via avenues such as rebuilding trails, clearing trash or organizing special events. According to the report, the National Park Service has an operating budget of $3.3 billion in fiscal 2024 and about 20,000 full-time employees. The Great American Outdoors Act passed by Congress in 2020 supplied up to $1.3 billion annually through 2025 to help reduce the backlog in deferred maintenance projects. The Interior Department reported last year that visitor spending in communities near national parks totals more than $50 billion a year and supports about 400,000 jobs. According to West, deferred maintenance and repair needs in parks are a result of “limited resources available to maintain the National Park Service's complex portfolio of 75,000-plus assets, including historic structures, roads, bridges, trails, campgrounds and utility systems.” The NPS, she added, is making a “concerted effort” to reduce deferred maintenance and repair needs using a variety of funding sources, including the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund, Federal Lands Transportation Program, Repair/Rehabilitation, Line-Item Construction and Recreation Fee Revenue. West said that New River Gorge NPP currently has an estimated $95 million in deferred maintenance and repair needs, while Gauley River NRA's deferred needs total an estimated $5.4 million and Bluestone NSR an estimated $475,000. Major projects in the funding stream at NRGNPP for the approaching year include repairs to the Rend Trail and bridges, as well as to Cunard and Glade Creek roads. Estimated costs for these projects combined is $23.5 million, she pointed out. At the Gauley River NRA, the major project will be rehabilitation of the Gauley Tailwaters Campground, pegged at $196,000. Federal highway work is currently proceeding along Cunard Road, according to West. Two recently-completed projects at New River include repair and replacement of portions of the Kaymoor steps on the Kaymoor Miners Trail, and painting and replacing door and window facings at the historic Thurmond depot. More detailed information about park infrastructure projects can be found at