The Weekly Dig

The Fantastic Life of Dr. Joseph De Soto: False Claims Made by the Presumptive Delegate from West Virginia’s 91st District

Backed by the West Virginia Freedom Caucus, De Soto has campaigned on a series of seemingly false claims about his personal and professional lives.

Jun 27 • 

Kyle Vass

April 2024

In Lieu of Termination: Tracking Police Officers in West Virginia Who Change Departments After Misconduct Incidents

When police are fired or allowed to resign in “lieu of termination” for misconduct in West Virginia, they can switch departments. Public records show…

Apr 26 • 

Kyle Vass

Anonymous website attacking WV gubernatorial candidate revealed to be operative with ties to Team Morrisey fundraising partner

Caiden Cowger set up the site to make claims about gubernatorial candidate Moore Capito’s personal life, calling into question Cowger's ties to Patrick…

Apr 23 • 

Kyle Vass

November 2023

Cabell County, Huntington flood victims want assistance, not more development projects in their watershed

A 2022 Corps of Engineers report identified decades of government projects as a factor in recent floods. Residents, unlikely to receive substantial…

Nov 6, 2023 • 

Kyle Vass

August 2023

Pre-Regatta park arrests highlight police targeting of unsheltered people in Charleston, W. Va.

An investigation into the arrests of 16 unsheltered people in a single hour shows the City of Charleston is 18 months into a spree of trying to address…

Aug 18, 2023 • 

Kyle Vass

July 2023

West Virginia Lawmakers Seek to Expand War on Drugs by Bringing Back Death Penalty

West Virginia politicians are labeling fentanyl a “weapon of mass destruction” and spreading misinformation about the substance in an effort to bring…

Jul 10, 2023 • 

Kyle Vass

May 2023

W. Va. Legislature Inadvertently Bans Test Strips for “Emerging Threat” Xylazine

According to a DHHR email obtained by Dragline, a bill that put the animal tranquilizer on the controlled substance schedule (SB 546) also made the…

May 9, 2023 • 

Kyle Vass

March 2023

Amid Statewide Abortion Ban, Women’s Health Center Expands Access

As West Virginia lawmakers passed an abortion ban aimed at “closing the only clinic in the state,” they stirred up an army of supporters, ushering in an…

Mar 25, 2023 • 

Kyle Vass

December 2022

Gazette-Mail Staff Say Skaff Abuses Power as President

House Minority Leader and President of HD Media, Doug Skaff (D – Kanawha), allegedly directed staff to delete a story about his 2015 gambling scandal…

Dec 22, 2022 • 

Kyle Vass

Report: W.Va. Terminates Parental Rights at Twice the Rate of Any Other State

A new study from ACLU and Human Rights Watch reveals W. Va. leads nation in termination of parental rights.

Dec 8, 2022 • 

Kyle Vass

November 2022

Marshall students discuss interaction with president over university’s mishandling of sexual assault on campus

Students discuss their conversation with University President Brad D. Smith about the school's failure to keep them safe and their demands for change.

Nov 22, 2022 • 

Kyle Vass

August 2022

Over one-third of W.Va. police departments post people’s mugshots on social media. People say the practice has ruined their lives.

A Dragline survey shows 38 percent of departments in the state put images of people they’ve arrested on their social media accounts. Critics say it's a…

Aug 26, 2022 • 

Kyle Vass