AGP Executive Report

Mobile Health Access: WVU Medicine’s LUCAS mobile lung cancer screening unit is heading to Upshur County (Sept. 29-30), then Buckhannon (Oct. 1-2) for low-dose CT scans, with options for insured patients and grant-funded help for eligible uninsured West Virginians. Back-to-School Giving: Kids of Kanawha delivered 4,300 pairs of shoes to Kanawha County students, reaching all high schools, all middle schools, and most elementary schools. Arts & Community: Carnegie Hall’s Lewisburg stop of “The Mystical Arts of Tibet” brings mandala creation and sacred chanting (Sept. 20-26), and the Carnegie Hall Artwalk returns Sept. 11 with free gallery viewing and local music. Cancer Screening for Women: Bonnie’s Bus will offer mobile breast cancer screening in Shepherdstown on Oct. 3 at Asbury UMC Church. Local Sports Spotlight: WVU football is back in full swing in Mountaineer Country as fans gear up for the 2026 season opener.

WVU Health & Cancer Care: WVU Medicine’s LUCAS mobile lung cancer screening unit is set to stop in Upshur County (Community Care–Rock Cave, Sept. 29-30; St. Joseph’s Hospital in Buckhannon Oct. 1; Community Care–Buckhannon Oct. 2) with appointments required 14+ days ahead; screenings can be covered by private insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare, and uninsured West Virginians may qualify via grant support. Community Health & Education: Highmark Health Options West Virginia launched GEDWorks to help eligible members earn a GED at no cost, pairing bilingual advising with study tools and test prep. Arts & Culture (Italian Heritage Festival): The West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival spotlighted its Minor and Senior Court Princesses, plus local young performers and dancers tied to the celebration. Sports (WVU Football): WVU’s rebuilt offensive line is entering Game 1 with more confidence after a full offseason overhaul. Public Safety: A felony case against a Montrose man accused of illegal firearm possession as a convicted felon is moving forward after probable cause. Local Interest: Glenville State will dedicate the new Ike and Sue Morris Stadium Sept. 3 ahead of its first home football game. Human Interest: West Virginia Health Right CEO Angie Settle was named NAFC Patient Advocate of the Year.

Local Arts & Education: Dreama Denver, a Mercer County native, is set to release the final “Four Bears” children’s book, Four Bears in a Box: Birthday Bash, and is also working on a documentary, “I ♥️ Bob Denver.” Music in the Mountains: The New River Youth Symphony & Chorus kicks off its fall season Sept. 14 in Beckley with Youth Chorus and Youth Symphony rehearsals at Faith Baptist Church. Humanities & Grants: The West Virginia Humanities Council announced 27 minigrants supporting local history, exhibitions, theater talks, and community arts projects across the state. Community Lights: Salango Law Light the Night returns Nov. 13 at GoMart Ballpark with new attractions, an expanded on-field experience, and a bumper car rink. WVU Sports Spotlight: WVU is expected to start Michael Hawkins Jr. at QB in Week 1, while corner Chams Diagne is leaning into his size as a matchup advantage. Tech & Policy (WV angle): Rep. Riley M. Moore cosponsored the Ratepayer Protection Act to push data centers to cover grid upgrade costs instead of families and small businesses. Big National Story with WV ties: A Meta settlement will bring millions to Maryland and West Virginia, with changes aimed at how children use social media. Sports & Culture Crossover: Josey Dorsey, Naya Rivera’s son, lands his first film role in a Pennsylvania-shot movie, The Burning Valley.

AI & West Virginia Tech: Anthropic struck a $35B cloud-computing deal with Nvidia-backed Lambda, and the company’s separate $45B capacity agreement tied to a West Virginia facility keeps the Mountain State in the middle of the AI infrastructure race. Tourism & Local Pride: The West Virginia Department of Tourism won a U.S. Travel ESTO Award for Excellence in Print Marketing for its 2026 Vacation Guide, spotlighting Appalachian food, lore, music, and seasonal adventures. Outdoor Feat: Dale “Grey Beard” Sanders, 91, reclaimed the oldest-hiker record by completing the Appalachian Trail, finishing atop Maine’s Mount Katahdin after falls he counted at 71 along the way. Arts & Community: Jerry Edward McKeen, a decades-long Harrison County educator and arts advocate who directed community theater, has died. Fashion & Culture: WVU research says GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are reshaping body talk—and that ripple is reaching fashion journalism and design. Entertainment in the Valley: Dave & Buster’s is set to open a new Morgantown-area location in Westover with an arcade, sports bar, and restaurant. Sports Calendar: WVU women’s basketball announced Battle 4 Atlantis matchups vs. Florida and Notre Dame.

Tourism Win: West Virginia’s Department of Tourism just snagged a U.S. Travel ESTO Award for Excellence in Print Marketing for its 2026 West Virginia Vacation Guide, highlighting storytelling, design, and a free digital option. Local Sports: Cabell Midland opened the season with a 41-6 rout of Oak Hill, scoring early and pulling away with big special-teams and interception return plays. Trail Inspiration: Dale “Grey Beard” Sanders, 91, reclaimed the Appalachian Trail oldest-hiker record after starting in West Virginia and finishing atop Maine’s Mount Katahdin—despite 71 falls along the way. Arts & Culture: Mercer County’s DISCONNECTED released its theatrical poster; the film tackles deepfakes in a tech-reliant school system and was shot largely in Princeton. Community Events: The West Virginia Fiber Festival returns to Morgantown Sept. 18-19, and Pipestem Resort State Park hosts the Rocket Boys Hall of Fame induction for teacher Frieda Riley on Sept. 4. Education Update: Fayette County Schools rolls out “Attendance Pro” with text alerts and online excuse submissions starting Aug. 31.

West Virginia Tourism Win: The state’s 2026 West Virginia Vacation Guide just earned a U.S. Travel ESTO Award for Excellence in Print Marketing, with the guide spotlighting Appalachian food, lore, music, waterfalls, and more. Local Arts & Community: Bridgeport is hosting the first-ever Almost Heaven Lego Bash (Sept. 25-26) at the Bridge Sports Complex, with master builders, family build/play zones, and Star Wars-themed fun. Beauty & Pop Culture: Scent Beauty is pushing a Stetson “Untamed” fragrance launch with a big marketing spend and a Gen Z-focused rollout starting Sept. 1. Film Buzz: Naya Rivera’s son Josey Dorsey has landed his first feature film role in Evan Coury’s The Burning Valley, filming in Pennsylvania’s Rust Belt alongside his father, Ryan Dorsey. Health Watch: A KFF Health News report says a $50B rural health program needs more transparency to help prevent fraud and prove what’s working. Sports Spotlight: A West Virginia Pokémon TCG player, Luke Giffen, reached the World Championship final and finished runner-up.

West Virginia Arts & Culture: Tu-Endie-Wei State Park in Point Pleasant is preserving a rare prehistoric “Water Panther” petroglyph, a four-legged, curling-tailed carving moved there after its discovery near Leon—one more reminder of the Ohio Valley’s deep Indigenous history. Dolly Parton Literacy Push: Read Aloud West Virginia is launching a September fundraising campaign in Parton’s memory, matching donations dollar-for-dollar with Imagination Library partners to boost early childhood reading across the Mountain State. Music & Live Performance: Bernadette Peters will open the Hylton Performing Arts Center’s 2026-27 season with a Broadway-and-standards concert, with more arts highlights including a live “Mountain Stage” taping featuring Kathy Mattea. Sports in the Region: West Liberty women’s wrestling is gearing up for a strong 2026-27 run after a top-20 NCAA finish, while college football Week 1 odds and betting promos are already rolling. Public Health Watch: Coal miner advocates are pressing federal regulators after new black lung rates—reported as the highest since the 1970s—raise fresh alarms for miners in Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Literacy Fundraiser: Read Aloud West Virginia is launching a September campaign in memory of Dolly Parton, matching donations dollar-for-dollar with Imagination Library partners across the state. HBCU Arts Push: Sen. Jim Justice visited Bluefield State University to back the HBCU Arts Act and the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act, framing the arts as workforce investment. Historic Tourism: A behind-the-walls look at West Virginia’s Gothic penitentiary in Moundsville, now a tourist attraction preserving a century of incarceration history. Sports & Community: Glenville State dedicated its new Ike and Sue Morris Stadium, a $26 million rural investment tied to athletics and campus growth. Arts Calendar: Bernadette Peters kicks off the Hylton Center’s 2026-27 season, with more fall highlights including a “Mountain Stage” live taping. Local Spotlight: Miss West Virginia 2026 Elizabeth Romanek (and Teen Zoe Little) head to the Miss America competition in Florida. Tech & Data Center Tension: Residents raised health-and-air concerns over a proposed Google data center, while WVU researchers tout AI to speed up ecosystem monitoring. Football Watch: WVU is expected to name Michael Hawkins Jr. as starting QB, and West Liberty women’s wrestling is aiming high for the 2026-27 season.

AI & Tech Policy: A Trump-era Commerce draft would try to ban renting Nvidia GPU time to Chinese AI firms via remote access in Thailand and Singapore, but export-control lawyers say the agency may not have legal authority to enforce it. West Virginia Arts & Culture: Summit Art Gallery in Weirton opens an Eli Dragisich exhibit with a reception Tuesday, while local arts calendars also spotlight a watercolor show in Little Rock and a Dragisich solo run through Sept. 28. Music & Stage: Bernadette Peters kicks off the Hylton Center’s 2026-27 season, with “Mountain Stage” taping by Kathy Mattea and a free Arts Alive! festival headlined by Capitol Fools. Sports & Betting: College football Week 0 launches Aug. 29 with major welcome promos across apps, plus WVU QB Michael Hawkins Jr. is expected to be named starter. Community Spotlight: Miss West Virginia 2026 Elizabeth Romanek (and Teen Zoe Little) head to Miss America in Florida, with a fitness-focused M.O.V.E. initiative. Local Sports Media: Marshall athletics and WSAZ renew their “Home of the Herd” TV partnership. Entertainment Pop Culture: “Disclosure Day” filming locations are tied to New Jersey and New York, and Veronica Mars’ Jason Dohring says he traded Hollywood for farming.

Miss America Spotlight: Miss West Virginia Elizabeth Romanek and Miss West Virginia’s Teen Zoe Little are headed to Miss America after their Martinsburg wins, with Romanek bringing her dance talent and community service focus. Mountaineers Football: WVU is expected to name Oklahoma transfer Michael Hawkins Jr. as starting QB, setting up a Coastal Carolina opener quarterback decision. Cancer Care Innovation: WVU Medicine performed West Virginia’s first single-port robotic-assisted lobectomy for lung cancer, aiming for less pain and faster recovery. Appalachian Arts & Literacy: Read Aloud West Virginia is launching a September “in memory of Dolly” campaign to boost Imagination Library enrollment, as thousands of eligible WV kids still aren’t signed up. Dolly Parton Legacy in Media: WVPB’s Inside Appalachia reflects on Parton’s impact, plus adaptive climbing and Appalachian plants. Entertainment Switch-Up: “Veronica Mars” star Jason Dohring says he’s stepped away from acting to focus on organic farming, including a West Virginia farm. Local Sports Buzz: Fort Cherry rolled past Chartiers-Houston 49-7 as Collin Sieg took over the spotlight. Health Watch: CDC reports COVID-19 activity is increasing in many states, with West Virginia listed at moderate levels. Food Safety: A lettuce-linked cyclosporiasis outbreak has expanded into three more states, according to CDC updates. Winter Outlook: Old Farmer’s Almanac forecasts a mostly mild winter for much of the U.S., with some colder pockets in storm-hit regions.

Local Sports Spotlight: Morgantown High guard Kayli Kellogg commits to WVU, keeping her basketball career close to home and setting up a family reunion with WVU coach Mark Kellogg. High School Football on TV/Radio: WTAP will air the Morgantown vs. Parkersburg opener live, with multiple broadcast platforms and a full slate of weekly games. Community & Resilience: Martinsburg is still cleaning up after a storm that dumped about 5–5.5 inches of rain fast, flooded streets and basements, and forced school closures and the cancellation of a key high school football game. Arts & Literacy: Read Aloud West Virginia launches a September fundraising push in memory of Dolly Parton, matching donations to expand early childhood reading through the Imagination Library. Health & Innovation: WVU Medicine performs West Virginia’s first single-port robotic-assisted lung surgery, aiming for less pain and faster recovery for eligible patients. College Football Watch: WVU is expected to name Michael Hawkins Jr. as starting quarterback ahead of the Coastal Carolina opener. Sports Debate: Cricket Australia clears Anaya Bangar to return to women’s community cricket, reigniting transgender and eligibility arguments across sport. Stadium News: Glenville State dedicates the new Ike and Sue Morris Stadium Sept. 3 ahead of its home opener.

Medical Breakthrough in Morgantown: WVU Medicine surgeons performed West Virginia’s first single-port robotic-assisted lobectomy, aiming for less pain and faster recovery for lung cancer patients. Campus Safety Alert: WVU police say sextortion and fraud scams are hitting students again, with predators using dating apps/social media to threaten victims into paying. AI Research Spotlight: An NSF-funded WVU study is pushing AI agents to better recognize—and admit—when they’re wrong during conversations. Arts & Community: FestiVALL announced its full FestivFALL 2026 schedule, including new cabaret programming and a “Practical Magic” popcorn social. West Virginia History: Rainelle’s new museum project will preserve the timber/railroad/coal-era “hidden history” through a planned merger of historic buildings. Sports on the Rise: Logan opened high school football with a 39-7 win over Man, while Randolph County’s Hall of Fame ceremony is set for Saturday. Dolly Parton Legacy: The Imagination Library in WV says enrollment and donations are spiking after Parton’s passing.

Big Tech & Kids Online: West Virginia is set to receive up to about $114M from a landmark $17.1B multistate Meta settlement, with required safety changes for Instagram and Facebook like daily time limits, “productive pauses,” nighttime blocks, and tighter age checks. AI Infrastructure in WV: Reports say Anthropic has signed a six-year, ~$45B deal to rent AI computing power from Nscale’s Mason County data center, tapping about 460MW of Nvidia Vera Rubin chips starting late 2027. Local Education: Monongalia County BOE approved a commissioning-agent contract for the new Suncrest Middle School, a roughly $34M project moving toward final bids and inspections. Entertainment & Music: Indie folk-country singer Alex Amen drops debut album “Sun of Amen,” while West Virginia-based songwriter John R. Miller releases “The Great Unknowing.” Sports Betting: bet365 launched its sportsbook and casino app in West Virginia, adding live betting and in-play markets ahead of football season. Community Events: Blennerhassett Island’s “Mansion by Candlelight” returns Oct. 9–10, with candlelit tours and period entertainment already selling out early.

Meta Settlement: Meta agreed to pay up to $17.1B in a landmark child-safety deal over Instagram and Facebook, with West Virginia set to receive more than $114M and new protections for teens and parents pending court approval. AI & WVU Research: WVU’s Anthony Sicilia warns that AI can “agree” with users and grow less reliable during long conversations, even when it starts out correct—research backed by a $940K NSF grant. AI Data Centers in WV: Anthropic reportedly signed a massive $45B, six-year compute deal with Nscale tied to West Virginia power capacity, underscoring the state’s growing role in the AI infrastructure race. Health Access: WVU Medicine’s mobile lung cancer screening unit, LUCAS, will visit Putnam, Clay, and Ritchie counties in late September for low-dose CT scans. Arts & Community: The 10th annual Corks and Kegs Festival returns this weekend at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows, and the Mon Valley Railroad Historical Society hosts a model railroad open house at Mountaineer Mall. Music Legacy: West Virginia and beyond are remembering Dolly Parton’s impact, including her Imagination Library work that now reaches all 55 WV counties. Local Watch: WV election officials are monitoring Supreme Court rulings affecting mail-in voting rules ahead of November.

Big Tech Accountability: Meta struck a landmark multistate deal worth up to $17.1 billion over claims it used addictive design on Instagram and Facebook that harmed children—plus sweeping safety changes like tighter teen limits and protections for kids under 13. West Virginia Impact: West Virginia is set to receive up to $114.6 million from the settlement, pending court approval. Local STEM Spotlight: West Virginia State University marked Katherine Johnson Day on campus, celebrating the NASA mathematician’s legacy and awarding 2026 scholarships to WVSU STEM students. Health Access in Rural WV: WVU Medicine’s mobile lung cancer screening unit, LUCAS, will visit Putnam, Clay, and Ritchie counties in September for low-dose CT scans, with grant support for eligible uninsured patients. Arts & Tourism: West Virginia’s 2026 Vacation Guide won a U.S. Travel ESTO Award for Excellence in Print Marketing, with distribution topping 350,000 copies. Community Notes: Wetzel County schools report the start of the new year with 2,017 returning students and highlight improvements in early math and literacy rankings.

Dolly Parton Memorial: Gov. Patrick Morrisey ordered West Virginia flags lowered to half-staff in honor of the country icon, citing her decades-long connection to the Mountain State and the impact of the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Local Arts & Culture: The Clay Center opened “I I AM WILD: A Charley Harper Exhibit,” bringing the West Virginia native’s wildlife-inspired art and hands-on activities to families through Jan. 3, 2027. WVU Spotlight: WVU Fashion Design and Merchandising students and faculty earned international recognition, with multiple designs accepted for exhibition at the ITAA conference. Public Safety Tech Debate: Huntington’s Flock Security contract fight is heating up after an anti-surveillance ballot push and a lawsuit over how the deal was approved. Health Access in WV: WVU Medicine’s mobile lung cancer screening unit, LUCAS, will visit Putnam, Clay, and Ritchie counties in late September, with appointments required in advance. Sports & Campus Life: WVU Police issued a community notice warning students about fraud and sextortion scams as the new semester begins. Community Growth: Bridgeport City Council backed the Clutch House travel sports hotel and gym at Charles Pointe, aiming to bring more team events to the area.