The Point Rocks | radioNOVO News WV News Roundup for May 22, 2026

Good morning, I’m Codi Gaboff with your morning West Virginia State Roundup.We begin in Charleston, where a massive Capital City tradition makes its grand return tonight. Charleston's FestivALL arts festival is back for its twenty-second year, kicking off ten days of city-wide dance, theater, and music. Right down the street at the state Capitol Complex, a piece of heavy Mountain State history has officially moved in. A massive, fifty-ton fireless steam locomotive—donated by A-E-P—and a twenty-ton coal shuttle car from the recently closed Mettiki mine are now permanently on display in the Capitol courtyard as part of West Virginia's upcoming celebration of America's two-hundred-fiftieth birthday.To mark that big national milestone, the state is rolling out a brand-new way to show your Mountain State pride. West Virginia is officially releasing a special commemorative license plate featuring a prominent image of the iconic New River Gorge Bridge. Drivers looking to grab the new design can purchase the plates online starting today, or by visiting their local D-M-V office.Turning to public safety, a Putnam County man is facing up to forty years in federal prison. Demetrius Green has pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl in the Charleston area following a major federal drug sweep. Green will be sentenced in September. Meanwhile, state and local police agencies are ramping up patrols and increasing weekend staffing starting today. Law enforcement will be out in full force through Monday night to crack down on impaired drivers and keep holiday gatherings safe.If you are hitting the roads or the skies this Memorial Day weekend, expect heavy crowds and higher prices. Airport officials are urging travelers to arrive at least two hours before flight times. On the roads, gas prices are creeping up, with the Ohio Valley average hitting four-dollars and thirty-six cents a gallon for regular unleaded.And finally, if you are looking for outdoor plans this weekend, Kanawha State Forest officials say crews are working fast to replace a deteriorated twenty-foot bridge near the campground. By recycling steel beams from a recent Interstate sixty-four project, the repair timeline has been cut from months down to just a few weeks, keeping the campground accessible for holiday visitors. And just down the road in Belle, a massive new twenty-five-thousand-acre off-road complex called Appalachian Outlaw Trails is hosting "Outlawfest" today and tomorrow, featuring dirt drags, fireworks, and five live music acts.For more news from across the Mountain State, download the radioNOVO app. I’m Codi Gaboff, radioNOVO News, a service of Seven Mountains Media.