Every year, students across the state compete for the prestigious right to be a United States Senate Youth Program scholarship recipient. The event is sponsored by the Hearst Foundation and will be in its forty-eighth year as a program this January. The college scholarship, totaling $5,000, is given to two students from every state.

Finalist interviews for West Virginia students were held November 9 in the attorney conference room of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. Finalists included Eli Cloonan, Amber McCoy, Christopher Nyden, Nathan Tauger, and Ryan Zahalka.

 The five high school students made presentations on civic government issues and responded to questions from a panel of judges. Members of the panel included representatives from the State Auditor's Office, the State School Superintendent's Office, and the West Virginia State Bar, and the Bar Foundation.

Justices Robin Jean Davis and Menus Ketchum visited with the students in the courtroom. After speaking with the students and answering questions, the Justices posed for photographs.

In the past, members of the panel have included Justices of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia and their staff, including Justices Brent Benjamin, Larry Starcher, and Joseph P. Albright.

Last year's winners were Benjamin Becker from Morgantown High School, and Vincent Tennant from The Linsly School in Wheeling. The winners spent a week in Washington, D.C., studying federal government and meeting with various political figures, including President Barrack Obama.

This year's winners will also spend an all expense paid week in Washington D.C., March 6-13. Highlights of the trip include a meeting with a Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, and the hearing of policy addresses made by various elected officials, including Senators, Cabinet members, and officials and directors in the Departments of State and Defense and other federal agencies. After each session students will be given time for a question and answer period. The pinnacle of the trip includes a meeting with President Obama. 


Circuit judge tells lawmakers how he tackles truancy issues

Nicholas County Chief Circuit Judge Gary Johnson spoke before the Legislature's interim education subcommittee on December 8, 2009, about truancy and how Nicholas County handles such proceedings. 

Judge Johnson said in the past he wouldn't receive truancy cases until the end of the school year. By that time the students had missed forty five to fifty days of school. 

But last April and May, the school system conducted a "roundup" of students with ten or more unexcused absences. Truancy cases were removed entirely from the magistrate court so every case goes before Judge Johnson. He held hearings throughout the summer and put students under strict supervision. 

Now, once a student misses ten unexcused days, county attendance director Kathy Hypes notifies the circuit court. The students are named "status offenders" and a court date is set. Judge Johnson said he's careful to set court times outside school hours, so truancy proceedings don't actually cause absences.

"We try to do them after school, too, so that makes for some long evenings sometimes," he told the Charleston Daily Mail.

Judge Johnson and Hypes told lawmakers the program has been implemented without any extra money from the state or federal government.

Judge Johnson said sixty seven percent of people in West Virginia penitentiaries are high school dropouts. By instituting tougher truancy prevention programs, he said the state could cut dropout rates, prevent students from going to prison, and possibly save some money in the long run.

While the program is not one hundred percent effective, there has been some success.

Hypes said sixty-five percent of the children considered truant last year aren't missing school this year, a significant improvement. She said after the program has been in affect for a couple years, the truancy rate could drop even more.

One suggestion Hypes made to the Legislature was to lower the number of allowed unexcused absences. Right now, students can miss ten days on a doctor's excuse and ten days with "mommy notes" before missing those ten unexcused days. 

Mercer judge asks BOE to expand mentoring program

Mercer County Circuit Judge Omar Aboulhosn asked the Mercer County Board of Education on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, to endorse the expansion of a mentoring program that links schools and individual classes with professionals in their communities.

After further discussions with the superintendent, the board approved the program on November 24. Judge Aboulhosn said he will begin training volunteers and meeting with teachers and principals.

Judge Aboulhosn has been working with sixth-grade classes at Montcalm Elementary School for more than ten years. He reads to the students once a week and participates in numerous activities and fields trips each year, including leading the students on a tour of the regional jail in Beaver each spring.

"I tell them that the overwhelming majority of the men and women in our regional jails and prisons never received a high school diploma or GED," the judge said. "I also show them that the average income increases as education increases.

"I always look forward to beginning my relationship with Montcalm School each school year. I hope to encourage the kids in the class to stay in school, go to college, and to stay away from drugs and alcohol. I want to encourage them to believe in themselves and to know that if they work hard, they can become a successful person right here at home in Mercer County," the judge said.

He recently began working with Generation GAP (Gathering Area Professionals), a young professionals group for ages 21 to 45, and the Dropout Prevention Committee of the COFY (Creating Opportunities for Youth) Coalition to expand his mentoring idea throughout Mercer County. The COFY Coalition is the substance abuse prevention program in Mercer County.

"Generation GAP members will be going into the other schools. Our goal is to replicate and expand what I do at Montcalm to other schools using other young professionals. We will be assisting in training the other professionals," he said. He hopes to have the program started early next semester.


Judges to participate in Read to Me Day

West Virginia judges participated in Read to Me Day on Thursday, November 19, as part of the West Virginia Library Commission's celebration of West Virginia Children's Book Week.

Two circuit judges and a family court judge read to students at Crab Orchard Elementary School in Crab Orchard. 

Raleigh County Circuit Judge H.L. Kirkpatrick III read to kindergarten students in the morning and Raleigh County Circuit Judge John A. Hutchison read to kindergarten students in the afternoon, while Family Court Judge Louise G. Staton read to third-grade students midmorning. Judge Staton's Thirteenth Family Court Circuit includes Raleigh and Wyoming Counties.

Family Court Judge Mary Ellen Griffith, who serves in the Twelfth Family Court Circuit (McDowell and Mercer Counties) read to students at noon at Ceres Elementary School in Bluefield.

Kanawha County Circuit Judge Tod Kaufman also read to students, just on a different day.

On December Fourth Judge Kaufman wore a powdered wig to read one of his favorite books, "Wild Fox," by Cherie Mason, to fourth and fifth graders at Chandler Elementary School in Charleston.

The judges' appearances are part of the West Virginia Supreme Court's Robes to Schools program. Justice Robin Jean Davis launched the program in January 2007 to encourage active and retired justices, circuit judges, family court judges, and magistrates to read to school children and talk to them about the West Virginia judicial system. Information about the Robes to Schools program can be found on the Supreme Court's Web site at http://www.state.wv.us/wvsca/kidspage/RobesCover.html.


Circuit Judge meets with students on Constitution Day

First Judicial Circuit Judge James Mazzone quizzed Warwood School eighth-grades students about their knowledge of the United States Constitution on the 222nd anniversary of the adoption of the document, September 17, 2009.

Warwood School is in Wheeling, Ohio County, one of the counties in the First Circuit, which also includes Brooke and Hancock Counties. 

Judge Mazzone told the Warwood students that the Constitution is the fundamental document upon which all our laws and rights are based.

"Many of the items in our Constitution are rights we take for granted every day," Judge Mazzone said. "A lot of men and women died for the freedoms we have."

Students in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades studied the Constitution in preparation for Constitution Day.

"The children participated in a variety of activities, including learning the Preamble of the Constitution, studying the branches of government, discussing the amendments, writing a class preamble, and designing Constitution Day posters that will be sent to the National Archives in Washington, D.C.," said social studies teacher Marthann Rinehart.

Eighth Judicial Circuit Judge Booker T. Stephens presented certificates of appreciation to students of the Mount View High School cross-country team in late November.

The students visited the McDowell County Courthouse with their coach, Nate Smith. At first, they didn't know what they were there for. 

Stephens told The [Bluefield] Daily Telegraph that he is "always willing to promote young people who have positive attitudes and want to better themselves.

"Cross-country teams don't really get the publicity and the accolades that football and basketball and other sports get," Judge Stephens said. "We wanted to demonstrate that we appreciate their efforts."

Judge Stephens and his wife have been runners for about two decades.

While receiving their certificates in the judge's chambers, Smith said Judge Stephens also handed one of the runners a book about leadership and character, and instructed them to share the book until all the team members had read it.

"He said he might give 'em a verbal quiz," Smith said.

"I'm pleased being honored, but I told my runners all year, good things can happen if you have a good attitude about doing something you like."



Randolph County Judge Wilfong works to prevent drugs

        Randolph County Chief Circuit Judge Jaymie Wilfong visited schools in Randolph  County in October in honor of Red Ribbon Week, an annual campaign against alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and violence. 

The Red Ribbon remembrance began in Calexico, California. DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camerena was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered along with his pilot, Captain Alfredo Zavala-Avelar in Guadalajara, Mexico, while they worked to expose native drug cartels. Citizens in Camerena's hometown wore red ribbons in remembrance of Camerena and his fight against alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and violence. 

The donning of red ribbons in October has become a nationwide remembrance of those who have died due to drug and alcohol violence and a way to spread awareness and prevention.

Along with members of her staff, Judge Wilfong visited every second- and fifth- grade class in Randolph County the week of October 23 and the week after. While at the schools, Judge Wilfong focused on drug prevention and spoke with students about the importance of maintaining a drug-free life. Pencils, stickers, coloring pages, tattoos, and balls were all handed out in an effort to engage the students. 

Judge Wilfong also sponsored an essay contest for fifth-grade students and a poster contest for second-grade students in Randolph County. Students created works with the theme of "Drugs Stink, I'd Rather _______." First-, second-, and third-place winners were given a cash prize. The winning student's teacher also was given a matching cash prize to use for the entire class' needs. Judge Wilfong stated, "Participation was overwhelming. I would estimate participation was at least ninety percent, countywide." 

Judge Wilfong plans to make the event a yearly tradition. "It took us four days to hit all of the second and fifth grades, but I think it was definitely worth it."

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