All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

A 13th COVID-19 case reported in Upshur County as governor fires top health official Wednesday afternoon

A 13th COVID-19 case was reported in Upshur County Wednesday afternoon, according to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.

According to the Upshur-Buckhannon Health Department, nine of those cases are active.

In his virtual press briefing Wednesday, Gov. Jim Justice advised anyone who may have attended a livestock auction at the Buckhannon Stockyards to contact their local health department, saying 10 cases have been linked to two auctions.

Just before the 5 p.m. DHHR report was released, Justice also announced that State Health Officer and Commissioner of the Bureau for Public Health, Dr. Cathy Slemp, had resigned.

“After the governor expressed to Secretary Crouch his lack of confidence in Dr. Slemp’s leadership of the Bureau for Public Health due to a series of recent events involving issues under her direct control, Secretary Crouch then asked for Dr. Slemp’s resignation, which she offered immediately,” according to a press release.

In recent news briefings, Justice has seemed frustrated by the rise in COVID-19 cases in West Virginia and on Wednesday suggested the number of active cases being reported recently may have been too high due to a miscalculation involving the Huttonsville prison.

Ninety cases were removed from the active list earlier this week but as of Wednesday the overall total remains higher than it had been at any point prior to the middle of June.

Unlike previous spikes, which were often linked to a single facility, the recent surge has been more widespread, with numerous smaller outbreaks across the state, many related to travel. West Virginia is now nearly two months into its reopening plan, dubbed by Justice as “The Comeback.”

Overall, the DHHR announced Wednesday that 36 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in the Mountain State.

No additional deaths were reported.

“The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reports as of 5 p.m. on June 24, 2020, there have been 156,960 total confirmatory laboratory results received for COVID-19, with 2,629 total cases and 92 deaths,” according to a press release.

New cases were reported Wednesday in Berkeley, Brooke, Cabell, Fayette, Greenbrier, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Kanawha, Mercer, Nicholas, Ohio, Putnam, Raleigh, Upshur, Wayne and Wood counties.

About 682 West Virginia cases remain active, according DHHR data. Of the cases that are no longer active, 1,855 people have recovered and 92 have died, a mortality rate of about 4.7 percent.

CASES PER COUNTY (Case confirmed by lab test/Probable case): Barbour (15/0), Berkeley (422/18), Boone (19/0), Braxton (3/0), Brooke (10/1), Cabell (97/3), Calhoun (2/0), Clay (10/0), Fayette (62/0), Gilmer (10/0), Grant (15/1), Greenbrier (52/0), Hampshire (40/0), Hancock (18/2), Hardy (41/1), Harrison (52/1), Jackson (142/0), Jefferson (212/5), Kanawha (263/8), Lewis (15/0), Lincoln (5/0), Logan (21/0), Marion (52/2), Marshall (38/1), Mason (16/0), McDowell (6/0), Mercer (27/0), Mineral (52/2), Mingo (12/3), Monongalia (145/14), Monroe (8/1), Morgan (19/1), Nicholas (8/0), Ohio (76/0), Pendleton (12/1), Pleasants (4/1), Pocahontas (23/1), Preston (52/12), Putnam (44/1), Raleigh (34/1), Randolph (154/0), Ritchie (2/0), Roane (11/0), Summers (1/0), Taylor (13/1), Tucker (6/0), Tyler (3/0), Upshur (13/1), Wayne (107/1), Wetzel (9/0), Wirt (4/0), Wood (57/4), Wyoming (7/0).

Share this story:

Local Businesses

RECENT Stories

Winter storm warning issued for Upshur County with 6 to 10 inches of snow expected over the weekend

Heavy snow is forecast from Saturday afternoon through early Monday morning, with bitter cold to follow.

Buckhannon Toyota donates $10,000 to Feed My Sheep to fund Christmas meal baskets

Buckhannon Toyota donated $10,000 to Feed My Sheep Food Outreach to help fund about 400 Christmas meal baskets and other holiday support for families, seniors, veterans and the homeless.

Buckhannon Community Theatre honors Felicia Burger Westfall Johnston with 2025 Knorr Award

Felicia Burger Westfall Johnston, an early pioneer of Buckhannon Community Theatre who has starred in productions and served on the board of directors, received the 2025 Knorr Award.

Leadership Upshur dives into healthcare and public safety during December session

The December Leadership Upshur session offered participants a close look at the people, systems and teamwork that keep the community safe and healthy, with visits to Community Care of West Virginia, WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital and the Buckhannon Public Safety Complex.

Garnieta “Gay” Baxa

Garnieta “Gay” Baxa, 92, of Old Elkins Road died December 10, 2025; she is survived by husband Howard “Frank” Baxa, three children, seven grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and extended family, with services at Heavner and Cutright.

Basketball ‘Cats tumble to Point Park, 90-66

Point Park’s hot perimeter shooting and a dominant second half sank WVWC 90-66, with the Pioneers hitting 15 threes and capitalizing on turnovers while Wesleyan’s Isaiah Baker and Stephen Ovia fought inside.

Dandridge scores 30 as Wesleyan women down Point Park, 83-58

Freshman Kilah Dandridge scored 30 points as West Virginia Wesleyan shot 53% and dominated a 29‑point third quarter to beat Point Park 83-58, paced by Ana Young (18) and Emma Witt (15).

Webster Springs man arrested on strangulation charge after allegedly spitting on and choking victim

Police arrested a man on a felony strangulation charge after he allegedly admitted to spitting on, slapping and choking another person, according to a criminal complaint.

Volga man arrested after threatening officer at Upshur County Courthouse

A 59-year-old Volga man was arrested after allegedly threatening a deputy during processing at the Upshur County Courthouse following a DUI stop. He faces charges including DUI, possession of marijuana and retaliation against a public official; bail is $19,500.