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

West Virginia’s ‘Address Confidentiality’ program helps protect victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking

CHARLESTON — October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month making it a great time to educate the public on resources available to victims and survivors of domestic violence. According to WV Secretary of State Mac Warner, an important and effective resource is the WV Address Confidentiality Program that is hosted and managed by his office.

The Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) is a program designed to help survivors attempting to escape from situations involving domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking. The ACP coordinates mail service with individual participants in the program allowing the participant to do business with government agencies, school and utilities without having to disclose their home address. This was designed to prevent abusers from using public records as a resource to find their victims. The participants in the program can use the provided substitute address in place of their actual home address.

“We like to use the month of October to educate the public on the availability of West Virginia’s Address Confidentiality Program for all victims of domestic violence,” said Secretary of State Mac Warner. “Our ACP is one of the oldest in the country and is a great tool to help protect victims and their families.”

You can learn more about the West Virginia ACP by CLICKING HERE.

West Virginia was a founding member of the National Association of Confidential Address Programs (NACAP) and continues to play a leading role. Other participating states include Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

All participating states work together by sharing ideas and success stories with the goal of strengthening each program, all while respecting state-specific rules and regulations. Longer-term members like West Virginia also act as a mentor to newer members, sharing best practices and what has worked well in the past.

The WV Address Confidentiality Program is not a crisis center or direct service agency. Rather, it is a tool for victims of abuse to use as part of their overall safety plan. Those seeking more information on the program can call toll-free (866) 767-8683 or you can email the program director at acp@wvsos.gov. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available at (800) 799-SAFE.

Share this story:

Local Businesses

RECENT Stories

Buckhannon man arrested for allegedly entering laundromat while it was closed

A Buckhannon man was arrested after allegedly entering the Speed Wash Laundromat after hours while another person stole from the quarter machine.

Upshur County students show gains in reading, math at mid-year benchmarks

Upshur County students posted mid-year gains on i-Ready benchmarks, with fewer students falling behind in both reading and math. Superintendent Christy Miller also flagged chronic absenteeism as a key focus.

Annette Reel

Annette Reel, 67, of Hurricane, WV, an FBI analyst and Christian Fellowship Church member, died January 18, 2026; she is survived by two children, five grandchildren, four siblings, and will be cremated with a later celebration of life.

Blanche Grace (Helmick) McCartney

Blanche Grace (Helmick) McCartney, 99, a former West Buckhannon Methodist Church choir member and longtime resident of the Buckhannon area, died January 18, 2026, leaving three sons, multiple descendants, and a large extended family.

Buckhannon Consolidated Public Works Board Agenda: January 22, 2026

The Buckhannon Consolidated Public Works Board will meet January 22, 2026; this agenda outlines items to be considered at that session.

City of Buckhannon calendar for the week of January 19, 2026

Buckhannon’s week of Jan. 19 includes MLK Day closures (waste collection still on schedule), curbside recycling pickup Tuesday at 6 a.m., and a Consolidated Public Works meeting Thursday with in-person and virtual options.

Upshur County Sports Calendar

This week’s Upshur County sports calendar lists middle and high school basketball, wrestling, and college matchups for Jan. 19–25, highlighted by multiple Buckhannon-Upshur and West Virginia Wesleyan contests.

Basketball ‘Cats gain first win off the year as they beat West Virginia State, 97-91

West Virginia Wesleyan earned its first win of the season, defeating West Virginia State 97-91 behind Jerell Jean-Baptiste’s 32 points, hot three-point shooting, and a 30-of-37 performance from the free-throw line.

Wesleyan women use strong second half to pull away from Yellow Jackets for 86-67 win

Wesleyan erupted for 33 third-quarter points and shot 55.2 percent overall to defeat West Virginia State 86–67, led by Emma Witt’s 31 points, as the Lady Bobcats improved to 8–4 (6–3 MEC).