🌱 Patch AM: What a Charleston charter school got while the board stayed silent

Hey hey Charleston! Your one-stop source for local news is here. Continue reading for all the updates. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• What a Charleston charter school got while the board stayed silent
• How a new “movie game” is teaching Charleston kids online safety
• How did Charleston’s blind cricket star shine on the world stage?

Today's riddle: My brother swallowed a box of firecrackers. - Is he all right now? 🤔 (Answer below!)

From our Partner
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Weather forecast:

• Thursday: Rather cloudy and warm, with a high of 62 and low of 38 degrees.
• Friday: Mostly sunny; windy, cooler, temps: high: 42, low: 25.
• Saturday: Warmer with periods of sun, with a high of 58 and low of 37 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Professional Charter School Board stays mum on court ruling requiring county referendums (newsandsentinel.com) — A state charter school board meeting in Charleston quietly followed a court ruling that could force countywide votes on all charter schools, but members took no public stance. They did approve up to $1.28 million for Charleston-based Phalen Leadership Academies to open a K–5 charter in the city by 2026, even as the legal future of charters remains uncertain.
   

2. New interactive online safety tool for students to help combat online danger (wsaz.com) — Charleston families are seeing a new online safety “movie game” tool roll out to West Virginia schools, starting with Nitro High, to help students handle cyberbullying, scams, misinformation, and sextortion. State Superintendent Michele Blatt says the interactive program, created with Safe Surfin’ Foundation and Skyll, will expand statewide with fresh storylines each year to keep kids safer online.
   

3. Local U.S. Women's Blind Cricket player shares experience after competing in World Cup (wchstv.com) — Charleston’s own Tatyana Tolliver-Hughes is sharing what it was like to represent the United States on the first-ever U.S. Women’s Blind Cricket Team at the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. She describes the pride of competing abroad, the team’s diversity, and her hopes to expand accessible sports like blind cricket in communities back home.
   

4. I-64 East reopen after crash (wsaz.com) — Interstate 64 East through the Dunbar area, a key route for many Charleston commuters, has fully reopened after a Wednesday evening crash involving a motorcycle and a passenger vehicle near mile marker 53. One person was taken to the hospital, though officials have not yet released details on the extent of their injuries.
   

5. West Virginia State Parks Announces First Day Hikes - West Virginia Daily News (wvdn.com) — Announced from Charleston State Parks will host 24 free First Day Hikes at 21 parks and forests statewide on Jan. 1 to kick off 2026 outdoors. Families are invited to bundle up, hit the trails, and start the year with fresh air, exercise, and guided nature experiences across West Virginia.
   

📸 Around Charleston

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Charleston

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★ Featured events ★

Friday December 19

• Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical
  Clay Center, 1 Clay Square, Charleston
  7:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Saturday December 20

• North Pole On Ice with Santa
  Memorial Ice Arena , 20 RHL Boulevard , South Charleston
  4:00 am

Wednesday December 24

• Christmas Eve
  Capitol Market , 800 Smith St , Charleston
  10:00 am

📣 Charleston Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

Thursday December 18

• Santa's Candy Gift Drop
  South Charleston Farmers Market , 4006 Maccorkle Avenue S.W. , South Charleston
  11:00 am
• Lil' Tinkers Playgroup
  Dunbar Branch-Kanawha County Library , 301 12th St , Dunbar
  11:00 am
• Holiday Movie Night
  Community Center , 601 Jefferson Rd , South Charleston
  2:00 pm
• Marmet Library
  Marmet Public Library , 9303 Oregon Ave , Marmet
  2:30 pm
• MMNA Monthly Meeting
  Dunbar Branch-Kanawha County Library , 301 12th St , Dunbar
  5:30 pm
• Open Mic Night -- every Thursday
  Coal River Coffee Company , 64 Olde Main Plaza , St Albans
  7:00 pm

Friday December 19

• RHS Warriors vs Woodrow Wilson Flying Eagles
  Riverside High School , 1 Warrior Way , Belle
  7:00 pm

Saturday December 20

• North Pole On Ice with Santa
  Memorial Ice Arena , 20 RHL Boulevard , South Charleston
  4:00 am
• Freestyle Session
  South Charleston Memorial Ice Arena , 20 RHL Blvd , South Charleston
  9:00 am

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

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🪧 Patch Classifieds

• Office Space for Rent
  303 6th Ave Suite B   2,000 sq ft of office space for rent or Keyman offices, all utilities included.  Suites at 303 beside Walgreens 304-553-1476... (More info)

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• If anyone is looking for an electrician, I handle switches, receptacles, lighting, and more.
  I also do flooring, including hardwood and tile. Installations or removals—just text me. (Nextdoor Greenbrier Gardens)
• Looking for someone to take a look at our furnace.
  Anyone that does free estimates or doesn’t cost a fortune? Anyone recommendations are greatly appreciated! (Nextdoor Coopers Creek)

• Kanawha County Commissioner Lance Wheeler was on WCHS TV today discussing critical updates about KCEAA and fire department funding.... (X: kanawhaus)
• Recognizing and avoiding scams at Christmas time. Secretary of State Kris Warner was a guest Tuesday at WSAZ in Huntington. He appeared on Studio 3... (X: wvsosoffice)

• The GIANT Company posted a job opening for PT-Evening Stocker - 6102 in Charleston. Apply here.
• Ruby Tuesday, Inc. posted a job opening for Server Assistant in Charleston. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Charleston here.

Ok Charleston! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don’t know. I haven’t heard the last report.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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