Good morning, Morgantown.

Nesha Sanghavi, a former WVU cheerleader and John Chambers College alum, started chicka-d in her parents' garage to create stylish WVU women's clothes and now runs a growing business in college licensing and boutique wholesale markets with a design team of 50 women.

During the pandemic, the state partnered with WVU and the Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative to pay digital nomads to move here, and many remote workers have remained.

Ascend West Virginia continues to attract digital workers + fuel local economic growth.

WVU, its housing partners, and Ryan Lynch (settlement announced July 29) resolved disputes over University Place, dismissing litigation and ending leases and financing transfers.

Student housing operations will remain unchanged as WVU assumes full ownership and preserves the site’s role in its student inventory.

School officials finalized the first day of school dates for all 55 counties in West Virginia, so local districts now have clear start dates for classes.

Residents can check their district announcements for details on when classes begin.

Senior research staff must update their security training as a refresher course via CITI is available for those whose Research Security Basic course was completed 12 or more months ago.

Agencies including USDA + NASA require compliance before grant submissions, and WVU personnel must certify completion in the WRAP application.

Mason County residents voiced concerns at a commission meeting Tuesday about a new data center north of Point Pleasant and questioned its high impact classification under state law — officials noted that the company is covering its water costs.

Governor Morrisey announced the state’s Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday to help families with school shopping.

The four-day event starts at midnight July 31 and runs until August 3 (offering a 6% tax break on qualifying clothing, supplies, tech, and gear) across the state.

Chris Hamilton of the West Virginia Coal Association said he is worried a proposed gas plant near Fort Martin may raise costs for local ratepayers and divert funds from mandated coal plant upgrades.

Construction may begin in 2027 (pending PSC approval).

Queen City Funk and Soul Concert

7-10 p.m. — Tropics — $15 — Enjoy a vibrant night of live music featuring Queen City Funk as part of the summer concert series.