Curtis Johnson

Reporter at WSAZ-TV (Huntington, WV)

Former Investigative/Political Reporter for @WSAZnews, @wtaptelevision, @WVVA & @WDTV5News. Prior stops @heralddispatch, @NewsandSentinel, @WestVirginiaAG.

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Articles

Trump’s Order to Expand Logging Threatens to Increase Climate-Fueled Wildfires

3 weeks ago | truthout.org | Curtis Johnson |Samantha Borek

On March 1, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production.” The order claimed “onerous Federal policies” have hindered domestic timber production and that expanding logging was a matter of protecting “national and economic security.” It ordered the secretary of the Interior and head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), who oversee the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) respectively, to...
‘23 PSC investigation triggered Milton recommendations

Aug 20, 2024 | wsaz.com | Curtis Johnson

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Recent complaints in Milton about discolored water are not new. A WSAZ Investigation found a series of complaints from January 2023. Those complaints, from nine residents, triggered an investigation by the West Virginia Public Service Commission. WSAZ found the PSC consolidated the complaints and launched its investigation, which included attempts to contact each customer, a demand for records and a PSC tour of the Milton plant.
W.Va. test scores show room for improvement

Aug 15, 2024 | wsaz.com | Curtis Johnson

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Every parent wants the best for their children and as school resumes in West Virginia, parents in the Mountain State are learning how their schools fared in the latest round of state testing. Scores released this week show slight improvements in reading and math. The state Department of Education says the most noticeable improvement came with younger grade levels.
WSAZ Investigates | System to help vulnerable kids won’t be ready until 2026

Aug 5, 2024 | wsaz.com | Curtis Johnson

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - It is a system West Virginia officials hope will help children struggling with mental health and other issues that do not rise to the level of abuse or neglect, but it is also a project that is years behind schedule. The state Department of Human Services recently confirmed to WSAZ that its expanded, differentiated response system will not be implemented until sometime in 2026. WSAZ’s Curtis Johnson recently took word of the delay to Gov. Jim Justice.
W.Va. Gov. speaks on secretary’s resignation

Jul 25, 2024 | wsaz.com | Curtis Johnson

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice discussed the resignation of one cabinet secretary and named a successor Thursday during his weekly briefing. Department of Administration Secretary Mark Scott oversaw a broad swath of state government for nearly three years -- 16 agencies in all.
W.Va. DNR urges precaution with hiking in the heat

Jul 15, 2024 | wsaz.com | Curtis Johnson

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - With temperatures hitting 90 degrees for 23 of the past 30 days, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources says outdoor enthusiasts need to take precautions and plan ahead. Michelle Foster, of Hurricane, exercises on a regular basis. Monday’s heat caused her to opt for the shade of a trail run in Hurricane. “I mean, it’s definitely on my mind,” she said. “I do run out on Teays Valley Road, but I can’t do it in this extreme amount of heat.
WSAZ Investigates | State officials address handling of teen death case

Jun 6, 2024 | wdtv.com | Curtis Johnson |Kristen Bentley |Andrew Colegrove

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - About six weeks after authorities say neglect killed a Boone County teenager, state leaders released investigative findings Thursday saying any prior contact the state had with Kyneddi Miller involved unfounded allegations or concerns that did not rise to the level of neglect as set forth in state law. Boone County Sheriff’s deputies say they found Miller, 14, in April. They described finding her body in a skeletal state, saying she had not eaten for months.
Attorney files motion to block release of information in neglect case

Jun 5, 2024 | wsaz.com | Curtis Johnson

BOONE COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - A criminal defense attorney is trying to stop the Governor’s Office from holding a Thursday press briefing related to a child fatality in Boone County. The emergency motion, filed Wednesday morning in Boone Circuit Court, seeks an emergency hearing to stop the Governor’s Office from sharing an investigative report with news agencies. The briefing is set for 2 p.m. Thursday.
GPS Records: Trooper checked on Boone teen, immediately drove to CPS office

May 30, 2024 | wsaz.com | Curtis Johnson

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - GPS records obtained Thursday show a West Virginia state trooper checked on a Boone County teenager and immediately thereafter drove to the local, Child Protective Services office, where radio traffic and a call log previously shows he made a referral to CPS. West Virginia State Police turned over the GPS records Thursday to WSAZ NewsChannel 3 in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.
W.Va. Gov casts doubt on WVSP referral, confirms parts of whistleblower letter

May 29, 2024 | wsaz.com | Curtis Johnson

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice placed a state trooper’s cruiser in the parking lot of a Boone County child welfare office, but he cast doubt during a Wednesday briefing if the trooper actually made a referral for a now dead teenager. WSAZ Investigates | Deadly Details DeniedThose comments are the latest in a story that has changed multiple times related to when state Child Protective Services first knew of Kyneddi Miller, 14.