🌱 Patch AM: Judge to decide if jury sees graphic videos in ambulance death case

Hi Charleston! We have the latest buzz right here. Let's keep you in the loop and get this morning started right! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• Judge to decide if jury sees graphic videos in ambulance death case
• Will new prison body cameras actually cut abuse and lawsuits?
• Are West Virginia's data center tax breaks costing our schools billions?

Also on today's calendar: Ella Langley and 5 more events.

Today's riddle: What is the 1 way to guarantee winning a small fortune at the casino? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Tuesday: Mostly sunny and very hot, with a high of 97 and low of 70 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
• Wednesday: Mostly sunny and very hot, temps: high: 97, low: 69.
• Thursday: Very hot, with a high of 97 and low of 73 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Motion seeks to exclude graphic videos in trial for former Kanawha ambulance driver (wchstv.com) — A Kanawha County judge is weighing whether jurors will see graphic surveillance and body‑camera footage in the trial of a former county ambulance driver accused in a man's dragging death. With a September 11 hearing set, the defense argues some disturbing videos would unfairly inflame jurors rather than clarify what happened.
   

• Lawsuits over alleged force drive push for body cameras, advocates demand accountability (wchstv.com) — State corrections leaders in Charleston are pushing to add body cameras for staff in jails and prisons, hoping to cut costly lawsuits over alleged excessive force. Advocates warn that cameras alone won't stop abuse and are demanding transparency about past incidents and reforms before taxpayers fund another expensive upgrade.
   

• 'Negotiating the pennies left in the couch,' data centers outpacing West Virginia's outdated revenue model (wowktv.com) — From Charleston, state leaders are debating whether West Virginia's generous tax breaks for massive data centers, like the Anthropic-backed project in Mason County, are shortchanging schools and local services. As neighboring states tighten incentives, lawmakers and policy experts are split over whether to overhaul the state's decades‑old revenue model.
   

📸 Around Charleston

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Charleston

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Thursday September 10
• Special Places Celebration →
  Clay Center, 1 Clay Square, Charleston
  6:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Tuesday September 1
• Trivia Night at Fife
  City of Charleston Fife Street Brewing
  7:00 pm
Friday September 4
• Redmond Reading Intervention Training
  Ruffner Elementary School Charleston, WV 25311
  8:00 am
Saturday September 5
• 2026 Charleston Distance Run
  City of Charleston WV State Capitol and Kanawha Boulevard
  7:30 am
• World Festival
  City of South Charleston South Charleston Farmers Market, 4006 Maccorkle Avenue S.W., South Charleston, West Virginia, WV, 25309, United States
  8:00 am
• Art Takeover
  City of Charleston Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences
  11:00 am
Monday September 7
• Cemetery Walk with a View
  City of Charleston Spring Hill Cemetery Park and Arboretum
  9:00 am
Saturday September 12
• Ella Langley →
  Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center, 200 Civic Center Dr, Charleston
  7:00 pm

📣 Charleston Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Tuesday September 1
• Cemetery Running and Walking Group
  City of Charleston Spring Hill Cemetery Park and Arboretum
  5:30 pm
• Trivia Night at Fife
  City of Charleston Fife Street Brewing
  7:00 pm
Saturday September 5
• 2026 Charleston Distance Run
  City of Charleston WV State Capitol and Kanawha Boulevard
  7:30 am
• World Festival
  City of South Charleston South Charleston Farmers Market, 4006 Maccorkle Avenue S.W., South Charleston, West Virginia, WV, 25309, United States
  8:00 am

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

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• If you don't have anything nice, encouraging, positive, or helpful to say then don't say nothing at all.
  You don't know a person's struggles or position their in to judge them. You never know the power of the words or comments that are said in a negative… (Nextdoor Washington Heights)
• Life with Viktor (age 5) Aug 30
  Viktor goes into these monologues where he will talk and talk seemingly just to himself. I was able to catch some of what he was saying... "Well,… (Nextdoor Washington Heights)

• Papa John's - Sun Holdings, Inc. posted a job opening for Team Member in Charleston. Apply here.
• Ryder System posted a job opening for Payroll Coordinator II - REMOTE in Charleston. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Charleston here.

🗞 Nearby News

South Charleston

• Honey Do Farms honors Dolly Parton with fundraiser at South Charleston Farmers Market (wowktv.com)
• Foul odor reported in area of South Charleston train derailment site; cleanup continues (wchstv.com)

Elkview

• Greenbrier West opens season with 45-19 win over Wirt County (wvmetronews.com)

Nitro

• Arrest made following reported pursuit in Kanawha County, police say (wchstv.com)
• Nitro Elementary School graffiti investigation underway (wboy.com)

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: By starting with a large fortune. (Thank you Kourtney Z. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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