Candlelight Vigil Held to Remember Student Killed in Car Crash
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Doors destroyed at Maple House, WVU set to host Drag Queen Gee recognizes importance of home of WVU LGBTQ+ Center Storytime despite cancellation of connection between Huggins, similar event West Virginia p. 4 p. 5 p. 8 @DailyAthenaeum Th e Daily Athenaeum dailyathenaeum [email protected] WVU’s Independent Student Newspaper THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020 www.thedaonline.com Candlelight vigil held to remember student killed in car crash BY ALEXANDER WORRELL As family, friends and classmates CORRESPONDENT arrived at the vigil to mourn, they said the gloomy scene in front of Mar- On Monday evening, a crowd tin Hall is not the way they want Rob- gathered in Woodburn Circle to light ertson to be remembered. candles in memory of a WVU student “She just wanted to have fun and who died over the weekend. be happy,” said Megan Samtmann, Chloe Robertson, a senior crimi- friend and roommate of Robertson. nology student, died in a car accident “She just loved [WVU].” in the Philadelphia area. In the car Samtmann’s sentiments were with her was a friend, WVU criminol- echoed among attendees of the cer- ogy student Bobbiann Gubbei, who is emony. All who spoke at the cere- currently in a Philadelphia hospital. mony described Robertson as some- “She always put a smile on my one who had a vibrant and cheerful face,” said Trevor Austin, a friend of personality. Robertson. “Every time I saw her, ev- A bell-ringing ceremony for Rob- ery time we were together. Th ere’s ertson will be scheduled at a later never a bad time with Chloe. She’s date. PHOTO BY DUNCAN SLADE just one of those people.” See Candlelight page 3 Students gathered for a candlelight vigil in honor of Chloe Robertson in Woodburn Circle on Jan. 27. Morgantown City Council discusses ordinance lessening penalty for marijuana possession ify penalties that might be imposed The WVU Student Government “I don’t want you or anybody port for the ordinance. One woman BY CRAIG WEIMER AND by a state entity.” Association passed a resolution, in else to come away from this meet- even came forth with a petition ALAYNA FULLER The penalty for marijuana pos- response to this Morgantown ordi- ing tonight thinking that, should featuring hundreds of signatures CORRESPONDENT AND NEWS EDITOR session in state law is a prison sen- nance, to support Morgantown can- this pass, police officers are going and supportive comments for the tence of 90 days to six months and nabis decriminalization. to start issuing municipal citations,” ordinance. Morgantown City Council will a fine of up to $1,000 for a first of- Ed Preston, Morgantown police Preston said. “It’s probably not go- “As someone from [the legal] pro- vote next month on an ordinance fense, according to the West Vir- chief, voiced his concern that an ing to happen.” fession and working with individu- that says that any person who pos- ginia Code. officer’s current ability to decide Council members Zackery Cruze als who are criminalized because of sesses cases of less than 15 grams of Barry Wendell, councilman, said whether a case should be prose- and Ryan Simonton said that officer possession or use of a drug that is marijuana will be presented with a he was opposed to the proposal. cuted in state or municipal court, discretion is not going anywhere. less harmful than tobacco or alco- $15 fine and will not be penalized “It’s easy for us to say we want known formally as officer dis- “Before presenting this to coun- hol, I could make a financial pitch to by imprisonment. this, but the West Virginia Univer- cretion, would be revoked by the cil, I spoke with the police chief to you,” said Robb Livingood, a lawyer Amending the penalty provisions sity administration has come out change. ensure that he would not object to from Monongalia County. “The mo- for the crime of possession of small against it,” Wendell said in the email “I don’t often make ultimatums, the introduction of the ordinance ment that I walk on a case, it’s going amounts of marijuana was dis- to WVU’s Student Government As- but if you do this [take away officer and that officers would have the dis- to be at least two or three thousand cussed in a Committee of the Whole sociation. “If we were to do this, discretion], I will quit,” Preston said. cretion to charge this crime with bucks, and that doesn’t include the meeting on Tuesday. and convince the Morgantown Po- Alternatively, Preston suggested this associated penalty in munici- expenses the police force is using “This clarifies the limits as to lice Department to not arrest peo- simply removing the drug ordi- pal court,” Simonton said. “The of- on criminalization. It’s a few thou- what we can and can’t do,” said Ra- ple for marijuana, that would still nance entirely and giving officers ficers are the ones who would make sand dollars of police resources. To chel Fetty, deputy mayor. “We do leave open the possibility that, in full discretion to issue citations, as that initial decision whether or not jail someone in North Central, it’s not have the ability to decriminal- the city, one could be arrested by they currently do. to charge under city code.” well over fifty dollars per day.” ize marijuana, but we have the abil- WVU Police, Mon County Sheriff, or This ordinance would not change During the public comment por- Council moved to place the ordi- ity to modify sanctions or penalties. the State Police. I don’t want to give penalties given by state or county tion of the meeting, many Morgan- nance on the Feb. 4 regular meeting We do not have the option to mod- anyone a false sense of security.” law enforcement. town residents expressed their sup- agenda for a vote. 2 THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020 WEEKEND WEATHER FORECAST SOCIAL MEDIA MOMENTS dailyathenaeum Thursday 1/30 Sponsored by RAIN AND SNOWY SHOWERS IN Staff AFTERNOON. WVU’s INDEPENDENT HIGH 40° LOW 32° STUDENT NEWSPAPER Friday 1/31 NEWS Me @ the wvu bookstore Douglas Soule CLOUDY WITH SHOWERS. Editor-in-Chief Hannah Williams HIGH 44° LOW 34° Managing Editor Avery Lyons Page Designer Saturday 2/1 why do keep EMAILING Caroline Murphy Page Designer people me Alayna Fuller CLOUDY WITH SHOWERS. News Editor Gabriella Brown HIGH 41° LOW 33° Assistant News Editor Jared Serre Sports Editor Cody Nespor Assistant Sports Editor Cole McClanahan CRIME REPORT Culture Editor Raeanne Beckner Assistant Culture Editor SeVohn Hunter Jan. 28 University Ave. Podcast Editor 3:22 a.m. | Investigations Traffi c stop. Kayla Gagnon WVU Dadisman Video Editor Battery. Jan. 28 Caylie Silveira 5:48 p.m. | Unfounded Downtown + Evansdale Photo Editor Jan. 28 WVU Braxton Tower Monday - Saturday 9:52 a.m. | Closed Drug incident. ADVERTISING WVU Bennett Tower 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Derek Reh Harassment. Jan. 28 Media Consultant 7:46 p.m. | Clear 304.296.8696 304.777.4867 Emma Hershman Jan. 28 University Ave. Media Consultant 10:00 a.m. | Active Traffi c stop. Andrew Green WVU Mountainlair Media Consultant Larceny. Jan. 28 Dogs are awesome. That’s why we 9:20 p.m. | Clear made an entire series about them. 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