Hardy County 911 received a call at about 5 a.m. about a house fire on Wood Edge Rd., near the community of Mathias. One woman was able to escape and was taken to the hospital.

The State Fire Marshal said a man and four children died in the fire. The man was 28 years old and the children were all between one and five years old.

The cause of the fire is undetermined, due to the severe amount of damage to the home. No smoke alarms were found among the debris, the State Fire Marshal stated in a press release.

While D.C., Northern Virginia, and some parts of Maryland like Prince George's and Montgomery County are mainly seeing rain, other areas of the DMV like Western Maryland and West Virginia are seeing snow.

Here are some pictures from DC News Now viewers on how they're enjoying this snowy day.

The American Red Cross invited people to donate blood as a way to honor West Virginia State Police troopers Abe Bean and Cadin Spessert. Both were serving an arrest warrant on Dec. 17, 2023 when West Virginia State Police said the suspect shot them. Bean was hit four times and Spessert was hit once.

Staff members of Inova Fairfax Hospital in Virginia treated Bean who was released from the hospital.

The parents of Spessert were at the Red Cross donation site Friday to thank donors for their care and concern.

"Most recently 'C.D.' got cards from elementary school children with pictures they drew and wishing them Merry Christmas and things," said Spessert's mom, Carol. "And the state police have been so supportive."

People who gave blood to help bolster blood supplies also had the opportunity to make monetary donations to help each trooper.

The Red Cross will hold another blood drive to honor the troopers on Jan. 29 at the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office.

Nate Adams and Rachel Adkins have been renovating houses their entire married life but decided to do something unique after they moved to near Fayetteville, West Virginia. The couple has several unique vacation rentals that are just a short drive from the New River Gorge National Park, but one in Oak Hill is particularly magical.

Adams told 12 News that they finished converting the home to a Harry Potter-inspired theme earlier this year. Adkins, who Adams said is the creative driver behind their projects, turned the home into a fully immersive experience.

The living room is inspired by the Great Hall in Hogwarts, the kitchen is inspired by Honey Dukes, the bedrooms are inspired by the Gryffindor common room and Perkins' tent that Harry and the Weasleys stayed in at the Quidditch World Cup, and the bathroom is inspired by the prefects bathroom on the fifth floor.

Before they bought and renovated it, the house was a gut-job, Adams told 12 News. He said Airbnb gives them a chance to do something they enjoy, make some extra money and help clean up some of the run down homes in the place they now call home.

Adams said that the unique homes like The Wizard House and The Game House next door rent more easily than non-specialty houses, especially during the winter off-season when fewer people are vacationing to the area.

They are currently working on renovating another house in the area that will be cryptid/monster themed that will include artwork of monsters like West Virginia's Mothman.

You can rent The Wizard House for starting at $108 per night, plus service and cleaning fees. Hosts Rachel and Nate, as they are listed on Airbnb, both have high ratings, and Rachel is considered a Superhost.

One member of the state legislature is working to bring relief from the financial pressure.

Many seniors depend on their monthly Social Security check to get by but Del. John Hardy (R-Berkeley County) hopes to change that.

"Real estate prices have really risen so what senior citizens are paying on those taxes could be detrimental to them, especially if they are on a fixed income," Hardy said.

Hardy has met with some seniors who say their entire monthly income could be eaten up by real estate taxes.

Current law sets the "homestead" exemption at 125% of the poverty level. Hardy wants to raise it to 200%.

Amy Orndoff runs the Berkeley County Senior Services program and sees seniors asking many questions.

"Do I pay my mortgage or do I get my medication? Do I pay my groceries or my mortgage?" she said. "Anything we give back to seniors benefits them."

Hardy says financial relief for these seniors from state coffers can be offset by revenues in the West Virginia Lottery fund.

"Our seniors are sometimes forgotten," Hardy said. "They have worked really hard to build our communities."

Hardy hopes to have his bill on the desk of Gov. Jim Justice for his signature by March 10. The 2024 session of the legislature convenes next week.

In addition to announcing that LG will be bringing several new innovation facilities to the Mountain State, Justice also revealed that Babydog, who is now just over four years old, had to miss the announcement because she injured her leg.

LG representative William Cho asked Justice the question that everyone was thinking: "Where is Babydog?"

Justice answered during the press conference, saying, "She's not here because she jumped out of that crazy chair and hurt her leg, and she's having a heck of a time with that."

To make up for Babydog not being there to meet the LG officials from Korea, Justice presented Cho with a signed photo of him and Babydog explaining her injury. He explained that it's "a lot of weight when you jump out of a chair, and trust me, she's got plenty of weight."

Babydog travels with Justice across West Virginia, and for almost all press conferences and presentations, Justice sits on a stool and Babydog sits in a chair next to him.

She joined the Justice family at Christmas of 2019 and has been a figure in Justice's governorship and campaigns since 2020; she even was the face of the "Do it for Babydog COVID Vaccine Sweepstakes" in West Virginia.

To learn more about how the newly announced LG facilities will affect West Virginia, click here.

The ticket was purchased at the Par Mar on Daybrooke Road in Blacksville, according to a press release, and matched all five numbers but not the Power Play.

The Powerball jackpot for New Year's Day's drawing has raised to $810 million with a cash value of $408.9 million, which is the fifth largest Powerball jackpot in history.

During the drawing on Saturday, more than 80 tickets across the country were worth $20,000 or more, the West Virginia Lottery said.

The next Powerball drawing will take place at 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, New Year's Day, and tickets can be purchased for $2, or $3 with the Power Play options from West Virginia Lotter retailers.

Gov. Jim Justice (R-W.Va.) signed the bill in March 2023, joining 19 other states that restricted some form of gender-affirming care for transgender people under 18 in 2023, according to U.S. News & World Report.

According to the Associated Press, the bill outlaws minors from being prescribed hormone therapy and puberty blockers. There are exceptions; doctors can prescribe the therapy if the person is at risk for self-harm or suicide, or has been diagnosed by two or more medical or mental health providers.

House Bill 2007 passed the West Virginia House of Delegates in February 2023, with a vote of 84-10. During a public hearing, only two people spoke in favor of the bill, and 79 spoke against allowing the bill.

The Senate passed the bill with amendments, one from Sen. Tom Takubo (R-Kanawha; Senate Majority Leader) — who is a physician — allowing minors to receive medication if they have been diagnosed by two or more medical or mental health providers with at least one being a mental health provider and both having relevant training in gender dysphoria in adolescents. The amendment passed 20-12, with two absent.

When discussing this amendment, Sen. Mike Maroney (R-Marshall) said it is “unbelievable” to tell others how to practice medicine.

“We’re pro-life – overwhelmingly – in this Caucus. These kids commit suicide, these 30 kids. There will be some suicides,” Sen. Maroney said. “Who are we – to win an election – and start telling people who to practice medicine; to change treatments? It’s unbelievable. I appreciate the Senator’s amendment. It’s going to help some people, it’s going to help some people who need help.”

On the other side, Sen. Mike Azinger (R-Wood) called it “dangerous” and “wrong.”

“A self-evident truth planted on the heart of man would tell mankind – by nature – that surgeries to change the sex or the attempt to change the sex would be self-evidently a fist in the face of the creator,” Sen. Azinger said. “But I would make the argument that also – Mr. President – that it is self-evident that when you block the natural course of a young person, that we commonly call puberty by using puberty blockers, that is self-evidently wrong… that is self-evidently dangerous.”

The next amendment – proposed by Sen. Patricia Rucker (R-Jefferson) – would make any licensed medical practitioner required to report any prescribing of gender-affirming medication to the Bureau of Vital Statistics without anything being used to identify the patient. It was found to be unfit for the bill.

Another amendment from Maroney would put certain provisions in sections to become effective on Jan. 1, 2024. This was passed by a voice vote on the Senate Floor.

This was a very controversial bill that came out of the 2023 Legislature. Critics say transgender youth have high suicide attempt rates, but bill supporters say they’re too young to make informed decisions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Musicians said that the way they relate to their audience makes their performances special.

"Audiences feel the connection we have to one another, and they feel the passion that we bring," says viola player Danielle Wieburke.

Rachelle Hunt joins the performers this weekend after returning from a stint with the Frankfort Radio Symphony in Germany.

"There's a vibe with the audience and it gives you energy and it makes us perform better," said Hunt.

It's that special connection among the musicians themselves, says violinist Chris Jusell, that really connects with the audience.

"Folks in the audience see how much we enjoy playing and how much we enjoy each other's playing and company and how much we enjoy doing what we do," Jusell said.

That commitment to bonding among performers translates to that audience connection, according to Katie Tertell with the Appalachian Chamber Orchestra.

"When the audience leaves I want them to feel they had an experience and they were moved and wowed," said Tertell.

Performances are as follows:

• Friday, Dec. 29, 7 p.m. at St James Church in Charles Town
• Saturday, Dec. 30, 10:30 a.m. at The Station in Shepherdstown
• Saturday, Dec. 30, 7 p.m. Camp Hill Wesley United Methodist Church in Harpers Ferry
• Sunday, Dec. 31, 3 p.m. War Memorial Building (2nd floor) in Shepherdstown

More information is available online.

Chief Deputy Tom Young has stepped in for Sheriff Nathan Harmon who is resigning as part of a plea deal with prosecutors over his role in a State Police investigation into a traffic accident earlier this year involving his daughter.

The County Council is expected to choose a permanent replacement to fill the office by the middle of January.

As for public concerns about the transition?

"The new sheriff will put more emphasis on local petty crimes; people are still speeding through downtown and in the evening you can walk down King Street and see drug addicts.," said Thomas Pack, who lives in Berkeley County.

In addition to law enforcement, the Berkeley County Sheriff manages the tax collection office, animal control, and the day report center for those on probation.