The Pirates won the first game 7-1.

Patrick Bailey led off the ninth with a single to right, and Steven Kwan followed with a double down the left-field line. Bailey tried to score from first but was tagged out at home by Pittsburgh catcher Rafael Flores Jr. after the relay throw by third baseman Nick Gonzales.

Bazzana — the top overall pick in the 2024 amateur draft — then connected on a 1-0 changeup by Dennis Santana (2-5) and drove it 414 feet for his eighth homer of the season and gave Cleveland its fourth walk-off win of the season.

Cade Smith (3-1), the Guardians' seventh pitcher of the night, got the win after retiring the Pirates in order in the ninth. Kwan had three hits.

Pittsburgh jumped out to a 3-0 lead after four innings, which included an improbable RBI double by Esmerlyn Valdez in the third. With one out and a runner on second, Valdez hit a towering fly ball to shallow center. Outfielder Petey Halpin lost the ball in the lights and hazy conditions as Cleveland was still dealing with smoke from wildfires in Canada.

The ball landed in right center and was picked up by right fielder David Fry. Gonzales beat the throw home to make it 2-0. According to Statcast, the ball reached an apex of 204 feet and had a hang time of 7.4 seconds.

Cleveland tied it in the eighth with three runs. Chase DeLauter's base hit to right drove in Kwan, Brayan Rocchio scored on a wild pitch and DeLauter scored on Kahlil Watson's single to right.

Up next

NL All-Star Paul Skenes (8-3, 3.57 ERA) goes for Pittsburgh. Cleveland will go with lefty Joey Cantillo (8-4, 3.56 ERA) in the series finale.

Some notable storm reports are below.

Clarion, Jefferson counties

• 4:16 p.m. Tornado reported near Summerville.
• 5:04 p.m. Trees down along Route 66 in Limestone Township, four miles south of Strattanville.
• Sporadic tree and power line damage reported near and northwest of Punxsutawney, possible tornado damage.

Westmoreland County

• 5:15 p.m. Derry Township, reports of a funnel cloud around West Third or West Fourth Avenue. No confirmed touchdown.
• 5:30 p.m. Derry Twp, multiple roads flooded.

The main threat will be damaging wind gusts on the order of 60- 70 mph, along with heavy rainfall. The overall intensity of these storms should weaken by the time activity gets south of I-70 since areas south of I-70 have already seen plenty of rain today and are a bit more stable. 

The thunderstorm threat should wind down by midnight as a cold front moves in from the northwest.

The northwest shift in wind direction will bring in another round of wildfire smoke. This smoke will move in after midnight and linger through the area on Sunday, creating a haze in the sky and near the surface. 

The concentration of this smoke will not be near the levels we've seen the past couple of days, but there may be enough to reduce air quality to likely code orange levels for Sunday. Those who are sensitive to the smoke should still take precautions. 

Sunday will be cooler with highs in the upper 70s to low 80s, and Sunday night into Monday morning will be pleasant with lows in the mid-50s to near 60 degrees. 

Dry conditions will be in place on Monday with some slight haze and wildfire smoke in the sky. As high pressure moves east, winds will shift to the southwest Monday night into Tuesday, bringing in moisture for our next storm system. There are timing differences among the models, with some showing rain and storms in the morning, which would lead to a lower severe weather potential. 

Others break up the morning wave of storms and allow the atmosphere to become more unstable with a higher-end severe potential. This system will need to be watched closely as the wind energy and wind shear will be in place to support organized severe weather, but the timing of the system will ultimately determine how much of a threat we see.

A cold front passes through Tuesday evening into Wednesday with falling temperatures and a few showers. Temperatures will return to near and slightly below normal levels for the middle to end of next week.

"While the FDA traceback is indicating a specific independent farm, which represents less than 1% of the U.S.'s iceberg lettuce supply, as the potential source of the outbreak, we have removed all iceberg lettuce from the region indefinitely," the company said in a statement.

The Food and Drug Administration said in a statement Friday night that its traceback investigation identified a single supplier, Taylor Farms de Mexico, and that consumers should avoid eating shredded iceberg lettuce from Mexico at Taco Bells in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia while its investigation continues.

In a follow-up notice on Saturday, the FDA said that a sample of lettuce from Mexico that was supplied by Taylor Farms had tested positive for cyclospora, the parasite which causes cyclosporiasis. 

"This sample was collected during targeted import surveillance as a result of this outbreak investigation," the FDA said in a statement, adding though that the positive sample was not part of Taylor Farms' current recall. 

"They are currently working to identify whether any part of this implicated lot is available in commerce or in consumers homes," the FDA said. 

On Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified lettuce supplied to select Taco Bell restaurants as a source of the multistate outbreak, more than a month after cases first began to appear.

A source familiar with the investigation had told CBS News on Thursday that the supplier was Salinas, California-based Taylor Farms. The iceberg lettuce was distributed to Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia, according to the CDC. 

The Department of Health and Human Services said the investigation is continuing. 

"The investigation remains active, and additional states, restaurants, retailers, or products may be identified as more information becomes available," said Emily Hilliard, a spokesperson for HHS.

Taco Bell removes lettuce

Taco Bell said that as of Friday, it "has completed removal of affected Taylor Farms lettuce from our restaurants."

"Based on ongoing conversations with public health officials, and out of an abundance of caution, Taco Bell worked swiftly to voluntarily remove the product from restaurants and the affected ingredient has been removed from our supply chain nationwide," Taco Bell Corp. said Friday in a statement. "We took this action to ensure our guests can enjoy their Taco Bell favorites safely."

"We believe public health is a shared responsibility among restaurants, their suppliers, and authorities, and we are proud to have consistently acted quickly and proactively to protect our guests," Taco Bell Corp. said. "Taco Bell has taken precautionary action, and we encourage all relevant restaurants, retailers, and foodservice operators to do the same."

Data shows that sales at the fast-food chain have taken a hit amid the outbreak. According to Consumer Edge, which compiles spending data based on credit and debit transactions, year-over-year sales growth at Taco Bell was 4.2% in the week ending July 11, the slowest rate since April.

"Our data still shows positive year-over-year sales growth for Taco Bell, but that growth has slowed very recently," Michael Gunther, senior vice president of research and market intelligence at Consumer Edge, told CBS News in an email. 

Concerns about the outbreak could be the cause of the slower growth, he added.

The outbreak could also be dampening foot traffic at Taco Bell and other fast-food chains with lettuce-heavy menus, separate data from software company Placer.ai shows. 

"While we only have a few days of data to work with, cyclospora headlines and product removals at some QSR [quick service restaurant] chains appear to be weighing modestly on visitation," the analytical team for Placer.ai said in an email. 

Walmart removes some lettuce products as a precaution

Retail giant Walmart announced Saturday it was also removing four Marketside bagged iceberg lettuce salad products from its stores in more than two dozen states.

"Although there is no indication that products sold in our stores are affected by the current Cyclospora investigations, we have removed four bagged iceberg lettuce salad products from select locations as a precaution after receiving notice from our supplier," Walmart said in a statement, noting that "there have been no confirmed illnesses associated with these products at this time."

The retailer advised those who have purchased the products to discard them or return them for a refund, out of an abundance of caution.

Scope of the outbreak

The outbreak, first reported in May, has spread to 34 states, sickening at least 1,644 people, according to the CDC. However, the CDC's tally lags behind state health departments, which have reported much larger numbers of cases. For instance, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported more than 5,000 confirmed cases as of Friday.

No deaths have been reported. 

"As a family-owned company, we are deeply concerned for those who became ill, their families, and the Americans whose trust in the safety of fresh produce has been shaken," Taylor Farms said in its statement Friday. 

"We are committed to doing everything in our power to address this issue, support the ongoing investigation, and help restore trust," the company added.

What is cyclosporiasis?

The food- and waterborne illness cyclosporiasis is caused by the cyclospora parasite, which causes long-lasting, watery and sometimes explosive diarrhea, according to public health experts. 

Outbreaks typically occur in the late spring and summer, and have historically been linked to bagged salads, cilantro, basil, raspberries, snow peas and green onions. 

Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that the investigation is continuing and other sources could still be identified.

Nick Gonzales added a solo shot in the sixth inning as the Pirates extended their winning streak to four games. At 51-47, it is the first time they are at least four games over .500 after the All-Star break since Sept. 25, 2018.

Cleveland All-Star rookie second baseman Travis Bazzana had an RBI triple in the third inning to drive in Steven Kwan for the lone run as the Guardians had a four-game winning streak snapped.

Pittsburgh's 128 homers are fifth in the majors. Gonzalez put the Pirates on the board with a two-run drive to right field that went 428 feet off Cleveland starter Gavin Williams (10-5). Valdez extended Pittsburgh's advantage to 4-1 in the sixth when he connected on a fastball and drove it over the wall in right-center.

Jones (2-1) allowed one run on three hits and walked one. After throwing six perfect innings in a no-decision against Atlanta on July 8, the right-hander retired the first eight Cleveland hitters before Kwan's base hit to left. Dating back to Jones' July 2 outing against Philadelphia, he became only the third Pirates pitcher since 1957 to retire at least 30 batters in a row. Harvey Haddix retired 38 straight during two outings in 1959 and Jim Bibby got out 32 straight across two games in 1981.

Williams gave up five runs on seven hits in six innings. It was the second time in the right-hander's four-year career that he had allowed three home runs in a game.

Cleveland's Logan Allen makes his first start of the year in the nightcap. The Pirates are expected to go with a bullpen game, but have not named an opener.

The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership announced on Saturday morning that the Sunday hours for Picklesburgh will be extended. The festival will open early at 11 a.m. on Sunday and run until 7 p.m. 

"The heart of Picklesburgh has always been our small businesses," said CEO Jeremy Waldrup in a statement. "These are folks who prepped for months, who have been proudly schlepping pickles for years because they love this city as much as we do. This weekend hasn't gone the way we expected, but the forecast is turning a corner on Sunday, giving our vendors the finish they deserve. So, we're asking all of western PA: come out Sunday. Buy a jar, grab a pickle on a stick, tell a vendor their stand looks great. Help them sell every last pickle. Every single visit matters more than you know." 

On Friday, Picklesburgh went on as originally scheduled, but due to poor air quality, some vendors chose to either close early or not open at all. 

Despite that, crowds still showed up for the yearly celebration of all things pickles. 

"It's become a birthday tradition now," said Ernisha Harrell, who flew into Pittsburgh from Florida for the festival.

Today, while the air quality is expected to improve, there is still the chance for storms and rain throughout the day. 

However, Sunday is looking more favorable for festival goers with sunshine expected, and now with the extended hours, Picklesburgh will be open longer. 

"We are endlessly grateful for this community, and we can't wait to see you in the sunshine," Waldrup's statement concluded. 

The full rundown of Picklesburgh events can be found here.

The former Charlie's Ballgame in Unity Township is being transformed into the new Charlie's Hideout Putt and Hit, thanks to Tom and Lisa Bihon.

For the couple, the miniature golf and batting cage complex along Route 30 wasn't just a place to play growing up. It was a place to make memories.

Now, they're working to make sure a new generation can make memories here, too.

"When you look at this place, how does it make you feel? asked KDKA's Chris DeRose.

"Excited," said Lisa. "Especially for my grandkids."

"Yeah, I was excited when they opened it up and actually got to see it again," said Tom. "We were like, 'Wow, this is going to be beautiful.'"

Charlie's Ballgame closed in the early 2000s and sat vacant for years. Over time, nature reclaimed much of the property, leaving the once-popular attraction hidden beneath brush and trees, and fading from memory for many in the community.

But not for the Bihons.

This spring, after years of talking about it, they decided it was finally time to breathe new life into the old course and create the new Charlie's Hideout Putt and Hit.

While bringing this place back is exciting, getting it back up to par is not a chip shot.

"We're going to start landscaping the grass areas, cleaning all the rock beds up, all this gets pressure washed and cleaned really good," said Tom. "And we'll have people come in and put the new greens on."

"We want to put obstacles in here. We're not sure yet what we want to do, but we're thinking maybe of a Westmoreland County (theme)."

"I'm thinking a Bigfoot theme," joked Tom.

"Yeah," said Lisa. "But we are not sure, so we need some help. So, if any local artists are interested."

For now, it's still a work in progress. But before long, Tom and Lisa hope these small fairways, 36 mini-golf holes, and batting cages will once again echo with the sounds of friendly competition, family fun, and maybe a few holes-in-one.

Charlie's Hideout Putt and Hit is tentatively slated to open next April. More information can be found on the course's Facebook page.

One way to cool off is to give your heat to other things!  

We have shown you in the past that in thermodynamics, the branch of science that deals with the flow of heat, energy, and work of a system, heat always travels from hot to cold.  

This means hot things lose heat to colder things.

If you go into a kitchen with granite countertops and a wooden cutting board, you will notice that the granite countertops feel colder than the cutting board. 

This is just a feeling because they are both at the same temperature if they are not getting heat from something else.  

Granite feels colder because granite has better conductivity than wood. Conductivity is a material's ability to transmit heat or energy.  We are talking about heat today, and granite is able to better conduct heat than wood. 

This means heat is flowing from your hand into the granite. Your body perceives this as the granite being cooler, but it is just heat leaving your body.

Dogs seem to know this idea better than us.  

Many people find that their dogs like to lie on tile floors when it is hot.  This allows them to cool off by giving their heat to the tiles on the floor.  As long as you can find something with good thermal conductivity that is colder than your body temperature, you can lend it some of your heat.

As of Friday, the air quality map was colored purple in our area, indicating "very unhealthy" air quality. On Thursday, it was maroon, meaning "hazardous."

"Folks who have respiratory conditions – the elderly, young children – those are the kinds when those warnings go up to the maroon color; those are the most severely affected populations," said Tom Croci, Acting Administrator of the EPA's Department of Land and Emergency Management. "When you hit those areas, stay inside if you don't have to go outside. Make sure you're in a cool space and take precautions."

By Saturday, the color on the map is expected to change from purple to yellow — a downward change in three categories — which would mean "moderate."

"We can't predict what will happen for the rest of the summer," said Croci. "The administrator has directed us to make sure that we are vigilantly watching this – and we continue to watch it."

While conditions are expected to improve, experts expect it to last a few more days before the air quality returns to more stable levels.

"Once the air starts clearing up, two or three days, once it blows away, things should be back to normal," said Dr. Tariq Cheema, Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care at Allegheny Health Network. "I think that should be okay."

"Hopefully, this will be something we're not talking about early next week when the fronts move through," said Croci. "But we will stay vigilant until we know."

In the meantime, doctors advise people to listen to their bodies and be mindful of those who are most at risk.

"Don't spend too much time outside," said Cheema. "It is going to irritate your lungs. It may induce some coughing episodes."

Experts advise using multiple tools to stay up to date with current air quality ratings, such as the EPA website. A zip code search can provide a map with up-to-date ratings and the color-coding system. They also recommend subscribing to local emergency phone alerts.

"They will know what the consequences and the impacts would be on vulnerable communities who have respiratory illnesses or elderly or children, and they will also know how long a duration this should be," said Croci.

For the past two and a half months, Jack Hartley's routine has followed a rhythm.

"You do the liner, then the pads, then the bag, then the divider," he said about his job task.

He'll go through that process dozens of times, getting boxes together at Grandpa Joe's Robinson Township warehouse. 

"It's actually a very important job," Hartley said while putting the boxes together.

It's his first time in the workforce. Hartley has disabilities and battled mental health problems, but he didn't want that to define him.

"I really, really wanted to find something purposeful," he said.

Through a partnership with Achieva, he's now thriving in his job. It's part of a broader program called Integrated Vocational Engagement and Support Team, or InVEST. It's funded by the state's Department of Labor and Industry and supports people with disabilities getting meaningful jobs.

Hartley works for Grandpa Joe's and is paid a competitive wage.

"Everyone deserves an opportunity to work at a competitive wage. Some of the individuals with disabilities are some of your best employees," Achieva associate director of business services Amber Westwood said.

According to Achieva, they have been partnering with businesses across western Pennsylvania for about 15 years. Hartley is the first employee in this program for Grandpa Joe's. It hopes to expand with more people filling more roles.

"This allowed us to meet those goals while providing meaningful opportunities to individuals," Grandpa Joe's vice president of marketing and brand development, Kate Speer, said.

"It's helped me out," Hartley said about his job.

In the program, Hartley has a job coach who helps with resumes, interviews and settling into the job. The goal is for him and others to be independent at the workplace.

"Seeing them take on independence, acclimate themselves to the workplace, and be motivated to be in the workforce is great, and Jack's been a true success story here," Achieva job coach Jack Doran said, who works with Hartley directly.

With the confidence this job has given Hartley, he now has his eyes on even bigger goals.

"This has just been excellent for me. I'm thinking about going back to school," Hartley said.

A traceback investigation by the Food and Drug Administration identified a single supplier of iceberg lettuce from Mexico that was used by Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia, the CDC said. 

The FDA said in a statement Friday night that its traceback investigation identified a single supplier, Taylor Farms de Mexico, and that consumers should avoid eating shredded iceberg lettuce from Mexico at Taco Bells in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia while its investigation continues.

Taylor Farms, based in Salinas, California, is a supplier to several major restaurant chains across the U.S. 

The company said in a statement Friday that based on information provided by the FDA, it is "voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico."

"As a family owned and operated company, we are deeply concerned for those who became ill, their families, and the many Americans whose trust in the safety of their fresh produce has been shaken," Taylor Farms said, adding, "We are committed to doing everything in our power to restore that confidence."

The company noted that no Taylor Farms-branded salads or kits are associated with the outbreak.

The FDA said Friday night that Taylor Farms informed them "they would initiate a recall," adding, "More information will be provided as it becomes available."

Taco Bell said that as of Friday, July 17, it "has completed removal of affected Taylor Farms lettuce from our restaurants."

"Based on ongoing conversations with public health officials, and out of an abundance of caution, Taco Bell worked swiftly to voluntarily remove the product from restaurants and the affected ingredient has been removed from our supply chain nationwide," Taco Bell Corp. said Friday in its statement. "We took this action to ensure our guests can enjoy their Taco Bell favorites safely." 

"We believe public health is a shared responsibility among restaurants, their suppliers, and authorities, and we are proud to have consistently acted quickly and proactively to protect our guests," Taco Bell Corp. said. "Taco Bell has taken precautionary action, and we encourage all relevant restaurants, retailers, and foodservice operators to do the same."

Emily Hilliard, a spokesperson for the Health and Human Services Department, said, "The investigation remains active, and additional states, restaurants, retailers, or products may be identified as more information becomes available."

The outbreak, a diarrheal illness caused by the parasite cyclospora, was first reported in early May and has since spread to 34 states, according to the latest numbers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It has sickened at least 1,644 people, per CDC data, including at least 94 hospitalizations. But the CDC's tally lags behind state health departments, which have reported much larger numbers of cases. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported more than 5,000 confirmed cases as of Friday, including 102 that required hospitalization. 

Last year, an E. coli outbreak was linked to onions provided to several restaurants from a Taylor Farms facility in Colorado. As a result, McDonald's was briefly forced to stop using onions on its Quarter Pounders at some locations.

On its website, Taylor Farms bills itself as the "leading global producer of salads and healthy fresh foods, with production facilities across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Western Europe."

According to the CDC, cyclosporiasis symptoms usually begin about a week after infection, and the illness can last anywhere from two days to two weeks or more. Symptoms include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, bloating, nausea and fatigue. 

Cyclosporiasis spreads when infected feces contaminate food and water. According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, previous outbreaks in the U.S. and Canada were linked to bagged salad mixes and kits, fresh cilantro, fresh basil, raspberries, snow peas and green onions.

Experts say people are advised to wash all fresh produce and cook all food when possible.

"The best way to avoid ingesting it is to cook your food," Dr. Nuwan Gunawardhana, an infectious disease expert at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, told CBS News, adding that brushing or scrubbing vegetables can also help get rid of it. "But it's also known to be extremely adherent to surfaces, so it won't protect you 100%."

Multiple events were postponed or canceled because of the smoke. Kennywood and Sandcastle closed and the Pirates-Guardians game in Cleveland was rescheduled. As for Picklesburgh, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership said it was monitoring conditions but decided to move forward with the event as planned.  

"We encourage everyone to use their own judgment when deciding whether to attend. We understand some people may choose to sit today out. We're hopeful conditions improve and look forward to a great rest of the weekend," Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership said in a statement. 

Festivalgoers come from all over to attend the popular event.

"It's become a birthday tradition now," said Ernisha Harrell, who flew into Pittsburgh from Florida for the festival.

Harrell wore a pickle-themed dress to Picklesburgh on Friday, saying smoky skies wouldn't sour the tradition. 

"I specifically asked someone for this outfit for Christmas, so I've been holding on to this since December," Harrell said.

Harrell said while she wouldn't miss Picklesburgh, she admitted that the smoke was a concern. 

"You can definitely tell the difference in the air. We were talking about whether or not we're going to stop at the CVS, get a mask, and depending on how we feel, we might go grab one," Harrell said.

Some vendors said that despite the heat and smoke, the crowd size has been decent. 

Carly McGowan, a vendor with Local Provisions, said she has noticed the effects from the smoke after a while.

"Yeah, I mean it's a little scratchy. I brought a mask just in case," McGowan said.

Dozens of people could be seen wearing masks on Friday to protect themselves from the poor air quality. 

While those attending made a choice to go to the event, some who work outside all day could not. KDKA-TV talked to workers working through the smoky conditions on Friday.

"It's been so hot out. It's actually kind of cooled it down a bit. You can feel it a little bit when you're breathing but all in all, it's really not too bad," said U.S. Postal Service worker Owen Dunn.

"The smell is not good. It's just hard to breathe," said construction worker Fapricio Sipriao.

The smoke is expected to move out by Saturday, and storms will move in. But it will return on Sunday, though the air quality isn't expected to be as bad. 

"We're hoping the rain will actually help a little bit. Should kind of dissipate some of the smoke. Hoping the wind will kind of shift. I don't know. Cross our fingers pretty much at this point," McGowan said.

Television viewers on Thursday, April 24, 1980, thought they were watching another random lottery drawing when the numbers 666 were drawn. But weeks later, Nick Perry, a local Pittsburgh news reporter and host of the drawing, was charged and convicted of rigging the game. Investigators learned he made some balls heavier than others by adding extra paint to them, tipping the outcome.

That drawing, and the 666 lottery tickets, would go down in infamy. And now, a 46-year-old artifact at the center of the scandal is up for sale. 

John Zenewicz likes to go to estate sales and has a side hustle selling finds on eBay. He said he was at an estate sale in Saxonburg when he saw a 666 ticket sitting on a dresser. 

"I remember the style of ticket because my dad would buy them when I was a boy," said John Zenewicz. "And I was like, 'why would someone encase an old lottery ticket?' and the only thing that could pop to my mind was that story that I remember. I was 10 years old."

Zenewicz suspects the homeowners had no idea what they were selling. 

"What I presume, it's one of the tickets that was probably confiscated as evidence in Nick Perry, what the locals call the Triple Six Fix," he said.  

After a little more research, Zenewicz said he realized one of the previous owners of the home worked in law enforcement at the time of the scandal. He suspects he may have been part of the team prosecuting Nick Perry. Perry served two years in jail, was fined $3,000 and was ordered to pay $35,000. 

Perry died in 2003, but at least one of the tickets at the center of it all remains. And now, Zenewicz says he is selling his 666 ticket on eBay, giving someone else a chance to own a piece of history.

The Washington Center for Civics, Culture and Statesmanship was created by state lawmakers and funded with taxpayer dollars. Now, questions are being raised about whether the program is attracting the students it was designed to serve.

The center was created by the West Virginia legislature in 2025 as an independent entity housed at the university to promote civic education and what supporters call viewpoint diversity on college campuses.

It came after the university eliminated academic programs, cut faculty positions, and restructured itself during its controversial academic transformation a few years ago.

Today, the center offers 19 courses ranging from "Woke" to "The New Right." But enrollment has become a point of contention.

Earlier this summer, reports indicated that only one student was enrolled in the center's courses. University officials now say that number has increased to two students enrolled in four classes as of July 15.

For junior civil engineering major Dylan McCumbers, the issue is about priorities.

"It does make me quite angry. I really value diversity in humanities education. I think it's a tragedy that we've lost pretty much the entire world languages department. We've lost all math graduate majors."

McCumbers says it's frustrating to see new programs funded after dozens of others were eliminated.

"It kind of frustrates me how they are so willing to cut all these other programs, and then now they're willing to bring in new programs and hire new faculty."

Supporters say the center was created to encourage civic education, free inquiry and open debate.

Director Patrick Miller is adamant that success won't be measured solely by enrollment.

"Success in the first two years will be demonstrated by a growing number of students who testify to the excellence of our teaching and our commitment to free speech in an educational environment that prefers ideological conformity to truth. Success after that? The sky's the limit," Miller said.

But McCumbers says the concerns that inspired the center don't reflect what he's experienced in the classroom.

"I've never really run across any examples where 'left-wing ideology' has been spoon-fed or shoved down my throat in any of my classes."

While center leaders say the program is still in its infancy, McCumbers believes the lack of student interest raises questions about its future.

"I haven't really seen the interest in the Washington Center at WVU. A lot of people I know don't know about it. I've had to tell my friends about the Washington Center, and they're like, 'What's that?'" McCumbers explained.

Center officials say the program is still being built and faculty are being added.