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On
Thursday, Gov. Jim Justice declared a State of Emergency for
all 55 West Virginia counties due to a prolonged shortage of
rainfall that has caused moderate drought conditions across much of
the state and severe drought conditions in southern West Virginia.
The State of Emergency directs state officials to implement the
West Virginia Emergency Operations Plan for drought and to place
the state Emergency Operations Center in a stand-by status.
Meanwhile, the Governor has issued voluntary guidelines for
residents, asking them to limit public water system usage, washing
vehicles or structures, filling swimming pools, non-agricultural
irrigation, among other suggestions. [Read More]
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Meanwhile,
after experiencing a sizable uptick in fires across the state this
week as a result of the worsening drought conditions, leaders with
the Division of Forestry issued a stern warning, urging residents
across West Virginia to adhere to the ongoing ban on all outdoor
burning, or else face heavy civil fines or criminal charges.
Just since the beginning of September, West Virginia has now
experienced approximately 118 fires and 1,046 burnt acres
statewide – more than has been seen in entire fire seasons
some years – all while ongoing drought conditions continue to
compound the problem. [Watch
Video]
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On
Tuesday, Gov. Jim Justice and leaders with the Department of
Revenue announced that September 2019 revenue collections
resulted in a $20 million surplus, which was 5.4 percent above
prior year receipts. In addition, credit rating agency, Fitch
Ratings, recently affirmed the state’s “AA” Issuer Default Rating.
In a report released by Fitch, the agency categorized the rating as
“stable” and praised West Virginia’s “sizable level of reserve
funds” and its “strong ability to control revenue and spending
policy.” [Read More]
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Leaders
with the Division of Highways, including Deputy Commissioner of
Highways Jimmy Wriston, held a press conference Tuesday to preview
the upcoming road work at the I-64 / Danner Road overpass bridge in
Charleston and to go over the safety measures being put in place in
the work zone. The project on the bridge – one of the most-traveled
bridges in the entire state – is set to begin this Saturday, Oct.
5, and is scheduled to take approximately 60 days to complete. [Watch
Video]
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On
Thursday, Gov. Justice addressed top municipal leaders from across
the state during a meeting of the West Virginia Municipal League
Board of Directors at Chief Logan State Park. The WVML is a
statewide nonprofit and nonpartisan association of cities, towns,
and villages, established to assist local governments in advancing
the interests of their citizens. [More
Photos]
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On
Saturday, Gov. Justice took in the gameday atmosphere at his
alma mater of Marshall University, as the Thundering Herd football
team squared off against the University of Cincinnati Bearcats at
Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington. The Governor met fellow Sons
and Daughters of Marshall and many other Herd fans during the
pregame tailgating festivities. [More
Photos]
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On
Wednesday, First Lady Cathy Justice hosted members of Communities
In Schools for a meeting of the President's Advisory Council at the
Governor's Mansion in Charleston. CIS – a program that is
rapidly expanding in West Virginia – works to connect young students
with resources from across their local communities to support a
healthy learning environment and increasing the chances of
graduation. [Watch
Video]
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After
learning of the passing of Kanawha County Delegate Sharon Lewis
Malcolm on Monday, Gov. Justice issued a statement mourning the
loss. [Social
Post]
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This past
weekend, the West Virginia National Guard hosted the annual Gold
Star Families Retreat at Camp Dawson in Kingwood for more than 400
attendees; including WVNG members, supporters, and families of 59
fallen service members. The retreat is held each year to honor the
service and sacrifice of Gold Star Families – those who have
lost a family member in military service. This year’s attendance
nearly doubled in size compared to last year’s retreat. During the
weekend, various events were held to promote healing, camaraderie,
and remembrance of the family’s lost loved one. [Watch
Video]
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On
Wednesday, Gov. Justice issued a message, wishing Medal of Honor
recipient and West Virginia native Hershel "Woody"
Williams a happy 96th birthday. [Social
Post]
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This week,
the Department of Transportation highlighted a project that has
been identified for work along Interstate 77 near Sissonville. The
work calls for high-mast tower lighting to be added to I-77, at the
Edens Fork and Tuppers Creek exits. [Watch
Video]
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Last
Friday, the Division of Natural Resources released its
annual Mast Survey and Hunting Outlook publication to help
hunters as they prepare for the fall hunting seasons. According to the report,
production of black and red oak acorns, apples, and black cherries
is significantly higher this year than last year. Meanwhile, white
and chestnut oak are down from last year. The availability of
fall foods has significant impacts on wildlife populations and
harvests. [Read More]
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Meanwhile,
this week, the DNR announced the start date for another pair of
hunting seasons, as Wild Turkey Season opens October 12 [Read More]
and the first segment of the special split antlerless deer season
for youth hunters, persons with a Class Q/QQ permit, and senior
citizens with a Class XS license begins October 19. [Read More]
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With the
opening of big game hunting seasons quickly approaching, the DNR
issued a reminder to hunters this week that, if they are
successful, they must field tag and electronically check in
their harvest. Field tags must be completed before moving the
carcass and the tag must remain with the carcass until it is
electronically checked. Hunters are no longer required to transport
their harvest to a check station; they can check their game by
phone, on a computer at wvhunt.com, or by visiting a
license agent – with or without the animal. [Read More]
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On Monday,
officials with the DNR also issued a reminder to motorists to
take extra caution while driving in the fall. On average,
approximately 40 percent of deer-vehicle collisions in West
Virginia will occur between October and December. [Read More]
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Last week,
Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Austin Caperton
accepted a national award – the 2019 Environmental Council of
the States' State Innovation Award – for the WVDEP's work on
the Muddy Creek Watershed Restoration Project. This initiative
brought biological life back to a stream that had been devoid of it
for decades. [Read More]
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The
Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety announced
Wednesday that it is in the process of establishing a team of
anti-fraud specialists, with two of its members already having
completed their Certified Fraud Examiner training. A Certified
Fraud Examiner is a specialist with expertise in fraud prevention,
detection, and deterrence. They are trained to identify the warning
signs and red flags that indicate evidence of fraud and fraud risk.
Working around the world, they help protect the global economy by
uncovering fraud and implementing processes to prevent fraud from occurring.
[Read More]
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This week,
the West Virginia National Guard highlighted training work recently
completed by the 130th Civil Engineering Squadron
during a Deployment For Training (DFT) at Schofield Barracks
in Hawaii. A DFT provides an opportunity for WVNG members to
develop new skills away from their home station, giving them a more
diverse range of knowledge and making the squadron, as a whole,
more versatile. [Watch
Video]
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On
Tuesday, the Department of Education's Office of Diversion and
Transition Programs hosted a Second Chance Job Fair event in
Flatwoods. Participants met with prospective employers to learn
about job opportunities. In addition, participants learned about
getting voting rights restored and nuances to the state’s
expungement law. [More
Photos]
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At the
start of October on Tuesday, the Division of Homeland Security and
Emergency Management announced it is joining the United States
Department of Homeland Security in promoting National Cyber
Security Awareness Month and the DHS' STOP. THINK. CONNECT. ™ campaign.
National Cyber Security Awareness Month promotes public awareness
to increase the understanding of cyber threats and empowering the
American public to be safer and more secure online. [Read More]
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