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On
Monday, Gov. Jim Justice joined Herbert Henderson Office of
Minority Affairs Executive Director Jill Upson to present nearly a
quarter of a million dollars in grant funding to 11 organizations
across Kanawha County as part of a new pilot program – called
Building Resources In Diverse Geographic Environments
(BRIDGE) – that aims to improve health and economic
development in underserved communities across the state. BRIDGE is
a comprehensive community revitalization effort with a mission of
addressing poverty, improving community-wide health, stimulating
labor force participation and supporting economic development. The
program also aims to combat substance abuse, improve crime rates,
and includes neighborhood revitalization. [Watch Video] [More Photos]
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Less than
48 hours after closing the eastbound lanes of the I-64 bridge
between St. Albans and Nitro for emergency expansion joint repairs,
the West Virginia Division of Highways was able to re-open the
bridge to traffic Saturday morning. The repair work was done around
the clock, from the time of the closure last Thursday through the
re-opening, and was completed in the face of snowy and windy
weather conditions. [Watch Video] [Read More]
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Last
Friday, Gov. Justice announced that the State of West Virginia had
been awarded $1,922,410 in grant funding from the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) to acquire and demolish 11 flood-prone
residential structures located in Wood County. This grant funding,
in response to the June 2016 Presidential
Major Disaster Declaration, is part of
the Hazard Mitigation Grant
Program (HMGP). The purpose of
HMGP is to enact mitigation measures reducing the risk of loss of
life and property from future disasters. [Read More]
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Gov.
Justice directs emergency response personnel to respond to flooding,
prepare for more high water
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After
Mountain Health Network announced a reduction in force of 53
full-time positions and the elimination of obstetrics services at
Pleasant Valley Hospital in Point Pleasant on Wednesday, Gov.
Justice issued a statement, echoing his plans to form a
Rural Medicine Task Force to find ways to stop the closure of local
community hospitals.
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Last
Saturday, the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs hosted a
lecture series titled "Black History and the Court
System" at the Culture Center in Charleston. Attorney Olubunmi
Kusimo-Frazier was the speaker for the event. The discourse
explored how the American court system has factored into the lives
of African Americans. Kusimo-Frazier serves as the director of
Magistrate Services at West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. She
oversees more than 400 employees and the operations of the 55
magistrate courts in the state of West Virginia. [Watch
Video]
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On
Monday, Gov. Justice delivered remarks at the West
Virginia Association of Counties’ 2020 annual conference event in
Charleston, speaking with community leaders about the progress
being seen across the entire state and voicing his support for
repealing the business and inventory tax in West Virginia. [Watch
Video]
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Last
Friday, the West Virginia Department of Transportation highlighted
a project, that is in the public comment period, that would improve
traffic conditions in the Cross Lanes area. The proposed
alternatives consist of a combination of four-lane and five-lane
improvements to WV 622 (Goff Mountain Road/Big Tyler Road)
beginning near the intersection of New Goff Mountain Road/Jain
Drive and proceeding northward for 1.5 miles to the signalized
intersection serving Kroger to the west and Andrew Jackson Middle
School to the east. Public comments are being accepted until
February 24. [Watch
Video]
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On
Saturday, all West Virginia State flags on the Capitol Complex
and all State-owned facilities throughout Logan County were
displayed at half-staff in remembrance of former member of the West
Virginia House of Delegates Ted Ellis, who recently passed away. [Read More]
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In
recognition of the breadth of knowledge available and the amount of
learning supported at libraries across the state, Gov. Justice
issued a proclamation officially designating this Monday as West
Virginia Library Day across the Mountain State. [Watch Video] [More Photos]
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Also this
week, Gov. Justice issued a proclamation officially
designating this Tuesday as West Virginia 2-1-1 Day. The statewide
information telephone line provides free assistance to our
state, providing human service referrals to connect West Virginia
residents to vital community resources such as free confidential
crisis and emergency counseling, food resources, health care
assistance, insurance assistance, housing payment assistance,
utility payment assistance, employment services, veteran services,
childcare referrals, and family services. [Watch Video] [More Photos]
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Tourism
Office offers suggestions on how to enjoy Valentine's Day in West
Virginia
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Leading
up to Valentine’s Day, the Department of Education launched their
"Love My WV School" campaign as a way to support
public education in the state. The Department and members of the
West Virginia Board of Education unveiled the campaign and
website Tuesday at Elk Elementary Center in Elkview. The
school’s coding focus is featured as one of the initiative’s
inaugural videos. The Love My WV School campaign was born out of
the need to share positive stories and information from public
schools. During the 2019 Education Forum tour around the state, the
education community resoundingly said there was a need to showcase
the hard work and good news occurring every day in classrooms
statewide. The WVDE began a mini-campaign using #LoveMyWVSchool on
social media to promote these stories. [Watch
Video]
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On
Thursday, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
spotlighted their upcoming Archery in the Schools competition that
is scheduled for March 28 at Marshall University. Currently,
students across the state who participate on archery teams are
working on gaining qualifying scores for the statewide contest. [Watch Video] [More Photos]
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This week,
the Division of Natural Resources is reminding all West Virginian
artists that the deadline for submissions to have paintings
considered for their 2021 West Virginia Wildlife Calendar is next
Monday, Feb. 17, 2020. If you’re an artist who’s painted popular game
or fish species, or other West Virginia wildlife such as snakes,
frogs, turtles, salamanders, bats, songbirds, small mammals, or
non-game fish, you can submit your work to be chosen for the
calendar. Each year, the DNR selects 12 paintings to be featured in
its award-winning calendar, which also includes interesting animal
facts and tips to help you enjoy the outdoors. [Read More]
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If
you’ve attended a state ceremony or memorial recently, you may have
noticed a new addition to the event: a group of state foresters in
dress uniform, standing tall and solemnly bearing the flags of the
United States and West Virginia as well as a Pulaski axe — a tool
for fighting wildfires. This is the Forestry Honor Guard. This
week, the Division of Forestry spotlighted this unit's service to
West Virginia. [Watch
Video]
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State
Parks and Forestry Day at the Legislature
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On
Tuesday, both West Virginia State Parks and the Forestry Division
participated in Day at the Legislature events where they were able
to highlight the work happening in their agency. State Parks
representatives were honored on the House and Senate floors with a
certificate presentation, forester Charlie Spencer opened the
Senate floor session with a prayer, and the WVDOF Honor Guard
presented the colors during the Senate floor session. The Senate
also read a resolution honoring Smokey Bear's 75th birthday.
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On
Saturday, West Virginia Army National Guard soldiers said
goodbye to family and friends at Yeager Airport in Charleston,
before joining the 1st Squadron, 150th Cavalry Regiment, 30th
Armored Brigade Combat Team on deployment in the Middle East. [More
Photos]
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Several
members of the Dunbar Fire Department were honored at a West
Virginia Fire Commission meeting last Friday for their work in
saving a 10 month old baby who was in cardiac arrest in August. [More
Photos]
Also honored at the commission meeting were members of the
Belle Volunteer Fire Department for their efforts in rescuing a man
from his burning home in December. [More
Photos]
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This week,
the Small Business Development Center featured the story of Erin
Wells, a native of the Mid-Ohio Valley who returned home to West
Virginia to open her own audiology practice in Parkersburg. [Watch
Video]
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On
Thursday, the SBDC announced that Frank Goldsborough Jr. had
joined the organization as a new business coach in Morgantown. He
will join SBDC Business Coaches Sharon Stratton and Todd Crump in
serving the needs of a growing business sector in north central
West Virginia. [Read More]
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This week,
the Department of Environmental Protection highlighted their DEP
Spill Line, a telephone resource for West Virginia residents to
report a leak or chemical spill should they come across one. [Watch
Video]
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