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Gov. Jim
Justice and West Virginia State Treasurer John Perdue held a joint
press conference Monday, announcing that Treasurer Perdue’s office
is transferring an additional $20 million to the state’s General
Revenue Fund for Fiscal Year 2020. The Treasurer proposed the
one-time transfers of $10 million from Unclaimed Property and $10
million from Banking Services to help close a current budget gap
for FY2020. The two transfers are in addition to an
already-budgeted $7 million transfer to General Revenue from the
Unclaimed Property Fund, which will bring the total to $27 million
transferred from the Treasurer’s Office to General Revenue in
FY2020. [Watch Video] [More Photos]
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On
Thursday, Gov. Justice applauded The Clorox Company, a leading
manufacturer of consumer and professional products, for announcing
its intention to apply to construct a state-of-the-art cat litter
manufacturing site in Berkeley County. If approved, the site would
bring about $192 million in economic development and create
approximately 100 full-time jobs. The company is planning
several public meetings and two open houses for the local community
in the coming weeks. [Read More]
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Gov.
Justice joined officials with the West Virginia Tourism Office
and Division of Natural Resources to announce the winners of the
2020 Hunting and Fishing License Contest at a ceremony
Tuesday. The promotion, which ran through the month of
December, required applicants to be a West Virginia resident and
purchase a 2020 Sportsman or Junior Sportsman license in December.
The 13 prize winners were randomly selected over the weekend from a
list of more than 10,000 eligible entrants. Prizes included a
Lifetime Sportsman Hunting, Trapping and Fishing License (Class
AB-L), 11 overnight stays at West Virginia state parks and forests,
and 12 gift bags filled with hunting and fishing gear. [Watch Video] [More Photos]
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Zachary
Adkins of Cabins, WV caught a 53.1-inch, 59-pound grass carp on
Jan. 3 at Warden Lake in Hardy County. Adkins used a large swimbait
to catch the record fish which broke the current length record of
50.75 inches. William Tucker still holds the record for weight with
a 71.69-pound grass carp caught at Warden Lake in 2005. [Read More]
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Justin
Comer of Culloden caught a 49.84-inch, 58.38-pound blue catfish on
Jan. 11 on the Ohio River in Mason County. Comer used cut shad to
catch the fish, which broke the current length record by over 2
inches! Austin Hoffman held the previous record in length for a
47.75-inch blue catfish caught in 2014 on the Ohio River. Mark
Blauvelt continues to hold the record for weight with a 59.74-pound
blue catfish caught on the Ohio River in 2016. Anglers who
believe they may have caught a state record fish should check the
current records in the fishing regulations. Procedures for
reporting a record catch also are included in the regulations. [Read More]
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This week
the Division of Natural Resources spotlighted fishing regulations
in the Mountain State. Those planning to cast their reels in West
Virginia this year will need to be aware of some recent regulation
changes. This year the Candy Darter is listed as endangered,
meaning anglers on the east and west forks of the Greenbrier River,
the Cherry River, Cranberry and Williams Rivers, the Gauley River,
Camp Creek, and Manns Creek will no longer be allowed to use any
type of fish as live bait. [Watch
Video]
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This week,
Gov. Justice offered condolences to the family and friends of
fallen West Virginia hero Mark Horwich. A member of
the Clover-Roane Volunteer Fire Department, Horwich died in
the line of duty while responding to a call on Saturday. [Read More]
Additionally this week, the Governor issued a proclamation
ordering all United States and West Virginia state flags at
the Capitol Complex and all state-owned facilities in Roane County
be displayed at half-staff, from dawn to dusk on Saturday, Jan. 18,
2020, the day of services celebrating his life. Horwich,
51, had worked as a firefighter since 2001, serving with
various departments in Nebraska and West Virginia. [Read More]
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In
recognition of the efforts being made across the state to end
hunger in West Virginia, Gov. Justice hosted a ceremony at the
State Capitol Building in Charleston on Tuesday to issue a
proclamation designating Jan. 14, 2020 as Hunger Free West Virginia
Day. During the event, the Governor recognized members of
Mountaineer Food Bank and Facing Hunger Foodbank in
attendance. Tuesday’s ceremony came on the heels of Gov.
Justice’s 2020 State of the State address, where the Governor
announced a budget proposal containing $6 million in funding to
help fight hunger in West Virginia. [Watch Video] [More Photos]
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The West
Virginia Division of Highways announced Monday that nearly one
million pounds of steel have been used over the last six months in
the northern panhandle counties as part of DOH’s efforts to repair
road slips. Tony Clark, Acting District Engineer for DOH
District 6, which includes Brooke, Hancock, Marshall, Ohio, Tyler,
and Wetzel counties, said between contractors and DOH crews,
994,140 pounds of steel piling has been used to stabilize slip
areas since July of 2019. [Read More]
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On
Thursday, Gov. Justice and leaders with the West Virginia
Aeronautics Commission announced that a combined total of $388,203
in grant funding has been secured for airports across the state.
The grants were approved during the WVAC’s latest meeting on
Thursday. Two airports will receive grants from Special
Revenue, provided by the Aviation Fuel Tax, to provide a portion of
the local match for additional Federal Aviation Administration
Grants: North Central West Virginia Airport and Yeager Airport. The
combined WVAC grant total on these projects is $388,203 and opens
up access to over $6 million more in funding from the FAA. [Watch Video] [More Photos]
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On
Wednesday, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human
Resources (DHHR), Office of Drug Control Policy (ODCP) announced
the launch of its interactive Overdose Data Dashboard. The Overdose
Data Dashboard highlights the impact of substance use disorder on
communities and will help identify locations that would benefit
from initiatives such as Quick Response Teams and drug intervention
programs. The Overdose Data Dashboard provides statewide
information that can be filtered to the county level and contains
detailed statistics about the victim such as age group, month and
day of the week the suspected overdose occurred, the level of
medical treatment, outcome, and if naloxone was administered. [Read More]
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On
Tuesday, First Lady Cathy Justice announced the Create a Quarter
for West Virginia contest in honor of Presidents' Day in February.
This will be the sixth installment of the First Lady's Student
Artist Series, an initiative that promotes the importance of arts
within schools throughout West Virginia by hosting art competitions
for students of varying age levels during special holidays. For
this contest, all 11th-grade students attending public and private
schools in West Virginia are invited to participate. Eligible
students are encouraged to study the history of Presidents' Day,
celebrated in honor of George Washington's birthday, and then
re-create the reverse side of our West Virginia State quarter in an
artistic way. [Read More]
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On
Thursday, Gov. Justice swung by the Charleston Coliseum and
Convention Center to take in the sights and festivities at the 2020
West Virginia International Auto Show. The Governor also greeted
many event attendees, on hand to check out the newest models of
cars, trucks, and SUV's from around the world. [Watch
Video] [More
Photos]
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On
Tuesday, Deputy Chief of Staff Ann Urling read two
proclamations signed by Gov. Justice. The first proclamation
declared March 2020 as National Nutrition Month in West Virginia.
The second proclamation declared March 11, 2020, as Registered
Dietician Nutritionist Day. [Watch Video] [More Photos]
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On Sunday,
Col. Marty Timko assumed command of the 167th Airlift
Wing, West Virginia Air National Guard, during a change of command
ceremony. Col. David Cochran also relinquished command. The
Adjutant General of the West Virginia National Guard, Maj. Gen.
James Hoyer, who presided over the ceremony, said the Wing
commander is responsible for 1,100 Airmen and their families and
every decision they make impacts someone’s life. Hoyer stressed the
significance of Timko’s responsibility as a wing commander to both
his Airmen and the country. [Read More]
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On Monday,
Gov. Justice appointed Robert R. Hutson Jr. of Birmingham, AL, to
the Fairmont State University Board of Governors. Hutson, a 1991
graduate of Fairmont State, is the Chief Executive Officer of
Diversified Gas & Oil. He fills the vacancy on the FSU Board
created by the resignation of William Mark Hart and his term will
run through June 30, 2021. [Read More]
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The
agency overseeing the new West Virginia Narcotics Intelligence Unit
established by Gov. Justice now has a new leader, a seasoned
law enforcement veteran with a career steeped in anti-drug
operations. On Monday, Military Affairs and Public Safety Secretary
Jeff Sandy named Jack Luikart as director of the West
Virginia Intelligence Fusion Center, the State’s approach
to gathering, analyzing and sharing information. The appointment is
effective immediately. Luikart has been head of DMAPS’ drug control
policy efforts, including its prevention and education outreach to
youth. He will continue in that role as well. [Read More]
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Last
Friday, the West Virginia Division of Transportation announced that
the West Virginia Bridge Design and Build Contest would kick off
its 2020 Competition on Saturday, January 11, at BridgeWalk in
Fayetteville. Now in its 19th year, this STEM competition brings
West Virginia Division of Highways engineers into middle and high
school classrooms to teach students about engineering. Students
compete using Engineering Encounters Bridge Design Software to
design the lowest cost bridge. Finalists are invited to compete for
cash prizes at Marshall University in April, and all students who
enter receive a free BridgeWalk tour. [Read More]
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The West
Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), Bureau
for Public Health is working to improve nutrition for babies and
mothers with Pacify, an app that provides 24/7 breastfeeding
support for participants of the West Virginia Special Supplemental
Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). West
Virginia WIC is the fifth WIC program in the nation to launch the
free app. Pacify provides access to International Board Certified
Lactation Consultants to address questions and concerns about
breastfeeding. All current pregnant and breastfeeding mothers
receiving WIC benefits are encouraged to visit their local WIC
clinic to gain access to this new resource. WIC staff will help
participants download the app, complete a sample test call and
provide additional information. [Read More]
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The Department
of Environmental Protection collected nearly 800 live Christmas
trees at their annual Treecycling events in Charleston and
Bridgeport earlier this month. These donated trees will be
recycled as fish habitat in lakes around the state. WVDEP and WVDNR
staff, along with Boy Scout Troop 96, braved the elements to help
collect and transport the trees. [More
Photos]
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WVDNR
wraps up Mountaineer Heritage season
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West
Virginia’s Mountaineer Heritage hunting season ran this year from
Thursday, January 9 through Sunday, January 12. Hunters were only
allowed to use percussion sidelock and flintlock rifles and pistols
as well as long and recurve bows to hunt for deer or bear.
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