Gov. Jim Justice traveled across the state to surprise the winners of the three biggest prizes given away in the 4th round of the “Do it or Babydog: Save a life, Change your life” Vaccination Sweepstakes.
Bridgeport resident Timothy Jackson’s life was changed forever when he received a surprise visit at work from the Governor and Babydog, who announced that his name had been drawn as the latest million-dollar prize winner of the sweepstakes.
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The Governor and Babydog also surprised Thomas Sowers, a Riverside High School assistant football coach from Belle, and surprised Grace Fowler from the community of Nettie in Nicholas County, presenting them each with the keys to brand-new, custom-outfitted trucks.
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A total of 50 West Virginians were announced as prize winners Wednesday. Additional prizes included two full four-year scholarships to any public institution in the state, five lifetime hunting licenses, five lifetime fishing licenses, five custom hunting rifles, five custom hunting shotguns, and 25 weekend getaways to West Virginia State Parks.
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On Friday, Gov. Justice reported that State pandemic response leaders continue to closely monitor the Delta variant of COVID-19 in West Virginia. As of Friday, there were 19 confirmed Delta variant cases in the state, spread across nine West Virginia counties; up from 17 such cases as of the Governor’s previous briefing on Tuesday.
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The West Virginia Department of Education announced its latest initiative to encourage students, teachers and staff to be vaccinated. The “I Got Vaxxed Competition” is designed to encourage vaccinations among eligible, school-age students and school personnel. Throughout the state, one high school, one middle school and one elementary school will earn $5,000 for having the highest percentage of eligible persons vaccinated. The WVDE will award those schools $5,000 for student activities during the 2021-22 school year. The winners of this challenge will be announced the week of October 3, 2021.
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On Friday, Gov. Justice announced that West Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has decreased once again, dropping two-tenths of a percentage point to 5.3% in June 2021. West Virginia’s unemployment rate has declined for 14 consecutive months and remains better than the national unemployment rate of 5.9%.
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On Tuesday, Gov. Justice released a statement congratulating former West Virginia State Health Officer Dr. Rahul Gupta.
“I would like to sincerely congratulate former West Virginia State Health Officer Dr. Rahul Gupta for being selected by President Joe Biden to lead the Office of National Drug Control Policy as the U.S. Drug Czar."
Read the full statement here.
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Gov. Justice, in partnership with the West Virginia Department of Tourism, launched the West Virginia Chef Ambassador Program on Monday. The program will showcase talented chefs across the Mountain State to promote West Virginia’s culinary innovation, farm-to-table experiences, and growing agritourism industry.
Nominations are now open for this year’s inaugural class of chef ambassadors.
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On Friday, Gov. Justice reported that the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) is expanding and revamping its online presence to make it easier for students and families to explore the State’s wide range of financial aid and college planning programs. The HEPC just released “College for West Virginia,” which is the new and expanded resource for West Virginians to find information about the State’s free resources for planning, applying, and paying for college.
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The abundance of smallmouth bass in the Cheat and Tygart rivers has helped make northern West Virginia a go-to fishing destination for anglers, but there was a time in recent decades when these waterways weren’t able to sustain the popular sport fish.
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Construction is ramping up on a $224 million widening project on Interstate 64 between Nitro and the US 35 interchange at Scott Depot, that also includes major upgrades to the Nitro-St. Albans Bridge. Contractors are currently working on new approach ramps for the bridge project and conducting site work to prepare for the bigger bridge job. Blasting is also scheduled beginning Monday, July 19, 2021, and continuing through the end of August.
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Adena Barnette, a teacher at Ripley High School, has been named the 2021 State History Teacher of the Year. Barnette, a veteran educator, has dedicated her career to fostering a love of history in students and a corps of problem-solving scholars as the next generation of leaders. This award is presented annually by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to K-12 American history education.
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Part of an ongoing project to upgrade WV 14 between Mineral Wells and Parkersburg opened Friday. Barricades will be coming down on a 1.27-miles section of WV 14 that starts not far from the Mineral Wells exit of Interstate 77 and heads toward Pettyville and Parkersburg. The $12 million project began in 2018.
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Replacement of an aging Boone County bridge and slide repair project that threatened a home in Logan County are among the projects included in a bid letting conducted by the DOH on Tuesday. Both projects will be paid for with funding from Gov. Justice’s Roads to Prosperity highway construction and maintenance program. WVDOH is reviewing the bids and hopes to award contracts for these projects soon.
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Work will begin next week to repair a hazardous slip near New Martinsville, thanks to an additional $150 million in highway funding championed by Gov. Justice. The slip, along WV 7 about five miles from the intersection of WV 2 in New Martinsville, began more than a year ago and has continued to erode the highway ever since. The road goes from New Martinsville to Hundred and on to Morgantown.
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