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Gov. Jim Justice, First Lady Cathy Justice, and Babydog gave a firefighter with the West Virginia National Guard the surprise of a lifetime Friday, announcing that he had won a new Corvette through the “Do it for Babydog: Round 2” vaccination sweepstakes. SSgt Michael Beall was announced as the big winner Friday evening at the Charleston Rod Run and Doo Wop on Kanawha Boulevard – the largest car show in West Virginia.
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On Thursday, Gov. Justice was joined by DHHR Secretary Bill Crouch and executives representing several hospital systems across West Virginia to provide an update on the progress being made to stand up the Governor’s recently announced “Saving Our Care” initiative. The program will provide financial and staffing support to ensure the stability of hospitals and nursing homes to avoid the need for rationing care.
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On Thursday, Gov. Justice reported that there were 11,629 active cases statewide; down by 655 cases since the Governor’s briefing on Monday. The active case count is down by 18,115 cases since peaking just three weeks ago, dropping more than 60% in that timeframe. Meanwhile, the state continues to see a steady downward trend in the number of severe COVID cases. The number of hospitalizations, patients in ICUs, and patients on ventilators have all dropped between 9.7% and 14% since peaking in the final week of September.
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On Thursday, Gov. Justice announced that a new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shows that COVID-19 vaccinations may have helped prevent roughly 1,400 new COVID-19 infections and 200 deaths among seniors in West Virginia during the first five months of 2021. The study also found that, nationally, vaccinations were linked to a reduction of approximately 265,000 COVID-19 infections, 107,000 hospitalizations, and 39,000 deaths among Medicare beneficiaries between January and May 2021.
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Gov. Justice announced Thursday that West Virginia now ranks among the top 10 states in the entire nation for GDP growth. According to the latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, West Virginia’s quarterly GDP growth of 7.3% ranked 10th in the nation – well above the national average of 6.7%. West Virginia’s GDP growth rate is even further ahead of its bordering states, with Kentucky’s 6.5% coming in as the next closest and only two states (Kentucky and Maryland) cracking 6% in GDP growth.
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Gov. Justice issued a proclamation Friday, calling for the West Virginia Legislature to convene in Special Session at 11 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 11, 2021. The primary purpose of the Special Session is for the Legislature to fulfill its constitutional duty to redistrict the State of West Virginia. The call also requests that the Legislature appropriate federal money that has been received by State agencies, and includes several other bills that have been requested to be considered.
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On Monday, Gov. Justice announced that he appointed Jimmy Wriston, P.E., as Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Transportation. In addition to this appointment, Wriston will also serve as Commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Highways. Wriston has served as the Deputy Secretary of the WVDOT and Deputy Commissioner of the WVDOH since 2019.
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On Thursday, Gov. Justice announced that he appointed Owens Brown to the 1st Senatorial District seat, which covers Brooke, Hancock, and Ohio counties, as well as part of Marshall County. Brown, who is from Wheeling and serves at the West Virginia State NAACP President, will be the first African American to serve in the West Virginia State Senate in over 20 years and will be the first ever male African American to serve in the State Senate.
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On Oct. 7, 2017, West Virginians voted in favor of a constitutional amendment to allow for the sale of up to $1.6 billion in bonds to address the Mountain State’s neglected highways and bridges. A full 73 percent of voters backed the visionary Roads to Prosperity program, proposed by Gov. Justice. It would prove to be the largest and most ambitious infrastructure investment in the history of West Virginia.
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On Monday, Gov. Justice took time out of his remarks about COVID-19 to announce that all law enforcement leaders from across West Virginia are invited to convene at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center on Oct. 20 for an emotional intelligence training called “Project EQ.” Project EQ has been created to introduce law enforcement agencies to comprehensive emotional intelligence training.
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Due to overwhelming success, the West Virginia State Parks Ultimate Adventurer and Junior Adventurer Challenges are now available through Dec. 31, 2021, bringing more opportunities for adventure to the fall and winter seasons. The challenges were created to lead adventurers of any experience level on a series of outdoor explorations throughout the West Virginia State Parks system. Outdoor enthusiasts are encouraged to participate in the Ultimate Adventurer Challenge, and families with kids are encouraged to participate in the Junior Adventurer Challenge.
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