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West Virginia Week in Review - April 17, 2022

4/17/2022

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6 IN A ROW: Gov. Justice announces West Virginia yet again breaks record for lowest unemployment rate in state history

Gov. Justice announced Tuesday that West Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 3.7% for March 2022, breaking the all-time record for the lowest unemployment rate recorded in state history for the 6th consecutive month.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: this is literally the best time in state history to get a job in West Virginia," said Gov. Justice.

Gov. Justice signs bills improving West Virginians' lives

On Monday, Gov. Justice hosted an event to ceremonially sign into law two bills designed to improve West Virginians’ lives in various ways.

House Bill 4276 will permit West Virginia University to create a Parkinson’s disease registry. This is a collaborative effort between WVU, the West Virginia Parkinson’s Support Group, and the Michael J. Fox Foundation to give researchers more data to better understand how many people have Parkinson’s and how they can better direct their efforts in order to find a cure or better therapies. West Virginia will be the first state to collect identical data identified by national researchers as what they need to advance their search for a cure.

House Bill 4497 – a Governor’s bill – will extend the current West Virginia jail per diem rate through June 30, 2023. The per diem rate has been capped at $48.25 since 2018.

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WVDOT, law enforcement partners announce statewide crackdown on speeding and distracted driving in work zones

Drivers will see an increased police presence in West Virginia work zones this highway construction season, leaders with the West Virginia Department of Transportation and several law enforcement agencies announced at an event Tuesday at the State Capitol recognizing Work Zone Awareness Week.

With Gov. Jim Justice recently announcing that the 2022 highway construction season is in line to be the busiest year of roadwork in state history, efforts to crack down on speeding and distracted driving in work zones will also reach new heights.

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Gov. Justice: “It is so, so important for you to get your booster shots”

On Monday, Gov. Justice reported that there were just 321 active cases of COVID-19 statewide. Over the past two-and-a-half months, total active cases have decreased by more than 98.5%.

Still, after reading the ages and locations of individuals who have passed away from COVID-19 and with the BA.2 Omicron subvariant of COVID-19 recently sparking a new wave of infections across the world and the United States, Gov. Justice continued to urge West Virginians to get vaccinated and boosted.

“While our total number of deaths is declining, it is still terribly sad to have even one person pass away,” Gov. Justice said at another COVID-19 briefing on Wednesday. “If you haven’t been vaccinated, or you have but you haven’t gotten your booster, you need to revisit this."

YouTube - Monday

YouTube - Wednesday

Governor: New plant in Mason County to further bolster energy production efforts in West Virginia

On Wednesday, Gov. Justice congratulated Frontieras North America after the energy technology company announced Tuesday plans to build its first commercial plant in Mason County, West Virginia.

In a news release, Frontieras said that the plant is expected to employ up to 500 employees and process more than 2.7 million tons of coal annually. The company plans to complete construction of the plant and be operational by Q4 of 2023.

WorkForce WV encourages West Virginians to apply for the Job Jumpstart Program, announces more than 12,500 approved applicants

WorkForce West Virginia encourages West Virginians who are returning to work to apply for the Job Jumpstart Program (JJP). Since its launch in January, 14,685 West Virginians have applied and 12,533 have been approved to participate in the program. The JJP provides a one-time, $1,500 payment to eligible West Virginians. Payment distribution to approved applicants began in late February.

West Virginia angler breaks blue catfish weight record

West Virginia’s navigable rivers continue to produce hefty catfish, including one that recently broke the state record for weight. On April 8, Cody Carver of Dry Branch, WV, caught and released a blue catfish that broke the state record for weight while fishing from a boat in the Marmet Pool of the Kanawha River. He was using cut shad for bait. Carver’s record fish was 45.51 inches long and weighed 61.28 pounds.