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On Thursday, Gov. Justice announced that, although the number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU and on ventilators has held steady of late, the state’s total case count and overall hospitalization numbers have declined dramatically in recent weeks. Since peaking at 1,097 on Feb. 2, the number of hospitalizations was 753; down by 344 (31%) over the previous 15 days.
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On Monday, Gov. Justice announced that West Virginia had surpassed 6,000 COVID-19-related deaths.
“It’s surely not something that we wanted to achieve, but the reality is what it is,” Gov. Justice said. “I ask for your prayers for everyone that we’ve lost."
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Gov. Justice’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Aligning the Roles and Missions of the State Community and Technical College System and Workforce Development System has made its final recommendations for creating greater efficiencies across state government that will better support West Virginians seeking assistance through education, training, workforce, and human services programs.
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On Wednesday, East Hardy High School English teacher Michelle Wolfe was surprised during a school assembly where she was given a 2021-22 Milken Educator Award.
Baker was the first stop on the 35th Milken Educator Awards anniversary tour honoring America’s heroes, innovative and dedicated teachers. Wolfe is among more than 60 educators nationwide who will be recognized during the school year in front of appreciative colleagues, local and state education officials, and media.
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On Thursday, the group traveled to Moundsville to present Heather Haught, a first-grade teacher at McNinch Primary School, with the 2021-22 Milken Educator Award.
Both teachers received a $25,000 check from the Milken Family Foundation.
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Weather permitting, contractors plan to start installing the first main steel deck support girders for a massive overhaul of the Donald M. Legg Memorial Bridge on Monday, Feb. 21, 2022. The overhaul is part of Gov. Justice's $2.8 billion Roads to Prosperity highway construction and maintenance program. The bridge, which carries Interstate 64 across the Kanawha River between the Nitro and St. Albans interchanges, is part of a $244.4 million project to widen 3.8 miles of I-64 to six lanes, and to eight lanes between Nitro and St. Albans.
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The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources has extended the application period for the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program until Friday, March 18, 2022, or until funds are exhausted. The federally funded program assists eligible state residents in paying home heating bills. Eligibility for LIEAP benefits is based on income, household size, and whether the household is responsible for paying its heating bill.
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The West Virginia Legislature on Thursday recognized the service and sacrifice of the men and women of the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, including for their ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection is partnering with the state Conservation Agency and the Coal River Group on the Coal River Habitat Enhancement Project, which aims to restore habitat and recreational value to the mainstem Coal River. The project includes roughly two miles of bank stabilization work intended to increase fish habitat abundance and complexity and enhance recreational opportunities on the river. The WVCA will serve as the lead for the project, with WVDEP providing funding and support.
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