FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, July 30, 2022
CONTACT: Jordan Damron, [email protected]
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West Virginia Week In Review
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On Thursday, Gov. Justice declared a State of Emergency for Fayette, Greenbrier, Logan, McDowell, Mingo, and Wyoming counties after severe thunderstorms with associated heavy rains and high winds this week caused significant local flooding, downed trees, power outages, disruption to potable water systems, and road blockages.
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Fourteen Soldiers from the West Virginia National Guard’s Company C, 2-104th General Support Aviation Battalion and Company B, 1-224th Security and Support Aviation Battalion, located in Williamstown, flew more than 25 hours on July 28, rescuing over a dozen people and three pets from southeastern Kentucky.
At the direction of Gov. Justice on Thursday, the West Virginia National Guard launched two UH-60M Blackhawks and two UH-72 Lakota aircraft within one and a half hours of the initial request for assistance from Kentucky. The aircrews arrived in Hazard, Kentucky at approximately 2 p.m. Thursday and began coordination with the Kentucky National Guard.
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West Virginia Division of Highways maintenance crews were out in the field on Thursday continuing around-the-clock work cleaning up debris and assessing damage from this week’s storms. WVDOH maintenance crews will continue to work until all roads closed by flooding are open to traffic.
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Since its launch in early June, the West Virginia Waterfall Trail has received more than 10,000 participant check-ins in six weeks. With the success of the trail, the Department of Tourism is now accepting nominations for new waterfalls to be added to the trail.
The trail has been nationally recognized by national travel publications such as Travel + Leisure, USA Today, Southern Living and TravelAwaits, all of which have echoed that this trail is the perfect activity for anyone to add to their summer bucket list.
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Marshall University’s College of Engineering and Computer Sciences recently named the West Virginia Division of Highways as their Employer of the Year, based on a close relationship between the WVDOH and MU that has seen dozens of MU students hired over the years after serving in summer Co-Op programs.
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The West Virginia Department of Education announced 10 finalists for the 2023 West Virginia Teacher of the Year. Finalists were selected among the Teachers of the Year from each school district. Recognizing these teachers brings honor to the profession, energizes students, enhances community respect for learning, and revitalizes teachers across the state. West Virginia’s Teacher of the Year and School Service Personnel of the Year will be announced on September 13, 2022, during a ceremony at the West Virginia Culture Center in Charleston.
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Contractors have resumed work on the Grant Street Bridge in Bluefield. Construction on the new bridge was halted in May after contractors discovered soft rock on the building site which required adjusting their construction plans. Any changes to the plans must be approved by officials with the Norfolk Southern Railroad, over which the bridge passes. Norfolk Southern’s consultants have signed off on the changes, allowing work to resume. Construction is expected to be complete by late 2022.
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The West Virginia Division of Highways is accepting bids for a major beautification project in downtown Wheeling. The Wheeling Streetscape project is one of six construction projects included in a special bid letting held by the WVDOH on Tuesday, July 26.
The project, expected to cost about $30 million, will add ADA-compliant curb cuts, widened sidewalks and decorative brickwork along Main and Market streets between 10th Street and 16th Street downtown. The project will also add decorative traffic signals, plants and trees.
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