FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, September 17, 2022
CONTACT: Jordan Damron, [email protected]
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West Virginia Week In Review
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Gov. Justice announced Tuesday that BHE Renewables, a Berkshire Hathaway Energy business, has entered into an agreement with the State of West Virginia to purchase more than 2,000 acres of land in Ravenswood, West Virginia, to be developed as a first-of-its-kind renewable energy microgrid-powered industrial site. Precision Castparts Corp. (“PCC”), a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. business, will be the first company to locate on the site and will develop a state-of-the-art titanium melt facility that will use 100% renewable energy to manufacture titanium products for the aerospace and other industries.
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Gov. Justice announced Wednesday that West Virginia’s tourism industry is up 3.8 percent over pre-pandemic levels as of 2021. While nationally tourism is still down 27 percent from 2019, West Virginia continues to trend upward. The finding comes from yearly economic impact research, released by Gov. Justice yesterday at the industry’s annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism. The research shows traveler spending in West Virginia exceeded $4.9 billion in 2021.
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On Monday, Gov. Justice unveiled new, state-of-the-art mobile ambulance simulators as part of his EMS WV: Answer the Call initiative, which is funding strategies that are bolstering the state’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workforce and equipping communities to better care for West Virginia citizens now and into the future.
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On Wednesday, First Lady Cathy Justice visited Pineville Elementary School (PES) for a “Pup Rally'' to celebrate the arrival of the state’s next therapy dog through the Friends With Paws Communities In Schools (CIS) program. The dog introduced at today’s event is named River. He is a Yellow Lab.
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The West Virginia Department of Education is pleased to congratulate three West Virginia schools named as 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools. They are among the 297 schools across the U.S. announced today by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. The distinction recognizes overall academic performance or progress toward closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.
The 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools are:
- Culloden Elementary School
- Evans Elementary School
- C.W. Shipley Elementary School
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The West Virginia Division of Highways plans to use $150 million in supplemental funding requested by Gov. Justice to pave more than 830 miles of roads. Core maintenance – filling potholes, clearing ditches and making sure existing roads are smooth, clean and dry – has gone so well that many state roads are ready to be repaved now, instead of later. If those routes aren’t paved soon, they’ll have to be patched again in the spring.
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On Monday, Gov. Justice approved over $16.8 million in Victims of Crime Act Assistance (VOCA) sub-grant funds to 83 public and private non-profit entities throughout the state. Gov. Justice made the announcement at the West Virginia Child Advocacy Network's One With Courage Awards Reception in Charleston.
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On Tuesday night, the West Virginia Department of Education and the West Virginia Board of Education hosted a ceremony to announce the 2023 Teacher and Service Personnel of the Year.
Amber Nichols, a kindergarten teacher in Morgantown, was named the 2023 West Virginia Teacher of the Year. She has taught for 21 years and is an active member of Eastwood Elementary’s leadership, curriculum and behavior intervention teams, and she mentors future educators.
Jessica Grose was named the 2023 West Virginia School Service Personnel of the Year. She is a special education aide at Hodgesville Elementary School in Buckhannon. She is known as a great team player who commits to serving children whenever she is needed.
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West Virginia’s Medicaid program, administered by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources’ Bureau for Medical Services, received a 2022 Medicaid Innovation Award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Academy for State Health Policy. The award recognizes states for demonstrating creativity, leadership, and progress in their Medicaid programs.
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