FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, October 8, 2022
CONTACT: Jordan Damron, [email protected]
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West Virginia Week In Review
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Gov. Justice announced Monday that West Virginia’s General Revenue collections for September 2022 of $638.8 million were $192.8 million above estimates and 26.6% ahead of prior year receipts. Year-to-date record collections of $1.527 billion were $427 million above estimate and 27.9% ahead of last year.
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Gov. Justice called for West Virginians everywhere to join him Friday in celebrating the fifth anniversary of the historic passage of his Roads To Prosperity bond program.
“This is a day that all West Virginians should celebrate every year,” Gov. Justice said. “It was on this day five years ago that West Virginians made their voices heard, loud and clear, that they were done with being 50th and they were all-in on our incredible Roads To Prosperity plan to improve our infrastructure across our state.”
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Gov. Justice held an event Monday with officials from the City of Lewisburg to break ground on a $63 million project to upgrade and modernize the Lewisburg water system. The project will not only increase the quality and quantity of potable water to the city's customers but will also increase the overall resiliency of the system by providing a safe and dependable supply of water to the system. It will also allow new customers to be added to the water system.
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This week, Gov. Justice made several stops across West Virginia to greet constituents and discuss his proposal to reduce West Virginia's Personal Income Tax, and his opposition to Amendment 2. The community conversation locations included Lewisburg, Parkersburg, Martinsburg, Charles Town, and Logan.
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On Friday, Gov. Justice joined the Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in announcing a special Fall giveaway for two brand-new 2023 Kawasaki Teryx four-seater UTV’s in Metallic Sierra Blue to encourage riders to get out and explore the autumn colors on the trails this fall. Anyone who purchases a 2022 riding permit for the Hatfield McCoy trails before November 15, 2022, will be entered to win the prize and the two winners will be randomly selected on December 15, 2022.
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On Tuesday, First Lady Cathy Justice hosted an informative luncheon for Superintendents and county representatives from the 19 counties not yet involved in Communities In Schools, the nation’s No. 1 dropout prevention program. CIS Founder Bill Milliken, CIS Vice President of Learning and Practice Michael Huang, along with several veteran Superintendents and CIS staff members from the West Virginia Department of Education were in attendance at the event.
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On Tuesday, Gov. Justice and the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security announced the West Virginia School Safety Initiative. The WV School Safety Initiative provides research-based guidance for school personnel, students, parents, and community members. The goal of this Initiative is to share the knowledge necessary to recognize threatening or concerning behavior in students, the information required to detect and potentially prevent acts of school violence or to mitigate the harm resulting from an act of school violence, and the tools necessary to seek assistance in the event of a crisis or threat.
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The West Virginia Department of Transportation’s Division of Public Transit recently helped procure eight handicapped-accessible minivans to help rural seniors get to medical appointments or other places they need to go in communities that may not have access to bus or taxi service. Public Transit procured the vehicles through the federal 5310 Program, which is designed to enhance mobility for seniors and individuals with disabilities throughout the country. Local community groups to which the minivans are supplied are responsible for coming up with a 20 percent match of the approximately $64,000 cost of each vehicle.
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Fall color continues to spread into additional regions of the Mountain State and is reaching peak in highest elevations of the state as the West Virginia Department of Tourism releases its second fall foliage update of 2022. Although slightly behind the timeline initially projected, autumn has officially made its way into the rolling hills of West Virginia. West Virginians – and those visiting the state – are encouraged to get out and explore the state’s country roads and world-renowned hikes this week to catch a glimpse of stunning fall colors.
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The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection's Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan is hosting 13 free tire collection events around the state in October and November. Individuals can dispose of up to 10 tires per person. The tires must be off the rims and only car and light truck tires will be accepted. The WVDEP requests that individuals stay in their vehicles when dropping off tires.
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The sled run at Blackwater Falls State Park is scheduled to open for the season on Dec. 22 and tickets for the famed winter attraction are now available for advance purchase online. The sled run will be open Wednesdays through Sundays, weather permitting, from Dec. 23 to March 5, 2023, with additional holiday hours for the week between Christmas and New Years and on Martin Luther King Jr. and Presidents days. Updates to season dates will be posted on West Virginia State Parks’ website and social media pages.
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The West Virginia Division of Highways has a big toolbox when it comes to maintaining rural roads. In Mineral County, they’re using a surface treatment called fog sealing to prolong the life of Knobley Road and other roads in the county. Fog sealing is just one of several types of surface sealing treatments highways departments can use to rejuvenate existing roads.
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The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources is recommending West Virginians ages 6 months and older to be vaccinated against the flu as the season approaches, as well as encouraging COVID-19 vaccination and Omicron boosters shots.
The best time to get vaccinated is before the end of October, but even if you don’t get your flu shot before the end of October, you can still get vaccinated through fall and winter.
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