FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, December 3, 2022
CONTACT: Jordan Damron, [email protected]
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West Virginia Week In Review
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Gov. Justice announced Thursday that West Virginia’s General Revenue collections for November 2022 are $112.7 million above estimates and 10.3% ahead of prior year receipts. Year-to-date record collections are $687.5 million above estimate.
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Gov. Justice and First Lady Cathy Justice are welcoming and encouraging West Virginians to attend the annual Joyful Night celebration – TONIGHT, Dec. 3, 2022 – at the State Capitol Complex in Charleston. The festive evening will feature the lighting of the state Christmas Tree on the South Steps of the State Capitol, along with captivating performances by West Virginians from near and far to ring in the Christmas season.
The program will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Plaza on the south side of the Capitol with musical performances by the Cabell Midland High School Marching Knights and the Capital High School V.I.P.s. Then, at 6 p.m., the Governor and First Lady will light the state Christmas tree, donated this year by Christmas Tree Farmer Jim Rockis from his property in Morgantown, WV.
Following the Tree Lighting Ceremony, guests attending in person will have the opportunity to enjoy the rest of the evening’s festivities across the Capitol Complex.
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Gov. Justice announced Friday that the West Virginia Division of Natural Resource’s lifetime license giveaway is back for a fourth year. Hunters and anglers who purchase an annual 2023 hunting, trapping or fishing license in the month of December will automatically be entered into the drawing.
One resident will win a lifetime hunting, trapping and fishing license, and one non-resident will win a three-night lodge stay at Pipestem Resort State Park with two zipline tour tickets.
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On Wednesday, Bill J. Crouch, Cabinet Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, announced additional changes as a result of the organizational study of DHHR by the McChrystal Group, at the direction of Gov. Justice. DHHR is centralizing the reporting structures of the staff who work in the job functions of Finance, Management Information Services, Human Resources Management and Purchasing.
DHHR has also instituted a temporary hiring freeze. Positions of critical need will still be filled, but requests to hire must be approved by the respective Deputy Secretary and sent to the Office of Human Resources Management for review and final approval by the Secretary.
On Tuesday, Secretary Crouch announced the appointment of Christina Mullins as his Deputy Secretary of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders.
On Monday, Secretary Crouch announced the appointment of Cammie Chapman as his Deputy Secretary of Child and Adult Services.
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Gov. Justice announced Tuesday that he has appointed Frank Foster as the new Director of the Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training. He fills the position vacated by the retirement of Eugene White. Current Acting Director McKennis (Kenny) Browning will become Deputy Director.
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The new National Broadband Map was released by the Federal Communications Commission on November 18, 2022. The West Virginia Office of Broadband and the West Virginia Broadband Enhancement Council ask that all West Virginians review their location data and broadband availability data on the new map to help ensure accuracy. The FCC will accept challenges through January 13, 2023.
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Traffic on the West Virginia Turnpike was heavier than expected the first two days of the Thanksgiving travel week. From Tuesday, Nov. 22, through Sunday, Nov. 27, 721,114 vehicles passed through Turnpike toll booths. Traffic was heaviest the two days before the Thanksgiving holiday and the weekend after.
Highest traffic day on the Turnpike was Sunday, Nov. 27, when 159,366 vehicles passed through the toll booths.
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Members of the West Virginia National Guard’s Company C, 2-104th General Support Aviation Battalion, and Company B, 1-224th Security and Support Aviation Battalion were visited Tuesday at the Army Aviation Support Facility #1 in Williamstown, West Virginia, by Brig. Gen. Brian Wertzler, Deputy Adjutant General of the Kentucky National Guard, to pay thanks for their efforts in response to the historic flooding that devastated areas of Eastern Kentucky in July of this year.
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West Virginia Division of Highways maintenance crews are out milling and filling potholes for as long as the weather allows. Asphalt plants typically open in February or March and close in the late fall, allowing the WVDOH to make permanent pothole repairs by milling out the old pothole, removing the debris, coating the hole with a sticky tacking material, then putting in fresh, hot asphalt.
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The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has approved $101,100 in grant funding for 14 applicants through its Covered Electronic Devices recycling grant program. Established in 2008 under the WVDEP's Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan (REAP) program, the CED program requires manufacturers to register their brands with the State. The fees collected allow counties and municipalities to apply for CED recycling grants to conduct electronic device collection events and support ongoing collection programs.
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West Virginia State Parks is offering a special promotion that rewards shoppers for purchasing state park gift cards. The promotion started Dec. 1 and is available until 11:59 p.m. EST Dec. 9, 2022. The deal is valid only on gift cards purchased online at WVstateparks.com and rewards shoppers who buy gift cards in select amounts from $25 to $400 by adding an extra amount to the card balance.
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