In the News
Sen. Manchin Speaks At Roundtable On Potential Appalachian Storage Hub | The Clarksburg Exponent Telegram
by Jake Jarvis
CHARLESTON - U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin says a new bill he introduced in Congress this week could help spur development of the state's energy sector. Manchin, D-W.Va., stopped by West Virginia Roundtable Inc.'s membership meeting at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center on Monday afternoon to discuss the opportunity to create an Appalachian storage hub for natural gas. "(The bill) would require the Department of Energy to examine the additional security benefits of an Appalachian storage … Continue Reading
April 15, 2019
Questions Over Coverage Plague Rural Broadband Expansion | The Associated Press
by Anthony Izguirre
There is a way around the notoriously sluggish internet in West Virginia. You just need a car and some time. Kelly Povroznik can tell you, when she happens to get a good signal. She teaches an online college course so hampered by unreliable connections that she has had to drive a half-hour to her brother's place just to enter grades into a database. "It added so much additional work for me, and I just don't have the time," said Povroznik, who lives in Weston, West Virginia. "I just kept … Continue Reading
April 15, 2019
$13.5M Awarded To Modernize West Virginia Public Housing | The Wheeling Intelligencer
by Staff Writers
Thirty public housing authorities in West Virginia were awarded more than $13.5 million in grants through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito announced Thursday. The funding from HUD's Public Housing Capital Fund will help West Virginia public housing authorities develop, finance and modernize their facilities as well as their management operations. Four local public housing agencies received grant month. The Housing … Continue Reading
April 12, 2019
Manchin Proposes Reclamation Fee Extension | E&E News
by Dylan Brown
West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin put forward legislation today to extend a fee on coal mining to help clean up abandoned sites nationwide. Manchin introduced the "Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Fee Extension Act" with fellow Democratic Sens. Doug Jones of Alabama, Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, and Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia. The Abandoned Mine Lands fund was created by the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) to pay for reclamation at thousands of sites … Continue Reading
April 12, 2019
WV Senators Applaud President Trump's Order On Pipelines | The Clarksburg Exponent Telegram
by Charles Young
CLARKSBURG - West Virginia lawmakers are applauding President Donald Trump's efforts to speed up natural gas pipeline projects. Trump issued a pair of executive orders Thursday aimed at making it harder for states to block pipelines and other energy projects due to environmental concerns. "Too often badly needed energy infrastructure is being held back by special interest groups, entrenched bureaucracies and radical activists," Trump said before signing the orders. Both Sen. Shelly Moore … Continue Reading
April 12, 2019
House Authority Of The City Of Bluefield One of Many Receiving Federal Funds | Bluefield Daily Telegraph
by Staff Writers
BLUEFIELD - The Housing Authority of the City of Bluefield was among the entities across West Virginia that shared in more than $13.5 million in federal funds, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. and Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va. announced Thursday. Manchin and Capito, who are both members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $13,523,370 for 30 public housing authorities throughout the state of West Virginia from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). … Continue Reading
April 11, 2019
Manchin Questions Forest Service Funding For Rural Schools | WV MetroNews
by Staff Writers
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Critical funding from the U.S. Forest Service designated for rural counties school systems for the coming years is in jeopardy, but the top official with the Forest Service tells Congress the designated funds for this year will be forthcoming. U.S. Senator Joe Manchin noted in a hearing of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee designated funding for the Secure Rural Schools Act has been gutted for the coming fiscal year. "Without Secure Rural funds, … Continue Reading
April 09, 2019
Elkins AmeriCorps Program To Receive Over $750,000 In Funding | WDTV
by Staff Writers
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WDTV) -- U.S. Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito announced Monday that $4.2 million will be going to four AmeriCorps programs in the state, including one in Elkins. According to a joint press release, $1,116,925 will go to United Way of Central West Virginia in Charleston, $769,745 will go to High Rocks Education Corporation in Hillsboro, $755,800 will go to the Appalachian Forest Heritage Area in Elkins, and $274,864 will go to the Grow Ohio Valley in … Continue Reading
April 09, 2019
Bipartisan Bill Calls For Mandatory LWCF Funding | E&E News
by Kellie Lunney
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) will introduce today bipartisan legislation to provide permanent, full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, his office confirmed last night. The "Land and Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act" would make funding for the LWCF mandatory at its current authorized annual level of $900 million, according to a bill summary from Manchin's office. "This was the original intent when the LWCF was established and credited with revenues from offshore oil … Continue Reading
April 08, 2019
Manchin, Bates Reflect On Legacy of Upper Big Branch Mine Explosion | WV MetroNews
by Pete Davis
BECKLEY, W.Va. - U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and West Virginia House of Delegates member Mick Bates, D-Raleigh, were among those in attendance at a ceremony Friday honoring the victims of the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion in Raleigh County nine years ago. Manchin, who was governor of West Virginia when the disaster occurred, said the memory of the miners who perished on April 5, 2010 has had a profound impact on his approach to government service. "I see some of the family members are … Continue Reading
April 08, 2019
Manchin, Capito Discuss Health Care Options After Possible Legislation Pushed Until After Election | WV MetroNews
by Alex Thomas
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - While President Donald Trump has kicked the debate on health care legislation until after the 2020 election cycle, the issue of health care is not going away anytime soon. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals is reviewing a December ruling regarding the federal health care law's constitutionality; a judge ruled in favor of a coalition of states - in which one member is West Virginia - decided "Obamacare" is unconstitutional because of the repeal of the statute's individual … Continue Reading
April 05, 2019
Constellium, Blue Origin Reach Multi-Year Contract | WV MetroNews
by Staff Writers
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Constellium announced Thursday a multi-year contract with Blue Origin to support their launch vehicle programs. According to Constellium, the agreement is a new milestone regarding the supply of Airware aluminum plates and sheets for Blue Origin's New Glenn orbital rocket. The plates will come from plants in Ravenswood and Issoire, France. Blue Origin is a privately-funded aerospace manufacturer and spaceflight services company. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos founded the company … Continue Reading
April 04, 2019
State Awaits Flood Dollars | Elkins Inter-Mountain
by Steve Allen Adams
CHARLESTON - West Virginia is awaiting more than $106 million to help limit the damage from the next big flood, but the state is having issues spending the federal funding it has now. In a statement released Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., expressed frustration over delays in releasing $106,494,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grant program for disaster recovery. Manchin said the holdup is with the Office of Management and … Continue Reading
April 03, 2019
Rainelle Medical Center To Receive More Than $2 Million In Funding | The Beckley Register-Herald
by Wendy Holdren
Rainelle Medical Center will receive more than $2 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The center provides primary care services, preventative health care, including mammograms for uninsured women, as well as black lung treatment. "I am thrilled Rainelle Medical Center will receive this funding so that they can better serve their community, through providing essential medical services to West Virginians and give rural West Virginians access to health care," … Continue Reading
April 03, 2019
US House Voting On 'Obamacare' Resolution; Senate Introduces Own Measure | WV MetroNews
by Alex Thomas
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote Wednesday on a resolution denouncing President Donald Trump's administration and the Justice Department for not defending the federal health care law in a lawsuit brought forward by a coalition of states, in which West Virginia is among the plaintiffs. The vote will come after Senate Democrats on Tuesday introduced a similar resolution, and both follow President Donald Trump's decision to delay a vote on health care … Continue Reading
April 02, 2019
WV Congressional Delegation Wants Mueller Report Released | The Charleston Gazette
by Jake Zuckerman
When it comes to special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, West Virginia's entire congressional delegates has said, or voted, that the report should be made available for the public to read. U.S. Attorney General William Barr's four-page summary of the report states the Trump campaign did not conspire or coordinate with Russia regarding the latter's interference into the 2016 presidential election. The summary states the report does not take a … Continue Reading
April 02, 2019
Manchin Again Urges EPA To Give Minden Superfund Access | WV MetroNews
by Pete Davis
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency Monday, reiterating his support for the proposed addition of the town of Minden in Fayette County to the agency's National Priorities List. In the letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, Manchin highlighted a resolution recently passed by the West Virginia State Legislature, which Manchin said demonstrated broad bipartisan support for the designation. The addition of Minden to the … Continue Reading
April 01, 2019
Sen. Manchin Urges EPA To Add Minden To National Priorities List | WVNS
by Douglas Fritz
MINDEN, WV (WVNS) - Concerns over the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Minden have reached the national level. On April 1, 2019, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) sent a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Administrator regarding the subject. Sen. Manchin highlighted a resolution from the West Virginia State Legislature that shows bipartisan support for helping the residents of Minden. He is encouraging the EPA Administrator, Andrew Wheeler, to add the community to the … Continue Reading
April 01, 2019
Facing Driver Shortage; Manchin Among Bipartisan Group Supporting Changes To Trucking Regulations | WV MetroNews
by Alex Wiederspiel
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - 69 trade organizations, including the International Food Service Distributors Association (IFDA), agree that America needs more truck drivers. Mark Allen, the President and CEO of IFDA, said those same trade organizations are joining the call along with a significant bipartisan coalition in Congress to find a piece of legislation to attach the DRIVE-Safe Act (S. 569, H.R. 1374) - repealing a near-century old regulation that limits truck drivers under the age of 21 from … Continue Reading
April 01, 2019
Intuit To Open 'Prosperity Hub' In Bluefield; Up To 500 New Jobs Possible | WV MetroNews
by Jeff Jenkins
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. - State native Intuit Executive Board Chairman Brad Smith announced Friday the company will open a "prosperity hub" in downtown Bluefield with plans to create between 200 and 500 jobs. According to Smith, the prosperity hub will include a customer success center for the Intuit product QuickBooks and an innovation lab to help small businesses. The hub will be located on Federal Street in Bluefield, the former First National Bank building. Intuit officials made the … Continue Reading
