In The News

WEST VIRGINIA – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), tells Newswatch, the country needs to pass the first comprehensive energy update in eight years. Capito spoke on the Senate floor about the need to pass the bipartisan bill.  Senator Capito noting West Virginia has been hit hard by job loss in the energy sector. Just this week, more than 850 West Virginia coal miners received notice that their jobs may be at risk.  They join more than 500 other West Virginia miners who... Read More

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito, along with Congressmen Evan Jenkins and David McKinley sent a letter Wednesday opposing Canadian Pacific Railway’s plan to acquire Norfolk Southern. The letter was sent to U.S. Surface Transportation Board Chairman David Elliot, Vice Chairman Ann Begeman, and board member Debra Miller, detailing the potentially devastating impact the merger would have on West Virginia’s economy and urging the board... Read More

Student Spotlight is a weekly feature highlighting the best and the brightest at area schools. It appears each Tuesday in The Journal. To nominate a student for Student Spotlight, contact Katiann Marshall at kmarshall@journal-news.net; 304-263-3381, ext. 182; or www.twitter.com/kmarshallJN. SPRING MILLS — Adrien Inman, a senior at Spring Mills High School, is one of two West Virginia students selected as a delegate to the 54th annual United States Senate Youth Program. Inman, 18, will... Read More

Alpha Natural Resources released plans Jan. 25 to idle 10 mining facilities, cutting a total of 886 jobs in southern West Virginia. The bankrupt coal producer issued the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notices to three of its subsidiary companies, Marfork Coal Co., Elk Run Coal Co. and Maxxim Shared Services, on Monday, Jan. 25. According to the notices, the companies will idle five mines and one processing facility in their entirety. Alpha... Read More

For several months now, there's an ongoing debate about refugees entering our country. U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va), and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va), are not happy with the senate voting against the "SAFE Act." The American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act would enforce stricter background checks on Iraqi and Syrian refugees. It would also strengthen vetting standards.This would all be mandatory through our nation's top security officials like the FBI when welcoming any refugees in... Read More

SUMMIT POINT — While the congressional tug of war over the foreign affairs security training center facility at Summit Point Raceway continues, John Reisenweber, director of the Jefferson County Development Authority, said the facility should remain open through 2019. Reisenweber presented an update on the situtation at Summit Point to the Jefferson County commissioners at Thursday's commission meeting. He said a cost-benefit analysis requested by the West Virginia congressional delegation... Read More

MINGO COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) – The Williamson Health and Wellness Center will receive a large amount of funding for support. U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced on Thursday that the center in Mingo County will receive $343,887 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. According to a release, the funding is awarded through the Health Center Cluster Grant Program. The funding will support health care operations and... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin both released statements Wednesday after a debate was voted down by the Senate on the American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act. The SAFE Act aims to strengthen the vetting standards for refugees coming into the United States from Iraq and Syria. The Senate blocked debate on the bill by a 55-43 vote.“While our country has a long history of welcoming refugees and has an important role to play in the... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senators Joe Manchin III and Shelley Moore Capito recently announced the names of the two students who have been selected as delegates to the 54th annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) that will be held March 5-12, 2016 in Washington, D.C. Arka Gupta, of Charleston, and Adrien Inman, of Martinsburg, were chosen from across the state to be part of the group of 104 student delegates who will attend the program's 54th annual Washington Week. Each year this... Read More

With each new year comes a renewed hope for a better way of life. Those of us who live and work in Preston County and in rural America have similar wants and desires as those living and working in urban America. But all too often, urban America where many more people and businesses thrive, is blessed with a state-of-the-art infrastructure rarely seen in other parts of the nation. A great example is access and availability to high speed broadband and Internet services. In mid-2105, U.S. Senator... Read More

Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) have announced the names of the two students who have been selected as delegates to the 54th annual United States Senate Youth Program to be held March 5-12 in Washington, D.C. Arka Gupta of Charleston and Adrien Inman of Martinsburg were chosen to represent West Virginia at the program’s 54th annual Washington Week. Gupta attends George Washington High School in Charleston and serves as the student body president. He is a... Read More

Struggling to cope with an escalating toll of illegal drug overdoses and deaths, the city of Huntington has formed a broad-based coalition of local leaders to attack the problem. Spearheaded by Mayor Steve Williams, the coalition is pursuing a number of different approaches aimed at the drug menace. U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., joined Williams and a dozen public officials, law enforcement figures, drug treatment providers and community advocates at Huntington City Hall for a Jan. 8... Read More

CHARLES TOWN — Jefferson County Sheriff Pete Dougherty is already excited about the benefits his department and the community will receive as a result of being added into the federal Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area - official word about this selection was made Thursday, he said. And he appreciates the help provided by the state's Congressional representative that helped make this funding a reality - Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin and Congressman... Read More

CHARLES TOWN — Jefferson County is one of 14 newly designated counties nationwide that received a High Intesity Drug Traffic Area Designation and will work to disrupt drug trafficking through coordinated approaches to law enforcement Senators Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said in a joint statement the HIDTA designation will enable Jefferson County to receive federal resources to further the coordination and development of drug control efforts among federal, state... Read More

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. — U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin applauded the designation Thursday of Jefferson County as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. Jefferson County was one of 14 additional counties in 10 states that was announced by Director of National Drug Control Policy Michael Botticelli. “Jefferson County has a real problem. It has the fifth highest overdose rate in our state,” Capito said. “Berkeley County has similar if not even worse... Read More

Jefferson County has been designated a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area by the federal government, becoming the 19th West Virginia county to receive the status, which lets the county receive federal resources to develop drug control efforts among federal, state and local law enforcement officials. “For those working to fight this epidemic on the ground, this program will increase coordination of efforts across West Virginia. Most importantly, these new tools and resources will protect... Read More

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin announced the names of two students who will be heading to Washington, D.C. in March. Arka Gupta, from George Washington High School, and Adrien Inman, from Spring Mills High School, were selected as delegates to the 54th annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP). According to a release, Gupta serves as the student body president at George Washington High School. He is also captain of the JROTC.... Read More

CLARKSBURG — As two members of West Virginia’s congressional delegation see it, Macbeth’s description of life would sum up President Obama’s final State of the Union speech: “Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and U.S. Rep. David McKinley said Obama’s speech Tuesday night offered little in terms of helping West Virginians affected by his administration’s war on coal or protecting Americans from terrorist... Read More

WHEELING — Several area members of Congress said they had hoped to hear more from President Barack Obama on his plans to combat the threat of Islamic State terrorism during Tuesday night's State of the Union address. "To be fair, the president has had some successes over the last seven years. But at their kitchen tables, families are asking fundamental questions," said Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va. "Paraphrasing President (Ronald) Reagan, they're asking are they better off than they were... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP & WSAZ) – During his final State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Barack Obama signaled that coal companies could face higher charges when mining on federal lands. Obama said he's going to push to change the way the federal government manages its oil and coal resources to better reflect the costs they impose on taxpayers and the planet. Environmental groups have been telling the Bureau of Land Management during public hearings in recent months that the... Read More