In The News

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Crews at Charleston’s Yeager Airport can now begin emergency repairs to the hillside that collapsed at the end of the runway more than two years ago.Yeager officials accepted a $13.5 million federal grant Monday at the top of the airport’s overrun safety area where the slip occurred March 12, 2015. The money will be used to help pay for the first phase of construction.West Virginia’s congressional leaders announced the funding last week. U.S. Senators... Read More

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Yeager Airport will receive a grant worth more than $13.4 million for repairs to the facility’s runway safety area, more than two years after it was destroyed.The engineered materials arrestor system is designed to stop airplanes if an aircraft overruns or comes off the runway.This area to Runway 5/23 at West Virginia’s largest airport was destroyed in a March 2015 hillslide. The slide also destroyed the Keystone Apostolic Church and damaged two homes... Read More

WORTHINGTON — Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., joined Worthington residents and members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Tuesday to celebrate the completion of the town’s riverbank protection project.The project, which has been 17 years in the making, is designed to protect the town’s vacuum-type sewer line from erosion along the West Fork River.The Army Corps of Engineers reinforced around 1,400 feet of riverbank, according to former Worthington Mayor Sandra Hulsey, who... Read More

Last week, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., invited guests from Washington, D.C., to get a first-hand look at the damage the substance abuse epidemic is doing to West Virginia – and the work being done to combat it, in the face of enormous challenges.Lawrence Muir, general counsel and acting chief of staff for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, got a look at two facilities in Charleston, Rea of Hope and Recovery Point Charleston, that could be templates for similar... Read More

Wooden painted plaques representing the Army, Navy and Air Force line the walls of the new Medal of Honor Hall at the Beckley VA Medical Center, along with the names of 13 Medal of Honor recipients from southern West Virginia and a U.S. flag.It is not just any ordinary flag hanging on the brand new white walls of the hall, but a flag donated by Medal of Honor recipient Hershel "Woody" Williams, given to him by U.S. representatives. He said that flag is now in its rightful place."Why me?"... Read More

ELGOOD — Sen. Shelley Moore Capito greeted people in Elgood Saturday when she stopped by for a new water line project groundbreaking ceremony. Capito spent the day in Mercer County, also making stops at Bluefield State College, Mercer County Airport and the DISH Network offices.Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., wants more done in Washington, and she remains optimistic that the political process can change.But some cooperation in that direction will have to come from Pres. Donald Trump,... Read More

ELGOOD — After eight years of work and determination, 162 families in the Elgood area will soon be getting clean, fresh water.County, state and federal officials, including Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., gathered at Mountain View Community Church in Elgood Friday morning for the groundbreaking of a water line that consists of 67,000 linear feet of new lines.“The community is eager to have good, clean, fresh water,” Mercer County Commissioner Gene Buckner said as he... Read More

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A top drug policy official in Washington is getting a look at what recovery centers in Charleston are doing after President Donald Trump declared the opioid epidemic a “national emergency.”“There’s such a critical need here and our presence here is supposed to show that we are not forgetting about what West Virginia is going through,” said Lawrence Muir, general counsel and acting chief of staff for the White House Office of National... Read More

U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., announced funding Monday for a West Virginia University project to prevent and treat the opioid epidemic. The project, “Rural West Virginia Responds to Opioid Injection Epidemics: From Data to Action project at WVU,” will receive $525,031 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), in partnership with several other federal agencies, to develop comprehensive approaches to prevent and treat consequences of... Read More

MADISON, W.Va. – Federal, state and local officials continue to work to coordinate and encourage efforts to increase internet connectivity, broadband access and cellular phone service in West Virginia."Broadband access continues to be an issue in the southern coalfield communities in West Virginia," said Kris Mitchell, director at Boone County Community and Economic Development Corp.Mitchell says there can be no real diversification efforts in her county without increased broadband... Read More

Gov. Jim Justice has asked President Donald Trump to declare a major disaster for the state for last month’s floods, landslides, mudslides and wind damage that affected several counties in the northern part of the state.According to a news release from the West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety, Justice sent a letter to the White House last Thursday.U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito and U.S. Reps. David McKinley, Alex Mooney and Evan Jenkins also sent... Read More

Four U.S. Senators announced Thursday that the U.S. Department of Defense would cover new care plans to support Alzheimer’s patients covered through TRICARE and their families.More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, and more than 15 million people serve as their caregivers, according to a release. U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.; Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.; Susan Collins, R-Maine; and Ed Markey, D-Mass., had strongly urged the department to... Read More

HUNTINGTON – President Donald Trump will officially declare the opioid crisis a "national emergency," the president announced Thursday during a security briefing in Bedminster, New Jersey.Trump told The Associated Press the drug crisis afflicting the nation is a "serious problem the likes of which we have never had" and says he's drawing up documents "to so attest."A drug commission convened by Trump recently called for a national emergency declaration to help deal with the opioid crisis.... Read More

Head Start programs in Beckley and Oak Hill will receive more than $3 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF).Specifically, Raleigh County Community Action Association Inc. will receive $1,046,927 and Fayette County Child Development Center will receive $2,278,650. U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., announced the funding in a release... Read More

There is a growing push in Washington to declare a public health emergency to combat the deadly opioid epidemic. If such a declaration can help save lives, and provide additional resources to the states to help battle the opioid crisis, then it would be welcomed.Last week, the Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis asked President Trump to declare a national public health emergency to combat the opioid epidemic.The commission concluded that... Read More

MARTINSBURG — U.S. Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito announced $8,037,121 in funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources Administration for Children and Families to support Head Start programs in West Virginia.Head Start and Early Start programs were implemented in 1965 to better prepare preschool children emotionally and academically for school and life, according to the MountainHeart Community Services Inc. website. In addition to providing educational... Read More

CHARLES TOWN – Currently serving as Jefferson County chief deputy prosecuting attorney, Bill Powell was recently nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia.Recommended by U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., earlier in the year, Powell earned his law degree at the West Virginia University of Law in 1985, and he has previously worked as an assistant U.S. Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice from 1990 to 1992. He also... Read More

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate passed “Jessie’s Law” Thursday, a significant step in helping doctors understand their patients’ history with opioids.The bill, which was introduced by U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., would require the federal Department of Health and Human Services to develop standards for hospitals and medical professionals, enabling them to have full knowledge of a patient’s opioid addiction following consent.The legislation is named... Read More

BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — The Berkeley Springs Volunteer Fire Co. will receive $170,858 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for fire-safety issues.The overall FEMA funding, which totals $4,252,133, covers nine West Virginia counties, according to a news release from U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.The grant awarded Friday to the Berkeley Springs fire department comes from FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, and will help the... Read More

A group of senators have re-introduced a bill to allow the National Emergency Medical Services Memorial Foundation to establish a commemorative work on federal land to pay tribute to the commitment and service represented by emergency medical services (EMS).Under the National Emergency Medical Services Commemorative Work Act, a memorial would be constructed in the greater District of Columbia area.Each year, 850,000 EMS first responders across the nation answer more than... Read More