Caitlin Tan, Author at West Virginia Public Broadcasting

New River Gorge To Be Designated As A National Park

The new federal stimulus relief package includes pandemic-related aid, as well as other end of year business, including a new national park designation for southern West Virginia.

The New River Gorge will be redesignated from a National River to a National Park and Preserve, making it the 63rd national park in the country and 20th preserve. It was announced in a press call Monday with West Virginia’s U.S. Sen. Shelley Capito.

Capito, U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin and U.S. Rep. Carol Miller originally brought forth the proposal in 2019, arguing that such a designation could boost tourism in West Virginia.

Outdoor recreation is a $9 billion industry in the state, and that the redesignation to national park status can increase the number of visits by 21 percent, Capito said.

“This is going to be such a major investment in tourism in West Virginia,” she told reporters Monday. “Being a national park is a gold stamp of approval and excellence.”

The new national park and preserve designation of the New River Gorge will include about 6,000 acres of the nearly 73,000 acres of federal land. The area was originally designated a national river in 1978.

The New River Gorge National Park and Preserver Designation Act is a part of the Fiscal Year 2021 Omnibus Appropriations Bill and pandemic relief package passed Monday night.

Charleston Police: Officer Will Not Survive Injuries Sustained On-Duty

Charleston police officer Cassie Johnson, who was shot in the face Tuesday after responding to a parking complaint on the city’s north side, is expected to pass away from injuries sustained.

According to the Charleston Police Department, Johnson, 28, underwent three hours of surgery Wednesday morning at the Charleston Area Medical Center. Officials said in a Wednesday evening press conference that she was taken off life support and not expected to survive, but that she will be an organ donor.

Shooting suspect Joshua Phillips, 38, of Charleston was identified by police Wednesday and no charges have been filed yet, the Associated Press reported. However, in a press conference officials said evidence will be handed over to the Kanawha County Prosecutor’s Office to determine charges.

Phillips was reportedly free on bond after a January 2020 arrest on weapons charges. He was wounded during the shooting and is also hospitalized.

Johnson joined the Charleston police force in January 2019. The shooting sparked the attention of Gov. Jim Justice, who spoke out during his Wednesday morning coronavirus briefing.

“Just think — these are the people we call when we have an issue, a problem, worry or concern… Shot in the face,” Justice said.

The City of Charleston planned a candlelight vigil for Johnson at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Laidley Field.

Non-Profit Offers Virtual Assistance To Apply For ‘Obamacare’

West Virginians have about three weeks left to enroll for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, and a non-profit in the state has offered socially distanced help to apply.

West Virginians can shop around for health insurance through the ACA Marketplace until Dec. 15. The Marketplace provides insurance options that qualify under ‘Obamacare.’

Those who want or need help applying online for health insurance can use the West Virginia Navigator — a free program run by a non-profit. Because of the pandemic, there is only virtual help this year through telephone or Zoom, as opposed to the program’s regular in-person help.

“This time of year, people are bombarded with ads for health insurance,” said Jeremy Smith, program director for WV Navigator. “Some are legitimate, but some are not. We are grant-funded, so we have no profit motive, and our only goal is to help people find the best, most affordable plan for them.”

Those who need financial help with insurance can also find that through the West Virginia Navigator program. Eight in 10 applicants who applied last year were eligible for aid, the non-profit said.

More than 200,000 West Virginians depend on the Affordable Care Act for health insurance annually.

Anyone needing assistance signing up for health care can click here.

Application Period Opens For W.Va. Home Heating Assistance

West Virginia residents who need help with their home heating bills this winter can apply for another round of financial help from the Department of Health and Human Resources. The relief comes as the colder months are setting in and the economic future is uncertain, due to the pandemic.

Applications opened Monday for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, which will help pay heating bills for qualifying West Virginia homes for one month.

The heating assistance program occurs each year, but the DHHR said it expects more applications than normal due to hardships from the pandemic this year.

This season’s LIEAP program is funded through the CARES Act, federal COVID-19 relief aid distributed to states in the spring and summer, and is supplemented with a recent federal grant of more than $28.6 million, according to the DHHR.

Many LIEAP qualifying households received two additional heating support payments this year due to the pandemic. Additionally, money from the CARES Act was distributed to those who could not afford utilities during the first four months of the pandemic. After a voluntary hiatus, beginning July 1, West Virginia utility companies reinstated service shutoffs.

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin said in a news release that about 48,000 West Virginians will need heating assistance this winter.

To see if you qualify for West Virginia’s Low Income Energy Assistance Program, go to the website — wvpath.org.

W.Va. To Start Distributing Medical Cannabis In The Spring, Announces Processors

West Virginia is moving forward with a plan to distribute medical cannabis in 2021, a project that has been in progress for three years now.

State health officials announced Friday, Nov. 13 which counties would receive permits to process medical cannabis requests. There were 10 processor permits awarded to Cabell, Harrison, Upshur, Berkeley, Roane, Mineral, Greenbrier and Raleigh counties. Of those permits, two were given to Upshur and Raleigh counties.

“This is an important step to ensure that medical cannabis is made available to residents with serious medical conditions while also generating economic activity throughout West Virginia,” said Jason Frame, director of the West Virginia Office of Medical Cannabis.

The permits will allow companies to process the plant into acceptable products under the West Virginia Medical Cannabis Act from 2017. Such products could include pills, oil, topical ointments, dry leaf, tincture, liquid or dermal patches.

The next and last phase is certifying dispensers. Dispensaries will take the product from the processors and get it to those in need. State leaders hope to begin distributing medical cannabis cards to consumers with a valid medical condition by next Spring.

W.Va. Sets Record High COVID Cases For Second Day In A Row

West Virginia has set an new record for the second day in a row with 696 new confirmed coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours. This beats the previous record high of 642 new cases reported Wednesday.

There are 306 covid patients hospitalized statewide, according to Nov. 12 data from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. To date, there’s been 555 deaths in the state attributed to the virus; however, 2,155 people have recovered to date.

The state uses a color-coded system to determine severity of the rate of spread of the virus, with red being the most extreme, and as of Nov. 12, 26 counties were classified as such. The “red” designation requires more than 25 cases of community spread per 100,000 people.

This comes as a surge in coronavirus cases has been reported nationwide. There were 140,000 new cases of the virus across the U.S. reported Wednesday, with 242,000 deaths attributed to the coronavirus.

West Virginia’s Gov. Jim Justice implemented a mask mandate July 9, requiring residents older than age 9 to wear a mask in indoor spaces and where social distancing is not possible. However, this excludes those “actively engaged in the consumption of food and/or beverage.”

Studies suggest that consistent use of masks remains the most economical effective tool to combat the coronavirus. But, enforcing mask mandates remains complicated. In a Wednesday press conference, Justice said he cannot “go out and start arresting people” for not wearing masks.

Justice’s regular COVID-19 press conference will take place at 11 a.m. Nov. 13.