Elisa Schwartzmiller, Author at West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Over a Thousand High School Students Registered to Vote

Last Month, more than a thousand West Virginia high school students registered to vote. Secretary of State Mac Warner says he hopes to see even more eligible young voters sign up to vote in November.

Thirteen high schools across West Virginia conducted voter registration drives in the month of October. Secretary of State Mac Warner said these drives show the, “level of commitment school administrators have for the civic engagement of our youngest voters.”

The Secretary’s Office recognizes high schools who register 100 percent of their students. Those schools will receive the Jennings Randolph Award. The award is named for former U.S. Senator Jennings Randolph from West Virginia, who in 1971 helped pass the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. That legislation lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.

Last school year, a record high of 16 high schools across the Mountain State earned the Jennings Randolph award. Another 14 voter registration drives are being planned in the month of November.

Manchin and Toomey Could Be Teaming Up (Again) to Discuss Tighter Gun Regulations

West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin says he plans to meet with GOP Sen. Pat Toomey to discuss gun control legislation they have collaborated on in the past.

Back in 2012, Manchin teamed up with Toomey on a bill that would have expanded requirements for criminal background checks for gun buyers.

Their bi-partisan bill failed twice in the Senate.

Following Sunday night’s mass shooting in Las Vegas, Manchin says he and Toomey are once again meeting to discuss gun control.

However, Manchin says that he won’t reintroduce the bill, unless there is more widespread GOP support.

The conservative Democrat has been a supporter of both gun control and 2nd amendment rights.

Manchin says it will be up to the President to set the tone for a legislative response to the massacre in Las Vegas. Thus far, Trump has been noncommittal.

WVU Set to Launch A New Center to Study Land-Grant Institutions

West Virginia University has created the Center for the Future of Land-Grant Education to study changes that have occurred in higher education during the past several decades. The center will officially launch Thursday, Sept. 28th at the Erickson Alumni Center.

The center will be housed in the WVU College of Education and Human Services and will serve as a hub for researchers. According to a WVU news release, the center’s goal is for researchers to address the challenge of providing a quality education as public funding is reduced and to bridge the disconnect between higher education and the community.

The Center for the Future of Land-Grant Education will be open to the public. It will release an annual report with data highlighting the state of land-grant systems by examining factors such as financial access, and engagement among faculty and students.

Thursday Sept. 28th at 4pm there will be a panel of experts at the Erickson Alumni Center to officially launch the center, to RSVP visit bit.ly/center-rsvp

A New Study Suggests New Ideas to Overcome Pediatric Cancer

The University of Texas Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital released a study this month showing that diet and exercise may improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Healthy eating is already encouraged during treatment but diet plans are uncommon. When it comes to physical activity, the study says, doctors are cautious when suggesting an exercise routine.

The study also shows that obesity is a risk factor for several cancers and can lower survival rates. West Virginia has the highest obesity rate in the nation and more than a third of children ages 10 to 17 in the state are obese.

In West Virginia, 1 in 285 children were diagnosed with cancer in 2014 and that is rising each year. The University of Texas research team says it plans to explore the impact diet and exercise have on chemotherapy and survival rates.

Deadline Approaches for Flood Assistance from SBA, FEMA

The Small Business Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency want to remind flood victims who haven’t applied for assistance that a deadline for applying for assistance is approaching.

The SBA and FEMA deadline for accepting flood victim applicants is Oct. 17th. Richard Daigle, SBA’s Public Affairs Specialist, says many who were impacted by flash flooding in northern counties of West Virginia this summer have already applied.

FEMA has already distributed more than 2 million dollars in grants to community members throughout affected counties. The federal disaster relief agency reports two of the three operating centers – those in Marion and Marshall counties – will close next week. The Wetzel County disaster center at Hundred High School will remain open for the time being.