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Harpers Ferry is a historic West Virginia city and international tourist hub. But four years ago the national park and surrounding town were devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Home » House Finance Committee Asks Questions About Chemical Leak During DEP Budget Hearing
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House Finance Committee Asks Questions About Chemical Leak During DEP Budget Hearing
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Cabinet Secretary of the West Virginia DEP Randy Huffman presented the proposed budget to the committee, relating how the organization would deal with the governor’s 7.5 percent cut.
Huffman assured there would be no loss in personnel. However, paying the personnel a fair and competitive wage was a challenge.
Delegate Ron Walters asked how proposed water protection legislation would affect the DEP financially.
“We’re doing an inventory, right now,” Huffman said.
“We’re going to try in the next few days to get an estimate.”
Changing the subject from the budget to the chemical leak, Delegate Nancy Guthrie asked Huffman about proposed water protection legislation and the recent testimony and report from environmental consultants Downstream Strategies and when those suggestions should be incorporated. Huffman’s response was that he had not read the full report.
“When I read the first page of it I was disappointed and didn’t finish it,” Huffman said.
“It accused the state of having an anti-regulatory philosophy, that we failed and that we didn’t need any more legislation. Then, it said we do need more legislation and made some recommendations. So, I got confused about exactly what their position was.”
On this West Virginia Morning, tourists from around the world visit Harpers Ferry each year to immerse themselves in U.S. history. But the number of visitors fell in 2020, as public health restrictions ramped up nationwide. Jack Walker visited the town to learn how things have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Across the nation, there are more and more local news deserts; communities with no local newspaper, television or radio station to cover what’s going on. When a small town paper like The Welch News in McDowell County, WV, can’t compete and shuts down, losing those local eyes and ears can affect accountability. No one is there to watch over things. Local news also provides a sense of cohesion and identity for a community. What happens when it’s gone? This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center.
On this West Virginia Morning, it has been a year since allegations of illicit recordings of cadets and other women at the West Virginia State Police barracks launched federal and state investigations into the law enforcement department. We speak with the superintendent of state police for an update.
On this West Virginia Morning, political analysts say the two Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate in the upcoming May primary election give voters some particular, and troubling, food for thought. The candidates themselves say voters need to focus on the positives, not the negatives.