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This week, ballads tell stories about all kinds of real-life events, but after Hurricane Helene, one group of ballad singers felt some topics were still too raw. Also, the author of a book on ancient Ohio credits a former grad student with introducing him to the region’s mysterious earthworks. And, the legacy of Affrilachian poet Norman Jordan includes a summer camp for teens to study their heritage.
While most of the night is strictly business, the final hours of the legislative session often have some light-hearted moments scattered throughout. Here are a few things you didn’t see in the news.
Sen. Sam Cann rose to speak to House Bill 4343, the West Virginia Launch Pad Act, but maybe he forgot he’d been appointed to a new chamber:
Sen. Doug Facemire missed the first few weeks of the session and was confined to a wheelchair for the rest after breaking his ankle in January. The Senator was able to stand for the first time on the floor and explain House Bill 4346 to his fellow members, but not without first commenting on their looks:
Facemire.mp3
Delegate Doug Reynolds shared this photo from his office:
We’ve all heard of the dangers of texting while driving, but texting while voting? Sen. Truman Chafin explains:
Truman.mp3
Sen. Dave Sypolt was concerned with changes to the Future Fund made in the House and wanted clarity before his vote, however, he asked Senate Majority Leader John Unger a question for which he didn’t have an answer and got this response:
Unger.mp3
And in a touching moment, Senate President Jeff Kessler stepped down from the podium to hand retiring Sen. Brooks McCabe the gavel. The Senator presided over the chamber while members spoke of his accomplishments during his service.
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The analysis places the total tax income from the two projects at over $231 million annually, a fraction of the roughly $77 billion the companies plan to invest developing the data centers.