Beckley Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Local Outcry Spurs Beckley To Drop Addiction Recovery Resource Expansion

Last month, Beckley was poised to become the first city nationally to earn a special status for its addiction recovery resources. But on Tuesday, Beckley residents packed a meeting of the Beckley Common Council to express concerns over the plan.

Last month, Beckley was poised to become the first city nationally to earn a special status for its addiction recovery resources.

Now, the city has dropped that plan entirely.

By creating new recovery resources — like an addiction advisory council and recurring community destigmatization events — Beckley would have earned the international status of “inclusive recovery city,” joining 26 other cities around the world.

But on Tuesday, Beckley residents packed a meeting of the Beckley Common Council to express concerns over the plan.

Some said Mayor Rob Rappold had adopted the plans without first accepting public comments or seeking council approvals.

Others claimed the new resources would over-extend public resources and draw more homeless people to the city.

Mary West, a Beckley resident and former council candidate, expressed disapproval of the plans and homelessness in the city.

There are “all these homeless people that I see walking through here, and they’re in front of my house, throwing backpacks in my yard with drugs,” she said.

During the council meeting, Rappold said he was surprised to hear the plans had garnered any backlash, maintaining that they would benefit the local community.

But on Thursday he dropped the project entirely, echoing national trends.

Resident concerns over homelessness and drug use have delayed rehab centers in the Bronx, Boston and North Carolina, blocking rehab expansions as overdoses rise nationally. For years, West Virginia has had more overdose deaths than any other state.

James Phillips, the local addiction recovery advocate who spearheaded the project, declined to comment on this story, and referred West Virginia Public Broadcasting to a Wednesday press release.

“The purpose of an inclusive recovery city is not to establish a sanctuary city or initiate a radical shift in approach,” he said in the press release. “It is not a program designed to attract or increase any capacity, and it requires no city funding, assets or grants to implement.”

In response to community concerns, Phillips will host a presentation and community discussion on the plans March 19 at 9:30 a.m. at 410 Neville Street in Beckley.

Phillips said that the project aimed to bolster support for residents experiencing addiction, and “walk aside them, offering hope [and] encouragement.”

The City of Beckley is an underwriter of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Beckley First US City To Earn International Status For Addiction Recovery Support

Beckley was named the first inclusive recovery city in the United States, joining 26 other cities globally in providing city-level resources for addiction recovery.

The first city in the United States granted a special status for its addiction recovery resources is located in southern West Virginia.

On March 19, Beckley will become the first city in the nation to be named an inclusive recovery city, joining 27 other cities globally.

Recovery cities are recognized for their citywide approach to curbing addiction and supporting individuals experiencing the condition.

To achieve its new status, the city will host four community events annually, which aim to directly include individuals experiencing addiction and promote community well-being.

In collaboration with the international recovery city program, the city will also create a new recovery council.

The group of community advocates, addiction specialists and city officials will work together to address addiction recovery on the local level.

James Phillips, executive director of the Beckley addiction recovery nonprofit Seed Sower, is spearheading the project.

He said these events are “public, celebratory, community recovery events” that will reinforce the idea that recovery “is not something to shy away from or to hide.”

“It’s okay to celebrate it openly and publicly, because there is hope,” he said.

Phillips said he hopes the city’s new designation can foster more productive conversations on addiction.

“The research has been telling us for a number of years now that one of the best ways to promote long-term remission from substance use disorder is by positive social relationships and meaningful activities in the community,” he said.

The recovery city program accomplishes this by bringing together different members of the local community to advance a shared goal of strengthening addiction recovery resources.

This citywide effort can be more effective than a person-by-person approach to addiction recovery, Phillips said.

“When you have multiple isolated pockets of recovery [that] maybe don’t know what the other pockets of recovery are doing, there are people that slip through the gaps,” he said.

Phillips and several city officials will attend a charter signing March 19 to formalize the new status.

The event will feature David Best as a keynote speaker. Best conceptualized the program, and serves as president of the Recovery Outcomes Institute in Florida.

“This model offered a strategic way to best help the people and employers of this region, leveraging the area’s considerable community strengths and organizational assets,” Best said in a statement Wednesday.

Beckley Mayor Rob Rappold expressed his support for the city’s new status.

“We are honored to be the first city in the country to be named an IRC,” he said Wednesday. “Our city leaders and our citizens have steadfastly stood with those in recovery seeking a path forward.”

With the city’s new status, Phillips said he hopes Beckley can continue “destigmatizing addiction and recovery.”

Through more community-based support, Beckley can provide new forms of support “for people who are suffering from a chronic health condition that we very rarely treat as a chronic health condition,” he said.

New Play Explores 1980s Coal Strikes And Sen. Capito Talks Legislation For Caregivers, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, West Virginia native JC Lasek’s latest play is about a West Virginia family in the 1980s who struggle with the ups and downs of the economy at the time – the coal strikes. It is showing through Nov. 12 at the Raleigh Theatre in Beckley. Briana Heaney sat down with Lasek to talk about the production.

On this West Virginia Morning, West Virginia native JC Lasek’s latest play is about a West Virginia family in the 1980s who struggle with the ups and downs of the economy at the time – the coal strikes. It is showing through Nov. 12 at the Raleigh Theatre in Beckley. Briana Heaney sat down with Lasek to talk about the production.

Also, in this show, millions of families nationwide find themselves caring for loved ones in their own family. That includes stress and confusion — especially when it comes to dealing with a parent’s finances and the services that are available to them.

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., experienced those issues as she provided care for her own parents. Realizing how big of an issue it is, she recently introduced legislation into the U.S. Senate to help alleviate burdens on caregivers.

For his ongoing series, “Getting Into Their Reality: Caring For Aging Parents,” News Director Eric Douglas discussed the situation and the pending legislation with Capito.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.

Eric Douglas produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Design, Engineering Work On Beckley Veterans Facility Set To Begin

Work on a veterans nursing home in Beckley is set to begin, the second one in the state.

Initial funding for the 120-bed facility was awarded in 2021, with more money from the state’s general budget going towards the project last year. The initial investment included $30 million from the state and $15 million in federal funding.

The home is set to be built on a 12 acre plot of land next to the Jackie Withrow Hospital.

Gov. Jim Justice announced during his regular briefing Thursday that design and engineering work would begin on the project.

“We should be proud, proud, proud of who we are as West Virginians to the contribution that all of us have made and all the great folks in the military have made to make this nation what it is today,” Justice said.

Of the beds available, 20 will go towards nursing veterans with Alzheimer’s or dementia. It’s also planned to include private rooms, community spaces, fully accessible kitchens and a central common area, as well as recreational and health care services.

“My staff and I have worked tirelessly on making this facility a reality,” Department of Veterans Assistance Cabinet Secretary Edward Diaz said in a statement. “We understand that this architectural and engineering agreement is only one step toward construction of the new nursing facility, but it is a huge, critically important step.”

There is currently one other veterans nursing facility in the state, located in Clarksburg.

W.Va. Airports Receive FAA Funding For Improvements

Charleston Yeager Airport (CRW) will receive $1 million under the Airport Terminal Program (ATP) for a series of projects to upgrade its 1950s terminal building, improve Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance and install a new roof.

The federal government has awarded $1 million each to West Virginia International Yeager Airport and Raleigh County Memorial Airport in Beckley.

Yeager Airport Director & CEO, Dominique Ranieri, said improving terminal facilities will make for a better passenger experience.

“CRW would like to thank U.S. Sen, Joe Manchin, D-WV, as well as Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-WV and the members of the Senate Appropriations Committee for their hard work in helping to make the passenger experience more efficient and enjoyable by fighting for much-needed airport infrastructure improvements,” Ranieri said in a press release.

Central West Virginia Regional Airport Authority Board Chairman, Ed Hill said a viable airport is crucial to the area’s economy.

“CRW is our community’s gateway to the world, and this funding will ensure we continue to operate safely and efficiently,” he said.

Raleigh County Memorial Airport will use its portion of FAA funding for a terminal expansion, and for the addition of ADA accessible restrooms, as well as sustainable design concepts to promote energy efficiency.

The funding is part of President Joe Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced nearly $1 billion for more than 100 projects at 99 airports.

Under the ATP, the FAA is providing $5 billion to airports via discretionary, competitive grants for eligible terminal projects over a five-year period.

CRW received $2.1 million in 2021 from first-year funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Crews Working To Restore Water Service To Raleigh County

Water woes continue in Raleigh County with many residents in Beckley without water since a polar vortex gripped the state over the Christmas weekend.

Meanwhile Raleigh County schools remain closed until Thursday as communities throughout the county wait for their water service to return to normal.

On Tuesday, the Beckley Water Company said crews continue to work to restore normal water conditions as quickly as possible. West Virginia American Water has been assisting in repairing leaks.

On its Facebook page the company stated customers in the rural communities of Odd, Glen Daniels and Fairdale can also expect to see their water service restored, some more slowly than others, starting Tuesday.

Plummeting temperatures over the Christmas weekend caused frozen and broken water pipes leading to two million gallons of leaked water from businesses and homes. Resulting problems with pressure in lines and water tanks in Beckley, where the main water line is located, affected surrounding communities and at one point nearly 5000 homes and businesses were without water.

The Raleigh County Emergency Operations Center is offering regular updates on the situation and on their Facebook page Tuesday it was stated that Prosperity and Sophia are slowly returning to normal. Arnett customers, however, may be without full water service for at least another week.

Potable and non-potable water distribution sites are set up around the affected areas with the following water distribution sites available as of Jan. 3:

Trap Hill Fire Department: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Gospel Lighthouse in Sundial (8461 Coal River Rd): 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Mobile shower trailer at Lester Fire Department (Central Ave): 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., (people are advised to bring their own toiletries and towels).

Non-potable water tankers will be located at the following areas:

Helen Park

Whitesville Fire Department

Sophia Fire Department (W. Main St)

Coal River Fire Department

Trap Hill Fire Department

More information can be found on the Raleigh County Emergency Operations Center Facebook page