Philanthropist Michael Benedum was born in Bridgeport on July 16, 1869. He earned the nickname the “Great Wildcatter” based on his ability to find oil and gas by drilling “wildcat” wells in unpredicted places. He first struck it rich in Pleasants County and then expanded to other sites in West Virginia, other states, and, eventually, other countries. He continued working seven days a week, even into his late 80s.
Despite his success in business, Benedum is best remembered today for his generosity. Though he lived in Pittsburgh for many years, he maintained close ties with his hometown, spending $1.5 million to build the Bridgeport Methodist Church and constructing the Bridgeport Civic Center. And he underwrote hundreds of scholarships at dozens of colleges.
Michael Benedum died in 1959 at age 90. He left half his fortune to family and the other half to the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. He established the foundation in 1944 to honor his son, who died of influenza during World War I. The charity continues today and, based on Benedum’s wishes, directs much of its philanthropy to West Virginia.
West Virginia University Medicine on Wednesday opened drive-thru coronavirus testing sites for pre-screened patients.
The sites will be in Morgantown, Parkersburg, Bridgeport, Wheeling, and Martinsburg, according to a WVU Medicine news release. They will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week.
Patients need a referral from a physician in order to have a sample collected at one of the sites to “ensure only the highest-risk patients are identified and receive the appropriate medical intervention,” the release said. Results will be ready in about three to four days.
Gov. Jim Justice on Tuesday announced West Virginia had its first person test positive for the virus. He said the person was in the state’s Eastern Panhandle but did not require hospitalization. All 50 U.S. states now have confirmed cases.
Justice had warned that it was only a matter of time before a confirmed case would be documented in the state. He and state health officials have repeatedly expressed frustration over limited testing nationwide.
He has ordered bars, restaurants and casinos in the state to close with the exception of carry-out food services. Schools statewide are closed until at least March 27, under an earlier order from Justice. A state of emergency is in effect for all of West Virginia.
State officials say that, as of Wednesday, 137 people have been tested for the virus, with 122 negatives, 14 tests pending and one positive.
Both Justice and U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin have noted the virus could be especially damaging in West Virginia because of the state’s elderly population and high percentage of people with existing health problems. About 20% of West Virginia residents are age 65 and older.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, and the vast majority recover in several weeks. But for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause severe illness, including pneumonia.
State officials are expressing hope that a trade dispute over Canadian aircraft won’t affect hundreds of people working at the company’s service center in West Virginia.
The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that about 400 people work at Bombardier’s commercial aircraft service center in Bridgeport. The facility at North Central West Virginia Airport in October picked up 89 jobs from Bombardier’s shuttered maintained operations in Georgia.
But the company is locked in a trade dispute with Chicago-based Boeing, which argues that the price of C Series passenger jets that Bombardier charged to Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines was artificially low. The U.S. Commerce Department sided with Boeing and has proposed stiff duties on Bombardier jets.
“They’ve been a big part of our success and employ a lot of people,” airport director Rick Rock said of Bombardier. “So as far as our airport and the state of West Virginia is concerned, we really appreciate having them here.”
Rock said heavy tariffs would affect aircraft sales and hurt operations at the service center.
“Obviously, if the aircraft they’re selling isn’t marketable because of those tariffs, then there’s certainly going to be a diminished need for repairing aircraft here,” he said.
West Virginia’s congressional delegation has also taken notice. Rep. David McKinley and Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito have written a letter urging the federal government to be aware of “the potential for unintended economic consequences presented by this case.”
“We support enforcement of U.S. trade laws to counteract unfair or unlawful activities by foreign interests, but ask that you consider closely the merits of this case along with the broader impacts on U.S. jobs and economic benefits in our communities,” the letter says.
Gov. Jim Justice has voiced similar concerns in his own letter, saying Bombardier’s West Virginia Air Center “anchors an aerospace cluster in North-Central West Virginia, and is a major factor in the region’s economic growth and vitality.”
Bombardier in October announced the sale of the C Series business to European aerospace giant Airbus, which makes planes in Mobile, Alabama. As part of the deal, the C Series headquarters would remain in the Montreal area but a second assembly line for the 100- to 150-seat plane will be set up at Airbus’ facility in Alabama, to circumvent import duties to the United States.
Boeing has called it a questionable deal by two government-subsidized competitors.
“As an artist, you’re your own product. When all you see is everyone’s best and all you feel is your worst, it can be so defeating and crippling to be stuck in this place of ‘Why am I not there yet?'”
From West Virginia Public Broadcasting and A Change of Tune, this is 30 Days of #WVmusic, the interview series celebrating the folks who make the West Virginia music scene wild and wonderful.
And today’s interview is with a Parkersburg West Virginian who has found growth and community in Raleigh, North Carolina. This… is Katelyn Read.
I started doing music in Parkersburg, I started playing in a little coffee shop there called The Daily Grind and play kind of through lunch during their busy hour as background music. I actually grew up in Bridgeport through my elementary school years, and then moved to Parkersburg for junior high and high school. Music was always something my parents enjoyed. I grew up listening to all of the great ‘70s tunes – the Eagles, America, Bill Withers. That was a great time for music. My dad played saxophone, but the only song I can remember him playing was the Pink Panther theme song [laughing]. And both of my parents sing, but my dad didn’t let me take voice lessons until my final semester of high school because he said it was something you didn’t need lessons for. “You either sing, or you can’t sing.”
We have this video of my third or fourth grade talent show, and I wanted to sing. I’m holding the microphone, chord in my hand, walking across the stage as a superstar. It’s something I’ve always enjoyed doing, but I never viewed it as a realistic career path or even a realistic hobby. It seemed so far and unreasonable. I pursued a degree in art, like sculpting and watercolor and charcoal and all of that. I wanted to be a high school art teacher.
Credit Courtesy of the artist
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Katelyn Read
On moving to North Carolina from West Virginia:
We moved in 2013. It was kind of a two-part move. My dad was looking to start a new company, and we were wanting to move to Raleigh with some friends with church plans. We talked my dad into coming down, and now we’re here with our friends and hope to start the church. The move wasn’t planned for my music, but it was a big benefit for me as far as moving to a bigger town with more opportunity to find places to start branching out and getting into music.
Raleigh is interesting because on almost any given night, you can find live music in the area, which is amazing that people enjoy it so much. But it can be a difficult thing because no matter when you plan your show, there’s five other shows doing on. But it’s also a really great community of musicians and artists. Even though there are so many artists, it’s really a small world. Everyone is so supportive of each other.
On the long road leading up to her new EP We’ve Come This Far:
We started recording it in January 2016, and I didn’t plan on doing any type of crowdfunding, just self-funded and low budget as possible. Since I am an art person and not a math person, I realized half-way through the process that I had gotten the numbers all wrong and would need help from the community. So I started raising funds for it, but I got sick sometime through the process, so it made the timeline get a lot longer. And then we had issues with getting the mixes back. All-in-all, my timelines was decimated last year. So we had to wait, but we released it May [2017], and it totally exceeded my expectations.
The release party was actually on the same night that Bastille and Chris Stapleton were playing in the area [laughing]. But people came! They had the choice between the three of us, and I’m glad some of them chose me.
Credit Courtesy of the artist
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Katelyn Read
On the name of the EP We’ve Come This Far:
If I had guessed five years ago that I would be at the place that I am now, I wouldn’t have seen a path to it. I don’t think a lot of it has happened because of the effort I’ve put into it; it’s been a lot of the people around me. So I’m thankful for that support and encouragement because if it were up to be, I’d recluse and retreat and not risk and not put myself into a position to be rejected. It’s because of the community around me that I’ve been able to take these steps.
Music featured in this #WVmusic chat:
Katelyn Read- “Moving On”
Katelyn Read- “Brick + Mortar”
Katelyn Read- “Still”
Support for 30 Days of #WVmusic is provided by Kin Ship Goods, proud supporter of DIY music and the arts. Locally shipped worldwide at kinshipgoods.com.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, who inherited a national recession and coal industry downturn, says attracting business has been his six-year administration’s priority, counting $13 billion in commercial investments that had some state involvement.
After announcing a Canadian aircraft company’s expansion in Bridgeport last week, Tomblin headed to Cuba with representatives of three West Virginia companies looking to export there.
He went to Britain and Ireland in October and says he expects two related business expansion announcements before exiting office in January.
West Virginia’s unemployment rate still hovers near 6 percent, above the national average, in a state that lost 7,000 mining jobs since 2008.
The Tomblin administration’s count includes $7 billion in private investments for retention and expansion projects and $6 billion for new projects, many seeded with tax breaks.
