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Senate Approves New I-73 Corridor Economic Commission

The West Virginia Senate unanimously approved an economic commission to identify funding and development opportunities tied to an interstate highway corridor that would span southern West Virginia.

The I-73 highway corridor is currently under construction in southern West Virginia and legislators are looking to parlay the project into an economic opportunity.

West Virginia’s portion of I-73 would connect the state to highways stretching from Michigan to Myrtle Beach. With the region opened to more out-of-state travelers, lawmakers hope economic opportunities will roll in with them.

On Thursday, the West Virginia Senate unanimously approved SB 354. The bill would create an economic commission to advise local industry leaders on development and federal funding opportunities available to them following the project’s completion.

Sen. Mark Maynard, R-Wayne, said the commission hopes to turn the highway’s construction into an economic opportunity for McDowell, Mercer, Mingo and Wayne counties, which the new corridor will intersect.

He added that the highway construction project would qualify the region for new funding opportunities.

“There’s some federal funding out there available for this that currently the state of West Virginia doesn’t get for highway programs,” he said. “Hopefully we can go after some of that.”

Receiving approval from the Senate, the bill now awaits review from the West Virginia House of Delegates.

“Just by making this [corridor] a real thing, it will solve the economic issues because it will allow interstate commerce,” Maynard said. “At the exit ramps, it will allow development, fast food restaurants and truck stops.”

“The bounds are limitless,” Maynard said.

Justice Proposes $50 Million Budget For Affordable Housing

Announced Thursday, Justice’s proposal would provide $50 million of state surplus funds for the construction of single and multi-unit houses across West Virginia.

A budget proposal from Gov. Jim Justice aims to ensure that workers and their families can find affordable housing.

Announced Thursday, Justice’s proposal would provide $50 million of state surplus funds for the construction of single and multi-unit houses across West Virginia.

“We’re constantly wanting people to come to West Virginia,” Justice said.

By expanding affordable housing options, Justice hopes to make moving to the state easier. “We need to devote ourselves to trying to stimulate and bring more and more and more folks,” he said.

Rising rental costs and persistent economic depression has placed stress on housing markets across West Virginia. In recent years, millions of dollars in federal funding has aimed to improve the state’s affordable housing options.

Erica Boggess, executive director of the West Virginia Housing Development Fund, said Thursday that the added funding would mark an important step toward bolstering housing accessibility in the state.

“We’re very pleased and excited that the governor has proposed this funding to help with this important initiative,” she said.

With additional funding from the state, housing officials are hopeful for more accessible options ahead. “Housing is truly a component of economic development, and it’s the foundation that makes our communities thrive,” Boggess said.

W.Va. Program Offers Stipend While Learning Computer Code

A program that trains West Virginians to write computer code now offers a living stipend. Generation West Virginia’s NewForce is offering $11 per hour for residents accepted into the program who demonstrate a financial need.

NewForce is a six-month, fully-remote, tuition-free coding school for West Virginia residents.

They are now accepting applications for the seventh group of residents looking to work in the tech economy. This is the first time the stipend has been offered.

Since the program started, 86 percent of graduates have found employment in software development within six months of graduating. The median starting salary for program graduates is $48,000 annually.

No coding experience is required.

Generation West Virginia is hosting a virtual information session, a live information session via Zoom on Nov. 3 at 7 p.m.

You can learn more at generationwv.org/programs/newforce/ and register for the information session here.

NewForce applications are due by Nov. 26.

Q&A: Berkeley County Development Authority Outlines Challenges & Statewide Impact

Berkeley County is one of the fastest growing counties in West Virginia. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, between 2013 and 2016, the population grew by 4,300 people. It’s also the second most-populated county in the state.

With big businesses like Procter and Gamble moving in, it seems like the population will only continue to grow, so how does the county handle that?

West Virginia Public Broadcasting spoke with Sandy Hamilton, Executive Director of the Berkeley County Development Authority to talk about challenges in the growing region and her thoughts on the county’s overall impact on the state.

Biggest Challenges:

Building a dependable workforce
Keeping up with infrastructure needs

Impact:

Hamilton says she hopes Berkeley County’s growth “provides hope” for the rest of the state and for each area of West Virginia to focus and emphasize its strengths.

Report: West Virginia Childhood Adversity Tops US Average

The analysis looked at the percentage of children with Adverse Childhood Experiences – commonly known as ACEs. West Virginia scored higher than the national average of 46 percent.

Adverse Childhood Experiences include:

· Having a parent or guardian who died or served jail time

· Having parents that are divorced or separated.

· Living in households with violence or in households that are struggling financially.

· Childhood exposure to neighborhood violence.

· Living with someone mentally ill, suicidal, depressed or addicted.

· Being mistreated due to race or ethnicity.

Experts say ACES contribute to high stress levels that derail healthy development and raise risks for unhealthy behaviors.

The analysis was produced by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Child & Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative in collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and WVU Medicine.