West Virginia School Building Authority executive director Mark Manchin says he plans to step down to become Harrison County’s school superintendent.
The county Board of Education has scheduled a special meeting Wednesday to vote on a proposed contract. School board president David Sturm tells media outlets that he expects the board to approve the contract.
Manchin says he will accept the job if it’s offered.
Manchin has served as the SBA’s executive director since 2006. He previously served as the state-appointed superintendent of McDowell County Schools and as Webster County’s superintendent.
The Marion County native says the move would put him closer to his mother, who lives in Fairmont. An aunt and several cousins live in Harrison County.
Tag: Government
Gov. Tomblin Makes Requests to FEMA, Small Business Administration Following Chemical Leak
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin Monday urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to modify the current federal Emergency Declaration to provide for Direct Funding Assistance to state and local government programs and eligible non-profit agencies in the nine counties affected by the Elk River chemical spill on January 9.
“At the time of the Presidential Emergency Declaration, no one knew how long this assistance would be needed,” Gov. Tomblin said in a letter to the agency.
“The response to the Elk River chemical spill is ongoing and many of our agencies continue to work hard to recover from this spill. I urge FEMA to modify the current emergency declaration so eligible expenditures by our first responders, state and local governments and non-profit agencies can be reimbursed,” Tomblin noted in a statement also issued Monday.
As the current Emergency Declaration stands, public and non-profit agencies that have made expenditures to distribute supplies and meet the needs of those in the affected areas are presently denied access to Category B Emergency Protective Measures funding.
A modification to the current declaration would allow eligible applicants in the affected counties to receive FEMA support, including reimbursement.
Tomblin also requested assistance Monday from the Small Business Administration to expedite help for small businesses and eligible private, non-profit organizations.
“Businesses suffered revenue losses as a result of the West Virginia American Water’s DO NOT USE order in addition to local employees who lost wages,” Gov. Tomblin said in a letter to the organization. “This event caused significant disruption to businesses in the affected areas.”
Gov. Tomblin also noted in his letter to the Small Business Administration that even after water was restored, certain businesses and restaurants were required to cleanse their facilities in order to meet requirements set by local health departments.
Task Force in Northern West Virginia Targets Drug Trafficking
Law enforcement agencies in Northern West Virginia are working together to combat drug trafficking.
Local, state and federal authorities announced the creation of the Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crime Task Force on Monday during a news conference in Elkins.
U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld II says the task force began work in 2013. But its formation wasn’t announced until Monday due to ongoing investigations.
“Last year, the state set a record of the number of meth labs that were busted by law enforcement. We see a lot of meth. But in this region, we also see a large amount of prescription pain killer abuse,” said Ihlenfeld.
The task force’s work has led to the indictments of nine people on federal drug charges last week. Six people indicted in August 2013 are awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to federal drug charges.
Another investigation led to the conviction of a man accused of stealing prescription painkillers from a pharmacy in Parsons in 2013.
West Virginia Meth Lab Busts Up 85% in 2013
Methamphetamine lab seizures jumped 85 percent in West Virginia in 2013.
A West Virginia State Police report says authorities seized 533 meth labs, compared to 288 in 2012.
The report says police found meth labs in 45 of West Virginia’s 55 counties. Kanawha County led the state with 159 meth lab seizures, followed by 36 in Wood County and 28 in Putnam County.
Wood County Delegate John Ellem tells the Charleston Gazette that meth labs frequently cause fires in his county.
Ellem supports legislation that would require a prescription for cold medications containing pseudoephedrine. Pseudoephedrine is a key ingredient in making meth.
Cabell County Delegate Kelli Sobonya opposes the legislation. She says it won’t reduce meth use or meth deaths.
WVSU President's Expenses Include NFL Tickets, Alcohol
The State Auditor’s Office recently flagged as suspicious charges on a state travel card that included Chicago Bears football tickets, alcohol and other purchases that typically aren’t allowed.
The Charleston Gazette says these purchases were allowed because the travel card belonged to West Virginia State University President Brian Hemphill.
Colleges are among agencies that are exempt from state travel and purchasing policies.
West Virginia State Board of Governors chairman Tom Susman says he doesn’t believe Hemphill did anything wrong. He says the board gave Hemphill the travel card so he could cultivate donors.
To his knowledge, Hemphill says no policy was violated. But he will make any appropriate changes to the system.
Governor Tomblin Orders Freedom Industries to Dismantle All Above-Ground Storage Tanks
West Virginia’s governor has ordered the company at the center of a chemical spill that tainted the water supply for the state capital to begin the process of removing all above-ground storage tanks from the Charleston operation.
A statement released Saturday by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s office says Freedom Industries must start the dismantling process by March 15.
The Jan. 9 spill at Freedom Industries contaminated the water supply for 300,000 West Virginians.
The order to dismantle and properly dispose of the tanks also includes associated piping and machinery. The facility currently has 17 tanks.
The governor’s order was included in a consent order issued Friday by the state Department of Environmental Protection and signed by Freedom Industries. The company has already been ordered to remove almost 1 million gallons of chemicals from the plant.
The order is signed by Freedom Industries president Gary Southern and states that the company will not contest the state’s jurisdiction with regards to the order.
The Order is subject to a 30-day public comment period.
U.S. Senator Joe Manchin called for similar action in a news release Friday.