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Automotive Resin Manufacturer Coming To Wood Co.

Japan-based SOMAR is expected to invest $2.5 million and create about 25 jobs in Wood County, manufacturing an epoxy resin product used in the automotive sector.

The new facility will be located within the Polymer Alliance Zone (PAZ) Industrial Park, using an existing building for operations.

Gov. Jim Justice and officials from SOMAR announced the new manufacturing facility Monday. Since the building is already there, the company expects to be in production soon.

“I cannot wait to see the positive changes SOMAR will bring to Wood County and the new opportunities for our hard-working citizens,” Justice said. “Small businesses are the backbone of the Mountain State, and we’ll continue to support them in every way possible.”

SOMAR will make supplies materials for companies such as Toyota and Ford.

“We evaluated several options for our U.S. manufacturing facility, and West Virginia’s proposals and services were the best among them,” SOMAR Corp.’s President Futoshi Sotani said. “We’re so happy with our decision to invest in West Virginia. We look forward to growing our North America business from this new location. By leasing an existing building in the PAZ park, we can start production and begin serving our U.S. customers promptly.”

There are more than a dozen Japanese companies operating in West Virginia that have created more than 4,000 jobs, according to the West Virginia Development Office.

Manchin Drops Democratic Party And Patient Sues Hospital For Abuse, This West Virginia Week

On this West Virginia Week, longtime Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin has officially changed political affiliations, registering as an independent on Friday. We’ll look into his decision, plus the sudden departure of the watchdog for West Virginia’s foster care system and a lawsuit filed against a state hospital over allegations of physical abuse.

On this West Virginia Week, longtime Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin has officially changed political affiliations, registering as an independent on Friday.

We’ll look into his decision, plus the sudden departure of the watchdog for West Virginia’s foster care system and a lawsuit filed against a state hospital over allegations of physical abuse.

We’ll also discuss efforts to preserve historic Black churches from Harpers Ferry to Charleston, and the rise of solar energy across the Mountain State.

Jack Walker is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.

West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week’s biggest news in the Mountain State. It’s produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker and Liz McCormick.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

Ex-Mayor In W.Va. Admits Theft Of Funds From A Hospital Where He Was CEO

A former town mayor in West Virginia admitted Thursday that he stole funds for personal use from a hospital where he was the chief executive officer.

Charles Hatfield, 61, of Williamson pleaded guilty in federal court to theft or bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. He acknowledged stealing nearly $35,000 from Williamson Memorial Hospital.

Hatfield faces up to 10 years in prison. Sentencing was scheduled for Sept. 12.

“Charles Hatfield abused a position of trust and diverted funds for personal gain from a community hospital at a time when he knew the hospital and its employees were financially vulnerable,” U.S. Attorney Will Thompson said in a statement.

Hatfield became the hospital’s interim CEO in 2018 and later was named to the position on a permanent basis. He was relieved of his duties in 2019 around the time that the 76-bed hospital filed for bankruptcy, according to court records.

Hatfield was elected Williamson’s mayor in 2017, was reelected in 2021 and resigned earlier this month amid the federal investigation.

Hatfield admitted using nearly $9,200 in hospital funds to settle a lawsuit that sought the payment of delinquent real estate taxes and homeowners fees for a condominium he owned in Venice, Florida. Just before he left as hospital CEO, Hatfield also ordered the transfer of nearly $26,000 in hospital funds to a real estate firm he owned. Prosecutors said Hatfield never requested authorization from the hospital’s board to direct the payments from the hospital to himself.

Division Of Highways Prepares To Repave Local Roads Across W.Va.

The West Virginia Division of Highways plans to repave local traffic roads across the state with a new $150 million investment from the West Virginia Legislature.

During last week’s special legislative session, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1002, which granted the agency a new round of funding for road improvements.

State transportation officials were joined by Gov. Jim Justice Thursday for a ceremonial bill signing in Beckley.

During the signing, Justice said that repairing state roads plays an important role in improving quality of life for West Virginians and attracting new residents.

When prospective residents look at “standard of life” in West Virginia, they look at highways, he said.

Previously, “you couldn’t drive to the convenience store [without] destroying your full vehicle on the way to the convenience store,” Justice said. “Our roads were in [such] disrepair it was off the chart.”

In January, Justice and the Division of Highways launched an effort — nicknamed Operation R.I.P. Potholes — to patch over potholes on public roads across the state.

Secretary of Transportation Jimmy Wriston said the pothole and repaving projects are part of a coordinated effort to repair derelict roadways throughout West Virginia.

Filling these potholes marked a necessary first step toward repaving roads on a wider scale, he said. “They have to be repaired before I can pave them.”

Boone County Girl Update: Justice Confirms Police Drove To CPS To Make Referral

A West Virginia State Trooper said he saw Kyneddi Miller nearly a year before her death and filed a Child Protective Service (CPS) referral in person at the agency’s Boone County office in March of 2023. Yet CPS has denied any record of this.

In a briefing yesterday, Gov. Jim Justice said his administration had confirmed that the police officer’s cruiser was at least in the parking lot of CPS on the day the officer said he filed a report.

Miller was found in a near skeletal state in her grandmother’s home in Morrisvale on April 17.

Reporters pressed the governor with questions about accountability and transparency in the case. He told reporters to wait for the investigation to be closed.

“If you just let the thing play out, that’s all I’m asking you to do,” Justice said. “Let the investigation play out. If it plays out, and somebody’s really dropped the ball, they won’t be here to drop the ball again.”

Justice said the state agencies involved will self-report information to the governor’s office as part of the investigative process.

“Once we gather the information, if we have reason to believe we didn’t get all the information, or there’s people that are withholding stuff and everything, then we’ll dig deeper,” Justice said.

He also commented on CPS records from years prior that mentioned the now deceased fourteen-year-old girl, despite ongoing claims from CPS that they had no records related to the girl’s death at all.

“I know about those two reports,” Justice said. “Where one was made about something I don’t know if it was drugs or whatever it may be, but one was made about that. Kyneddi was referenced because she was in the home.”

Lawmakers Return To The Capitol, A Child Neglect Case And Pipeline Safety, This West Virginia Week

On this West Virginia Week, lawmakers returned to the capitol for interim committee meetings and a special session of the West Virginia Legislature. We’ll talk about some of the policy decisions lawmakers made.

On this West Virginia Week, lawmakers returned to the capitol for interim committee meetings and a special session of the West Virginia Legislature. We’ll talk about some of the policy decisions lawmakers made.

Plus, we’ll look at updates on the Mountain Valley Pipeline, the latest news for a Charleston postal facility and a case of neglect that led to the death of a Boone County teenager. Finally, we’ll dive into a West Virginia bike race, and we’ll learn how funding changes are affecting housing shelters across the Mountain State.

Jack Walker is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.