Tag: Governor Earl Ray Tomblin

Officials Trumpeting Return of Elk to West Virginia

Officials are trumpeting the return of an elk herd to West Virginia for the first time since 1875.

West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and officials from the state Division of Natural Resources are set to introduce the elk on Monday in Logan County.

DNR biologists trapped two dozen elk at the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area in Kentucky in November. After the elk were quarantined to determine whether they were disease-free, they were transported to the Tomblin Wildlife Management Area in Logan County.

The hope is to eventually open up the area to hunting.

Tomblin: Clay Development Corp. Contracts Under Review in Wake of Racist Comment

News that the director of a West Virginia nonprofit group who was placed on leave after making a racist comment about first lady Michelle Obama on Facebook plans to return to her job this month has caused swift reaction from the governor’s office.

Clay County Development director Pamela Ramsey Taylor made the post following Donald Trump’s election, calling Mrs. Obama an “Ape in heels.”

She was on suspension but will report back to work on December 23. 

A statement from Governor Tomblin’s office says the State of West Virginia vehemently opposes any discriminatory and harassing sentiments, language or actions. Two state agencies – the Bureau for Medical Services at the Department of Health and Human Resources and the Bureau of Senior Services – have contracts with the Clay Development Corporation and that as a result of the comments made by Taylor, those contracts will be reviewed.  The nonprofit provides services to elderly and low-income residents in Clay County. It is funded through state and federal grants and local fees.

The governor’s office has also asked the board of directors of the center for copies of the Corporation’s affirmative action plan and anti-discrimination policies and practices and how employees have been trained on these policies. 

State Tree to be Lit Tuesday at the Capitol

West Virginia’s annual Joyful Night celebration and tree lighting ceremony will be held Tuesday evening at the state capitol in Charleston.

The governor’s office announced that the event will begin at 5:30 p.m. on the South Plaza. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and first lady Joanne Jaeger Tomblin will light the state Christmas Tree at 6 p.m., followed by a concert at the Governor’s Mansion.

The Appalachian Children’s Chorus and the Martin Luther King Jr. Male Chorus will perform, along with school bands and musicians. Santa and Mrs. Claus are expected to make an appearance.

The governor asks those planning to attend to bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate to the U.S. Marines’ Toys for Tots campaign. The evening will include a reception for Gold Star families, military members and first responders.

Tomblin Outlines State Measures in Drug Epidemic

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin says West Virginia’s toll-free line for drug-related problems has received more than 7,500 calls since it began more than a year ago.

Tomblin says the state advisory group on drug abuse has coordinated 20 rounds of community meetings in six regions while helping drive reforms aimed at curbing the state’s drug epidemic.

He says authorities now look at substance abuse “as an illness, not a crime,” increasing access to the drug Narcan that reverses the effects of opioid overdoses and improved treatment and recovery services.

According to the governor, $1.3 million from settlements in a lawsuit against prescription drug distributors will support residential treatment and recovery for women, detoxification and crisis stabilization beds for youths and adults and court diversion to drug programs.

Tomblin Cites Concerns Over Gun Law in Teen's Death

West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin says the recent fatal shooting of a Charleston teenager again raises policy questions over the state law enacted over his veto that allows residents to carry a concealed gun without a permit.

Tomblin says James Means’ death Nov. 21 has shaken the Charleston community.

Police say the black 15-year-old was fatally shot by William Pulliam, a 62-year-old white man, after they bumped into each other outside a store and twice exchanged words.

Pulliam in a jail interview said he shot in self-defense.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports Pulliam pleaded no contest in a 2013 domestic violence case and wasn’t allowed to have a gun.

Tomblin, who leaves office in January, says Means’ death brings his abiding concerns about the law “into sharp focus once again.”

Exiting West Virginia Governor Travels for Business

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.

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