Tag: Pipestem Resort

Severe Black Lung Cases Continue To Rise – And In Younger Miners

The Mine Safety and Health Administration announced new steps this week to limit silica dust in coal mines. Prolonged exposure to the dust has been proven to cause black lung disease.

A conference of black lung clinics took place this week at the Pipestem Resort in southern West Virginia. It has been three years since the conference was held due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration announced new steps this week to limit silica dust in coal mines. Prolonged exposure to the dust has been proven to cause black lung disease.

Despite MSHAs action, however, conference attendees received grim news that advanced cases of black lung disease were increasing, and in younger miners.

Wes Addington, an attorney with the Appalachian Citizens Law Center who handles black lung cases, said some miners are developing the disease in their 20s.

“What we’re seeing today was baked in a decade ago. Fifteen years ago,” he said. “That’s what’s terrifying.”

Addington said a new silica dust rule from the federal agency should be coming this year.

The Black Lung Disability Trust Fund is in debt, and an excise tax that supported it expired at the end of last year. Congress will need to renew the tax to stabilize the fund.

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

Sept. 8, 1995: Park Superintendent Kermit McKeever Dies

Kermit McKeever died in Charleston on September 8, 1995, at age 85. The man remembered as the “father of West Virginia’s modern state park system” was born in Greenbrier County in 1910.

After graduating from Glenville State College and West Virginia University, McKeever began his career as superintendent of Lost River State Park.

In 1948, after serving as superintendent of Watoga State Park, he became head of all state parks. From the mid-1950s through early 1960s, McKeever helped establish new state parks at Blackwater Falls, Holly River, Grandview, Hawks Nest, Pipestem, Canaan, Cacapon, and Twin Falls. He retired in 1978. During his career as parks chief, the number of West Virginia state parks grew from 14 to 35, with a new one opening about every 16 months.

Kermit McKeever staunchly opposed entrance fees at the parks and disagreed with the recurring criticism that parks do not pay for themselves, noting, quote, “Canaan . . . opened the door to millions of dollars in businesses, taxes, and employment. The parks have many times paid for themselves.”

McKeever Lodge at Pipestem is named in his honor.

West Virginia DNR Accepting Applicants for Special Deer Hunt

The state Division of Natural Resources is accepting applications for a controlled deer hunt this fall in southern West Virginia.

The hunt is scheduled for Nov. 3, 4 and 5 at Pipestem Resort State Park.

Applications must be submitted at www.wvhunt.com and must be completed by Aug. 15. Applicants must designate whether they want to hunt with a firearm or bow.

The DNR says 40 hunters will be selected at random for each day of the hunt and will be notified after Oct. 1. Hunters must hunt from designated trees to which they are assigned and must provide their own climbing tree stand.

The hunt will be the second at the resort. One also was held there last November to reduce the high deer population.

W.Va. State Park Lodges Offering Discounted Room Rates

Some West Virginia state parks are encouraging friends, families and meeting planners to use their facilities through a January promotion.

Officials say some of the state parks are offering discounted rates for lodging. Room rates are $50 for standard forest and mountain view rooms, including weekends.

State parks participating in the promotion are: Cacapon Resort, Chief Logan Lodge, Hawks Nest, North Bend, Pipestem Resort, Twin Falls Resort and Tygart Lake.

Reservations can be made by calling the participating parks in advance and asking for the WV50 rate promotion.

Blackwater Falls State Park also is offering discounted rates for certain times of the week for both January and February.

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