Federal cuts to AmeriCorps impact rural West Virginians
HILLSBORO, WV (WVNS) -The federal government abruptly terminated around $440 million in federal grants nationwide, including AmeriCorps grants to nine West Virginia agencies.
Sarah Riley, the executive director of one of the impacted agencies, said the grants were awarded federal contracts.
The agencies which lost competitive federal grants were High Rock Educational Corporation in Pocahontas County (69 members) and Grow Ohio Valley (13).
Federal officials abruptly slashed state formula AmeriCorps grants for Tygart Valley United Way (22), City of Weston (19), Preservation Alliance of WV (25) and WomenCare FamilyCare (5) and a planning grant for the WV Food and Farm Coalition, Riley stated in an email to other AmeriCorps directors.
She added that United Way of Central West Virginia in Charleston also lost 15 members through a federal slashing of the VISTA program and that the WV Youth Promise Alliance lost 14 members.
Three national VISTA programs which place volunteers in West Virginia also lost funding.
Favorite foods across West Virginia
'This list was a random cut list,' Riley stated in the email. 'It does not reflect the value, effectiveness, or competitiveness of our AmeriCorps programs
April Elkins Badtke, executive director of Steward Individual Placement in Beckley, an AmeriCorps agency, said on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, that rural West Virginia is going to be impacted.
She called the loss 'devastating.'
'It's the ripple effect, that that's going to impact. It could be a local food bank,' Badtke said. 'It could be a local Boys and Girls Club or a YMCA Center or a school that's going to miss those mentors or those tutors.'
Riley is the executive director of High Rocks.
She said on Wednesday that federal Americorps grants that had been promised to her agency were cut without warning on Friday, after an unofficial list was circulated on social media.
She said the official cuts reflected those that had earlier been published on social media.
Trump Administration officials said AmeriCorps, which receives one billion dollars in tax funding, had failed eight consecutive audits and that the federal cuts are designed to eliminate government waste.
Pipestem Resort State Park to kick off Homegrown Music Series
Riley said High Rocks, however, has a nearly 100% success rate in helping participants find employment, education or job training, and that necessary services in West Virginia were being targeted by appointed federal officials.
'Nobody can make sense of that list. There's not a reason that we're on that list,' she said. 'There is nothing about the High Rocks program that is waste, fraud or abuse. We're really good at what we do. '
West Virginia has one of the lowest work force participation rates in the nation and one of the highest rates of opioid overdose deaths, according to recent national governmental data. It is the least educated state in the U.S., according to World Population Review data.
Riley said her AmeriCorps volunteers, mostly young people, are among 209 in the state whose positions were cut.
She said that they are all native West Virginians, some of them in addiction recovery and some of them using the program to help pay for college.
They live at the poverty level as volunteers, she said, and, as volunteers, they do not qualify for unemployment.
Prosecutors say text messages show Natalie Cochran tried to put distance between Michael Cochran and his family
'There's no safety net for them,' she said. 'They don't have parents that are making their car payments. They are working to improve their lives and the lives of the people around them, and they've done this service as a key way to move themselves forward, to go back to school, to get personal and professional development, to build their resume so they can be the work force that West Virginia needs.'
Riley said former Gov. Jim Justice, who is now a U.S. Senator, had been a supporter of AmeriCorps.
The Corporation for National and Community Service ranks West Virginia first in the nation for AmeriCorps enrollment.
About two dozen states have filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration, questioning the legality of the cuts and alleging the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) ordered them without authority.
West Virginia, as of Wednesday, April 30, 2025, was not among the plaintiffs.
59News contacted Gov. Patrick Morissey on Wednesday regarding potential state funding availability for AmeriCorps programming but did not get a reply.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Are egg prices falling in Texas? Here's how much a dozen costs in June 2025
Your wallet might get a little break at the grocery store. According to the average price of a dozen eggs is $4.26. The average has been the lowest it has been since its March peak of $6.23, according to a report published on June 3 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service. According to the USDA, retail prices tend to follow wholesale prices with a delay due to several factors. 'Retail egg prices are influenced by wholesale egg prices, but additional factors such as pricing strategies and contracts can mute the impact of short-term fluctuations,' the USDA report said. 'As a result, retail price movements tend to lag directional changes made by wholesale prices. When wholesale prices spike, retailers occasionally and temporarily have sold eggs at a loss. As wholesale prices retreat, retail prices are slower to decline and often remain elevated for a longer period." Here's what to know about egg prices in Texas. Last time we reported on egg prices in Texas, the average price for a dozen was $5.43. Today, those prices remain largely unchanged, according to the World Population Review. The decline in national egg prices comes as the USDA reported fewer cases of bird flu last month. Bird flu cases declined significantly to 2.1 million cases in March, according to the USDA, compared to 12.64 million in February and 23.19 million in January. Yes, bird flu is still spreading, particularly the H5N1 strain. While the risk to the general public remains low, experts emphasize the need for continued surveillance and precautions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 70 total national cases. However, in Texas, no reports have been made of poultry farms or other animals being affected. -USA Today Network reporter Betty Lin-Fisher contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Egg prices are down in the US. How much does a dozen cost in Texas?
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Riley supporting loan forgiveness for volunteer first responders
WASHINGTON, FC (WIVT/WBGH) — Congressman Josh Riley is making sure volunteer heroes receive the respect and support that they deserve. Riley announced his co-sponsorship of the Helping Emergency Responders Overcome Emergency Situations, or HEROES, Act. The initiative is a bipartisan bill that would extend eligibility for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program to include volunteer firefighters and emergency medical responders. 'If you've put on the gear and answered the call, you shouldn't be buried in debt,' said Riley. 'The HEROES Act gives volunteer firefighters the respect they've earned by making their service count toward student loan forgiveness. They don't do it for the money—they do it because they love their communities and want to keep their neighbors safe.' According to Riley, the HEROES Act would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to recognize the service of unpaid emergency responders as qualifying public service under the PSLF program, making them eligible for federal student loan forgiveness after ten years of service and qualifying payments. Riley supporting loan forgiveness for volunteer first responders P. East Trading Corp recalls Salted Smoked Split Herring 'It Ain't Necessarily So' discusses American Black history A mix of sun and showers today News 34 Pizza Week returns Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Trump's National Guard deployment intensifies long-running feud with California
SACRAMENTO — California officials were already bracing for President Donald Trump to try clawing back a big chunk of federal funding when he intensified his attacks on the state in a different way by deploying federal troops to Los Angeles. The deployment represents an escalation in the long-simmering feud between state officials and the Trump administration. Heading into the weekend, California officials were preparing to respond if Trump followed through on reported plans to revoke a wide swath of federal grants from the state. But before announcing any major cuts, Trump instead trained his attention on protests in Los Angeles and some neighboring cities over federal immigration enforcement. The deployment comes as Trump has encountered legal roadblocks in his challenges to liberal California policies with which he disagrees. A judge blocked his latest attempt to withhold billions of federal dollars from sanctuary cities and states earlier this year. Last month, another judge blocked him from revoking college student visas, including ones for international students in California. Last week, another judge blocked his efforts to dismantle AmeriCorps in California and 23 other states. California has already launched 22 lawsuits against the Trump administration since the start of his second term in January, according to a tracker by the news outlet CalMatters. Judges have blocked or partially blocked Trump's actions in 10 of those cases. But Trump has continued to attack the state. In recent weeks, he's threatened to challenge or withhold funding over many other California policies, including those letting transgender children compete in youth sports, promoting diversity in schools and funding construction of the state's high-speed rail project. The National Guard deployment is unusual not just because it wasn't requested by state or local leadership, but because state and local leaders have aggressively protested the move. Gov. Gavin Newsom condemned the move in social media posts Saturday evening and followed up with a more comprehensive response in an email the next morning soliciting donations for his Campaign for Democracy effort. Local and state law enforcement in Los Angeles was adequately responding to the protests without National Guard backup, he said. Trump and his allies sent the troops to provoke the protesters, Newsom said. 'They want the violence,' Newsom wrote. 'They think this is good for them politically.' 'Great job by the National Guard in Los Angeles after two days of violence, clashes and unrest,' Trump wrote on his social media website Saturday night. 'Thank you to the National Guard for a job well done!' Troops did not arrive in Los Angeles until Sunday morning, when they were filmed mostly standing around. The deployment followed two days of protests in Los Angeles, Compton and Paramount, where protesters had attempted to block some Border Patrol vehicles and police had fired tear gas, flash-bang explosives and pepper balls at the crowd. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the deployment was 'completely unnecessary' in response to the roughly 120 protesters in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday evening. She told local news station KTLA that local police responded adequately to the instances of vandalism during the protest. 'I'm very disappointed that he chose to do this because it is just not necessary,' she said of Trump's deployment. 'There was nothing that was happening in downtown Los Angeles that the Los Angeles Police Department could not manage.' Newsom urged protesters not to take the bait. 'Don't give them the spectacle they want,' Newsom wrote. 'Never use violence. Speak out peacefully and in large numbers.' On Sunday, tensions grew as the day wore on. Hundreds of people gathered in downtown Los Angeles to protest the troops' presence there, according to live feeds broadcast by the Associated Press. Newsom's office issued a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth formally asking that the troops be withdrawn. 'The decision to deploy the National Guard, without appropriate training or orders, risks seriously escalating the situation,' wrote David Sapp, Newsom's legal affairs secretary. 'There is currently no need for the National Guard to be deployed in Los Angeles, and to do so in this unlawful manner and for such a lengthy period is a serious breach of state sovereignty that seems intentionally designed to inflame the situation.' State Senate Republican Leader Brian Jones of Santee (San Diego County) blamed Democrats for the ICE raids that sparked protests in the first place, saying that state sanctuary policies have forced federal immigration officials to conduct raids in communities rather than focusing on deporting people in jails. 'Now the Feds have to run broader raids, like what we're seeing in LA, which sweep up way more people,' Jones said. 'This whole thing was easily preventable.'
