Latest news with #CongressionallyDirectedSpending
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Decision on Bluefield's federal funding request will come later
bluefield — It could be a while before a decision is made on a federal funding request for a new combined EMS facility in Bluefield. City Manager Cecil Marson announced last month that officials had submitted three projects for potential funding through a Congressionally Directed Spending award, formerly known as the federal earmark funding process. The city's funding request was sent to U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, as well as U.S. Senator Jim Justice, Those projects are the combined EMS facility for police, fire and rescue, the Union Street Sewer and Stormwater Project and a second stormwater project planned for the Midway area. But a funding decision won't be made immediately. The funding requests are for fiscal year 2026, according to Kelley Moore, communications director for Capito. Moore said Congressionally Directed Spending awards will be considered by the Appropriations Committee in the coming months as the committee members draft Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bills. 'Senator Capito carefully reviews each request individually, as she always has with this process,' Moore said, adding that Capito is familiar with the combined EMS project for Bluefield. 'She is aware of the project you referenced, but is still in the process of reviewing all of the requests. So it's too early to discuss support,' Moore said. The city announced the combined EMS facility project in 2024 when a legal advertisement for architectural and engineering consulting firms to aid in designing and constructing a campus that would serve the Bluefield Rescue Squad, the Bluefield Police Department and the Bluefield Fire Department was published in the Bluefield Daily Telegraph. At the time, the city said the idea behind the campus is to relocate the city's fire and police departments as well as emergency services to a more centralized location in Bluefield so they can have quicker response times. A final location for the combined EMS campus has not yet been announced by the Bluefield Board of Directors. The amount of federal funding that will be available for the next cycle of Congressionally Directed Spending, or CDS awards, is not immediately known, according to Capito's office. 'In terms of how much funding will be available for the next round of CDS awards, CDS funding is capped at a certain percentage of total discretionary spending — typically around 1%,' Moore said. When the project was announced, officials said both the Bluefield Fire Department and the Bluefield Police Department had outgrown their existing quarters at Bluefield City Hall and were in need of more room. The Bluefield Rescue Squad, which is located next door to Mitchell Stadium off Stadium Drive, can also have problems sending ambulances on calls when events like the Beaver-Graham Game or the annual Holiday of Lights at city park create traffic backups. The federal funds being sought for the combined EMS facility would cover various expenses associated with the construction of the new campus. Although officials are seeking a federal CDS award, City Manager Cecil Marson said in an earlier interview that the city is applying for various grants for the projects with the CDS awards being just one funding option. Contact Charles Owens at cowens@
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CDS funds can be used on CFX, King Coal
bluefield — Years ago it was a common practice for lawmakers to use federal earmarks to help build highway projects across West Virginia. Locally, some of the earliest segments of the Coalfields Expressway and the King Coal Highway were started as a result of federal earmarks secured by lawmakers, including the late U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd. Byrd, a powerful Democrat in Washington at the time, faced frequent criticism for his efforts in securing federal earmarks for West Virginia. A number of years later the use of earmarks fell out of favor with Congress, and the practice was ultimately supended. However, in more recent years, earmarks have returned with a new name. They are now called Congressionally Directed Spending awards, and are considered on an annual basis. U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, was recently asked by the Daily Telegraph why Congressionally Directed Spending awards are not currently being used to help with highway projects like the Coalfields Expressway in McDowell County and the King Coal Highway in Bluefield. Capito said the West Virginia Department of Transportation is, in fact, seeking Congressionally Directed Spending awards for those and other highway corridors across the Mountain State. She was also asked whether or not elected officials in Mercer and McDowell counties had requested such federal funding support for the highway projects in their respective counties. 'There is no reason why I cannot ask for a Congressionally Directed Spend in those areas,' Capito said in reference to the Daily Telegraph question during a recent media call with West Virginia reporters. 'Whether it is King Coal or Coalfields Express or Corridor H or whatever — Route 2 has some issues too on expansion.' Capito said her office is in regular contact with the West Virginia Department of Highways with regards to the transportation needs of the Mountain State. 'I am generally working with the West Virginia Department of Transportation to see where their priorities are so they can get, so we can cobble together the funds to actually have success,' Capito said. 'I know we just got recently a grant for the King Coal Highway. It came through. It was a discretionary grant. So that is good news. And we just gotta keep plugging away. These are massively expensive highways but they need to be completed.' Capito said the DOH will sometimes ask the counties to join in on funding requests for specific transportation projects. 'Mainly the big ones you are talking about will come from the West Virginia DOT and we work hand in glove with them.' Capito said. 'And they have requested these.' The Daily Telegraph has asked the DOT for information on the recent funding award for the King Coal Highway project, but has not yet received an answer. Years ago the local DOH offices were able to answer media questions, but in recent years all such questions must now be forwarded to the DOH's public relations office in Charleston. That practice was in place during the administration of former Gov. Jim Justice and is now continuing with current Gov. Patrick Morrisey. The King Coal Highway is West Virginia's local corridor of the future Interstate 73/74/75 routing. In West Virginia, the King Coal Highway will ultimately extend 95 miles through Mercer, McDowell, Mingo, Wyoming and Wayne counties along or near currently existing U.S. 52 from U.S. 119 near Williamson to Interstate 77 in Bluefield. In the bigger picture, the final Interstate 73/74/75 routing will extend from Detroit, Michigan to Myrtle Beach, S.C, opening up a large swath of Southern West Virginia to interstate access. According to the National I-73/74/75 Corridor Association, the project will bring growth along the interstate within six states: Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Sections of the interstate corridor are already open in other states, including North Carolina and South Carolina. The Coalfields Expressway is a new four-lane corridor that will extend through both West Virginia and Virginia. The full West Virginia routing of the Coalfields Expressway will take the new four-lane from Welch in McDowell County toward Pineville in Wyoming County and Beckley in Raleigh County. In neighboring Virginia, the Coalfields Expressway will extend through Buchanan, Dickenson and Wise counties. Contact Charles Owens at cowens@
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mercer hoping to promote natural gas availability at industrial park soon
bluefield — Mercer County officials are hoping to promote the availability of natural gas at the Cumberland Industrial Park in Bluefield by the year's end. Area motorists traveling along John Nash Boulevard have noticed in recent weeks ongoing work along the roadway corridor, which connects with Interstate 77 and the recently opened King Coal Highway. That work off of the main road along John Nash Boulevard involves the construction of more than five miles of natural gas line. Work on the natural gas line project began in November of last year. Once the project is finished, it will make natural gas service available to the Cumberland Industrial Park and all along John Nash Boulevard. The lack of natural gas service and broadband availability has negatively impacted growth at the industrial park, County Commissioner Greg Puckett said, adding that officials now hope to market the availability of natural gas at the industrial park soon. 'I think we can market it in late 2025 or early 2026,' Puckett said of the industrial park. 'That's going to be great.' The natural gas line, once it is completed, will extend approximately 5.5 miles along John Nash Boulevard, providing natural gas service not just to the industrial park but also to existing and future businesses that may locate along the highway corridor, along with existing and future residential customers. The new Omnis Building Technologies Plant, which is expected to begin production late this year, also will be served by the natural gas line. Puckett said natural gas, broadband, water and sewer are all critical infrastructure that must be in place in order to attract additional businesses and industries. 'We are excited that they are going to make the line all the way out to the industrial park,' Puckett said. 'This is going to be exceptional for business opportunities and bring new opportunities to the park.' In the past, prospective businesses and industries would always ask if natural gas service was available at the industrial park, but it wasn't at that time, according to Puckett. 'We look at that as wonderful upward economic mobility,' Puckett said of the addition of natural gas to the industrial park. The project is being funded with over $2.9 million in federal dollars secured by U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, along with $2 million in state funding and $1 million provided by the Mercer County Commission through American Rescue Plan funding. The federal funding came from a Fiscal Year 2022 Congressionally Directed Spending award sought by Capito. Contact Charles Owens at cowens@
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Capito talks broadband, ambulances during visit to eastern panhandle
PETERSBURG, (WBOY) — U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito ( visited West Virginia's eastern panhandle on Wednesday to deliver updates about ongoing projects in Grant and Hampshire counties. During her visit, Sen. Capito spoke with community leaders and business owners in Petersburg to discuss Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) awards acquired for the area, specifically one that aims to fund a new ambulance headquarters. Senator Capito said that the resources have been acquired to build a new ambulance headquarters in Mt. Storm, which she said will 'save lives, while serving the citizens of northern Grant County.' She added that another award was secured for a trail in the area that aims to boost outdoor recreation. Hellbender Burritos in Davis to close 'immediately' Following her Petersburg visit, Sen. Capito traveled to the Hardy Telecommunications Center in Moorefield to discuss the expansion of broadband accessibility in the Mountain State, which she described as 'critical to West Virginia's growth.' 'Reliable internet is essential for education, healthcare, and economic development, and I remain committed to supporting the investments needed to close the digital divide and ensure every West Virginian has access to high-speed broadband,' Sen. Capito said. Senator Capito plans on making a stop in Braxton County on Thursday to host a Girls Rise Up event. as well as a stop in Kanawha County to visit Kanawha Valley Senior Services. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sen. Capito joins WVU Health Sciences leaders to mark start of dental school renovation project
Mar. 18—dbeard @ MORGANTOWN — Sen. Shelley Moore Capito joined with leaders and staff of WVU Health Sciences and the School of Dentistry Tuesday morning to celebrate the start of the school's expansion and renovation project. "All of this, I think, will be very exciting for young students beginning a journey of a career to not just help their families and educate themselves, but to help the community and have a life of service too, " Capito said. "So I'm very, very pleased for what I see and hopefully we will continue to do this." Capito secured a $12.6 million Congressionally Directed Spending earmark for the project. Construction of Phase 1 began early this month. Dental school Dean Stephen Pachuta noted that the school hasn't been updated since 1955. The project will not only modernize the space, but return services back to the Health Sciences campus. Phase 1 will modernize and integrate the pediatric dentistry and orthodontics clinics, faculty group practice and the Dr. W. Robert Biddington Center for Dental Innovation, which are now at Suncrest Towne Centre. Phase one also includes upgrades to sanitary, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, mechanical and electrical systems. This work is expected to be completed before the start of the Fall 2026 semester. Pachuta opened the ceremony, telling Capito, "Your unwavering support and commitment to the people of West Virginia, our university, and our School of Dentistry is making today possible. Your leadership is making a significant and positive impact to the lives of our West Virginians." The design phase was underway for three years, he said, leading up to the start of construction. "This was no easy task working with a facility like this, that was constructed in 1955." Pachuta said 83 % of the dentists practicing in the state are WVU dental school grads. "Dentistry and dental education is in a rapid state of growth and change. Staying current with this change ensures relevance. ... As the state's flagship land grant university and the only dental school in West Virginia, the WVU School of Dentistry is committed to providing excellence in education and high-quality patient care." Clay Marsh, chancellor and executive dean of WVU Health Sciences, quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson: "What stands before you and what stands behind you pales to what stands inside of you." He said, "And as a team, I'm so proud of the progress we've made. ... We need to have more dentists in the state. We are about 12 percentage points behind the national average. And we need to distribute more dentists in rural parts of our state, which is the next real job, I think, that we have to do. But we've made progress, and that's really very positive." During a brief press gathering before she took a tour of the facility, Capito offered one final thought. "Students want to come to a place that has the best technology, and that has the highest quality education. But you've got to have a good facility for it, and that's what this is about today."
