Latest news with #Pritt
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Fayette County veteran honored with bridge dedication
OAK HILL, WV (WVNS) – A Fayette County hometown hero has been recognized for his service and sacrifice for his own Darrell Lee Burgess was only 19 when he lost his life on the frontlines. A member of the United States Marine Corps during World War II, Burgess held the rank of Private First Class and was gunned down just two weeks shy of his 20th birthday. Now, more than 80 years later, the Oak Hill Main Street bridge is being dedicated in his honor. Fayette County Delegate Elliott Pritt told 59News that Burgess lost his life while protecting others around him.'He died on the gun. He was shot by a Japanese sniper in the head and was killed instantly,' Pritt said. 'But he was at his gun trying to provide covering fire for other marines in his platoon.' The dedication of the bridge came after the passage of a resolution sponsored by Pritt and Delegate Ridenour in the most recent session of the West Virginia Legislature. Located just near the dedication site for another highly significant historical figure, one Hank Williams Sr., the USMC PFC Darrell Lee Burgess Memorial Bridge will ensure that a local American hero is never forgotten. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Lawmaker says public, private schools play a role in educating foster children in WV
BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — The West Virginia Center for Budget and Policy found in 2023 that West Virginia places children in foster at the highest rate of any state in the country, four times the national average. The study found that while West Virginia had only 0.5% of the national population, 2.2% of American children entering foster care were from West Virginia. The study also found that the number of children in foster care in West Virginia jumped by 57% between 2012 and 2021, despite an overall population decline of 4%. Additionally, the study found that parental rights of West Virginia parents are terminated more often than that of any other state, at a nearly 40% higher rate of speed. West Virginia Delegate Elliott Pritt, a Republican lawmaker who represents District 50, said the foster care system and needs of foster care children and others is now a strong consideration in the state education system. 'The foster care system is inundated with kids, and I think our public schools are inundated with kids that have problems, societal problems, familial problems, and it's not just foster kids,' said Pritt, adding that a number of children in family living situations have needs which require special support from the education system.' Data on public state websites showed around 6,292 foster children were enrolled in public schools in West Virginia in 2023. Ten interesting facts you might not have known about West Virginia Christy Day, spokeswoman for the West Virginia Department of Education, said that 2,142 foster children had an Individualized Education Plan, or an IEP, to meet special educational needs, in the 2023-2024 school year. The data shows that around 35% of students in foster care in 2023 required special education, compared to 22% of students who were not in foster care during the same year. It was unclear on Thursday, May 29, 2025, if the percentage accurately reflected the number of foster children who were in need of an IEP. Pritt said on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, that, due to recent legislation, state law now requires public schools to maintain a certain ratio of counselors, in order to meet students' special needs. Day said that the West Virginia Schools for Diversion and Transition employ professionals who solely provide support to students in foster care, adding that the title of Education Recovery Specialists had been transitioned to a new name, Foster Care Education Specialists. 'This program is a referral-based program and provides services to foster and kinship youth as needed,' Day wrote in an email. 'It also supports those youth identified by schools.' Day said the program assists foster care students and foster parents with document retrieval, enrollment, post high school college planning, programs and support referrals, and transcript analysis. Beckley attorney fears Senate bill could have negative effect on mental health services for at-risk transgender youth in the state Pritt said that private schools also play a role in addressing the educational needs of the state as it relates to students who are in foster care. He said that state law did not grant tax breaks to private schools which admit foster children, but he pointed out that the Hope Scholarship program, which takes money from public school coffers to allow parents or guardians to transfer a child to a homeschool or private school, provides tax dollars to private schools. 'I would hope that now, taking public money, that many of these schools would loosen up requirements or understand that there's a need in our communities, especially religious private schools,' said Pritt, 'that they are serving a community that has needs and that they would accept the applications of some of these kids.' Lawmaker aims to abolish alimony in West Virginia Pritt added that if foster children disagreed with the philosophy of a specific private or public school or homeschool curriculum, they could notify their caseworkers and request a change of educational setting. Day said that the WVDE Office of Special Education oversees the progress of disabled students in public and charter schools. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Pritt Kamani on making his debut at Cannes Film Festival 2025: We had gone with a film on our merit
Actor Pritt Kamani got an achievement to his name recently as his film The Storm, The Calm, The Madness, The Magic premiered at Cannes Film Festival 2025 as a part of the top eight films of the Straight 8 segment. It became the first Indian film to do so in the segment's 25 years history. Calling the achievement 'fulfilling', Pritt Kamani says, 'I was extremely happy and not for the fact that we've won or achieved something, but for the fact that we tried to make something and it was recognised.' Straight 8 is a filmmaking challenge where participants must shoot a film on a single Super 8mm cartridge, edited entirely in-camera, with sound submitted blind. No re-takes or post-production takes place, and only the top eight films are selected for premiere at Cannes. Making an appearance at the festival with a film made it more important for the actor. 'It was not just an appearance; we had gone with a film on our own merit and that is special,' he says, giving his opinion on influencers also going to Cannes in today's time. 'Every presence at Cannes has its own value, whether it's for film or fashion or culture. Having said that, definitely going there with a film and hear resounding applause from people around the world is special.' Pritt shares that the film received appreciation from all at the premiere. 'It has a huge influence of proper Hindi film cinema, and it was new for everybody out there to watch a film like that and they loved it,' he says, adding that many people back home didn't even get to know about their film's achievement due to the lack of awareness. 'It's not a popular category of the competition, and not many people even know of it. But I wish that through our film, many more people back home get to know about it,' he hopes. Last year, a small film All We Imagine As Light (AWIAL) became a resounding global success due to its win at Cannes. Does he see a similar prospect for their film too? 'AWIAL is a mammoth achievement. It won the Grand Prix and (director) Payal Kapadia is a genius. I don't think we are even in the vicinity of being close to that achievement for India. But our film had its own set of challenges, and we represented India on that small scale, but even that is also a feeling of pride and honour. Definitely, we've not lit up the headlines, but we've made our own little spark. And I hope whenever our film is out, and people actually understand what we've done, they automatically talk about it,' he ends.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
GOP delegate says West Virginia hospitals rely on Medicaid patients to remain operational, warns against federal cuts
CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — West Virginia delegates let a House bill that would have triggered the loss of health insurance for 166,000 West Virginians die, but working class West Virginians could still lose their coverage if federal lawmakers trim the federal budget by making cuts to Medicaid, Del. Elliot Pritt (R-District 50) said on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. The bill had called for a trigger law which would have eliminated the Medicaid Expansion program in the state, if Congress reduces Medicaid payments. Federal lawmakers could make up to $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid funding, which would impact West Virginia. In that case, states would be forced to cut Medicaid or raise taxes to maintain it, according to political experts. Medicaid Expansion provides health care coverage to working class West Virginia families. Pritt said a number of state lawmakers have reached out to West Virginia's federal representatives to urge them to vote against cuts to Medicaid coverage, out of fear of how the loss of federal funding will impact the state economy and West Virginians' access to health care. School discipline bill signed into law by Governor Morrisey 'It also would detrimentally affect the ability of our hospitals to make even probably pay roll and stay open,' added Pritt. 'Just in Fayette County alone, not regular Medicaid, this Medicaid Expansion puts over $28 million into the local economy, and those are just people just in Fayette County on the Medicaid Expansion.' Pritt explained that Congress provides 90 percent of West Virginia's Medicaid Expansion funds. Pritt pointed to data by the Bureau of Labor Statistics which shows the impact of ending Medicaid Expansion in West Virginia counties. Cutting Medicaid Expansion would remove $49 million from Raleigh County's economy, nearly $47 million from Mercer County, over $22 million from Greenbrier County, $18 million from Boone, around $14 million from Wyoming County, over $8 million from Summers County, over $15 million from McDowell County, about six million from Monroe County and $130 million from Kanawha County. Greenbrier County man arrested for possession of child pornography He said the state does not have the money in the budget to cover its Medicaid Expansion obligations if federal lawmakers take away West Virginia's funding. 'It's very hard for me to imagine a scenario where it remained fully funded,' said Pritt. 'I think it would immediately be called for a special session. My inclination is to say that they (state lawmakers) would do their best to preserve some of the funding, for probably the people that absolutely needed it the most, but the vast majority of that would be cut.' In 2024, state lawmakers had pushed to cut Medicaid funding by $147 million but changed their plan after the state's Republican governor at the time, Jim Justice, demanded that they restore the funding. Justice is now a U.S. Senator. Medicaid covers half of all West Viginia births, statistics show. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Tennessee lawmakers to debate legalizing medically assisted suicide following ban in West Virginia
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Tennessee lawmakers will again debate whether terminally ill patients have the right to choose medically assisted suicide this legislative session after one nearby state recently became the first to ban it in its Constitution, and voters had a say. Ten states and Washington, D.C. currently allow medically assisted suicide for terminally ill patients, a controversial measure that enables a person with a fatal disease to choose when and where to die to avoid having to suffer through their pain. In November 2024, voters in West Virginia narrowly chose to ban medically assisted suicide through an amendment to the state's Constitution, the first state in the U.S. to do so, after lawmakers approved a measure to allow the referendum on the ballot on the last night of the legislative session last March. 'An important part of the pro-life movement is ensuring life is protected from conception to natural death, and this is just another tool in the tool kit for that,' Del. Chris Pritt (R-Kanawha), the resolution's sponsor, told News 2's sister station, WOWK, in October 2024. Right to die effort renewed in Tennessee However, critics argued medically assisted suicide was already banned under West Virginia law. 'It's very bizarre that they are trying to constitutionally stop it, because it would be the first state in the country to ever do that, ever,' Del. Kayla Young (D-Kanawha) said. Pritt argued the amendment would ensure a judge couldn't overturn the state's ban on medically assisted suicide. 'There could be a court that decides there is a right to, for example, to commit suicide using a physician, and what this does is it enshrines it in the state Constitution that that kind of activity is going to be prohibited going into the future,' Pritt said. The constitutional amendment to prohibit medically assisted suicide passed in West Virginia by less than a single percentage point, or 5,882 votes. The amendment reads, in part, 'No person, physician, or health care provider in the State of West Virginia shall participate in the practice of medically assisted suicide, euthanasia, or mercy killing of a person.' Attorney recalls fight for the right to die in Tennessee 'You know I'm as pro-life as I can possibly get,' Gov. Jim Justice ( said. 'I think listening to the great people of West Virginia, letting them make the decisions and everything, is always the smart money to us.' Critics continued to push back against the amendment. 'Restoring reproductive freedom, we should be voting on that. But the Republicans won't let us vote on it because they know what the outcome will be, just like in every other state. So, instead, they put this meaningless constitutional amendment on that's banning something that's already banned,' State Party Chair Del. Mike Pushkin (D-Kanawha) said. This legislative session, Tennessee lawmakers could consider passing a bill to legalize the measure. There is currently no legislative effort to constitutionally ban medically assisted suicide in the Volunteer State. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
