A legislative audit is recommending the elimination of West Virginia’s Public Port Authority The port authority, established in 1989, was meant to promote the development of the state’s rivers system and other transportation modes. The official recommendation to dissolve the agency came from the Legislative Auditor’s Office in a 22-page report that included subtitles such as “The Port Authority is Currently Inactive, with No Employees or Funding” and “The Port Authority has Statutory Duties That It Cannot Perform.” The report noted that the last two major projects pursued by the Port Authority either failed or were cancelled. Those initiatives were…

A legislative audit is recommending the elimination of West Virginia’s Public Port Authority The port authority, established in 1989, was meant to promote the development of the state’s rivers system and other transportation modes. The official recommendation to dissolve the agency came from the Legislative Auditor’s Office in a 22-page report that included subtitles such as “The Port Authority is Currently Inactive, with No Employees or Funding” and “The Port Authority has Statutory Duties That It Cannot Perform.” The report noted that the last two major projects pursued by the Port Authority either failed or were cancelled. Those initiatives were…

West Virginia has added nearly 191 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, according to numbers released Friday morning by the state Department of Health and Human Resources. COVID-19 deaths in West Virginia are now at 202 with three deaths added Friday. Two of the three deaths are from Logan County, a 93-year-old woman and 82-year-old woman. The state also confirmed the death of a 77-year-old man. The daily positive test rate was 3.14 percent, as of Friday morning. Governor Justice was scheduled to provide a virtual update on the coronavirus numbers Friday afterrnoon.

West Virginia has added nearly 191 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, according to numbers released Friday morning by the state Department of Health and Human Resources. COVID-19 deaths in West Virginia are now at 202 with three deaths added Friday. Two of the three deaths are from Logan County, a 93-year-old woman and 82-year-old woman. The state also confirmed the death of a 77-year-old man. The daily positive test rate was 3.14 percent, as of Friday morning. Governor Justice was scheduled to provide a virtual update on the coronavirus numbers Friday afterrnoon.

Governor Larry Hogan today announced that Maryland is one of only four states in the nation selected to participate in a new initiative to provide job training and other services to workers in communities significantly affected by the opioid crisis. The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded $4.6 million in funding to the Maryland Department of Labor for the new “Support to Communities: Fostering Opioid Recovery through Workforce Development” pilot program, which will address the health and economic impacts of widespread substance and opioid misuse, addiction, and overdose. Governor Hogan and U.S. Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia discussed the new initiative…

WBAL reports a person was fatally shot by a Maryland State Police trooper after dragging the trooper during an attempt to flee a traffic stop early Friday.  The incident happened around 2 a.m. on northbound I-95 at Maryland Route 100 in Elkridge. Police said the trooper saw a red Ford Escape weave across multiple lanes of traffic. He pulled the vehicle over onto the right shoulder. He tried to talk with the driver bot noted obvious signs of impairment. The driver refused to get out. The driver shifted into drive and the trooper reached into the vehicle in an attempt to grab…

On August 27th, 2020 officers of the Cumberland Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being operated by Breann Carol Haines. The officer requested a K-9 to conduct a scan of the vehicle which indicated a positive alert. After a subsequent   search of the vehicle officers discovered items of paraphernalia and a controlled dangerous substance. Haines was placed under arrest and taken before a District Court Commissioner where she was held on $5,000   Arrest: Breann Carol Haines, age 28, Cumberland Maryland. Charges: Possession not Marijuana, and Possession of Paraphernalia.

To increase COVID-19 testing opportunities, the Governor's Office, WV Department of Health and Human Resources, WV National Guard, local health departments, and community partners have been providing FREE testing for residents in counties with high minority populations and evidence of COVID-19 transmission. In Mineral County, testing will be available between 9 and 4 Friday at the Keyser Primary Middle School. Governor Jim Justice encouraged area residents to take advantage of the opportunity…

Two weeks of what have been dubbed by the media of “unconventional conventions” wrapped up Thursday night with President Donald Trump’s acceptance address. The Republican Convention followed last week’s Democrat event- and while the GOP featured more addresses before live audiences- both conventions largely consisted of virtual speeches and recorded remarks. Sixth District Congressman David Trone, a Democrat who represents Western Maryland, says he believes the 2020 pandemic altered events will serve as a model for all future conventions…

Saying that continued full closure of in-person instruction in Maryland public schools was “simply not acceptable,” Governor Larry Hogan on Thursday unveiled a new set of coronavirus metrics that he said would allow all school systems to reopen their doors to students.  Given the new metrics, Hogan said, every county school system is “fully authorized to begin safely reopening.” That said, he acknowledged, the final decision is still up to county school boards., as well as teachers unions and associations.  Though 16 systems have made reopening plans, eight other county school boards “have not even attempted” to develop plans to…