Federal regulators say they’ve finally crafted a rule that will protect coal and other miners from toxic silica dust, a growing problem in mines that has left thousands sick and dying. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) revealed key elements of the regulation Monday night and published the full text of the final rule […] Federal mine safety regulators finally focus on silica dust – with thousands of miners sick and dying appeared first on Mountain State Spotlight, West Virginia's civic newsroom.

Last week, Biden administration officials finalized a rule they said would significantly reduce cancer-causing air pollutants, lowering cancer risk and advancing environmental justice goals. But the move by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency left out a Black West Virginia community yet again.   While the rule will target facilities surrounding communities historically overburdened by toxic air […] New EPA rule to reduce industrial air pollutants leaves out a majority-Black West Virginia community. appeared first on Mountain State Spotlight, West Virginia's civic newsroom.

The West Virginia Public Service Commission has ordered more than a dozen utility companies to reveal how they notify their customers of service interruptions.  The April 8 order comes on the heels of the gas and water outage that affected hundreds of customers last year on Charleston’s West Side. It also comes after the death […] West Virginia’s utility commission wants to know how companies alert customers about outages and service interruptions appeared first on Mountain State Spotlight, West Virginia's civic newsroom.

State health officials told lawmakers they needed more money for Medicaid, which provides health care for people who are low-income, too sick to work or have disabilities. Lawmakers didn’t grant that request, so cuts may be on the horizon One-third of West Virginians may soon have a harder time getting health care after lawmakers declined to fully fund Medicaid appeared first on Mountain State Spotlight, West Virginia's civic newsroom.

Election season is underway, and that means candidates will be out vying for your vote. We want you to help guide Mountain State Spotlight’s election coverage. What do you want the candidates to be discussing as they compete for your vote? We want to hear from you! Building on our reader-informed election agenda, we want […] Join us in Morgantown for a roundtable discussion about the 2024 election appeared first on Mountain State Spotlight, West Virginia's civic newsroom.

POINT PLEASANT — Marsha Frame lives in a housing development tucked to the side of state Route 62 with her husband Randy and their dog. From their back porch, she can see acres upon acres of farmland. “We planned on leaving this place feet first on a cart,” said Frame. Just beyond Frame’s backyard, across […] West Virginia’s hydrogen hub is being built in their backyard. They have questions. appeared first on Mountain State Spotlight, West Virginia's civic newsroom.

Scratch-off and Powerball tickets will become the newest funding source for volunteer fire departments, after Gov. Jim Justice signed off on a bill Wednesday.  With little fanfare — and near unanimous approval — lawmakers passed a bill earlier this month to provide an extra $12 million for volunteer fire departments in the state each year […] Volunteer fire departments in West Virginia finally have a permanent funding source appeared first on Mountain State Spotlight, West Virginia's civic newsroom.

For more than two years, a key federal broadband program has been a lifeline that helped people afford the internet by pouring billions of dollars into efforts to close the digital divide. That could all change in the next few weeks when the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) runs out of money, leaving around 125,000 West […] Thousands of West Virginians can afford internet access thanks to a federal program. It’s running out of money appeared first on Mountain State Spotlight, West Virginia's civic newsroom.

This election season is a big one for West Virginia.   On the ballot are a U.S. Senate seat, two U.S. House of Representatives seats, the Governor’s office, all statewide constitutional offices, all 100 House of Delegates seats and 17 — half — of the Senate’s 34 seats. Elections in some districts will be determined by […] Here’s what questions readers told us they want candidates to answer this election appeared first on Mountain State Spotlight, West Virginia's civic newsroom.

Months after the natural gas outage residents of Charleston’s West Side community say they are still frustrated about the lack of communication about the crisis.  “It just felt very… like they did not care,” said Sydney Delaney, who lives on Madison Street on the West Side.  A one-paragraph bill that would have required utilities to […] Months after a gas outage on Charleston’s West Side, a bill to keep residents informed of interruptions died in the Senate appeared first on Mountain State Spotlight, West Virginia's civic newsroom.

PINEVILLE — As they drive a truck hauling bottled water along the twists and turns of Route 16, Richard Altizer and James Christian point out the sights along Indian Creek.  There’s where slimy film continues to stick to foul-smelling water. There’s where people’s pets and livestock have died. And there’s the place where they gutted […] As coal companies point fingers, Wyoming County residents say they’re being poisoned by a contaminated creek appeared first on Mountain State Spotlight, West Virginia's civic newsroom.

On Feb. 9, 20-year-old Desarae Godsey died during a stint at the Southern Regional Jail, adding another name to the growing list of people who have died at West Virginia’s deadliest jail.  An hour west on I-64 and a day earlier, delegates on the House Committee on Jails and Prisons sat around a large conference […] How the Legislature failed to improve West Virginia’s deadly jails during the 2024 session appeared first on Mountain State Spotlight, West Virginia's civic newsroom.

President Joe Biden has nominated a West Virginia official who successfully worked to limit federal greenhouse gas regulations on power plants to the commission that regulates the nation’s oil and gas projects. On Thursday, West Virginia Solicitor General Lindsay See appeared before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which is chaired by Sen. Joe […] This West Virginia official worked to limit the power of federal environmental regulators. Now President Biden is making her a federal environmental regulator appeared first on Mountain State Spotlight, West Virginia's civic newsroom.

A federal appeals panel wants the state court to decide if Huntington and Cabell County can use public nuisance law to hold drug distributors accountable for the community’s overdose crisis. Federal judges ask West Virginia Supreme Court to weigh in on opioids case appeared first on Mountain State Spotlight, West Virginia's civic newsroom.

The Division of Highways will consider an alternative, northern route that bypasses the towns of Thomas and Davis along with its preferred route despite being unwilling to do so in the past. West Virginia regulators agree to consider whether Corridor H could ‘go north,’ amid push from community groups appeared first on Mountain State Spotlight, West Virginia's civic newsroom.

In 2020, the West Virginia health department asked the CDC for money to collect firearm injury data and prevent future gun violence. But those gun violence prevention strategies never materialized. The federal government gave West Virginia $525,000 to prevent gun deaths. The state’s returning almost all of it appeared first on Mountain State Spotlight, West Virginia's civic newsroom.

Another flat budget shorts urgent needs, but does include pay raises amid uncertainty about money the state may owe the federal government. Four takeaways from West Virginia’s new budget appeared first on Mountain State Spotlight, West Virginia's civic newsroom.

Bills to raise teacher pay and cut unemployment benefits made it across, as well as a leaner state budget. Here’s what else lawmakers accomplished, and what issues went largely unaddressed. How lawmakers did — and didn’t — address West Virginia’s major challenges during the 2024 legislative session appeared first on Mountain State Spotlight, West Virginia's civic newsroom.

A bill that would essentially do away with party appointments for vacancies on the ballot is on its way to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law.  During the last day of the regular session, the House approved HB 4350 by a vote of 80-15 after accepting minor tweaks by the Senate.  If no […] West Virginia voters could see fewer candidates on their ballot under bill passed by Legislature appeared first on Mountain State Spotlight, West Virginia's civic newsroom.

West Virginia lawmakers are headed toward again giving teachers more power to remove disruptive students from classrooms, even as state education officials are looking for ways to keep vulnerable kids in school. Over the last couple of years, state education officials have been trying to reduce school suspensions. Children with disabilities, students in foster care, […] Bill making it easier for teachers to suspend elementary school students close to becoming law appeared first on Mountain State Spotlight, West Virginia's civic newsroom.