The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources is reporting over four-hundred new cases of COVID-19 and twelve more deaths. Active cases of the virus are around 72-hundred. Over 36-percent of West Virginians are fully vaccinated, and over 40-percent have had at least one shot.
The state Department of Education estimates there are 78-thousand students between the ages of 12 and 15 who will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine once it’s received federal approval, which is expected next week. Governor Justice says all fifty-five county school systems will be prepared to give shots to students and parents.
Charleston’s first Food Truck Friday event of the year is being pushed back to next Friday, May 14th. The city is postponing the event because of inclement weather expected tomorrow. Food trucks will set up from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Kanawha Boulevard between Capitol Street and Court Street.
Prestonburg police are looking for the vehicle that picked up an inmate who escaped from Highlands ARH medical center. Matthew McMahan got away in an older, dark colored Chevrolet TrailBlazer with tinted windows and possibly a “Friends of Coal” license plate.
A suspect is under arrest in the fatal shooting and an 18-year-old Woodrow Wilson High School student. Twenty-year-old Jeriamyah Fortner turned himself in to Beckley police. Investigators say he was recklessly handling an AR-15 rifle and accidentally shot Dwayne Richardson, Jr.
The state Department of Health and Human Resources is extending P-EBT benefits to kids under the age of six who receive SNAP benefits and are not enrolled in school. Almost forty-thousand kids will benefit from the program.
The city of Charleston has hired a mental health coordinator to work with a mental health response team and the community. Alecia Allen will work with the Coordinated Addiction Response Effort, an office created by Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin in 2019 to coordinate, enhance and expand efforts to address the impact of substance use disorder … Read more
Tom Canterbury led the field in the mayor’s race in Milton in unofficial results after Tuesday’s municipal election. Canterbury outpaced Scott Bias, who had 133 votes, Shane Evans, who had 127. WCHS TV reported the canvass will be held on May 10 when absentee and provisional ballots will be counted.
Appalachian Power announced a proposed route for a project that would rebuild 15 miles of electric transmission line in Kanawha and Putnam counties. A news release from the company said it reviewed several route options to rebuild the power line in Nitro as development has significantly increased in the area since crews built the line. … Read more
Vaccination clinics continue to pop up under the governor’s plan to increase access to the shots. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination is expected to be approved for emergency for those ages 12 to 15 by next week and Putnam County Schools are planning to offer clinics. There are forms for parents to fill out online now … Read more