News Staff Charleston City Council passed an over 99-million-dollar budget for 2021-2022 during a teleconference-only public meeting. City employees will move to PEIA insurance, and receive a two-thousand-dollar raise. And home demolition funding will increase over 30-percent to fight ongoing housing blight.
Kanawha County has opened an Emergency Operations Center to respond to the widening coronavirus situation. It’s located at Metro 911. The City of Charleston is moving to essential personnel only. City offices, public event facilities and community and rec centers will have limited public access.
More than half of West Virginians are considered high risk for getting the coronavirus. A Kaiser Family Foundation report calculates that over 51-percnet of the state’s population is at high risk. The factors include those ho have diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and are over 60-years old.
Hospitals are changing their day-to-day operations because of the coronavirus. Some doctors are postposing surgeries. Thomas Memorial and Saint Francis Hospital are screening visitors at the entrance and taking their temperatures.
West Virginia still has no confirmed cases of the COVD-19. Eighty tests have come back negative and four cases are pending. DHHR is aiming for a one or two day turnaround for the test. The majority of people being tested currently are seriously ill in the hospital, or have been exposed to the virus.
Governor Jim Justice is declaring a state of emergency for all 55-counties in West Virginia due to the coronavirus outbreak. The executive allows the governor to suspend certain laws and side-step normal purchasing and hiring rules. Justice is not closing restaurants and bars.
Access to Charleston city offices, public facilities and community recreation centers will be limited to the public in an effort slow the spread of the coronavirus. The action includes public access to City Hall, offices and common areas within the City Service Center, all fire stations, Municipal Auditorium and the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center, … Read more
The Clay Center, which had already halted major events for 30 days, is closing all museum galleries. Clay Center officials said they will provide frequent updates on the status on the center’s social media platforms. Last week, the Clay Center announced it was canceling all events with an audience of more than 250 for the … Read more
The Kanawha County Public Library system is closing until further notice as a precaution during the coronavirus outbreak. The library said it continues to monitor the situation, along with other federal, state and local agencies. The closure affects the main branch in Charleston, as well as locations in Clendenin, Cross Lanes, Dunbar, Elk Valley, Glasgow, … Read more
Grocery industry leaders say there is no need for West Virginians to hoard food and supplies. The West Virginia Oil Marketers and Grocers Association said the state, regional and national food supply chain is holding up well despite strain during the coronavirus outbreak. You may find short-term runs on certain items, but local grocers are … Read more