The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston is suspending Mass beginning Saturday afternoon because of the coronavirus. Non-essential meetings and parish events are also canceled or postponed, and the diocese is working to provide services online. Several other churches and synagogues plan to move services online, as well.
State officials are exploring voting options for the state’s primary election that is scheduled for May 12th. One option is expanding the use of the absentee ballot process, or voting early to avoid the crowds. Early voting begins April 29th.
There is growing concern over testing for the coronavirus. West Virginia Public Health Commissioner Dr. Cathy Slemp says there are not enough testing kits available. To be tested you must meet certain criteria provided by the Centers for Disease Control, and have a reason for exposure, like traveling to an area with an outbreak.
There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in West Virginia. More than thirty people have been tested for the virus, 26 were negative, and test results are pending for five more. Charleston May Amy Goodwin says the city, county and Kanawha-Charleston Health Department have formed a joint command center at the KCHD building for quick … Read more
The Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association is overcrowded with 160-dogs and 30-cats. They’re having a “St. Pitty’s Day Special” to help get a number of pit bulls adopted for either zero-dollar or 35-dollar adoption fees. The deal will be available until St. Patrick’s Day on the 17th.
Governor Justice and WVU officials announced plans to build a one-hundred-bed hospital in Fairmont. It will replace the current Fairmont Regional Medical Center that is closing in few weeks. WVU Medicine will keep the emergency department operating until the new hospital is constructed. The project is expected to take up to two years.
A woman was shot and killed at Tudor’s Biscuit World in Lavalette. The woman was an employee at the restaurant, and was found in the kitchen. Prosecutors say the shooting stemmed from a domestic situation. Forty-five-year-old Gary Damron is charged with murder.
You may experience short power outages in the next few months. Appalachian Power is replacing electric meters as part of a routine service upgrade through May. The outages will be brief, but digital clocks and other appliances my need to be reset.
The West Virginia Public Service Commission is urging utilities to suspend service terminations in consideration of the rapidly unfolding events. The PSC says utility services are important to maintain communications and safe, clean, and sanitary conditions amid the prospect of economic disruption.
The Department of Health and Human Resources has tested 31 West Virginians for the coronavirus, 26 of those have come back negative, and test results are pending for five more. Totals keep climbing in neighboring states, at least a dozen cases are confirmed in Kentucky, and Ohio officials have confirmed thirteen cases of the virus.