WVML Press
Featured in this segment: Williamson, West Virginia looks to the future by looking to sustainable development. Environment Matters is a public affairs production of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.
CHARLESTON – The state’s official supplemental retirement plan has more than doubled in the number of participants and experienced an 82 percent total asset increase since State Treasurer John Perdue’s office assumed administration in July of 2006.
West Virginia Retirement Plus, a 457 plan serving public employees, now shows 12,924 participants, up from only 5,022 six years ago. It boasts approximately $124,000 in total assets, as opposed to $68,000 in 2006.
Read more: West Virginia Retirement Plus prospers under Perdue
Effective tomorrow, July 14, 2012
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin today announced the outdoor burning ban will be lifted, effective tomorrow July 14, 2012. With the approval of the governor, State Forester Randy Dye, in cooperation with Division of Natural Resources Director Frank Jezioro, rescinded the outdoor burning ban, which has been in place since July 6, 2012.
"We have made significant progress with storm recovery during the past week, and I believe it is safe for residents to burn storm debris that has collected in yards and communities throughout West Virginia. Please use caution and put safety first," Gov. Tomblin said.
Read more: GOVERNOR TOMBLIN ANNOUNCES OUTDOOR BURNING BAN TO BE LIFTED
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin announced the members of the Natural Gas Vehicle Task Force. The Task Force will assess the feasibility of transitioning the state’s vehicle fleet to natural gas as a fuel source and developing a supporting infrastructure.
Read more: Jim Hunt appointed to Governor Tomblin’s Natural Gas Vehicle Task Force
MetroNews, Charleston, Kanawha County
Governor Earl Ray Tomblin and First Lady Joanne Jaeger Tomblin were out traveling the state again Friday surveying the damage in counties and monitoring the progress.
As a result of that tour, Governor Tomblin issued a burning ban, effective immediately and continuing throughout the state of emergency.
Forestry officials relayed their concern about a high fire danger due to the lack of water, the dry weather and the stretched resources during this storm recovery period.
Tomblin says that emergency personnel are stretched as it is with the recovery efforts so the state just needs to take extra precaution at this time.
The West Virginia Division of Forestry and the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources will be in charge of determining the extent of the burning ban.
For more information regarding the ban, visit the Division of Forestry's website at www.wvforestry.com or the Division of Natural Resources' website at www.wvdnr.gov.
You should be receiving notification from The Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety, information regarding mandated local floodplain manager training requirements. This training requirement is the result of Senate Bill 387, which passed during the 2012 Legislative Session. The person charged with the responsibility for implementing your community's floodplain management ordinance to achieve the goal of sound community development while lessening losses due to flooding should plan to attend the training.
The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, will be offering a series of training sessions that will be in addition to the formal FEMA courses or multi-day conferences that have been held in the past. They plan to offer four (4) six-hour courses and six (6) one hour webinars annually so you can receive training that will be convenient for you to attend and help you improve your floodplain management skills while meeting the training requirements passed by the legislature during this past session.
Attached is a copy of the West Virginia State Code that establishes annual training requirements for local floodplain managers. The Governor and Legislature realize that training and education are essential for you to do your job, but recognize the challenges you would face to meet the training requirements. Therefore, the training opportunities mentioned above and outlined on the attached fact sheet are designed to help you meet this six (6) hour annual floodplain management training requirement with the least amount of disruption to your work schedule.
The initial timeframe in which this annual requirement must be met will end June 30, 2013. Subsequent years, the requirements must be met during the standard fiscal year ending June 30. The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management will maintain the official training records for this program. Since there will be many questions regarding this requirement, you are urged to contact the state floodplain associate assigned to your community to assist you with answers.
Floodplain management is essential to protecting our citizens and their property from destruction by the flooding that will inevitably come. This training will help you better provide the service to your citizens. Working together we can achieve the goal of protecting life and property from the devastating effects of flooding.
Grant Training in Dunbar, WV
West Virginia State Police Academy, Grant Writing USA and Grant Management USA present two grants classes in Dunbar.
Class #1: Learn where to find the grants and how to get them.
Join us July 30-31, 2012 when West Virginia State Police Academy hosts Grant Writing USA's two-day grant writing workshop. Attend this proven class and you'll learn how to find grants and write winning grant proposals. Beginning and experienced government and nonprofit personnel are welcome to attend.
- Communities Recognized for Fighting Play Deficit by Implementing Pro-Play Policies -
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today’s children spend less time playing outside than any previous generation, but 213 cities and towns, including Keyser, earned recognition from national non-profit KaBOOM! as 2012 Playful City USA communities for their efforts to increase play opportunities for children.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, play is critical to healthy brain development. It allows children to use their creativity while simultaneously developing imagination, dexterity and physical, cognitive and emotional strength. Yet today’s children spend less time playing outside than any previous generation in part because only 1-in-5 live within walking distance of a park or playground. The resulting play deficit is having profound consequences for kids physically, socially and academically.
The WVML is excited to announce that we are now on Facebook! We encourage you to visit our page and give us your feedback. You can find us by typing in www.Facebook.com or within the search feature in Facebook, type WV Municipal League. Just make sure to "like" us so anytime we add announcements, they will show up in your newsfeed. Our immediate plan is to post announcements of conferences, meetings, pictures, etc. We hope that this will allow you to have a closer inside look at the work we're doing. So take a minute, go to our Facebook page and "LIKE" us.
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