In The News

The Biden administration wants to jolt the electric vehicle market by putting the squeeze on automakers in the form of much tougher standards for greenhouse gas emissions. The standards proposed Wednesday by the EPA for light, medium and heavy-duty vehicles are by far the strictest ever proposed by the agency, which said they're attainable because of advances in automotive technology. It estimated that through 2055 the standards would avoid nearly 10 billion tons of carbon dioxide... Read More

A federal judge has blocked a rule that took effect last month that expanded the definition of waters and wetlands drawing federal protection, responding to a West Virginia-led court challenge. Wednesday’s ruling blocks the Biden administration rule in West Virginia and 23 other Republican-led states that challenged the rule with support from farmer, home builder and mining trade groups. The ruling in the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota builds on a separate court... Read More

U.S. Sens. Tim Scott (R-SC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and John Hoeven (R-ND) joined 15 of their GOP colleagues to introduce legislation that would end taxpayer-funded grants to sanctuary cities while also permitting local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities to cooperate on managing illegal, criminal aliens.  “Sanctuary cities have emboldened criminals and endangered American citizens and it is wrong that our taxpayers are... Read More

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday proposed sweeping emissions cuts for new cars and trucks through 2032, a move it says could mean two out of every three new vehicles automakers sell will be electric within a decade. The proposal, if finalized, represents the most aggressive U.S. vehicle emissions reduction plan to date, requiring 13% annual average pollution cuts and a 56% reduction in projected fleet average emissions over 2026... Read More

Several top Republican lawmakers and energy industry groups blasted the Biden administration Wednesday after it announced aggressive regulations cracking down on gas-powered car emissions. Critics of the sweeping emissions standards, unveiled Wednesday morning by the White House and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), argued the announcement revealed President Biden is seeking to effectively ban traditional gas cars in favor of electric vehicles (EV). The White House said... Read More

Republican elected officials and the Missouri Farm Bureau are venting frustration with President Joe Biden's recent action on the Waters of the United States rule. Biden on April 6 vetoed a congressional resolution that would have overturned the WOTUS rule his administration issued last December. Biden had promised to veto the resolution before it arrived at his desk by a vote of 53-43 in the Senate and 227-198 in the House. Congressman Sam Graves, a Missouri Republican and chairman of the House... Read More

BUCKHANNON – For the first time in its history, the Upshur County Regional Airport has hired a full-time general manager who’s eager to help the entity spread its wings. In 2022, the Buckhannon-Upshur Airport Authority, which manages the airport, opted to hire general manager Jenny Powers, who’s working on marketing and promoting the airport. And although her position is new, Powers is no stranger to the Upshur Regional Airport. She began working as the airport’s... Read More

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK)–Senator Shelley Moore Capito announced on Tuesday that the United States Department of Health and Human Services will fund $13,543,856 for four medical providers across the Mountain state. According to Shelley Moore Capito’s Office, Sen. Capito is the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. The individual medical providers and the funding awarded are listed below: Valley... Read More

GHENT, WV (WVNS)– United States Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R) and Joe Manchin (D) announced more than $13.8 million for four separate health providers in West Virginia. According to the Senators, $13,888,775 in federal funding the US Department of Human Health and Human Services for medical care providers in West Virginia before the awards. The funding will go to: $7,678,870 – Valley Health Systems, Inc. $2,755,380 – Minnie Hamilton Health Care Center $1,582,239 –... Read More

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) has joined Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), and other Senate Republican colleagues in reintroducing the Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act. Often, sanctuary cities prohibit their law enforcement... Read More

POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — The new Waterfront Farmers Market will open Saturday under temporary structures as construction for the new state-of-the-art permanent market will begin by summer of this year. The market season will run April to October, open on Wednesday and Saturday each week from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. “Produce isn’t quite ready yet,” said Main Street Point Pleasant Executive Director Chris Rizer, “but we hope to have several vendors selling things like... Read More

CHARLESTON — A $2.7 million sewer separation project in Rowlesburg moved towards funding after the West Virginia Infrastructure & Jobs Development Council acted on April 7. Rowlesburg has been plagued with sewer problems for a number of years. “The project will separate storm water and sewage,” Preston County Economic Development Agency Executive Director Robbie Baylor said. “It will also address issues in the park, especially where sewage goes into the... Read More

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — One West Virginia University project that looks to improve treatment options for cancer has received some major funding. The National Science Foundation is giving $549,994 to support WVU’s critical research into using innovative artificial intelligence technology to determine optimal treatment options for cancer patients. “Once again, WVU is leading the way in research to hopefully create better treatments for patients battling... Read More

CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) — U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced a $133,865 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to West Virginia University (WVU) to study safer and more efficient ways of dealing with wastewater in small and rural communities. “I’m so proud of the good work produced by WVU, and today’s funding will only... Read More

April 10, 2023 - WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) last week, introduced bipartisan legislation to tackle the rise in illegal opioids entering the U.S. The STOP 2.0 Act builds on Klobuchar’s Synthetics Trafficking & Overdose Prevention (STOP) Act, which was cosponsored by Capito and signed into law in 2018. That legislation prevents fentanyl and synthetic drug shipments from being smuggled into the U.S. through the mail... Read More

The Biden administration is moving to tighten the limits on how much mercury and other toxins coal-fired electric plants can release, setting up another potential conflict between Republican state officials and the federal government over fossil fuels. The Environmental Protection Agency announced last week that it would update its rules on mercury and other air toxins for the first time in a decade. The limits, first put in place by the Obama administration, are widely credited with reducing... Read More

SANDSTONE, W.Va. (WV News) — The nation’s newest national park recently grew by nearly 1,000 acres. The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve officially added 963 acres, increasing the amount of public land available for hunting and outdoor recreation activities. The additional acreage was acquired by The Conservation Fund in November 2021 and was recently transferred to the National Parks Service thanks to funding from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. The added... Read More

FAIRMONT —A Quincy-Massachusetts-based Broadband internet provider recently completed installing a 500-mile fiber optic network in Monongalia County with sights set on more West Virginia counties in the months ahead. Officials with internet provider Breezeline said the new network will reach more than 40,000 homes and businesses in Monongalia County. “We’ve made tremendous progress in our efforts to bring advanced fiber technology to West Virginia,” Breezeline President... Read More

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Monongalia County is just the beginning for the eighth-largest cable provider in the country, Breezeline. President Frank van der Post said they are building a 500-mile fiber network with the goal of reaching more than 40,000 homes. “We’ve invested close to $40 million, and that will run up to $50 million to really connect the greater Morgantown area to a state-of-the-art fiber network,” Mr. van der Post said. The company has completed construction and... Read More

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WBOY) — $3,769,158 from the Department of Transportation (DOT)’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) program will go to the improvement of natural gas pipelines in West Virginia, Senator Shelley Moore Capito announced Thursday. According to a release from the office of Senator Capito, the upgrade will help distribute natural gas to power homes and businesses within the state. “The funding announced today will continue to... Read More