Manchin visits area to promote funding, earmarks for region

Aug. 28—lansing — In the ongoing budget process, federal dollars have been earmarked to support numerous regional improvement projects for FY 2024, and U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., visited Fayette County Monday to tout the funding package.

During a special ceremony at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, Manchin and his staff also revealed that $3.7 billion in federal funding has been pumped into the New River Gorge region since January 2021, shortly after the New River Gorge was redesignated as a national park and preserve. The assessment is based on data from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service and the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006.

Those in attendance at Monday's gathering at Canyon Rim discovered that, since 2021, Raleigh County has benefited with an estimated $1.9 billion in federal monies, Fayette County receiving $921 million, Nicholas County getting $58 million and Summers County on the receiving end of $316 million.

All of those estimates include FY 2024 Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) designations which were announced earlier this month.

"You think about the ability that we have to bring this much attention from the federal government and how much investments (have been made)," Manchin reflected afterwards.

Manchin said the national park in which Monday's event occurred is a "bipartisan park," since the conception of the park and it coming to fruition spanned the last two presidential administrations. That shows what working together can accomplish, he said.

Manchin said he is unsure why Washington "has become so toxic," why politics have "become so divisive" and why American people are being forced to pick a side. "There's only one side — the American side," he said.

As Monday's event drew to a close,

Ryan Thorn, the West Virginia director for USDA Rural Development, announced financial outlays to the following:

—Seed Sower Inc. — $50,000 via Community Facilities Direct Loans and Grants to purchase a multi-passenger vehicle to transport clients to and from appointments in Montgomery.

—Gainwell Engineering LLC — $5 million from Business and Industry Loan Guarantees to buy equipment and make updates to the facility for its operational base in Hico. A $1 million borrower contribution is included in the project.

—Appalachian Stave West Virginia LLC — $4.3 million from Business and Industry Loan Guarantees to purchase equipment and support the buyer's capital needs in Calvin. A $1.6 million borrower contribution will be included in the project funds.

—City of Smithers — $50,000 via Rural Business Development Grants to complete renovations to a formerly vacant, dilapidated building being used as a business start-up. A $92,500 borrower contribution will be included in the project funds. A $75,000 third-party contribution from West Virginia University and a $5,000 third-party contribution from Community Connections will also be included.

—WV Hive Network — $99,000 from Rural Business Development Grants to renovate space to create retail and incubation space for entrepreneurs. A $42,000 third-party contribution from the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority and a $300,000 third-party contribution from the City of Beckley will be included.

Manchin and his staff have a series of events — some recreation-based — planned in the region through Wednesday. The delegation visited Gainwell Engineering in Hico earlier in the day Monday.

This summer, Manchin, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, helped secure $312.5 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for local West Virginia projects in the Senate Appropriations Committee's fiscal year 2024 funding bills. The SAC, under regular order and on a bipartisan basis, reported all 12 annual appropriations bills to the full Senate for the first time since 2018, according to a press release from Manchin's office.

Included among the funding earmarks announced earlier this month was $975,000 for New River Apartments at the Southern Appalachian Labor School's Historic Oak Hill School.

According to Dr. John David, the SALS volunteer director, the funds are targeted to renovate the third floor of the former school, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, into low-income apartments, as well as install an elevator.

SALS officials will soon announce the installation by Solar Holler of 115 solar panels on parts of the main building plus the annex, David said.

CDS requests provide opportunities for state and local governments, non-profits and other public entities to receive targeted federal funding for projects that bolster their communities. Below is a look at some of the Manchin-backed local projects which are targeted for funding.

Labor, health and human services, education and related agencies:

—Bluefield State Applied Research Foundation — Bluefield State University College of Nursing and Allied Health expansion, Bluefield; $7.1 million for the construction of a health care training facility

—Camden-on-Gauley Medical Center — Camden Family Health expansion project, Summersville; $5 million to construct a new building

—Charleston Area Medical Center — Expanding multispecialty physicians to Greenbrier County, Ronceverte; $7.5 million to fund a multispecialty physician facility

—Summers County Commission — Summers County ARH emergency department renovation project, Hinton; $3 million to renovate and expand the emergency department

—West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine — WVSOM facility extension, Lewisburg; $6 million to construct and equip an addition to the Frederic W. Smith Science Building

—Greenbrier Valley Theatre — Bringing Wonderfest, STEM and the arts to underserved youth in West Virginia, Lewisburg; $350,000 to support Greenbrier Valley Theatre's year-round youth education program

Interior, environment

and related agencies

—Town of Alderson — Sewer system improvements, Alderson; $500,000 to replace gravity sewer main line

—Town of Ansted — Wastewater extension to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, Ansted; $500,000 to extend sanitary sewer service

—Cool Ridge Flat Top Public Service District — water system improvements, Cool Ridge; $80,000 to provide water service

Homeland security

—City of Hinton — Bellepoint Park stormwater drain replacement, Hinton; $480,000 for stormwater improvements

Agriculture, rural development and FDA

—Historic Fayette Theater — Theater renovations project, Fayetteville; $372,000 to complete necessary renovations for the Historic Fayette Theater to upgrade the facility and increase tourism

—Meadow River Valley Local Foodway — God's Way Home, Rainelle; $100,000 to establish a community kitchen and food bank providing daily meals and resources to the 5,000 residents of the Meadow River Valley

—City of Princeton — Princeton City Hall complex phase III, Princeton; $657,000 to move the Princeton Police Department into a newly-renovated space with the rest of the core municipal administrative offices

—New Beginnings Resource Center — refrigerated truck, Summersville; $51,000 to provide a 26-foot refrigerated box truck for the food pantry

Transportation, HUD

and related agencies

—Bluefield WV Economic Development Authority — WV Create Center: Site Development Project Carbon Corridor, Bluefield; $557,000 to clear and grade area for development

—Boy Scouts of America — Steven A. Antoline Family Conservation Complex and Sustainability Program, Glen Jean; $1.4 million to construct the Steven A. Antoline Family Conservation Complex and Sustainability Program

—City of Hinton — New River Center Housing and Retail Development, Hinton; $1.8 million to rehabilitate a vacant historic structure

—City of Smithers — Smithers Longacre readiness development, Smithers; $2.5 million to fund site readiness for water and sewer

—City of Summersville — City of Summersville Visitor Center, Summersville; $1.8 million to develop the visitor center

—City of White Sulphur Springs — White Sulphur Springs recreation, White Sulphur Springs; $2.7 million to build a recreation facility

—Housing Authority of the City of Beckley — HACB stormwater management, Beckley; $819,000 to alleviate flooding issues at two developments

—New River Community and Technical College — New River CTC welding and machining training facility, Ghent; $2.8 million to replace a welding and machining training facility

—Southern Appalachian Labor School — Historic Oak Hill School New River Apartments, Kincaid; $975,000 to convert the downtown former school building into affordable housing

—Town of Gauley Bridge — Two awards: Gauley Bridge public parks equipment upgrades, Gauley Bridge; $70,000 to update playground and parks with boat docks and new equipment; and demolition of former Gauley Bridge High School; $360,000 to demolish the former high school building

—W.Va. Division of Highways — WVU Tech campus corridor streetscape, Beckley; $1.2 million to fund infrastructure improvements

Financial services and

general government

—Greenbrier County Economic Development Corporation — Greenbrier Valley EDC Commercialization Center, Maxwelton; $819,000 to provide commercial space and technical support services to small manufacturing and skilled trade businesses

—New River Gorge Regional Development Authority — New River Gorge Regional Working Group, Beckley; $750,000 to hire a new coordinator for the New River Gorge Working Group and establish a technical assistance fund

Commerce, justice, science

and related agencies

—City of Beckley — Two awards for Beckley Police Department: BPD radios; $57,000 to buy 10 portable radios for the department; and BPD bullet proof vests; $36,000 for purchase of 30 bullet proof vests for City of Beckley Police

—Nicholas County Commission — Nicholas County police vehicles and outfitting, Summersville; $308,000 to buy six new police vehicles outfitted with emergency equipment

—Nicholas County Commission — Nicholas County Sheriff body-worn cameras, Summersville; $84,000 to provide 20 new body cameras to the Nicholas County Sheriff's Department

—University of Charleston — University of Charleston safety and security upgrades for Charleston and Beckley; $1.4 million to provide critical infrastructure upgrades to improve campus safety

—Nicholas County — Dispatch system upgrades, Summersville; $2 million to upgrade dispatch system equipment in the county

Military construction and Veterans affairs

—WV National Guard — Bluefield National Guard Readiness Center planning and design, Bluefield; $2 million to meet standards for anti-terrorism and force protection.

Email: skeenan@register-herald.com;

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