Every day, professionals across the board are working to improve the Mountain State, giving their all to ensure that their respective fields are making a noticeable impact on their communities. These leaders represent hard work, a determination for achieving their goals and a love for their home state that inspires them to stay and do all they can to move it forward, all while still having many years of their career ahead of them.
In 2022, Governor Jim Justice approved the bid award of $31.9 million for the Wheeling Streetscape Project. This project, scheduled to be completed by summer 2025, will beautify downtown Wheeling by adding decorative traffic signals, plants and trees as well as brickwork along Main and Market streets and between 10th and 16th streets. ADA-compliant curb cuts and widened sidewalks are also part of the project.
Amidst its renowned rolling hills and tight-knit communities, West Virginia faces a serious issue: the prevalence of food deserts and widespread food insecurity.
In many rural and urban areas, access to fresh food is limited or nonexistent, contributing to higher rates of diet-related illnesses and leaving residents with few nutritious options.
Bees often go unnoticed as they fly, usually overlooked and sometimes feared. Yet, these tiny creatures, along with other pollinators like butterflies, birds and moths, are essential for the food supply. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) notes that they pollinate one in every three bites of food humans eat. Beekeepers play a crucial role in maintaining the health and preservation of these bee colonies.
With an increasing need for sustainable farms that produce fresh, quality food, West Virginia is working to create a new generation of farmers who will carry on production for decades to come.
Nestled upon a wind-swept mountaintop-removal coal mining site in northern Nicholas County sits a unique and expansive agricultural property. Where large machinery once stripped away soil, fauna and topographical features to mine precious black gold, over 100 acres of reclaimed land now hosts a robust and active orchard with more than 25,000 maturing and producing apple and pear trees.