Morrisey Announces Funding For Projects in Ohio, Marshall Counties
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West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey spent Monday announcing millions of dollars in funds in both Ohio and Marshall counties, spanning areas including healthcare, recreation and water quality.
The funding announced Monday at both WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital and Grand Vue Park in Wheeling totaled just under $5 million.
Morrisey started the day at the hospital to announce a pair of grants. The first for $291,403 through the state’s Rural Health Transformation Program will go to WVU Medicine to help fund its new Center for Nursing Education. The center will be housed in the former NTTC Building on Wheeling University’s campus and will train people to become registered nurses.
Through a 21-month program, graduates will receive an RN diploma and take the RN board exam. Those accepted into the program will not pay for tuition, books for supplies in return for working at a WVU Medicine hospital for three years. The money will go toward tuition and fee assistance, academic services, wellness resources, and other supports and will create room for an additional 100 nursing students in the program.
Morrisey said the funding will help bolster a crucial component of West Virginia’s healthcare system and one that sees too many empty spots right now.
“One of the biggest problems we have and have to overcome is to have enough workers in the system,” Morrisey said. “It’s been for decades that we’ve had the lowest workforce participation rate in America, but initiatives like these are intended to change that.”
Melanie Heuston, WVU Medicine’s chief nursing executive, said the nursing vacancy rate across the state is 17.5% and the turnover rate is 21.4%.
“Expanding nursing education opportunities in the northern and eastern panhandles is essential to increasing access and creating pathways to stable, well-paying healthcare jobs for residents in these regions,” she said.
Morrisey then announced $269,000 in funding through the National Parks Service for Wheeling Park. That money will go toward further improvements at the park, which already has seen some major renovations at the White Palace, the playground and the park’s swimming pool.
“The park is a place where community memories are made,” Morrisey said. “We know that this has always been a treasure of the community, so every little bit helps in that regard.”
Wheeling Park Commission President and CEO Bob Peckenpaugh said the funds will go toward renovating Wheeling Park’s bandstand, creating ADA accessibility for restrooms at the site and upgrading many of the picnic areas throughout the park.
“Our goal is to always improve both (Oglebay and Wheeling) parks,” Peckenpaugh said. “It’s not a moment where you can stop. We’re trying to make the parks that much better for the next 100 years, but we have to continue that work over the next 100 years to always make it one of the favorite places in the region.”
Morrisey then made his way to Grand Vue to announce that the state would provide $4.43 million toward rebuilding and modernizing Moundsville's wastewater system. The money will come from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.
According to information provided by Morrisey's office, the funding will include repairing and replacing old, leaky main sewer lines underground so rain runoff can no longer overload the system. Core equipment at the wastewater treatment plant also will be upgraded so "it can process waste cleanly, safely, and efficiently."
The goal of the project is to stop raw sewage spills during heavy storms and keep waterways clean by protecting Middle Grave Creek, Grave Creek, and the Ohio River for children and future generations, Morrisey explained.
"(The spilling of raw sewage) is not good, and not acceptable for our families or the environment as well," he said. "This project is going to make a difference."
Morrisey explained his office wants to focus on the fundamental needs of residents "to allow West Virginia to be the best place to live, work and play."
He noted that when he came into office last year West Virginia "had many positive things going on. " But he also acknowledged the state had some challenges and wasn't meeting the standards in many areas.
"We have to do more to uplift our standard of living," Morrisey explained. "We have to improve our infrastructure, drive educational attainment and improve our healthcare. And we have to be honest about where we start before we can grow and move up in the rankings."
The need for water and sewerage is something that is pertinent to everyone, he continued.
"We should all be united when we are talking about water and wastewater infrastructure," Morrisey said. "When it comes to good clean water and wastewater, we have to make sure we are doing it right."
So far over $96 billion in private investment has been secured for the state, according to Morrisey.
"Those are real numbers. Those are not fake," he said. "We're working really hard to make all of that come to fruition."
Marshall County Commissioner Scott Varner said the county "appreciates the announcement that will benefit the city of Moundsville."
"It's a great project, and obviously it is in tremendous need," he said.
State Sen. Chris Rose, R-Monongalia, reported that with Monday's announcement Marshall County has now received more than $10 million for water and sewer infrastructure improvements under Morrisey.