BROADBAND

The sad fact is that many places in West Virginia simply do not have access to reliable broadband and the lack of access affects West Virginians every day. Back in 2015, the FCC released a coverage map that stated 99.9% of Americans had wireless coverage. I knew then what I know now: That is just plain wrong.

HOW MAY WE HELP YOU?

To request assistance from my case team, click here.

As your U.S. Senator, I am proud to be your voice with government agencies during your time of need. My goal is for me and my staff to provide the best possible customer service for every West Virginian who contacts me needing assistance. While I have no direct jurisdiction in legal or administrative matters of any federal, state, or local agency, I welcome the opportunity to assist you in any way possible and to assure that full consideration is given to your case. See one of our success stories below:

Ms. Joyce Adams of War, West Virginia reached out to Senator Manchin for assistance with receiving her tax return. Ms. Adams filed her taxes earlier in the year but had not received a response from the IRS. After Caseworker Charles Walker submitted an inquiry for an update about Ms. Adams’ return, the IRS responded and shared that her return would be processed and released in about seven weeks.

From the Hill to the Mountains

MANCHIN, CAPITO ANNOUNCE $3.2 MILLION TO PROTECT COMMUNITIES, IMPROVE DATA COLLECTION
Charleston, WV – U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $3,203,020 from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat violent crime and improve data recording in West Virginia. This funding was made available through DOJ’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP), and the State Justice Statistics (SJS) program.

"West Virginians should feel safe in their communities, and this funding will help the justice system in West Virginia protect our fellow West Virginians by combatting violent crime and supporting data collection. I am pleased by this investment in our state and I will continue to advocate for funding that helps West Virginians stay safe," said Senator Manchin.

MANCHIN, CAPITO ANNOUNCE $1.9 MILLION EDA INVESTMENT FOR MARSHALL COUNTY WATER SERVICE
Charleston, WV – U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $1,900,000 in federal funding for Grandview Doolin Public Service District in Proctor, West Virginia. This funding was made available through the Economic Development Administration (EDA) and will be used for water infrastructure to provide potable water service to industrial customers in Marshall County. Additionally, this EDA investment, which will be located in an Opportunity Zone, will be matched with $1.3 million in local investment and is expected to spur $135 million in private investment.

"Creating jobs and opportunities across West Virginia is a top priority of mine, and I am pleased to see the EDA investing in Marshall County. In April I supported this project application, and now this funding will support infrastructure upgrades that will help industrial users in the area retain and create approximately 75 jobs, leverage more than $100 million in private follow-on investment, and allow for the development of additional commercial and industrial sites. West Virginia and our federal partners must continue investing in infrastructure projects like this to attract new companies and grow existing businesses in our state. I will continue working with the EDA and other agencies to ensure West Virginia continues to see infrastructure investments," said Senator Manchin.

MANCHIN STATEMENT ON INDICTMENT OF CLARKSBURG VAMC PHYSICIAN
Charleston, WV – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) released the following statement on the indictment of Dr. Kenneth Ramdat, a physician at the Clarksburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), for alleged abusive sexual contact and simple assault.

"The climate and culture of our VA Medical Centers starts at the top. If the allegations against Dr. Kenneth Ramdat are proven true, it is yet another sign that the Clarksburg VAMC leadership have abdicated their duty to the staff, the Veterans in their care, and all West Virginians as heinous behavior continues to occur under their watch. It is simply unacceptable that our Veterans and staff are not in a safe environment at the Clarksburg VAMC. How many more West Virginians and Veterans must endure this inexcusable treatment before action is taken to fix these systemic issues? As a pattern of negligence continues to emerge, action must be taken to right these wrongs. As a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, I will ensure these systemic problems at the Clarksburg VAMC are thoroughly investigated, and I hope that as this case progresses, the women affected by these alleged actions receive justice," said Senator Manchin.

Information is updated daily on: manchin.senate.gov/coronavirus

WV STRONG

I was always taught that if you can count your blessings, you can share your blessings. I’ve been seeing so many great WV Strong and Better Angels stories. During these unprecedented times, it’s important to focus on all the wonderful things that are still happening every day in our beautiful state.

That’s why today I’m so very proud to recognize John Morris of Ivydale as West Virginia Strong. This year, John was selected as one of nine 2020 National Endowment for the Arts’ National Heritage Fellows, the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. He is a talented fiddler, banjo player, guitarist, songwriter, and life-long resident of Clay County and I am so proud and grateful of his efforts to preserve our cultural heritage through music for future generations to enjoy. Thank you for representing our home state so well. Please continue sharing your uplifting stories with me at wvstrong@manchin.senate.gov .

2020 National Heritage Fellows (clockwise from top left): William Bell (photo by David McClister), Onnik Dinkjian (photo courtesy of artist), Zakarya and Naomi Diouf (photos © RJ Muna), Karen Ann Hoffman (photo by Jim), Wayne Valliere (photo by Tim Frandy), Suni Paz (photo by Ramiro Fauve), John Morris (photo by Michael Keller), Hugo N. Morales (photo courtesy of Radio Bilingüe), and Los Matachines de la Santa Cruz de la Ladrillera (photo by Norma E. Cantú).

RESOURCES

Our office is working diligently to bring you the most up-to-date information as it becomes available. Click the links below for more information. All information regarding resources and more can be found on Senator Manchin’s website.

Unemployment & Direct Payments

Veterans Assistance

Basic Needs

Business Assistance

Volunteer

Feeling Ill?

WV 211:

United Way of West Virginia provides an important service to West Virginians by helping users navigate the vast number of resources available to aid with healthcare issues, food shortages, mental health questions and more. This program is more important now than ever as we battle the COVID-19 pandemic and I commend United Way for continuing to serve their fellow West Virginians through this time.

United Way’s new 2-1-1 will make information on a wide variety of local support services more accessible across our entire state,” said United Way of Central WV President, Margaret O’Neal. “Whether it’s information for locating a health clinic, finding child care programs, or getting housing assistance, 2-1-1 is an easy-to-remember, go-to resource for individuals and families.

To utilize these resources West Virginians can:

Call 2-1-1
Text your zip code to 898-211
Visit http://www.wv211.org/contact
Call toll-free 1-833-848-9905

__________________________

Any new or updated resource information will be posted below. All information is available and updated daily on manchin.senate.gov/coronavirus.

Advantage Valley Announces Three FASTER WV Entrepreneurship Webinars

Advantage Valley announces three upcoming FASTER WV Entrepreneurship Webinars for people interested in starting or expanding a business. There will be a webinar on November 17 to learn more about the business coaching, business training, and loan funds associated with the FASTER WV program. Anyone with a manufacturing idea may be interested in the FASTER WV Small Manufacturing webinar on November 5. The final webinar of the year will be held on December 9 for anyone interested in opening or expanding a child care business. Each webinar begins at 6 pm, is free, will last one hour, and will include panelist presentations and Q&A.

Learn more or register by clicking here.

IRS: New COVID-Related Text Scam Identified

There is a new text scam intended to trick people into disclosing bank account information under the guise of receiving the $1,200 Economic Impact Payment.

The scam text message states: “You have received a direct deposit of $1,200 from COVID-19 TREAS FUND. Further action is required to accept this payment into your account. Continue here to accept this payment …” The text includes a link to a fake phishing web address.

This fake phishing URL, which appears to come from a state agency or relief organization, takes recipients to a fraudulent website that impersonates the IRS.gov Get My Payment website. Individuals who visit the fraudulent website and then enter their personal and financial account information will have their information collected by these scammers.

Neither the IRS nor state agencies will ever text taxpayers asking for bank account information so that an EIP deposit may be made.

Learn more here.

TESTING

Some testing sites require a physician’s order before testing. To report your symptoms and be directed to one of the available testing sites, contact your primary care doctor or a designated hotline for your area. If you have gone through these steps and are still having problems getting a test, please email me at common_sense@manchin.senate.gov and a member of my staff will reach out to you to see if we can assist.

Click here to view our list of verified testing locations.

Add or update your organization’s testing location and hours.

For a listing of one-day, weekly, and drive-through pharmacy testing, visit the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources website: https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/pages/testing.aspx

Click here for WV DHHR’s latest updates to reported COVID-19 cases

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