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December 31, 2004

Rahall Report: New Year Brings New Opportunities for Southern West Virginia

From the desk of U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV)
Representing West Virginia's 3rd District

Washington, D.C. (HNN) -- We here in southern West Virginia are looking forward to good things in 2005. The Appalachian Region's economy has become significantly more diversified over the past 15 years, and I have made dedicated efforts in promoting this same diversification of the economic base here in Southern West Virginia. The goal of these efforts is to bring new opportunities to our region of the country over this next year.

One of these new opportunities for West Virginia involves a Regional Economic Development Partnership known as the Southern Highlands Initiative that will be coordinated by the Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College and the Nick J. Rahall, II Appalachian Transportation Institute at Marshall University. My commitment to the Southern Highlands Initiative includes helping to support the development of new industrial business parks to be located within each of our southern coalfield counties.

Through my efforts and thanks to a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development this project is already underway. This Regional Economic Development Partnership will be established for the following counties in Southern West Virginia: Lincoln, Boone, Mingo, Logan, McDowell and Wyoming. An advisory committee has already scheduled meetings to evaluate proposed sites in each of the six counties at the beginning of the year.

Another area of continued focus in 2005 will be transportation. For almost forty years, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has been a major force in the transportation system within West Virginia by focusing on reducing Appalachian isolation through constructing the Appalachian Development Highway System. It is through organizations such as the ARC in which the Rahall Transportation Institute (RTI) partners with to continue their mission of "building jobs through transportation."

During the past year, both the House and the Senate passed major national infrastructure bills in the 108th Congress. While a consensus has yet to be reached on these two bills, both the Senate and the House versions address critical needs throughout our transportation network. Some of these needs include funding for a number of programs that are important to Southern West Virginia. In fact, included in the House transportation bill which I helped to craft is over $2.2 billion dollars for West Virginia infrastructure projects, including over $24 million for the Rahall Transportation Institute at Marshall University. I am both hopeful and optimistic that we will pass the transportation bill during the opening days of the 109th Congress and that President Bush will sign it into law.

Southern West Virginia has much to look forward to in the coming year because of these new and exciting opportunities. I personally am looking forward to being able to continue serving the great people of West Virginia as your Congressman.
 
U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV) represents West Virginia's 3rd District.
Official Congressional Web site
 
Contact information for U.S. Representative Nick Rahall