Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, SportsRockefeller Fights For Raleigh County Airport

Rockefeller Fights For Raleigh County Airport

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  • Tuesday, May 22 2012 9:09 AM EDT2012-05-22 13:09:50 GMT
    West Virginia American Water plans to re-examine providing support for local water projects under a proposed settlement with eight public service districts.    The districts had filed a complaint last
    West Virginia American Water plans to re-examine providing support for local water projects under a proposed settlement with eight public service districts.
  • Tuesday, May 22 2012 8:44 AM EDT2012-05-22 12:44:08 GMT
    The mother of a 3-year-old girl who vanished eight months ago this week is being sentenced for welfare fraud.    Lena Lunsford is scheduled to appear Tuesday afternoon in Elkins before U.S. District Judge
    The mother of a 3-year-old girl who vanished eight months ago this week is being sentenced for welfare fraud.
  • Tuesday, May 22 2012 8:38 AM EDT2012-05-22 12:38:57 GMT
    A federal judge says a former Wood County deputy violated a suspect's due process rights following an arrest in 2009. U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on Friday overturned a federal jury's verdict
    Lawsuit claimed deputy choked and punched a man at the Wood County Holding Center after he was arrested.
  • Tuesday, May 22 2012 8:34 AM EDT2012-05-22 12:34:00 GMT
    West Virginia has agreed to pay $1.75 million to be a primary sponsor of the 2012 Greenbrier Classic PGA golf tournament. Commerce Secretary Keith Burdette said Monday that the agreement matches that
    Sponsorship provides the state with a luxury hospitality suite on the 18th hole, numerous tournament, concert and parking passes, guest rooms at the resort and other amenities.
  • Tuesday, May 22 2012 8:33 AM EDT2012-05-22 12:33:24 GMT
    The call came in around 11:15pm last night. 34-year-old Aaron Hamrick of Matheny was driving down Route 10 when he crashed his vehicle. The Wyoming County Sheriffs Department, Oceana Fire Department
    The cause of the accident is unknown and is still under investigation by the sheriff's department.

Raleigh County Memorial Airport dodges a bullet after Congress cuts a deal on Federal Aviation Funding.

Tuesday's deal saves the Essential Air Service Program that subsidizes rural service. At present, it is limited to the 150 communities that already participate.

On Thursday, Tom Cochran, manager of Raleigh County Memorial Airport, weighed in on what this means for Beckley.

"It is great news. This is something we've been waiting for two years. We needed to get this completed so we can move on," said Cochran.

U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., fought against proposed cuts in the House of Representatives, arguing that air service is an economic necessity that creates jobs.

A vote to fund the Federal Aviation Administration's budget through 2015 will be held in the House of Representatives this week, and in the Senate next week.