Manchin: Reconnecting McDowell is making progress - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

Manchin: Reconnecting McDowell is making progress

  • Local NewsLocal News

  • Tuesday, May 21 2013 7:24 PM EDT2013-05-21 23:24:57 GMT
    Though the Mountaineer baseball team was not directly affected, they didnt hesitate to reach out to those in need. The team is safe and did manage to get a practice in yesterday. But after practice, the
    Though the Mountaineer baseball team was not directly affected, they didnt hesitate to reach out to those in need.
  • Tuesday, May 21 2013 6:17 PM EDT2013-05-21 22:17:00 GMT
    A man is dead after an afternoon accident in Fayette County. The two vehicle accident happened on WV Route 61 at 2:23 p.m. near Camp Branch Road. When deputies arrived on the scene, they found one of
    One man is dead, another hospitalized after head-on crash in Fayette County.
  • Tuesday, May 21 2013 5:57 PM EDT2013-05-21 21:57:17 GMT
    Kids in schools were in the path of destruction when the storms hit in Oklahoma. But are schools here ready if something like this were to strike? Students at Rainelle Elementary School in Greenbrier
     
    Kids in schools were in the path of destruction when the storms hit in Oklahoma. But are schools here ready if something like this were to strike?


     
WELCH, W.Va. (AP) -

One year into the initiative to revive a long-struggling southern West Virginia county, the Reconnecting McDowell initiative has 110 partners.

State Board of Education Vice President Gayle Manchin says that together, they've made respectable progress in expanding broadband access, literacy programs and health services. They've even help build five new homes.

Educators, government agencies, private companies and nonprofits are all focused on ways to bolster the school system while also addressing chronic problems caused by poverty, drugs and economic decline.

The American Federation of Teachers and helped launch the efforts.

Manchin tells West Virginia Public Broadcasting (http://bit.ly/T5QGIg) the efforts so far have just scratched the surface, but it's vital to lay a strong, sustainable foundation for the long-term goals.

She says it's a marathon, not a sprint.

 

Online:

http://www.reconnectingmcdowell.org

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.