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2023 has come to a close, and at the Wyoming County EDA, we’re reflecting on everything we accomplished. Read on for a brief summary of a few of our exciting announcements from 2023!
This spring, the 2023 Community Fund Scholarship was awarded to Angel Lusk. Angel is now attending Southern Community and Technical College. She hopes to study nursing, with a larger goal of becoming a Nurse Practitioner. Read more about Angel in this blog.
The Literature Fund Writing Contest is a cherished tradition, made possible by the generosity of Wyoming County native Lonnie Bailey. This contest offers a platform for students and adults to unleash their creativity and connect with the county’s rich culture, community, and history. See the 2023 winners in this blog.
In June, we were thrilled to announce that Wyoming County Coal is set to be the first commercial producer of rare earth and critical elements from carbon waste streams. $45 million Tax-Exempt Industrial Development Bonds will fund the expansion and technological improvements to the existing metallurgical carbon processing facility as well as the integration and construction of new rare earth processing capacity. Read more about this exciting project here.
At the end of July, we were proud to attend the 2023 West Virginia Broadband Summit! The West Virginia Department of Economic Development, Office of Broadband, West Virginia Broadband Enhancement Council, and the West Virginia Economic Development Council partnered to put on this exciting event. Our own Executive Director, Christy Laxton, is the President of the West Virginia Economic Development Council. Connecting our communities is vital to economic development not just in Wyoming County, but across the state. The two-day event, held on July 25 and 26, focused heavily on the expansion of broadband across West Virginia.
Our 2023 Wyoming County Community Fund Bingo fundraiser event was a huge success! Held at the end of September, we raised a total of $7,566.50! We would like to give a huge thank you to everyone who made this year’s bingo fundraiser possible. Read more about the 2023 Bingo Fundraiser here.
The West Virginia Economic Development Annual Fall Conference, held September 18-20, 2023, was a great success! West Virginia’s economic development community is working well together and expanding its footprint around the state, and the WVEDC has been vital in helping local organizations. Our own Executive Director Christy Laxton is currently President of the West Virginia EDC and is excited about the economic development opportunities arising in the Mountain State. Stay tuned for more – the next conference will be held later this month in Charleston!
At the end of October, we were awarded $545,065 by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to construct an estimated 10.5 miles of fiber to connect approximately 89 households and 7 businesses in Wyoming County, WV! This award is part of a recently announced nearly $54 million package supporting 64 projects in 217 coal-impacted counties through ARC’s POWER (Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization) Initiative. Read more about this project here.
Stay tuned for more exciting project announcements as we ease into 2024. Best wishes for a prosperous New Year!
