Letter from Shelley
Friends and Colleagues,
Congress reconvenes next week, but it’s been a busy couple of weeks here in West Virginia. I had the opportunity to tour the US Route 35 construction site, while also meeting with local business owners and local students. Just this week I announced new legislation to encourage information technology businesses to invest in rural areas.
Progress on US 35
US Route 35 has been a priority of mine since I came to Congress, because it’s such an important safety concern for those who regularly travel through Putnam and Mason Counties. It’s also an important economic development tool that creates jobs and helps ensure that our infrastructure needs are addressed.
I recently had an opportunity to tour one of the construction sites to see the progress being made, and I was encouraged by the progress I saw. Since coming to Congress, I’ve helped secure $105 million in funding for the project, and US 35 will continue to remain a key priority of mine until the project is complete.
Mountaineer Packaging Tour
The owners of Dunbar-based Mountaineer Packaging – Joshua Pearson and Brian Canterbury – were named Entrepreneurs of the Year by the Small Business Administration and I recently had the privilege of touring their facility.
I enjoyed meeting with them to learn more about how they’ve been successful, and it was clear that the entire Mountaineer Packaging team provides a model for small businesses throughout the state.
West Virginia EXPO
Every year the West Virginia EXPO hosts engineers, architects and builders from across the state to showcase new technology and share ideas across the industry. It was great to see such a vibrant community of business and industry leaders as I visited with EXPO attendees.
The West Virginia EXPO is always a great event, and this year was no different.
Rural Information Technology Bill
As was evident at the EXPO, we live in an increasingly high-tech world that demands investment in information technology.
With a lower cost of living and lower labor costs, West Virginia has a lot to offer information technology businesses looking to establish new facilities. Yet, many high-tech support jobs can be performed almost anyway – be it overseas, or right here in the Mountain State.
To encourage investment in our communities, I announced new legislation that would provide incentives for business that chose to invest in our rural areas. With grants to encourage business investment, we can create a partnership between the business community and local colleges or workforce training centers to provide opportunities for West Virginia residents.
I intend to introduce this legislation when Congress reconvenes next week and I call on my colleagues to support this bill.
Sincerely,
Member of Congress
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Capito Visits Lewis County, Announces New Legislation
CHARLESTON, March 19, 2008 – Rep. Capito participates in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Charleston EXPO at the Charleston Convention Center.
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DUNBAR, WV, March 18, 2008 – Rep. Capito speaks with representatives of Mountaineer Packaging after touring their facility. The owners of Mountaineer Packaging were named "Entrepreneurs of the Year" by the Small Business Administration.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...
Courthouse gets funding: Capito secures $7M loan for Morgan County project
Martinsburg Journal
March 25, 2008
(Note: To read the official announcement from Rep. Capito's office, click here.)
MARTINSBURG — Funding for a new courthouse in Morgan County got a big boost Monday with an announcement by U.S. Representative Shelley Moore Capito that a loan has been approved for the project.
Capito said the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development division has approved a $7 million loan to help pay for the construction of a new courthouse after the county’s historic courthouse in Berkeley Springs was destroyed by fire in August 2006.
“We’ve been working really diligently,” Capito said, adding that the loan is, “solid, it’s there, it’s ready to go.”
Capito spokesman Jonathan Coffin said the loan, alongside other funding which is already available, should be enough to cover the nearly $13 million expected to be needed for the reconstruction effort.
“That should be enough to get this through,” Coffin said.
County officials are proposing replacing the old courthouse with a 40,000-square-foot building that would also house the sheriff’s office. County offices are currently housed out of mobile units situated near the site of the former courthouse.
The $7 million loan comes in addition to $4 million the county received from insurance coverage as a result of the fire.
Those funds would join an anticipated $9 million loan from state agencies, said Morgan County Commissioner Tommy Swaim.
Those funds will come with an initially low interest rate which is expected to balloon in five years. At that time, money from the USDA loan will be used to repay the remainder of the debt.
“We won’t get the money (from the USDA) for five years,” Swaim said.
The loan which was announced Monday will come with a more manageable interest rate in the long run. The county will have 35 years to repay those funds, at an interest rate of 4.375 percent, Coffin said.
Capito said she has been working to secure the money since visiting the site of the former courthouse shortly after it burned. With the large sum of money needed to complete the project, it has taken time to secure the necessary funds, she said.
“A courthouse is a cornerstone of any county. You want to make sure that you do it right,” she said.
If all the pieces of the puzzle come together, Swaim said the project could go out to bid by May and a new courthouse could be under construction as early as this summer.
“That’s our hope and plan, but things don’t always go that way,” Swaim said.
Monday though, things were looking up for Swaim’s timeline for the reconstruction of the town’s historic courthouse.
“I’m excited about it, and I think that’s going to help us put us together a package,” Swaim said of the USDA loan.
To read the full text of this story, click here.
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