November 19, 2025 • 38 mins
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito on the resolution of the shutdown, ACA subsidies, the Epstein Files, Toyota, and the recent visit of EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
Morgantown resident Jenn Hastings on Green Bag Road improvements- current and future.
Morgantown resident Jenn Hastings on Green Bag Road improvements- current and future.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
This is the Talk of the Town from Morgantown to Klucksburg.
If it's happening, we're talking about it. Call the show
toll free at one eight hundred seven sixty five eight
two fivey five. Now Here is your host for the
Talk of the Town, Mike Nolting.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
A good Wednesday morning. It is nine o six in
the University City. Plenty of clouds, maybe some fog where
you are, thirty eight nine degrees. A Metro News ACI
Weather says this fog, some of it's gonna hang around
till just about noon. Then we should see plenty of
clouds and a high temperature of forty nine degrees today.
(00:49):
Welcome to Talk of the Town. I'm Mike Nolting and
you'll find me out on x as your news guy. Now,
let's see Ethan Collins is our producer today, also known
as the Voice of the Clay Battel CBS. You'll be
able to get Ethan at eight hundred seven six five
eight two five five. And let's see we've got a
(01:11):
text line that number three oh four Talk three oh four.
Certainly hope to hear from you throughout the course of
the program today. We'll kick things off with a visit
from US Senator Shelley Moore Capito. We're going to be
talking about the announcement at Toyoda earlier this week. We're
also going to be talking about the reopening of the
(01:32):
federal government. Will be let's see Affordable Care Act subsidies. Yes,
that will be a topic of discussion as well. And
then we'll also recap the visit of EPA Administrator Lee Zelden.
Coming up at the bottom of the hour, I've got
(01:52):
I've got Jen Hastings coming on the program now. Jen
is part of the Hastings family with the farm on
Green Bag Road, and we're going to talk about that.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Meeting last night.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
And we're also going to blend in a little bit
of the Phase one public input conversations and find out
how that process went, and maybe we'll have something to
overlay on top of this to see what we might
gain from these public sessions. That's a roadmap for the program.
Let's take a look at a couple of headlines. Aw
(02:24):
doh official state they've tried three times to patch an
eight mile stretch of I seventy nine in Harrison County
and it's still rough. And I think everybody that's driven it.
Probably everybody that can hear my voice can vouch for that.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Well.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
They have announced that for nineteen million dollars, Mountaineer contractors
will repave that section from and Moore to Saltwell. That
area was widened to three lanes just about twenty years ago.
A man who set his house on fire with his
family insides going to prison for twenty years. Motsville resident
(02:58):
Brian Hardy Tuesday and Barbara County Circuit Court. He was
indicted last year on eight counts of attempted murder, but
he then pled those charges down to first degree arson.
He received the maximum sentence in that crime. And you
can add Upscher County to the list of ailing school
(03:20):
districts that are shutting down buildings. Hearing last night on
plans to close Rock Cave Elementary. They would send those
students then to French Creek Elementary. The county board will
vote on that plan coming up on Thursday night. Let's
see a couple of other things in mont County. Delegate
(03:42):
Gino Shiarelli. We had him on here on Tuesday talking
about their economic mission trip to Lisbon, Portugal for a
i week, had an opportunity to really dig into that
conference yesterday afternoon, and I got to tell you there
(04:02):
are industrial AI. They have seminars on how humans can
train AI, maybe the use of bots as a part
of your website for your company. What's happening right now
is taking the internet. You know, we used to think
that the Internet was something pretty cool and kind of
(04:23):
out of this world. Well it's getting ready to change drastically,
that's for sure. Hey, it's nine to eleven, got some fog,
plenty of clouds in the University City, thirty nine degrees.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
When we come back, will spend a few minutes with US.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Senator Shelley Moore Capitol on the Voice of Morgantown one
oh four point five FM and AM fourteen forty WAJR.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Join the conversation at one eight hundred and seven sixty
five eight two fivey five. This is the talk of
the town.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
A good Wednesday morning.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
It is nine fifteen, some fog, plenty of clouds, thirty
nine degrees.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Welcome to the program.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
On the phone, we've got us Senator show me more capital.
Good morning, Senator, how are you today?
Speaker 4 (05:31):
Good morning, Mike. I'm doing great.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Thank you, absolutely, it's a pleasure to have you on, Senator. Now,
let's see the government has reopened. I think that everybody
is certainly pleased about that. What's the feeling there on
Capitol Hill?
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Well, I think the feeling is that, you know, nobody
wins here. The American people are the biggest losers and
entering a long shutdown. And the fact of the matter is,
when we reopened the government, we really were where we
should have been on October the first, where the government
was open and we were negotiating.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
So there was it was.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
Very frustrating, it was very hurtful to a lot of people.
And so now we're relieved that it's back on track,
that people are getting paid, that services are being restored,
and hopefully it's it's been a miserble. It's been such
a miserable experience. I can speak for myself and tell
you if it has that it won't be repeated, and
(06:25):
that's the great hope.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
You know.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Affordable Care Act subsidies kind of play into this in
a big way. And as I understand, please correct me
if I'm wrong, but these subsidies were enacted back during
the pandemic to help people pay for their health insurance
that weren't working. At the time, because basically the whole
country was shut down.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Do I have that part right?
Speaker 1 (06:49):
You do?
Speaker 4 (06:50):
I mean there are two basic subsidies that are going
with the Obamacare. The ones are the original ones, which
if you're four hundred percent of poverty, which is somewhere
around six thousand dollars or so in West Virginia, that
you're getting a lot of subsidy. Those subsidies remain no
matter what. What's been the topic of conversation is exactly
(07:10):
what you said. During the COVID era, more sub premium
support subsidies were added, but they also took the income
guidelines off. So people that are making hundreds of thousands
of dollars we're getting some subsidization. And this is where
I think we need reforms. This was put into place
(07:31):
not meant to be permanent. It was put into place
to be temporary. But you know, we got a real
problem in this country with the high cost of insurance,
and I think now gives us an opportunity to tackle
that part of it and then relook at these subsidies.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
You bring up a great point because just the other
night I was at a PEI A meeting and spoke
with Senator j. Taylor from Taylor County, and he said
that the problems that we're having here are just an
example of what's having happening nationwide.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
But what can you do?
Speaker 4 (08:06):
Oh, well, you know what. I think we have ideas
that we think will significantly bring down the premiums. You know.
The bottom line is a Bomacare, which was put into
place in twenty ten and around that time has basically,
remember the President Obama at the time said this is
going to hold your premiums down by twenty percent. You
can have your healthcare, you can keep it. It's really
(08:29):
fallen well short of all those promises, and a lot
of it's been on the health inflation side, and that's
why insurance has gone up so much. And so I
think we have ideas of health savings accounts, of being
able to bundle small businesses, being able to create high
risk pools so you can pull out the people that
(08:49):
are really the high risk and then maybe get more
of the younger, healthier people into the system that will
then help to afford folks who are in the higher
risk pools. I mean, there's all kinds of ideas that
have worked, that have thought to be worked in the
past in smaller ways that I think we can move
forward on. And that's the kind of program that we're
(09:10):
going to try to put together and vote on as
we come back after Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
And as I hear you break this down, what I
pick up is that there's one very large group of.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
People that is satisfied with the status quo.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Either that or they want to continue to defend a
plan that won't work.
Speaker 4 (09:28):
Well, that's true, and what these what these folks are,
mostly the ones that are on the exchanges are those
that are small business owners. They can't afford on the
individual market. It's just way too expensive. So we need
to look at health inflation and health costs, but we
also need to keep that opportunity for them to be
able to get health insurance. You know, you think about
(09:48):
somebody who owns their own family business, or somebody who's
maybe a beautician or it's you know, an independent there's
a lot of people that fall into that category that
are working and working hard and they just can't afford
to purchase insurance at the high rates that they are.
The other thing on this premiums and I think people
need to know this if they're not focused on it,
(10:09):
already is the money for this premium support does not
go to the individual that purchases the insurance. It goes
to the insurance companies. So it's like thirty eight billion
dollars to the insurance companies. And you know, I'd rather
see individuals make their own choices on their healthcare. Maybe
(10:30):
send the money to the individuals to make the choices
of what and how they want to buy.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Think US Senator Shelley Moore capitals with US.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
And now hot off the presses from the federal government
is the release of the Epstein files. I guess yeah,
your initial reaction to that. And I can't believe we're
talking about it on the air.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
Frankly, I know, I mean, honestly, it passed through the
Senate unanimously last night, very quickly. It's on the President's decks.
He's already said that he will sign it. Release it all.
This is my opinion. Release it all, Let the chips fall,
you know, protect the victims, Protect any kind of vulnerable
people within that might be a what do I want
(11:10):
to say, collateral damage? Maybe that didn't have any involvement here,
but their name may be mentioned one way or another,
either as a victim or something else. Let's make sure
we protect those people, and let's just bring it all out.
It's way too much of a distraction. It's taken us
away from really dealing with important issues. And so I'm
glad it's go into the President's desk so we can
be as transparent as possible.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
I agree with you, And I'll tell you just a
couple of things that really make it very very hard
for me to take this seriously are Number one, these
files were held by the Democrats for four years and
they did absolutely nothing with it at the time that
they were willing to go after Trump for just about
anything that he had done or had ever done before.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
And then the second.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Thing is is that you've got Epstein texting one of
the Democrat one of the the Stacey Plasket during her testimony.
The whole thing is just hard to take serious.
Speaker 4 (12:10):
Well, I mean, that has been a subject over on
the House side, and I think they tried to pull
her off of the Intelligence Committee because of that activity.
I don't think it actually occurred, but that is sort
of mind boggling to think he'd already been in trouble
at least once and maybe twice. For you, know his uh,
(12:31):
trafficking of younger women victims. Why in the world was
she would she even have his number? But uh, and
why she texted him during a hearing. But I think
this is just a tip of the iceberg in terms
of we're going to find out some other folks that
have been involved that have maybe been protected, Like Larry
Summers is a good example here. His name has come
(12:51):
forward and and so you know, you're I do believe
like you do that if something really damaging to the
president was in and around those files, it would have
already been made public during the Biden administration. And so
I don't know why the hesitancy has been to just
let it, let it all roll. These are people that
(13:12):
have been trafficking or around people that are trafficking young
girls for their own advantages, you know, economic and sexual
and other things. Let's find out, let's get to the
bottom of it, and then we can quit talking about
it and hopefully protect you the next generations from from
somebody that's so heinous.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
As he was.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
I kind of liked the idea of quit talking about
it us. Yeah, selling work capitals with us.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Hey. Toyota is growing in the state of West Virginia.
That's some good news.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
Really good news. Remember, the President was had a press
conference when he was in Asia saying that Toyota is
going to make a massive investment in the United States,
and this is one of those of four hundred and
twenty three million dollar investment in the Toyota plant in Buffalo,
and I was just there last week and it is
(14:03):
a magnificent facility with over two thousand people. It's a
lot in the hybrid and the cars of the future
type of engines and transmissions. And the fact that they're
going to put this money into that factory there, or
manufacturing facility tells me they're there to stay and they're
there to grow. So this is going to grow jobs
by eighty and Toyota is just an incredible company in
(14:29):
terms of their discipline. And one of the things that's
really interesting when you go to a Toyota manufacturing facility
is they take everybody's suggestions. It's not a top down organization.
They do these things called kaisans where they have meetings
with people that are on the line that maybe might
have ways to improve improve the line or improve the
(14:50):
methods by which they manufacture. And it's just a it's
a great investment in West Virginia and I'm glad to
see it grow.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
You know.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
One of the leaders that they interviewed on talk line
was one of those people. He started as an hourly
worker and he's worked his way up and now he's
running the facility. And that was his message was that,
you know, this is an inclusive workplace, right, yes, right.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
I think the jobs are very well paid. They do
a lot with the community. They also do a lot
with three i think county boards of education where they're
trying to bring in students out of the career in
technical schools to give them sort of a blend of
being paid to work, a little bit to learn, and
then also their schooling. They've been very innovative and we
(15:38):
want to make sure that they continue to grow and
build the cars, not just that we have now, but
the ones in the future.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
US Senator Shelley Moore Capitals with US. Sinda, you were
host to EPA Administrator Lee Zelden last week and it
looked like you had a great visit.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
Give us the highlights we did well.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
One of the places we did go was to Toyota
so that he you know, because under his under the
EPA's responsibilities are clean Air Acts, so that's emission standards
for cars and other things. And remember what California was
going to have this environmental or electric vehicle mandate that
one hundred percent of the electric vehicles were going to
(16:16):
be for purchase in California by twenty thirty five. Very unreasonable. Well,
I was one of the main people that took that
provision down and with Lee Zelden's help, but we also
we went out to John Amos coal powered fire power
plant so that he could see that and some of
the residuals like coal ash and other things that are
(16:39):
the side the extra what I want to say that
that comes out after you burn the coal for the
for the power plant. Yeah, yeah, fly ash and other things.
We also went to New Core, the New Core Steel
facility in Mason County, which is an enormous investment in
(17:00):
West Virginia billions of dollars, but also it's the greenest,
most sophisticated new steel manufacturer in the country. And we
had an energy and manufacturing roundtable. We kept him really
busy and he got to see a lot of really
good things happening in West Virginia and how we are
part of the energy economy and we're powering the country
(17:20):
and our own state.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
Now, some of these policies, what do we expect to
see in the next two to three years the impact
of some of the changes, Well, what.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
He said, Administrator Zelden said in the first one hundred days,
he put out a scenario of one hundred different deregulations
and modifications that he had made. When you layer on
all these federal regulations, and some of them which are
not needed, they're just a political, politically motivated, you end
(17:55):
up costing more money, canceling projects and making them last
way too long. And so what he wants to do
is he wants to help the president build and build
in America. He wants to keep the air and water
safe and health because that's his primary responsibility as administrator.
But also all of these regulations are just it's bureaucratic
(18:18):
red tape and it's worse. So that's what they're doing,
they're deregulating, and we're very supportive of that. And so
he got to see some of the fruits of his
labor while he was in West Virginia.
Speaker 3 (18:28):
That's perfect us.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Senator, really do appreciate your time today.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?
Speaker 4 (18:37):
Well, you know, it's interesting. We're a week away from
Thanksgiving and I don't know that I'll be on before then,
so I hope everybody enjoys the family time, be safe
driving and meeting with relatives and friends. You know, I
don't think we I don't think we spend enough time
in this country being grateful for what we have. And
(18:58):
everybody has rough patches, but you know, this country is
one of a kind and we should be grateful to
be living not just in the United States, but in
West Virginia as well.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
Us Senator Shelley Moore Capito, ma'am, thank you very much
for your time, and I hope you have a great Thanksgiving,
a merry Christmas, and a happy New Year.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
By thank you, Thank you, Mike.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Yes, ma'am, you take care us. Senator Shelley Moore Capito.
Coming up next, green Bag Road here in the city
of Morgantown will be the topic. Now we're going to
be talking about Phase two primarily.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
Now.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Phase two is the area from old classics Deckers Creek
Boulevard up to Lucky Lane where the Mountain View Elementary
School is that hosted the DOH meeting last night.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
Then go up to the bottom of the hill.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
I guess right there at Mississippi Street and take that
out to don Knots Boulevard.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
That is Phase two.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
That'll be the topic of our discussion coming up next
with Jen Hastings on Talk of the Town. It's time
now to find doubt what's happening across the great state
of West Virginia.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
To do that, we'll head to the Metro News anchor desk.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
Now back to the Talk of the Town.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Good Wednesday morning.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
It is nine to thirty four and West Virginia five
to one one is reporting an accident at seven oh
five and Suncrests Town Center Drive. What that's done. It's
kind of jammed up the intersections there at mon General
Drive and also Stewartstown Road. So if you're in that area,
(20:43):
be advised. On the phone, we've got Jen Hastings with us,
and good morning, Jen.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
How are you today?
Speaker 5 (20:50):
Thank good morning.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
I'm doing fine, Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Well, let's see ninety five people attended the public meeting
last night DOH at the Mountain View Elementary school. You
were one of those ninety five, weren't you. I was, okay,
now tell us what your message to the DOH is
about this particular phase of work.
Speaker 5 (21:16):
Sure. So the Phase two meeting last night, I had
a good turnout. I just wanted to start off with that.
But a lot of people, including myself, came because we
still have questions about Phase one, right, Like, for example,
we had a family come down and they asked about
the Aaron's Creek detour. You know, engineers told them that
it's not a detour anymore, and it's like, okay, where
(21:36):
are these updates coming from? Like how is this information
getting flowed down to the people who lived there. So
I particularly came with Phase one questions, as did many people.
I can't speak for everybody, but it was pretty disheartening
because we just didn't get a lot of answers about
Phase one. I mean, I had adh manager like approaching
while I was standing there. I think his name with
(21:58):
John DiAngelo was He just walked up to me out
of the blue, kind of hiding his main edge, and
the first thing out of his mouth to me was
I'm the guy that's taking your land. And I was
shocked and he was talking about Phase two because it's
also included, but I was just thinking, Wow, I couldn't
believe that that had happened. So it's really not the
only example of kind of how the conversations went. Like
(22:21):
I had a lot of women come up to me
last night saying, hey, JA, and I talked to so so,
and I'm not going to name drop everybody out here,
but they were like, we had questions, and they were
so rude to me just now when I was asking questions.
So I'm just wondering if the people are trying to
ask questions about these phases but they're not getting answers,
Like how is this information coming out? So the tables
(22:43):
were laid out and they had some maps and talked
about all the alternatives and stuff, which was great to see.
But public comments are open for Phase two on the
GOT website. So I just want a lot of people
to know that they can leave their public comments. And
I know a lot of people say, what's the point,
don't listen to this anyways? And while it's proven to
be true in our district with the Phase one, the
(23:05):
new Secretary of Transportation last month actually directed the DOH
to cancel roundabouts in TuS Valley through the public outcry
and environmental impact. And so if any project in District
four has had public outcry and environmental impact, it's definitely
the green Bag Road projects that we're talking about today.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Well, Jen, I've got a text message here to the
program I'd like to share with you, and it says
that the green Bag Road project was divided up into
two phases in order to evade environmental law and the
permitting process. That's what the Texter says. What can you
tell us about that assertion?
Speaker 5 (23:44):
Sure? So, I'm not too savvy with their environmental law
and how they carry things out. I did attend a
meeting with the DOH and some of the members of
the Transportation Committee back in twenty twenty. We brought up
a lot of issues regarding environmental impact, public outcry, etc.
And we thought that it was interesting that they Phase
one they started in the middle with the roundabout originating
(24:06):
on the Kingwick Hike in the Greenback Road, the second
one being in Mississippi Street and not being Phase one,
will phase two being the other ends, Right, you're talking
about the s turneten at the get go and then
the other end by Classics, and so members of the
Transportation Committee in that meeting told the DOH, I think
that you guys should halt Phase one being in the
(24:26):
middle and start with the ends. So that's the input
that I have on that was witnessing that conversation.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
Okay, Jen Hastings is with us. We're talking about proposed
improvements to Green Bag Road. And now, as I understand
it from the DOH and speaking with Brent Walker, that
the design for Phase two from Classics up the Lucky
Lane then out to the Get Go there down the
s Curve, that the design for that particular portion has
(24:56):
not yet been firmly established.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
Is that a fact?
Speaker 5 (25:02):
So yeah, I would say that's the fact from my
opinion what I've seen, because at the meeting last night,
they give you alternatives, right, So we've been through this
process with Phase one where they say here's one, two,
three and four, here's what we have mapped out. You
can give your public opinion. I actually saw a quote
in the AJR last night talking about, well, if you
(25:23):
don't agree with us, you know, you guys can have
your public opinion and we'll just explain to you want
you did it this way, which I saw so you
can say what you want about how we make a
decision like people, how we vote on alternatives, and leave
your public comments. So to answer your question, yes, they're
open to alternatives. Know, they haven't made a set plan.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
So did they have maybe conceptual drawings of what a
traditional intersection would look like or did they have anything
like that, because I think in some of the roundabout
debate there's been a lot brought up about the increasing
safety by eliminating the left hand turn, but then the
(26:06):
sacrifices increased right of way area needed.
Speaker 5 (26:11):
Yeah, so you have level of service that they do.
They do tests there. We actually had an independent study
done by a traffic engineer who kind of said the
way that they did the level of service, in his opinion,
wasn't corrective. It's a little bit of an apple to
orange is thing we would love to see in you
study done personally, I can't speak on how they do
(26:31):
their own studies for that, but that was much the
professional interpretation that I got from a third party. If
I answered your question.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Okay, yes, Jen Hastings is with us. We're talking about
green bag road. What is the status of Phase one?
And just remind the listeners Phase one runs from I
guess just past the intersection of green Bag Road and
Kingwood Pike down to just beyond the intersection of I
(27:02):
guess that would technically be green Bag and m Tech Drives.
Speaker 5 (27:06):
I mean correct, Yeah, that's run about that as planning
for Phase one, So I mean that's the hardest part.
That's why I kind of opened with that example of
people asking questions about Phase one, like, even my family
being if not the most involved people in this project,
I can't give you an update. I don't have an update.
I don't know what goes on. And then that's why
I lead with that example of the people coming down
(27:28):
from Ann's Creek Roads we live there, saying, hey, what's
going on with a detour, and the engineers saying, we're
not doing that anymore. Aeron's Creek Road is in a detour.
We don't have updates, we don't have answers. If there's
a way that they flow this updates down that we're
not aware of, please let us know, because that's why
the people are showing up, that's why we're asking questions,
and that's why I came to this meeting because it's
(27:48):
very rare to get the dah face to phase and
you know, it was upsetting. That's why I talked about
how BA treated us and all that, which is a
side topic. But it's unfortunate to say I have no
update in at of a lot of people that are
involved in this project. To be so intimately involved in
have no update is pretty sad at telling you, And I
wish I could give people more information because they do
(28:09):
come to me every day and ask me about what's
going on because they want to know, not just for
my sake but for theirs. So I would love the
DAS to kind of explain how they're flowing down these updates,
what is the status? What is going on? Like, why
don't we know this?
Speaker 3 (28:22):
You know?
Speaker 2 (28:22):
Am I wrong to maybe be a little disappointed in
that you don't have a point of contact? And I'm
not saying that the DA chance to have a dedicated
person to talk to the Hastings family, but just anybody.
Speaker 5 (28:37):
I could go on and on. How about health status
is absolutely I mean, this has been going on for
over five years. You can imagine being a landowner of
somebody who's involved that's trying to get answered. I'm talking
multiple emails. I'm not going to air everybody out on
every person that you know hasn't answered us. But it's
been crazy. And I worked really really hard to get
(28:58):
a meeting with the dooation twenty twenty and got members
of the Transportation to the committee to come and say, hey,
here's a third party, and they were like, this is
going on in district for like, Wow, you've had a
ton of public outcry, the environmental impact is cloth significant,
and then you have the two ends of the road
being phased two and then suggesting that it should be
phase one. So I had to go in and get
(29:19):
third parties from members of a different committee just to
get anybody involved to sit down with us. So yeah,
it's been really hard to not have even a representative
or people answer to the phone. And it's not just
the Hastings family that goes through that. You can talk
to anybody who has tried to call the goah and
had a hard time getting ahold of them. So it
is really sad. And I've lived in other states and
(29:40):
been involved in other stuff that goes on in other communities.
I'd been working on my whole life, although I'm from here,
and I've just never seen anything like it, and It
is really sad, and I really wish we had a
culture shift because the people were really upset and it's
disheartening and we don't know what's going on and it's shocking.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
Well, it sounds like there might be maybe a window
to get something done with a rumball being open to
stop round about roundabouts in Tay's Valley. But not to digress,
we want to pick your brain about making a public comment.
Can you do it online? Does it have to be
in writing, so on and so forth? Can you call
(30:21):
a comment in How does that part work?
Speaker 5 (30:25):
Sure? Absolutely so. For this project, you are able to
make a public comment online by going to the West
Virginia Department of Transportation website. And that website it has
a list of all of our projects and you're going
to click on the Green Guy's road winding project and
you're able to make a public comment until the seventeenth
(30:46):
of December. So that's where I encourage everybody to put
their input. They are public comments, they are public records.
You can also email the GAH, but I say the
most streamline transparent way is to leave the comment. I
urge everybody to be tenants. Our comments were definitely considered
I won't say that they took everything to heart. That
it gave us a lot of leverage in regards to
(31:08):
phase one. And I think that the people should be
honest in their projects. So yeah, go to the West
Virginia Department Transtration website, slip on the link beater comment
and you can leave them until December seventeenth.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
Okay, Jen, really do appreciate your time. Thank you very much.
Speaker 5 (31:23):
Hey, thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
You take care and have a good day, Jen Hastings.
Just to recap, now, that project is about three and
a half miles of what is now primarily two lane road.
Now there's a plan to add a combination of left
turn lanes and roundabouts, and all three of those options
were included. Also, let's see the traffic signal at the
(31:49):
intersection of one nineteen on the western end of Green
Bag Road there at Don Knott Boulevard, with an expansion
of the road for two twelve foot lanes with two
four foot paved shoulders. One alternate included in the reconstruction
would include an off road independent multi use path. The
(32:11):
aim for all three proposals presented is to account for
an average of nearly eleven thousand, five hundred vehicles per
day and also allowing for easy pedestrian access towards the
Mountaineer Mall and a Giant Eagle grocery store. And then
I guess it would also connect down into the Deckers
(32:32):
Creek rail trail. So that is the scope of phase two.
We'll be back coming up after this. Right now, some
fog clouds. It is thirty nine degrees in the University city.
Is the Talk of the town on AM fourteen forty
FM one oh four point five WAJR.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
We are talking about your town. Now back to the
Talk of the town.
Speaker 3 (33:12):
Well, good Wednesday morning.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
In the mon County Commission, they'll be gabbling in for
their regular meeting at the top of the hour and
would direct you to their website. It is a brand
new website, by the way, Montaguelia County dot gov. And
then of course you'll hit the County Commission tab. But
their meeting it will gable in at ten o'clock this morning.
(33:34):
Doesn't look like there's anything too earth shattering on their agenda. Now,
something that is worth your time to consider, and that
is there is a reverse advent calendar that pantry plus
more is going to be doing and we're going to
welcome Amanda Bulliard to the program tomorrow, and I think
(33:55):
Liz Vatulo is also going to join her, and we're
going to provide details on the reverse Advent calendar and
how it works and how you can maybe have an
exercise within your family in order to help those less
fortunate in our community. We talked with Chris Dodd with
(34:16):
the Forgotten Flag Foundation. Wanted to bring that up again
and encourage folks to go out to that website Forgottenflag
Foundation dot org. Chris and his brother Mark, who lives
in the Morgantown area, they're working to expand this initiative
out to individual schools. It sounds like a really great thing,
(34:40):
and I wish I would have mentioned it, but I'm
certain that they would be involved with Scouting America. They
promote unity and patriotism through the proper display of the
American flag. And yes, you don't have to worry about
getting into a political discussion because it doesn't have anything
to do with politics whatsoever. It's just about the red, white,
(35:04):
and blue, stars and stripes and the United States of
America and all of us getting along and doing what
we need to do to have a great country. Once again,
that website is Forgotten Flag Foundation dot org. They've got
some nice swag on there by the way, in case
you're looking for a Christmas gift for someone special to you,
(35:28):
so check that out Forgotten Flag Foundation dot org. Thirty
nine degrees clouds and some fog will be back to
wrap things up. Coming up after this on Talk of
the Town FM one four point five W A j R.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
Join the conversation at one eight hundred and seven to
sixty five eight two five five. This is the Talk
of the Town.
Speaker 3 (36:06):
A good Wednesday morning.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
Green Bag Road certainly a sore spot for many. The
texter says that the ton of public outcry, or just
the vocal minority, the same people that outcry about traffic congestion,
it astounds me that anyone would want to serve in
any public capacity. Go on to say that the guest
(36:28):
is talking incessantly about how the DOH is evil, yet
offers no alternatives. During the segment, we certainly do appreciate
that participation.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
And you know, I would just say that if.
Speaker 2 (36:42):
You think that the design part is going to be
kind of a ruffle some feathers, you wait until they
start digging up that road and Route seven is backed
up and you can't get on green Bag Road. Or
you know what, if you've got kids at Mountain View
lmmnentary school and you can't get to them, that's something
(37:04):
to think about. I think that is going to be
what people are going to be talking about, because you know,
just the other day they were doing some paving on
Dorsey Avenue and it created a backup on green Bag
Road that went from the Kingwood Pike all the way
back to the Child Advocacy Center. And that's bad. That's
(37:25):
real bad. It's been a great day. Hope everybody makes
it a great Wednesday. Right now, cloud's thirty nine degrees
and maybe some fog where you are. Be kind, be well,
do something great for your neighbor, but don't wait for tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
Do it today.
Speaker 2 (37:41):
Metro News talk Line is coming up next on the
Voice of Morgantown one h four point five FM and
AM fourteen forty WAJR.
Speaker 5 (38:00):
You out, although you would be arst in the media
stiction
This is the Talk of the Town from Morgantown to Klucksburg.
If it's happening, we're talking about it. Call the show
toll free at one eight hundred seven sixty five eight
two fivey five. Now Here is your host for the
Talk of the Town, Mike Nolting.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
A good Wednesday morning. It is nine o six in
the University City. Plenty of clouds, maybe some fog where
you are, thirty eight nine degrees. A Metro News ACI
Weather says this fog, some of it's gonna hang around
till just about noon. Then we should see plenty of
clouds and a high temperature of forty nine degrees today.
(00:49):
Welcome to Talk of the Town. I'm Mike Nolting and
you'll find me out on x as your news guy. Now,
let's see Ethan Collins is our producer today, also known
as the Voice of the Clay Battel CBS. You'll be
able to get Ethan at eight hundred seven six five
eight two five five. And let's see we've got a
(01:11):
text line that number three oh four Talk three oh four.
Certainly hope to hear from you throughout the course of
the program today. We'll kick things off with a visit
from US Senator Shelley Moore Capito. We're going to be
talking about the announcement at Toyoda earlier this week. We're
also going to be talking about the reopening of the
(01:32):
federal government. Will be let's see Affordable Care Act subsidies. Yes,
that will be a topic of discussion as well. And
then we'll also recap the visit of EPA Administrator Lee Zelden.
Coming up at the bottom of the hour, I've got
(01:52):
I've got Jen Hastings coming on the program now. Jen
is part of the Hastings family with the farm on
Green Bag Road, and we're going to talk about that.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Meeting last night.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
And we're also going to blend in a little bit
of the Phase one public input conversations and find out
how that process went, and maybe we'll have something to
overlay on top of this to see what we might
gain from these public sessions. That's a roadmap for the program.
Let's take a look at a couple of headlines. Aw
(02:24):
doh official state they've tried three times to patch an
eight mile stretch of I seventy nine in Harrison County
and it's still rough. And I think everybody that's driven it.
Probably everybody that can hear my voice can vouch for that.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Well.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
They have announced that for nineteen million dollars, Mountaineer contractors
will repave that section from and Moore to Saltwell. That
area was widened to three lanes just about twenty years ago.
A man who set his house on fire with his
family insides going to prison for twenty years. Motsville resident
(02:58):
Brian Hardy Tuesday and Barbara County Circuit Court. He was
indicted last year on eight counts of attempted murder, but
he then pled those charges down to first degree arson.
He received the maximum sentence in that crime. And you
can add Upscher County to the list of ailing school
(03:20):
districts that are shutting down buildings. Hearing last night on
plans to close Rock Cave Elementary. They would send those
students then to French Creek Elementary. The county board will
vote on that plan coming up on Thursday night. Let's
see a couple of other things in mont County. Delegate
(03:42):
Gino Shiarelli. We had him on here on Tuesday talking
about their economic mission trip to Lisbon, Portugal for a
i week, had an opportunity to really dig into that
conference yesterday afternoon, and I got to tell you there
(04:02):
are industrial AI. They have seminars on how humans can
train AI, maybe the use of bots as a part
of your website for your company. What's happening right now
is taking the internet. You know, we used to think
that the Internet was something pretty cool and kind of
(04:23):
out of this world. Well it's getting ready to change drastically,
that's for sure. Hey, it's nine to eleven, got some fog,
plenty of clouds in the University City, thirty nine degrees.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
When we come back, will spend a few minutes with US.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Senator Shelley Moore Capitol on the Voice of Morgantown one
oh four point five FM and AM fourteen forty WAJR.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Join the conversation at one eight hundred and seven sixty
five eight two fivey five. This is the talk of
the town.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
A good Wednesday morning.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
It is nine fifteen, some fog, plenty of clouds, thirty
nine degrees.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Welcome to the program.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
On the phone, we've got us Senator show me more capital.
Good morning, Senator, how are you today?
Speaker 4 (05:31):
Good morning, Mike. I'm doing great.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Thank you, absolutely, it's a pleasure to have you on, Senator. Now,
let's see the government has reopened. I think that everybody
is certainly pleased about that. What's the feeling there on
Capitol Hill?
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Well, I think the feeling is that, you know, nobody
wins here. The American people are the biggest losers and
entering a long shutdown. And the fact of the matter is,
when we reopened the government, we really were where we
should have been on October the first, where the government
was open and we were negotiating.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
So there was it was.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
Very frustrating, it was very hurtful to a lot of people.
And so now we're relieved that it's back on track,
that people are getting paid, that services are being restored,
and hopefully it's it's been a miserble. It's been such
a miserable experience. I can speak for myself and tell
you if it has that it won't be repeated, and
(06:25):
that's the great hope.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
You know.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Affordable Care Act subsidies kind of play into this in
a big way. And as I understand, please correct me
if I'm wrong, but these subsidies were enacted back during
the pandemic to help people pay for their health insurance
that weren't working. At the time, because basically the whole
country was shut down.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Do I have that part right?
Speaker 1 (06:49):
You do?
Speaker 4 (06:50):
I mean there are two basic subsidies that are going
with the Obamacare. The ones are the original ones, which
if you're four hundred percent of poverty, which is somewhere
around six thousand dollars or so in West Virginia, that
you're getting a lot of subsidy. Those subsidies remain no
matter what. What's been the topic of conversation is exactly
(07:10):
what you said. During the COVID era, more sub premium
support subsidies were added, but they also took the income
guidelines off. So people that are making hundreds of thousands
of dollars we're getting some subsidization. And this is where
I think we need reforms. This was put into place
(07:31):
not meant to be permanent. It was put into place
to be temporary. But you know, we got a real
problem in this country with the high cost of insurance,
and I think now gives us an opportunity to tackle
that part of it and then relook at these subsidies.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
You bring up a great point because just the other
night I was at a PEI A meeting and spoke
with Senator j. Taylor from Taylor County, and he said
that the problems that we're having here are just an
example of what's having happening nationwide.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
But what can you do?
Speaker 4 (08:06):
Oh, well, you know what. I think we have ideas
that we think will significantly bring down the premiums. You know.
The bottom line is a Bomacare, which was put into
place in twenty ten and around that time has basically,
remember the President Obama at the time said this is
going to hold your premiums down by twenty percent. You
can have your healthcare, you can keep it. It's really
(08:29):
fallen well short of all those promises, and a lot
of it's been on the health inflation side, and that's
why insurance has gone up so much. And so I
think we have ideas of health savings accounts, of being
able to bundle small businesses, being able to create high
risk pools so you can pull out the people that
(08:49):
are really the high risk and then maybe get more
of the younger, healthier people into the system that will
then help to afford folks who are in the higher
risk pools. I mean, there's all kinds of ideas that
have worked, that have thought to be worked in the
past in smaller ways that I think we can move
forward on. And that's the kind of program that we're
(09:10):
going to try to put together and vote on as
we come back after Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
And as I hear you break this down, what I
pick up is that there's one very large group of.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
People that is satisfied with the status quo.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Either that or they want to continue to defend a
plan that won't work.
Speaker 4 (09:28):
Well, that's true, and what these what these folks are,
mostly the ones that are on the exchanges are those
that are small business owners. They can't afford on the
individual market. It's just way too expensive. So we need
to look at health inflation and health costs, but we
also need to keep that opportunity for them to be
able to get health insurance. You know, you think about
(09:48):
somebody who owns their own family business, or somebody who's
maybe a beautician or it's you know, an independent there's
a lot of people that fall into that category that
are working and working hard and they just can't afford
to purchase insurance at the high rates that they are.
The other thing on this premiums and I think people
need to know this if they're not focused on it,
(10:09):
already is the money for this premium support does not
go to the individual that purchases the insurance. It goes
to the insurance companies. So it's like thirty eight billion
dollars to the insurance companies. And you know, I'd rather
see individuals make their own choices on their healthcare. Maybe
(10:30):
send the money to the individuals to make the choices
of what and how they want to buy.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Think US Senator Shelley Moore capitals with US.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
And now hot off the presses from the federal government
is the release of the Epstein files. I guess yeah,
your initial reaction to that. And I can't believe we're
talking about it on the air.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
Frankly, I know, I mean, honestly, it passed through the
Senate unanimously last night, very quickly. It's on the President's decks.
He's already said that he will sign it. Release it all.
This is my opinion. Release it all, Let the chips fall,
you know, protect the victims, Protect any kind of vulnerable
people within that might be a what do I want
(11:10):
to say, collateral damage? Maybe that didn't have any involvement here,
but their name may be mentioned one way or another,
either as a victim or something else. Let's make sure
we protect those people, and let's just bring it all out.
It's way too much of a distraction. It's taken us
away from really dealing with important issues. And so I'm
glad it's go into the President's desk so we can
be as transparent as possible.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
I agree with you, And I'll tell you just a
couple of things that really make it very very hard
for me to take this seriously are Number one, these
files were held by the Democrats for four years and
they did absolutely nothing with it at the time that
they were willing to go after Trump for just about
anything that he had done or had ever done before.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
And then the second.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Thing is is that you've got Epstein texting one of
the Democrat one of the the Stacey Plasket during her testimony.
The whole thing is just hard to take serious.
Speaker 4 (12:10):
Well, I mean, that has been a subject over on
the House side, and I think they tried to pull
her off of the Intelligence Committee because of that activity.
I don't think it actually occurred, but that is sort
of mind boggling to think he'd already been in trouble
at least once and maybe twice. For you, know his uh,
(12:31):
trafficking of younger women victims. Why in the world was
she would she even have his number? But uh, and
why she texted him during a hearing. But I think
this is just a tip of the iceberg in terms
of we're going to find out some other folks that
have been involved that have maybe been protected, Like Larry
Summers is a good example here. His name has come
(12:51):
forward and and so you know, you're I do believe
like you do that if something really damaging to the
president was in and around those files, it would have
already been made public during the Biden administration. And so
I don't know why the hesitancy has been to just
let it, let it all roll. These are people that
(13:12):
have been trafficking or around people that are trafficking young
girls for their own advantages, you know, economic and sexual
and other things. Let's find out, let's get to the
bottom of it, and then we can quit talking about
it and hopefully protect you the next generations from from
somebody that's so heinous.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
As he was.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
I kind of liked the idea of quit talking about
it us. Yeah, selling work capitals with us.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Hey. Toyota is growing in the state of West Virginia.
That's some good news.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
Really good news. Remember, the President was had a press
conference when he was in Asia saying that Toyota is
going to make a massive investment in the United States,
and this is one of those of four hundred and
twenty three million dollar investment in the Toyota plant in Buffalo,
and I was just there last week and it is
(14:03):
a magnificent facility with over two thousand people. It's a
lot in the hybrid and the cars of the future
type of engines and transmissions. And the fact that they're
going to put this money into that factory there, or
manufacturing facility tells me they're there to stay and they're
there to grow. So this is going to grow jobs
by eighty and Toyota is just an incredible company in
(14:29):
terms of their discipline. And one of the things that's
really interesting when you go to a Toyota manufacturing facility
is they take everybody's suggestions. It's not a top down organization.
They do these things called kaisans where they have meetings
with people that are on the line that maybe might
have ways to improve improve the line or improve the
(14:50):
methods by which they manufacture. And it's just a it's
a great investment in West Virginia and I'm glad to
see it grow.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
You know.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
One of the leaders that they interviewed on talk line
was one of those people. He started as an hourly
worker and he's worked his way up and now he's
running the facility. And that was his message was that,
you know, this is an inclusive workplace, right, yes, right.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
I think the jobs are very well paid. They do
a lot with the community. They also do a lot
with three i think county boards of education where they're
trying to bring in students out of the career in
technical schools to give them sort of a blend of
being paid to work, a little bit to learn, and
then also their schooling. They've been very innovative and we
(15:38):
want to make sure that they continue to grow and
build the cars, not just that we have now, but
the ones in the future.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
US Senator Shelley Moore Capitals with US. Sinda, you were
host to EPA Administrator Lee Zelden last week and it
looked like you had a great visit.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
Give us the highlights we did well.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
One of the places we did go was to Toyota
so that he you know, because under his under the
EPA's responsibilities are clean Air Acts, so that's emission standards
for cars and other things. And remember what California was
going to have this environmental or electric vehicle mandate that
one hundred percent of the electric vehicles were going to
(16:16):
be for purchase in California by twenty thirty five. Very unreasonable. Well,
I was one of the main people that took that
provision down and with Lee Zelden's help, but we also
we went out to John Amos coal powered fire power
plant so that he could see that and some of
the residuals like coal ash and other things that are
(16:39):
the side the extra what I want to say that
that comes out after you burn the coal for the
for the power plant. Yeah, yeah, fly ash and other things.
We also went to New Core, the New Core Steel
facility in Mason County, which is an enormous investment in
(17:00):
West Virginia billions of dollars, but also it's the greenest,
most sophisticated new steel manufacturer in the country. And we
had an energy and manufacturing roundtable. We kept him really
busy and he got to see a lot of really
good things happening in West Virginia and how we are
part of the energy economy and we're powering the country
(17:20):
and our own state.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
Now, some of these policies, what do we expect to
see in the next two to three years the impact
of some of the changes, Well, what.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
He said, Administrator Zelden said in the first one hundred days,
he put out a scenario of one hundred different deregulations
and modifications that he had made. When you layer on
all these federal regulations, and some of them which are
not needed, they're just a political, politically motivated, you end
(17:55):
up costing more money, canceling projects and making them last
way too long. And so what he wants to do
is he wants to help the president build and build
in America. He wants to keep the air and water
safe and health because that's his primary responsibility as administrator.
But also all of these regulations are just it's bureaucratic
(18:18):
red tape and it's worse. So that's what they're doing,
they're deregulating, and we're very supportive of that. And so
he got to see some of the fruits of his
labor while he was in West Virginia.
Speaker 3 (18:28):
That's perfect us.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Senator, really do appreciate your time today.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?
Speaker 4 (18:37):
Well, you know, it's interesting. We're a week away from
Thanksgiving and I don't know that I'll be on before then,
so I hope everybody enjoys the family time, be safe
driving and meeting with relatives and friends. You know, I
don't think we I don't think we spend enough time
in this country being grateful for what we have. And
(18:58):
everybody has rough patches, but you know, this country is
one of a kind and we should be grateful to
be living not just in the United States, but in
West Virginia as well.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
Us Senator Shelley Moore Capito, ma'am, thank you very much
for your time, and I hope you have a great Thanksgiving,
a merry Christmas, and a happy New Year.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
By thank you, Thank you, Mike.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Yes, ma'am, you take care us. Senator Shelley Moore Capito.
Coming up next, green Bag Road here in the city
of Morgantown will be the topic. Now we're going to
be talking about Phase two primarily.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
Now.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Phase two is the area from old classics Deckers Creek
Boulevard up to Lucky Lane where the Mountain View Elementary
School is that hosted the DOH meeting last night.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
Then go up to the bottom of the hill.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
I guess right there at Mississippi Street and take that
out to don Knots Boulevard.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
That is Phase two.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
That'll be the topic of our discussion coming up next
with Jen Hastings on Talk of the Town. It's time
now to find doubt what's happening across the great state
of West Virginia.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
To do that, we'll head to the Metro News anchor desk.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
Now back to the Talk of the Town.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Good Wednesday morning.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
It is nine to thirty four and West Virginia five
to one one is reporting an accident at seven oh
five and Suncrests Town Center Drive. What that's done. It's
kind of jammed up the intersections there at mon General
Drive and also Stewartstown Road. So if you're in that area,
(20:43):
be advised. On the phone, we've got Jen Hastings with us,
and good morning, Jen.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
How are you today?
Speaker 5 (20:50):
Thank good morning.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
I'm doing fine, Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Well, let's see ninety five people attended the public meeting
last night DOH at the Mountain View Elementary school. You
were one of those ninety five, weren't you. I was, okay,
now tell us what your message to the DOH is
about this particular phase of work.
Speaker 5 (21:16):
Sure. So the Phase two meeting last night, I had
a good turnout. I just wanted to start off with that.
But a lot of people, including myself, came because we
still have questions about Phase one, right, Like, for example,
we had a family come down and they asked about
the Aaron's Creek detour. You know, engineers told them that
it's not a detour anymore, and it's like, okay, where
(21:36):
are these updates coming from? Like how is this information
getting flowed down to the people who lived there. So
I particularly came with Phase one questions, as did many people.
I can't speak for everybody, but it was pretty disheartening
because we just didn't get a lot of answers about
Phase one. I mean, I had adh manager like approaching
while I was standing there. I think his name with
(21:58):
John DiAngelo was He just walked up to me out
of the blue, kind of hiding his main edge, and
the first thing out of his mouth to me was
I'm the guy that's taking your land. And I was
shocked and he was talking about Phase two because it's
also included, but I was just thinking, Wow, I couldn't
believe that that had happened. So it's really not the
only example of kind of how the conversations went. Like
(22:21):
I had a lot of women come up to me
last night saying, hey, JA, and I talked to so so,
and I'm not going to name drop everybody out here,
but they were like, we had questions, and they were
so rude to me just now when I was asking questions.
So I'm just wondering if the people are trying to
ask questions about these phases but they're not getting answers,
Like how is this information coming out? So the tables
(22:43):
were laid out and they had some maps and talked
about all the alternatives and stuff, which was great to see.
But public comments are open for Phase two on the
GOT website. So I just want a lot of people
to know that they can leave their public comments. And
I know a lot of people say, what's the point,
don't listen to this anyways? And while it's proven to
be true in our district with the Phase one, the
(23:05):
new Secretary of Transportation last month actually directed the DOH
to cancel roundabouts in TuS Valley through the public outcry
and environmental impact. And so if any project in District
four has had public outcry and environmental impact, it's definitely
the green Bag Road projects that we're talking about today.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Well, Jen, I've got a text message here to the
program I'd like to share with you, and it says
that the green Bag Road project was divided up into
two phases in order to evade environmental law and the
permitting process. That's what the Texter says. What can you
tell us about that assertion?
Speaker 5 (23:44):
Sure? So, I'm not too savvy with their environmental law
and how they carry things out. I did attend a
meeting with the DOH and some of the members of
the Transportation Committee back in twenty twenty. We brought up
a lot of issues regarding environmental impact, public outcry, etc.
And we thought that it was interesting that they Phase
one they started in the middle with the roundabout originating
(24:06):
on the Kingwick Hike in the Greenback Road, the second
one being in Mississippi Street and not being Phase one,
will phase two being the other ends, Right, you're talking
about the s turneten at the get go and then
the other end by Classics, and so members of the
Transportation Committee in that meeting told the DOH, I think
that you guys should halt Phase one being in the
(24:26):
middle and start with the ends. So that's the input
that I have on that was witnessing that conversation.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
Okay, Jen Hastings is with us. We're talking about proposed
improvements to Green Bag Road. And now, as I understand
it from the DOH and speaking with Brent Walker, that
the design for Phase two from Classics up the Lucky
Lane then out to the Get Go there down the
s Curve, that the design for that particular portion has
(24:56):
not yet been firmly established.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
Is that a fact?
Speaker 5 (25:02):
So yeah, I would say that's the fact from my
opinion what I've seen, because at the meeting last night,
they give you alternatives, right, So we've been through this
process with Phase one where they say here's one, two,
three and four, here's what we have mapped out. You
can give your public opinion. I actually saw a quote
in the AJR last night talking about, well, if you
(25:23):
don't agree with us, you know, you guys can have
your public opinion and we'll just explain to you want
you did it this way, which I saw so you
can say what you want about how we make a
decision like people, how we vote on alternatives, and leave
your public comments. So to answer your question, yes, they're
open to alternatives. Know, they haven't made a set plan.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
So did they have maybe conceptual drawings of what a
traditional intersection would look like or did they have anything
like that, because I think in some of the roundabout
debate there's been a lot brought up about the increasing
safety by eliminating the left hand turn, but then the
(26:06):
sacrifices increased right of way area needed.
Speaker 5 (26:11):
Yeah, so you have level of service that they do.
They do tests there. We actually had an independent study
done by a traffic engineer who kind of said the
way that they did the level of service, in his opinion,
wasn't corrective. It's a little bit of an apple to
orange is thing we would love to see in you
study done personally, I can't speak on how they do
(26:31):
their own studies for that, but that was much the
professional interpretation that I got from a third party. If
I answered your question.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Okay, yes, Jen Hastings is with us. We're talking about
green bag road. What is the status of Phase one?
And just remind the listeners Phase one runs from I
guess just past the intersection of green Bag Road and
Kingwood Pike down to just beyond the intersection of I
(27:02):
guess that would technically be green Bag and m Tech Drives.
Speaker 5 (27:06):
I mean correct, Yeah, that's run about that as planning
for Phase one, So I mean that's the hardest part.
That's why I kind of opened with that example of
people asking questions about Phase one, like, even my family
being if not the most involved people in this project,
I can't give you an update. I don't have an update.
I don't know what goes on. And then that's why
I lead with that example of the people coming down
(27:28):
from Ann's Creek Roads we live there, saying, hey, what's
going on with a detour, and the engineers saying, we're
not doing that anymore. Aeron's Creek Road is in a detour.
We don't have updates, we don't have answers. If there's
a way that they flow this updates down that we're
not aware of, please let us know, because that's why
the people are showing up, that's why we're asking questions,
and that's why I came to this meeting because it's
(27:48):
very rare to get the dah face to phase and
you know, it was upsetting. That's why I talked about
how BA treated us and all that, which is a
side topic. But it's unfortunate to say I have no
update in at of a lot of people that are
involved in this project. To be so intimately involved in
have no update is pretty sad at telling you, And I
wish I could give people more information because they do
(28:09):
come to me every day and ask me about what's
going on because they want to know, not just for
my sake but for theirs. So I would love the
DAS to kind of explain how they're flowing down these updates,
what is the status? What is going on? Like, why
don't we know this?
Speaker 3 (28:22):
You know?
Speaker 2 (28:22):
Am I wrong to maybe be a little disappointed in
that you don't have a point of contact? And I'm
not saying that the DA chance to have a dedicated
person to talk to the Hastings family, but just anybody.
Speaker 5 (28:37):
I could go on and on. How about health status
is absolutely I mean, this has been going on for
over five years. You can imagine being a landowner of
somebody who's involved that's trying to get answered. I'm talking
multiple emails. I'm not going to air everybody out on
every person that you know hasn't answered us. But it's
been crazy. And I worked really really hard to get
(28:58):
a meeting with the dooation twenty twenty and got members
of the Transportation to the committee to come and say, hey,
here's a third party, and they were like, this is
going on in district for like, Wow, you've had a
ton of public outcry, the environmental impact is cloth significant,
and then you have the two ends of the road
being phased two and then suggesting that it should be
phase one. So I had to go in and get
(29:19):
third parties from members of a different committee just to
get anybody involved to sit down with us. So yeah,
it's been really hard to not have even a representative
or people answer to the phone. And it's not just
the Hastings family that goes through that. You can talk
to anybody who has tried to call the goah and
had a hard time getting ahold of them. So it
is really sad. And I've lived in other states and
(29:40):
been involved in other stuff that goes on in other communities.
I'd been working on my whole life, although I'm from here,
and I've just never seen anything like it, and It
is really sad, and I really wish we had a
culture shift because the people were really upset and it's
disheartening and we don't know what's going on and it's shocking.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
Well, it sounds like there might be maybe a window
to get something done with a rumball being open to
stop round about roundabouts in Tay's Valley. But not to digress,
we want to pick your brain about making a public comment.
Can you do it online? Does it have to be
in writing, so on and so forth? Can you call
(30:21):
a comment in How does that part work?
Speaker 5 (30:25):
Sure? Absolutely so. For this project, you are able to
make a public comment online by going to the West
Virginia Department of Transportation website. And that website it has
a list of all of our projects and you're going
to click on the Green Guy's road winding project and
you're able to make a public comment until the seventeenth
(30:46):
of December. So that's where I encourage everybody to put
their input. They are public comments, they are public records.
You can also email the GAH, but I say the
most streamline transparent way is to leave the comment. I
urge everybody to be tenants. Our comments were definitely considered
I won't say that they took everything to heart. That
it gave us a lot of leverage in regards to
(31:08):
phase one. And I think that the people should be
honest in their projects. So yeah, go to the West
Virginia Department Transtration website, slip on the link beater comment
and you can leave them until December seventeenth.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
Okay, Jen, really do appreciate your time. Thank you very much.
Speaker 5 (31:23):
Hey, thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
You take care and have a good day, Jen Hastings.
Just to recap, now, that project is about three and
a half miles of what is now primarily two lane road.
Now there's a plan to add a combination of left
turn lanes and roundabouts, and all three of those options
were included. Also, let's see the traffic signal at the
(31:49):
intersection of one nineteen on the western end of Green
Bag Road there at Don Knott Boulevard, with an expansion
of the road for two twelve foot lanes with two
four foot paved shoulders. One alternate included in the reconstruction
would include an off road independent multi use path. The
(32:11):
aim for all three proposals presented is to account for
an average of nearly eleven thousand, five hundred vehicles per
day and also allowing for easy pedestrian access towards the
Mountaineer Mall and a Giant Eagle grocery store. And then
I guess it would also connect down into the Deckers
(32:32):
Creek rail trail. So that is the scope of phase two.
We'll be back coming up after this. Right now, some
fog clouds. It is thirty nine degrees in the University city.
Is the Talk of the town on AM fourteen forty
FM one oh four point five WAJR.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
We are talking about your town. Now back to the
Talk of the town.
Speaker 3 (33:12):
Well, good Wednesday morning.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
In the mon County Commission, they'll be gabbling in for
their regular meeting at the top of the hour and
would direct you to their website. It is a brand
new website, by the way, Montaguelia County dot gov. And
then of course you'll hit the County Commission tab. But
their meeting it will gable in at ten o'clock this morning.
(33:34):
Doesn't look like there's anything too earth shattering on their agenda. Now,
something that is worth your time to consider, and that
is there is a reverse advent calendar that pantry plus
more is going to be doing and we're going to
welcome Amanda Bulliard to the program tomorrow, and I think
(33:55):
Liz Vatulo is also going to join her, and we're
going to provide details on the reverse Advent calendar and
how it works and how you can maybe have an
exercise within your family in order to help those less
fortunate in our community. We talked with Chris Dodd with
(34:16):
the Forgotten Flag Foundation. Wanted to bring that up again
and encourage folks to go out to that website Forgottenflag
Foundation dot org. Chris and his brother Mark, who lives
in the Morgantown area, they're working to expand this initiative
out to individual schools. It sounds like a really great thing,
(34:40):
and I wish I would have mentioned it, but I'm
certain that they would be involved with Scouting America. They
promote unity and patriotism through the proper display of the
American flag. And yes, you don't have to worry about
getting into a political discussion because it doesn't have anything
to do with politics whatsoever. It's just about the red, white,
(35:04):
and blue, stars and stripes and the United States of
America and all of us getting along and doing what
we need to do to have a great country. Once again,
that website is Forgotten Flag Foundation dot org. They've got
some nice swag on there by the way, in case
you're looking for a Christmas gift for someone special to you,
(35:28):
so check that out Forgotten Flag Foundation dot org. Thirty
nine degrees clouds and some fog will be back to
wrap things up. Coming up after this on Talk of
the Town FM one four point five W A j R.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
Join the conversation at one eight hundred and seven to
sixty five eight two five five. This is the Talk
of the Town.
Speaker 3 (36:06):
A good Wednesday morning.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
Green Bag Road certainly a sore spot for many. The
texter says that the ton of public outcry, or just
the vocal minority, the same people that outcry about traffic congestion,
it astounds me that anyone would want to serve in
any public capacity. Go on to say that the guest
(36:28):
is talking incessantly about how the DOH is evil, yet
offers no alternatives. During the segment, we certainly do appreciate
that participation.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
And you know, I would just say that if.
Speaker 2 (36:42):
You think that the design part is going to be
kind of a ruffle some feathers, you wait until they
start digging up that road and Route seven is backed
up and you can't get on green Bag Road. Or
you know what, if you've got kids at Mountain View
lmmnentary school and you can't get to them, that's something
(37:04):
to think about. I think that is going to be
what people are going to be talking about, because you know,
just the other day they were doing some paving on
Dorsey Avenue and it created a backup on green Bag
Road that went from the Kingwood Pike all the way
back to the Child Advocacy Center. And that's bad. That's
(37:25):
real bad. It's been a great day. Hope everybody makes
it a great Wednesday. Right now, cloud's thirty nine degrees
and maybe some fog where you are. Be kind, be well,
do something great for your neighbor, but don't wait for tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
Do it today.
Speaker 2 (37:41):
Metro News talk Line is coming up next on the
Voice of Morgantown one h four point five FM and
AM fourteen forty WAJR.
Speaker 5 (38:00):
You out, although you would be arst in the media
stiction
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