AGP Executive Report

Water Quality Watch: Gazette-Mail reports testing found public health risks in West Virginians’ well water, with residents describing rust, corrosion, and foul taste after years of reliance on private supplies. Energy Policy & Bills: West Virginia launched Inflation Reduction Act home energy rebates (HOMES and HEAR) as the state’s utility rulemaking could shape how much residents pay for power. Healthcare Costs: ValuePenguin says ACA Marketplace plan selections fell 4.9% nationwide in 2026 as premiums rose 19.7%, with West Virginia seeing a steep drop and the highest average premium. Public Health Tech: WV WIC clinics received a $195,825 USDA grant to buy Masimo Pronto spot-check devices, aiming to speed visits and reduce needle sticks for young children. Local Tech in Government: Weirton will stream city council meetings on YouTube starting Oct. 13, replacing Facebook for easier access and longer archiving. Wildlife Tracking: New River Gorge researchers are using tiny cellular trackers to follow endangered bats, including one detected over 130 miles away. Manufacturing & Training: Conn-Weld Industries visited Mercer County Technical Education Center for National Manufacturing Day, highlighting welding and measurement skills. Community Health Access: WVU’s “Bonnie’s Bus” mobile mammography will visit multiple counties with 3D screenings and enrollment help for eligible patients. Retirement Affordability: A Retirement Living ranking puts West Virginia No. 1 for retiree affordability in 2026.

Antitrust & Generic Drugs: Iowa AG Brenna Bird joined a 43-state push asking a court to approve a $400M settlement with Sandoz and Fougera over alleged generic-drug price-fixing and competition limits. Rural Health Tech: West Virginia’s WIC clinics won a $195,825 USDA grant to buy Masimo Pronto spot-check devices, aiming to speed visits and cut needle sticks for young kids. Wildlife Tracking: New River Gorge researchers are using tiny cellular tags to follow endangered bats, including one detected over 130 miles away. Manufacturing Workforce: Conn-Weld Industries visited Mercer County Technical Education Center for National Manufacturing Day, spotlighting welding, safety, and measurement skills. Economic Development: Advantage Valley announced a new $2M POWER grant to expand its Expanding Markets program, projecting 200+ jobs for manufacturers. Healthcare Access on the Move: WVU Medicine’s “Bonnie’s Bus” will bring 3D mammography to multiple West Virginia counties in late October. Nuclear Policy Twist: West Virginia is backing away from a proposed Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus/waste storage plan after reporting and political pushback. STEM & Aviation Pipeline: Girls in Aviation Day returns Oct. 3 at CKB Airport’s old terminal, aiming to draw more young women into aviation careers.

Healthcare Tech & Rural Access: West Virginia is rolling out Rural Health Transformation funding, including AI-supported clinical documentation and autonomous drone delivery for supplies at Minnie Hamilton Health Care Center, plus other grants to expand care and jobs across smaller communities. Energy & Policy: WVU-backed nuclear plans hit a wall as West Virginia backed away from a federal Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus bid after public scrutiny over waste concerns. Water Tech in Appalachia: HydroEdge Solutions acquired Reserved Environmental Services (RES Water), creating a full-cycle water management platform for the Marcellus and Utica basins across PA, OH, and WV. Workforce & Training: BridgeValley CTC leadership flagged facility and viability concerns across its South Charleston and Montgomery campuses, including building condition issues. Public Health Outreach: WVU Medicine’s “Bonnie’s Bus” is set to bring 3D mammography and breast-care education to multiple WV counties in late October. AI & Consumer Risk: A proposed class action alleges DraftKings used AI to target customers with gambling promotions, with a West Virginia plaintiff leading the case. Wildlife & Safety: WVU experts weigh in on coyotes in yards, noting disease and pet risks and offering practical guidance for homeowners.

Nuclear Policy: West Virginia backed away from a federal advanced nuclear “lifecycle” campus bid after scrutiny over whether it could involve long-term used-fuel waste storage, with Gov. Patrick Morrisey saying the state won’t be a “dumping ground.” Rural Health Tech: Gov. Morrisey announced more than $8 million in Rural Health Transformation grants, including mobile care and AI-supported clinical documentation tech at a Grantsville hospital. Data Centers & Climate Data: Fairmont’s I-79 High Technology Park is eyeing commercial data center growth to support NOAA climate data and convert it into “AI-ready” formats, with plans aimed at using contained resources and limiting noise. STEM & Workforce: EQT Foundation is funding Green Career Week outreach to more than 50 schools and 25 horticulture employers across Pennsylvania and West Virginia. AI & Consumer Tech: A new lawsuit alleges DraftKings uses AI to target people likely to gamble more, while Rutter’s is modernizing its point-of-sale platform chainwide with NCR Voyix. Public Health: Legionnaires’ disease is rising again, with West Virginia among the states reporting higher case counts.

Nuclear Policy: West Virginia has backed out of consideration for the federal Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus, citing concerns about being treated as a “dumping ground” for waste. Energy & Permitting: A bipartisan permitting overhaul, the American Affordability and Jobs Act, would streamline federal approvals and includes rules aimed at keeping AI data centers from driving up household power rates. AI & Jobs Map: A new national analysis ranks where workers are most exposed to AI-driven disruption, with Washington highest by share and California highest by total jobs. Rural Health Tech: Gov. Morrisey announced millions in Rural Health Transformation Program awards, including AI-powered “ambient clinical listening” for rural hospitals, plus telehealth and mobile care units. Data Centers in WV: The I-79 High Technology Park in Fairmont is eyeing commercial data center growth to support NOAA climate data and convert it into “AI-ready” formats. Wildlife Research: Tiny cellular trackers are being used to follow endangered bats through New River Gorge. Drug Pricing: West Virginia consumers are among those urged to file claims tied to a multistate generic drug price-fixing settlement.

Rural Health Tech Push: Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced multiple West Virginia Rural Health Transformation Program awards totaling more than $10.5M, including AI-powered “ambient clinical listening” to cut documentation time, plus telehealth upgrades, mobile clinics, and autonomous drone delivery plans for supplies and lab specimens. Wildlife Tracking in WV: New River Gorge researchers are tagging endangered bats with tiny cellular transmitters to map where they go after leaving mines at night. Workforce & Training: Pierpont Community & Technical College broke ground on a new aviation maintenance facility at the North Central West Virginia Airport, expanding capacity to as many as 230 students. Election Prep: West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner rolled out a sample ballot lookup tool for all 55 counties ahead of the General Election. Public Health Gap: A new study reports only 60% of liver transplant recipients are vaccinated against hepatitis B, leaving many at risk. Policy Watch: A bipartisan Senate permitting deal (with WV Sen. Shelley Moore Capito) aims to streamline federal approvals for energy and infrastructure projects.

STEM Workforce & Training: Pierpont Community & Technical College broke ground on a 65,000-square-foot aviation maintenance facility at North Central West Virginia Airport, expanding capacity from 130 to as many as 230 students and adding FAA Part 147-ready labs for aircraft systems, powerplants, welding, and certification testing. Public Safety Tech: Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced $258,788 to strengthen the West Virginia State Police forensic lab, including specialized training/certification for forensic analysts and new lab equipment. Clean Energy Talent Pipeline: Sharing the Power Foundation named 22 students as its 2026 Clean Energy Fellows, marking more than $1 million in scholarships over five years. Clean Energy Industry Partnerships: Eureka Energy and Türkiye’s GAP Grup announced a North American partnership aimed at growing U.S. demand for aluminum, fabricated metal, and solar infrastructure—setting up a path toward manufacturing in Appalachia. Community Tech & Land Stewardship: The Monongahela National Forest approved nine Secure Rural Schools projects totaling about $240,000 for recreation, historic preservation, infrastructure, and education across West Virginia. Opioid Funds Governance: Brooke County commissioners say they expect to begin distributing opioid settlement funds in the coming weeks after reviewing requests from local organizations. Cyber/AI & Business Finance (National): Nvidia disclosed Anthropic infrastructure commitments tied to massive AI power capacity, while Peoples Bancorp and Capital Bancorp announced a merger agreement valued at about $728.1 million.

Forensic Funding Boost: Gov. Morrisey announced $258,788 for the West Virginia State Police Forensic Lab, including analyst training and new equipment. Data Center Rules in Motion: Putnam County approved a resolution pushing data center developers to follow local ordinances, after public pressure and debate over impacts. Nuclear Campus Back-and-Forth: Morrisey publicly rejected the idea of West Virginia becoming a “dumping ground” for nuclear waste, as the state’s earlier interest in DOE’s Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus program remains a flashpoint. Healthcare Education Expansion: WVU School of Nursing is expanding its LPN-to-BSN pathway to the Beckley campus at WVU Tech to address southern WV workforce demand. STEM & Community Learning: A WVU Extension teacher shared hands-on STEM lessons from a Kenya study trip, tying global agriculture engineering ideas back to local classrooms. Wildlife Restoration: West Virginia’s elk herd is growing again, with public viewing opportunities tied to the state’s long-running restoration effort. Local Tech/Science Spotlight: West Liberty University’s crayfish research helped identify North America’s biggest known crayfish, sparking a museum-based scientific rivalry.

Nuclear Workforce & Education: WVU is laying groundwork for a nuclear engineering career pathway, launching new courses in 2027 across engineering disciplines as West Virginia weighs a bigger role in the nation’s nuclear fuel cycle. Campus Safety Tech: WVU released its annual Clery Act report for 2025, including updated campus crime stats and new hazing reporting details. Healthcare Training Expansion: WVU School of Nursing is expanding its LPN-to-BSN program to the Beckley Campus at WVU Tech to shorten pathways for southern West Virginia nurses. Critical Minerals Pipeline: A U.S. DOE official visited WVU to highlight the OROSPECT program, aiming to boost graduates for mining and critical minerals supply-chain careers. Data Centers & Policy: Pennsylvania Farm Bureau calls for a temporary data center moratorium, arguing communities need time to assess impacts on farmland and local infrastructure. AI in Care Delivery: Local Infusion opened a new Hagerstown clinic using an AI-driven platform to speed access to specialty IV infusion care for patients across the Tri-State region. Public Safety Infrastructure: The $13.4M Midway Overpass Project in Bluefield is moving forward after the state selected an engineer to replace a flood-prone tunnel. STEM Outreach: An Eastwood Elementary teacher brought hands-on STEM lessons from a WVU Extension study abroad trip to Kenya, partnering with local schools and Egerton University.

Nuclear Workforce & Policy: WVU is laying groundwork for a nuclear career pathway, launching a 2027 course sequence through its Statler College to prepare engineering students for roles across the nuclear lifecycle—while Gov. Morrisey pushes back on federal plans by insisting West Virginia “will not be a dumping ground” for nuclear waste. Campus Safety Updates: WVU released its annual Clery Act report for 2025, including new hazing reporting under updated federal rules and notable shifts like fewer reported rapes (20 in 2024 to 12 in 2025). Local Infrastructure: The $13.4M Midway Overpass Project in Bluefield is moving ahead after the Division of Highways selected an engineer to replace the flood-prone Midway Tunnel with a new overpass plus pedestrian and bicycle access. Education & Training Expansion: Bridgeport is set to consider a high-six-figure grant to support a planned Pierpont Community & Technical College training facility at Aerotech Park, aimed at expanding aviation maintenance tech enrollment. AI & Privacy Debate: A West Virginia-linked model for handling student trauma is highlighted as “Handle With Care” expands statewide, while broader national debate continues over surveillance tech and privacy tradeoffs.

Campus Safety & Compliance: WVU released its latest Clery Act report, showing reported rapes fell from 20 (2024) to 12 (2025), burglaries ticked up from 25 to 28, and hazing is now newly tracked as reportable under the federal Stop Campus Hazing Act. Privacy & Surveillance Debate: Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley faced an online backlash over privacy claims, including allegations involving a blurred home image and doxxing concerns. AI Data Centers & Water: A new report highlights how data centers are shifting cooling methods as water use becomes a political flashpoint, with PFAS-linked cooling approaches drawing scrutiny. Local Tech Policy: A Democratic challenger in WV’s 2nd District proposed a two-year moratorium on new large data centers (20+ megawatts) and would require studies on health, water, jobs, and grid impacts. Workforce & Education Pipeline: Bridgeport’s council will consider a $750k grant to help fund a $25M Pierpont Community & Technical College aviation training facility at Aerotech Park, aiming to expand enrollment and address aviation staffing shortages. Health Tech Coverage: Paxman says California enacted scalp-cooling insurance coverage (AB 1682), joining WV and other states expanding access for chemo patients.

Data Centers & Elections: A Democratic challenger in WV’s District 2 is pushing a two-year moratorium on new large data centers (20+ megawatts), paired with studies on public health, water, jobs, utility bills, property values, and the power grid—plus penalties for developers and limits on secrecy deals. Public Safety & Health: The FBI says it cleared a years-long DNA-processing backlog, cutting an all-time high of about 1.81 million samples down to zero. Workforce & Education: WVU is using a $1.6M Appalachian Regional Commission POWER Initiative grant to recruit, prepare, place, and retain teachers across West Virginia. Community Resilience: United Way and partners are running disaster preparedness workshops in Elkins, including what to keep at home and what to do financially after a disaster. Local Tech/Industry: Nscale announced $3.36B to expand AI data center construction, with major funding tied to an upcoming IPO. Health Tech & Policy: AG Fitch urges the National Security Council to protect GLP-1 drugs from unsafe supply-chain inputs. Higher Ed Spotlight: WV School of Osteopathic Medicine earned “Great College to Work For” recognition for the 11th time.

Higher Ed & STEM: U.S. News released its 2026-27 college rankings, with James Madison University jumping to No. 67 among public schools and climbing in areas like undergraduate engineering (No. 26) and most innovative schools (No. 50), a reminder that West Virginia’s education pipeline is still tied to national metrics. Public Health & Safety: The FBI says it cleared a years-long federal DNA-processing backlog, cutting pending samples from about 1.81 million to zero—aimed at speeding up CODIS entries for law enforcement. AI & Infrastructure: Nscale secured $3.36B for AI data center construction ahead of an IPO, underscoring how quickly power-hungry tech is reshaping regional development debates. Local Tech Governance: A Democratic challenger in WV’s 2nd District proposed a two-year moratorium on new large data centers (20+ MW) while studies cover public health, water, jobs, and utility costs. Health Tech & Policy: West Virginia’s teacher shortage push: WVU is leading a $1.6M, three-year POWER Initiative project to recruit, prepare, place, and retain educators across the state. Energy & Environment: EPA moved to unwind major power-plant greenhouse gas rules, repealing key 2024 carbon standards and seeking to end power-sector climate regulation under the Clean Air Act. Community Resilience: Fairmont received $1M for upgrades to the aging Watson Fire Substation, boosting safety for firefighters handling thousands of 911 calls.

School Enrollment Drop: A new iSharing study says West Virginia lost more than 10,500 public school students in the last three years, a 4.2% decline, tied to falling birth rates and shifting migration. Black Lung Fight: Advocates warn black lung protections are still lagging after the Labor Department’s Mine Safety and Health Administration delayed enforcement of a rule meant to cut harmful silica exposure in coal mining. AI + Data Centers Politics: A Democratic candidate in West Virginia’s 2nd District proposes a two-year moratorium on new large data centers (20+ megawatts) and calls for public health, water, jobs, and grid studies before expansion. Public Safety Funding: FEMA awarded more than $47 million across the region for fire prevention, staffing, and equipment, including grants reaching West Virginia responders. Healthcare + Tech Access: WVU is leading a three-year, $1.6M teacher workforce project using a place-based approach to recruit, prepare, place, and retain educators statewide. Education Credentials: Cabell County colleges reported 2,956 degrees and certificates in 2023-24, with nursing leading fields of study.

Higher Ed Snapshot (WV): Cabell County colleges awarded 2,956 degrees and certificates in 2023-24, while Wood County tallied 709; Randolph (137), Brooke (113), and Hardy (95) also released new totals from the National Center for Education Statistics. Public Health & Safety: Aegis Sciences says it has detected the synthetic opioid cychlorphine in 18 states, including West Virginia, after reports tied it to dozens of deaths in East Tennessee. AI & Data Centers (WV politics): A Democratic challenger in WV’s District 2 proposed a two-year moratorium on new large data centers (20 megawatts+) and calls for community input, with studies on health, water, jobs, and grid impacts. Law Enforcement Tech: The FBI says it eliminated a years-long federal DNA-processing backlog, clearing about 1.81 million samples into CODIS. Water & Environment (WV): EPA awarded $2.55M in wetland grants across the Mid-Atlantic, including $367,272 for West Virginia to expand wetland mapping and monitoring. Workforce (WV): WVU is leading a $1.6M, three-year teacher recruitment and retention effort funded through the Appalachian Regional Commission POWER Initiative.

Synthetic Opioids: A Nashville forensic lab says it has identified the new synthetic opioid cychlorphine in 18 states, including West Virginia, after earlier links to dozens of East Tennessee deaths. Public Safety Tech: The FBI says it has cleared a years-long DNA-processing backlog, moving federal samples into CODIS faster. AI Infrastructure & Politics: Nscale, an AI data center builder, secured $3.36B ahead of an IPO, while a West Virginia congressional race spotlights a proposed two-year moratorium on large data centers. Local Education Pipeline: WVU is using a $1.6M grant to recruit, prepare, place, and retain teachers across West Virginia. Healthcare & Regulation: AG Fitch urged the National Security Council to protect against unsafe Chinese GLP-1 supply chains. Energy & Environment: EPA actions would unwind most 2024 power-plant carbon rules and propose ending power-plant GHG regulation authority. Community Resilience: FEMA awarded more than $47M across several states for fire prevention, staffing, and equipment. STEM in WV: WVU received a national charter from the Society of Women Engineers. Opioid Response: Preston County approved opioid settlement grant requests and hired new EMS staff.