WV announces $4.2 million investment in healthcare transportation

West Virginia state seal. Used by written permission by Chief Deputy and Chief of Staff of West Virginia Chuck Flannery

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrissey announced a $4.2 million investment to improve healthcare transportation across the state on Friday.

The funding will support the Emergency Medical Service Collaboratives and Public Transportation Collaboratives in an effort to help patients connect to the right care, at the right place, at the right time.

The funding will help multi-county EMS departments and regional transportation networks work together to connect patients during a non-emergency to primary care clinics, urgent care centers, behavioral health providers or other Federally Qualified Health Centers.

Funding must be used to support transformation and system improvements rather than routine operational costs.

In the announcement Governor Morrissey said, “Too many West Virginians have difficulty getting the healthcare they need simply because of where they live or because they don’t have reliable transportation.”

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.

August is Emergency Management Awareness month

August is National Emergency Management Awareness Month, recognizing the professionals who work behind the scenes to help communities prepare for and respond to emergencies.

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management recognizes that firefighters, law enforcement officers and EMS professionals are often the most visible during an emergency.

But did you know that emergency managers play a critical role in coordinating the response?

They connect agencies, bring together resources and build partnerships between government, first responders, nonprofits, businesses and the communities they serve.

Emergency managers help communities prepare for disasters, respond when emergencies happen, recover afterward and become more resilient for the future.

This month, officials are recognizing emergency managers across Virginia for their dedication to keeping communities prepared and strengthening the Commonwealth’s ability to respond when disaster strikes.

For more information, visit the Virginia Department of Emergency Management at vdem.virginia.gov.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.

Tractor-Trailer driver airlifted after rollover

A tractor-trailer driver was flown to a trauma center after a rollover crash on I-66 in Warren County Friday morning.

Warren County Fire and Rescue says crews responded just after 4 a.m. to the eastbound lanes near the 10.4-mile marker in Linden.

They found the tractor-trailer overturned on its roof in the median with the driver trapped inside the cab.

Firefighters spent about 15 minutes freeing the driver before EMS crews began treatment.

The driver, who was the only person in the truck, was then airlifted to a nearby hospital.

No information on the driver’s condition has been released.

Officials say several other vehicles reported at the scene were not involved in the initial crash but became disabled after hitting debris scattered across the interstate.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.

This week June 22 on brings the 1st heat wave of summer

Page County Sherriff’s Office and Kemp Miller would like to remind listeners of the dangerously high temperatures beginning tomorrow, July 22nd, with the heat wave expected to last several days.

Daytime highs will be well into the 90s, and the heat index may exceed 100°F.

These extreme conditions pose a serious risk to health and safety.

We urge all residents to take precautions:

  •  Stay cool – Remain indoors during the hottest parts of the day (10 AM – 4 PM)
    and use air conditioning if available.
  • Stay hydrated – Drink plenty of water, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Avoid alcohol
    and sugary drinks.
  • Check on others – Please check on elderly neighbors, young children, and those
    without access to cooling.
  • Protect pets – Make sure your animals have access to shade and fresh water. Never leave pets in vehicles.
  • Never leave children or pets in cars – Temperatures inside vehicles can become deadly within minutes.

We encourage all community members to stay alert and look out for one another.

If you or someone you know needs assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact local emergency services.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.

Berkeley County woman charged with child neglect after drowning

West Virginia state seal. Used by written permission by Chief Deputy and Chief of Staff of West Virginia Chuck Flannery

The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department investigators charged Shannon Heinbuch, 34, with felony Child Neglect Resulting in Serious Body Injury following an incident on April 14th that led to her son almost drowning in a pool.

Heinbuch found the one year old child unresponsive in the pool at their residence on Talbott Lane in Martinsburg.

Law enforcement and EMS arrived at the residence shortly after the 911 call.

The child was taken to Berkeley Medical Center and later flown to Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC.

Investigators at the scene spoke with Heinbuch and found that she was under the influence of alcohol on the evening of the drowning.

She was arraigned by the Magistrate Court after the arrest and was unable to post bond.

Heinbuch remains at Eastern Regional Jail awaiting a preliminary trial.

According to the release from Berkeley County Sheriff’s the child was still in intensive care at Children’s National as of April, 24th. 

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.

Middletown mourns passing of former Mayor and volunteer firefighter

Our thoughts are with the Middletown community as Former Mayor Neil Stallings passed away over the weekend.

He served as Mayor from 1972-1976 and was a member of the Middletown Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company for over 50 years.

He was an instrumental part of the current EMS system used by the Company and was an instructor for 12 years, imparting his wisdom and technical knowledge to the next generation of first responders.

Stallings was dedicated to educating and helping young people in the community and he was able to guide numerous students in his role as a counselor at Laurel Ridge.

The official town announcement is found here.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.

Augusta County Sheriff’s announce inmate death

The Augusta County Sheriff’s Office reported the death of an inmate at the Middle River Regional Jail on Thursday.

At approximately 4 am, officers were notified of an inmate suffering a medical emergency in the female dormitory.

Middle River Regional Jail personnel started administering CPR a minute later with Emergency Medical Service Personnel arriving less than 20 minutes later.

All personnel did everything they could to revive the inmate who was pronounced dead approximately 40 minutes after the incident was reported.

The Augusta County Sheriff’s Office was notified of the death at approximately 4:50 am.

A thorough investigation was launched with no preliminary indication of foul play at this time.

The body has been taken to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.

The identity of the inmate and additional information will not be released until the family is notified of the death.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.

Training exercises are taking place at Sunnyside Frederick County

According to a Frederick County Fire and Rescue social media post you are going to see a lot of activity around Sunnyside today and next week.

Not to worry it is training exercises starting today and into next week you will see a number of emergency vehicles in and around the area.

The activities are skill training exercises for EMS personnel.

For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.