CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia DNR held a public meeting Tuesday evening in regard to the master plan for the Forks of Coal Natural Area in Kanawha County.

Residents were able to stop by the Claudia L. Workman Wildlife Education Center in Alum Creek and were able to comment on what they wanted to see in the future at the facility.

“Public comments are very important. It helps us gauge public interest and we are also able to help determine what is most important to the public,” said Zack Brown, the assistant chief of operations for the wildlife resources section of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. “I might have a certain idea that doing ‘project x’ is the most important, but if the public comes to us and says ‘No, we really need that parking lot so that we can get access to that new area across the road, then that makes sense and maybe we put that as priority one.”

Todd Schoolcraft, the landscape architect and project manager with EL Robinson Engineering Company, says the area is divided into a couple of sections, and both will be seeing improvements.

“It’s kind of like a two-fold project. We have Forks of Coal North, which is already developed, and we’re expanding on that development and improving it. Then we have an additional plus or minus 200 acres that we’re calling Forks of Coal South that we’re now developing newly and is just coming into the park system.”

Representatives with the DNR had several different ideas they’ve floated around presented to the public on display boards at the meeting Tuesday.

Brown says some of these ideas could soon turn into long-term parts of the facility.

“We brainstormed and got some ideas of how we can help develop facilities out here,” Brown said. “This is a long-term plan that will help us as we proceed forward and as funding becomes available. It helps our foundation know what grants to apply for.”

11 ideas have been presented for Forks of Coal North. They are as follows:

• New trail on the Little Coal River side connecting FOC North with FOC South
• New service vehicle access and pedestrian trail on the Big Coal River side connecting FOC North and FOC South
• A boardwalk in the pollinator field to help users navigate the wet areas
• An outdoor classroom near the pollinator field
• A shelter located on the edge of the parking lot near the Yellow and Blue Trails trailhead
• Detention pond beautification via a new rain garden/bioretention area near the main parking lot
• An ADA accessible pathway to the top of Roof Rock
• A trail connecting Mine Portal Trail with Yellow Trail
• Reconfiguration of existing amphitheater
• Closure of historic pedestrian suspension bridges due to deterioration
• New benches and interpretive signs

10 ideas have been presented for Forks of Coal South. They are as follows:

• School House Fire Trail Trailhead located across from existing main entrance to FOC North
• Tree limb trimming to improve sight distances for users entering and exiting the new trailhead parking lot
• Sorghum Patch Bypass Trail that will provide service vehicle access and pedestrians under the Corridor G bridges to FOC North
• Gore Mountain and Jeep Trail Lookout Towers
• Fence around the Hill property
• Various trail improvements
• New amphitheater/outdoor classroom located in the open field
• The Crooked Branch Trail extension
• Cemetery access
• New benches and interpretive signs

Chapmanville resident Kenneth Wilson says the center is vital for the next generation in and around Kanawha County.

“This is a real educational tool for children,” Wilson said.

“We need to expand it as much as possible and put more things in here for people to see,” he continued.

Public comments for the master plan will be accepted until June 6. You can submit comments at sites.google.com/wv.gov/forks-of-coal-master-plan

Each spring, the CJ Cup Byron Nelson brings some of the biggest names in golf, and millions of dollars in proceeds, to North Texas.

But that money doesn’t stay on the course. It’s quietly helping fund a Dallas nonprofit. 

For more than 50 years, the Momentous Institute has been the tournament’s beneficiary. 

The nonprofit provides mental health care, education, and family resources to support children and communities across Dallas.

“Over the years, the tournament has raised more than $185 million for the Momentous Institute, which directly supports the services we provide to the community,” said Dr. Jessica Gomez with the organization. “We’re really focused on helping the whole child and the whole family system heal from whatever mental health challenges they’re going through.”

This year, those efforts are taking shape in a new citywide campaign tied to Mental Health Awareness Month. Called “Squeeze the Day,” the campaign is meant to encourage North Texans to tap into the power of nature to support their well-being.

Billboards and installations have popped up across the city, from the Dallas Zoo to Klyde Warren Park to the Dallas Arboretum, urging people to pause, get outside, and find simple ways to care for their mental health.

“Having these reminders throughout the zoo that encourage people to take a moment and take in their surroundings, it’s really important,” said Kari Streiber with the Dallas Zoo. “You have to save those natural places and appreciating them is the first step.”

For the Momentous Institute, it’s all part of the mission of reaching people where they are and showing them that caring for their mental health can start with something as small as taking a deep breath outdoors.

So, next time you’re enjoying a walk or a visit to one of Dallas’ green spaces, don’t be surprised if you see a reminder to Squeeze the Day, and know that the CJ Cup Byron Nelson helped make it happen.

MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) – More travelers will soon be able to travel through Miami International Airport after Miami-Dade County Commissioners approved an expansion project for the airport.

Commissioners gave the green light to construct a new terminal that will cost over $600 million.

The terminal, dubbed Concourse K, will feature six gates, two baggage carousels and a new maintenance facility.

Officials said the new construction will create thousands of new jobs and help the airport meet passenger’s needs going into the future.

Groundbreaking is set for this summer.

Officials said the new Concourse K should be operational by spring 2029.

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