The first pieces of the America250 Wheel that is set to be a focal point of West Virginia’s Capital City Celebration arrived Thursday morning. Once constructed, the wheel is expected to be the world’s tallest portable Ferris Wheel at 230 feet tall. It will feature 45 gondolas and offer views up to 14 miles from the top. (WCHS)

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Governor Patrick Morrisey today announced $701,410 in grant funding to strengthen services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking in rural communities across West Virginia.

“Every West Virginian deserves to live free from violence and abuse, regardless of where they call home,” said Morrisey. “These grants help ensure victims in our rural communities have access to advocacy, shelter, crisis intervention, and other critical services when they need them most. Supporting victims and holding offenders accountable remains an important priority for our administration.”

The funding, provided through the West Virginia Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program, will help organizations expand victim advocacy, crisis intervention, housing assistance, court accompaniment, community outreach and coordinated local response efforts in rural areas throughout the state.

The grants are administered by the Justice and Community Services Section of the West Virginia Division of Administrative Services.

Recipients include:

West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Inc. — $186,670: Funding will continue services provided by co-located advocates serving victims of domestic violence in rural communities across West Virginia.

Women’s Aid in Crisis, Inc. — $150,612: Funding will support advocacy, crisis intervention, housing assistance, referrals and court accompaniment for victims in Barbour, Randolph and Tucker counties.

Family Refuge Center — $136,897: Funding will provide victim advocacy, crisis intervention, housing assistance, referrals and court accompaniment for survivors in Greenbrier County.

Eastern Panhandle Empowerment Center — $132,283: Funding will support a Rural Domestic Violence Specialist serving the Eastern Panhandle through victim advocacy, housing assistance, community referrals and coordinated response efforts.

Branches Domestic Violence Shelter (Huntington) — $94,948: Funding will support a Domestic Violence Specialist serving Mason County by providing victim advocacy, referrals to community resources, housing assistance and coordination with local response teams.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia International Yeager Airport director is getting a pay raise.

The Central West Virginia Regional Airport Authority board approved a four-percent increase for Dominique Ranieri for Fiscal Year 2026 during their meeting Wednesday. Ranieri will also receive an additional four-percent salary increase for Fiscal Year 2027. Ranieri entered into a five-year contract in December 2023 with a $237,000 annual base salary, and the raises add on to that.

The 2026 increase will be paid as a lump sum before the end of the fiscal year — which is June 30.

Airport authority chairman Todd Goldman praised Ranieri for her work. The board discussed the compensation adjustment in Executive Session during Wednesday’s meeting and announced the raise afterward.

“A lot of it is the work that she’s performed, and the grant funding that she’s secured,” Goldman said. “As well as the team that she’s assembled up at Yeager, and their ability to execute plans, which has put us in a favorable position with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). You’ll see a lot of construction up there, and most of that work is due to the work that they’ve put together with her being an obvious, strong leader.”

Ranieri has served as airport director and CEO since 2022. With her appointment, she became the first woman to lead the West Virginia International Yeager Airport. She previously worked as assistant airport director at Yeager for several years and has worked at CRW since 2017.

The Yeager Airport is in the midst of lengthy renovation projects called “CRW Next.” Ranieri has overseen those projects as they progress, including last year’s first phase that added a second baggage belt and updated lobby restrooms.

CRW Next is currently in its second phase, focusing on pre-security areas such as curbside improvements, new flooring, new lighting, and new ticket counts.

Goldman said he and the board have full faith in Ranieri to steer the ship through it all.

“One hundred percent confidence,” Goldman said. “She’s a very strong leader, she’s attuned to every piece of these projects, has excellent people that work with her, and so we have complete confidence in her ability to execute all those plans.”

Finances

The board heard positive news about airport revenues and expenses during the meeting. Board vice-chairperson Lisa Pack reported revenue in May 2026 was up $94,000 compared to last May. She said expenses were increased around $30,000 as well, but the net income was around $64,000 for the month.

Additionally, the first eleven months of Fiscal Year 2026 saw a $322,000 increase from budgeted revenue to the amount actually taken in by the airport, a 2.5-percent increase. Pack noted that the airport’s revenues have increased by $910,000 compared to last year at this time.

Yeager Airport had budgeted $1.9 million for its total operating net income. Pack said the airport ended up taking in $3.175 million, a 60-percent increase from the anticipated figure.

Ranieri said it’s great to hear the positive financial numbers, to have revenues up and costs down.

“That is our mission here at the airport,” Ranieri said. “Everything we do is so that we can afford to do the capital improvement projects that this airport needs. So, every decision we make, every penny that we spend, is shown to our board and is open to the public, and it is so that we are prepared to carry forward CRW next and to be ready for the future of aviation here in West Virginia.”

Equipment facility project

The board also approved the awarding of a $5.75 million construction bid to the Morgantown-based March-Westin Company on a Snow Removal Equipment (SRE) building. The bid is subject to FAA approval. The new building will be located across the Marshall University Bill Noe Flight School.

Ranieri said the current maintenance storage area is overflowing and no longer meets the airport’s needs. Construction could begin on the SRE building this winter or next spring, with the goal of having it ready for Winter 2027.

Advertising partnership

Ranieri announced a new five-year advertising agreement with the Marshall University Lewis College of Business during the meeting. She noted that five years was unusual — the typical length would be a year — but there’s a substantial investment from the College of Business into an LED display. The college will give $20,000 up front and pay the remainder of the $70,968 in installments.

“They are advertising some new (MBA) degree programs that they are going to be starting through that college,” Ranieri explained. “So, very exciting and they know that the folks that they want to target for those degree programs are our passengers here at CRW. So, you will be able to see what’s going on with that college of business and we hope it attracts a lot of new students.”

Ranieri said the display will be located across from the B1 gate area at Yeager.

Global Entry Event

Yeager Airport Chief Marketing Officer Paige Withrow said there’s a Global Entry event coming up in August. The event was originally scheduled with Customs and Border Patrol several months ago but had to be rescheduled because of the federal homeland security shutdown.

Global Entry is a program that speeds up international clearance for passengers. It costs $120 per person and also offers TSA Precheck to travelers.

“If you need Global Entry, it’s very useful when you are traveling internationally,” Withrow said. “Please make sure to sign up for those appointments because they are hard to get. So, this is great for our community to be able to go and grab some of those appointments right here at home.”

Workers’ compensation

The Encova Workers’ Compensation Insurance costs for 2027 were down $5,066 from previous years. The board renewed the insurance for next year on Wednesday. Ranieri said they’ve done more staff training on workplace safety, in partnership with Encova, which has helped reduce the policy premiums.