{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases/photos-capito-tours-funding-projects-in-bluefield-presents-amelia-earhart-award", "PHOTOS: Capito Tours Funding Projects in Bluefield, Presents Amelia Earhart Award", "2024-10-08", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "WV", "Shelley Moore Capito", "C001047", "www.capito.senate.gov", "capito", "https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "BLUEFIELD, W.Va. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a leader on the Senate Appropriations and Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committees, made several stops in Bluefield, W.Va. to highlight funding projects she has supported, receive updates from community and local leaders, and present the Amelia Earhart Award to a local resident.\n\nTo begin the day, Senator Capito met with community leaders to receive a briefing on the city\u2019s funding awards and the regional impact of the recent storm. Following the briefing, Senator Capito toured the U.S. Route 52 modernization project \u2013 which she supported and made funding available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.\n\n\u201cAs I was worked to craft the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, I saw a generational opportunity to improve West Virginia\u2019s surface transportation infrastructure. U.S. Route 52 is a crucial thoroughfare for Bluefield and these improvements will increase road safety and continue expanding economic opportunities in and around the city. I was proud to advocate for this project and I\u2019m thrilled to see work underway,\u201d Senator Capito said.\n\n\"The funding Senator Capito helped secure for infrastructure projects in Bluefield represents generational change for not only our city, but all of Southern West Virginia. We are very appreciative of Senator Capito for visiting today to see how her support for these projects will modernize downtown Bluefield, create a gateway to Bluefield State University, and improve the safety and quality of life for residents and visitors alike,\" Cecil Marson, Bluefield City Manager, said.\n\nThe tour concluded at Bluefield State University (BSU) where Senator Capito met with leaders to discuss ongoing expansion projects at the university. In September, Senator Capito secured a Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) award for BSU to expand its healthcare education facilities and curriculum. The funding, which is part of a broader investment in health care infrastructure and education across West Virginia, will bolster the university\u2019s efforts to train the next generation of health care professionals in the region.\n\n\u201cThis new center at Bluefield State University will provide students with the tools and training they need to succeed in the medical field, while also helping to alleviate the healthcare workforce shortages we are seeing across the state and the country,\u201d Senator Capito said. \u201cInvesting in medical education is one of the most important steps we can take to ensure that West Virginians have access to high-quality healthcare.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis investment is a game-changer for our students and the communities they will serve. It will allow us to expand our medical programs and offer hands-on training opportunities in a modern, state-of-the-art facility. We are deeply appreciative of Senator Capito\u2019s commitment to the future of healthcare in West Virginia,\u201d BSU Interim President Darrin Martin said. \u201cBy offering students more pathways to pursue careers in high-demand health fields, we are helping to address workforce shortages while providing top-tier education and holding to our mission of serving our community and providing an affordable, accessible opportunity for public higher education.\u201d\n\nIn the afternoon, Senator Capito traveled to the Mercer County Airport\u2019s Civil Air Patrol West Virginia Composite Squadron where she presented the Amelia Earhart Award to Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Cadet Peyton Bogel. The award is presented to only 3% of the nearly 22,000 CAP cadets nationally each year. Learn more about the award here.\n\nPhotos from today\u2019s visits are included below:\n\nU.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) with local leaders after touring ongoing improvements to U.S. Route 52 in Bluefield, W.Va. on Tuesday, October 8, 2024.\n\nU.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Darrin Martin, Interim President at Bluefield State University, following a briefing on university expansion projects and economic development opportunities in Bluefield, W.Va. on Tuesday, October 8, 2024.\n\nU.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) presents the Amelia Earhart Award to Civil Air Patrol Cadet Peyton Bogle in Bluefield, W.Va. on Tuesday, October 8, 2024.\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases/photos-capito-tours-funding-projects-in-bluefield-presents-amelia-earhart-award"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0502878576517105, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}