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The West Virginia Senate Economic Development Committee has approved a bill that would allow Department of Commerce subagencies to contract for the management of state forests and wildlife management areas to prevent wildfires. Senate Bill 688 would allow the directors of the Division of Forestry and Division of Natural Resources to award management contracts notwithstanding the competitive bidding process, when the contract is needed for an economic development project.

On this Black Friday (and almost Small Business Saturday), when you shop local your money stays local and it helps our communities thrive. Beckley's Scentister is all about healthy air fresheners and more. "People don't realize the struggles that small businesses go through -- just to get a name and a reputation for themselves," said

Wildfires that burned through a total of 3,450 acres of forest this month on West Virginia woodlands managed by the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service were all listed

“It’s going to be closed for the foreseeable future," Steep Valley Fire Public Information Officer Tom Engberg said Friday. “We know that it’s a popular hunting area in the zone where it is, but due to an abundance of caution for firefighter safety we’re going to keep it closed for now.”

The National Park Service said the Steep Valley fire was first reported on Monday, Nov. 6 and is now 78 percent contained. The fire continues to burn minimally in steep and rugged parts of inaccessible terrain.