In Around West Virginia: the state is improving children's literacy, Fayette County considers banning fracking waste, coal severance taxes are down, and more.
n West Virginia is one of the top five states in the country excelling at improving children's literacy, according to West Virginia Public Broadcasting. A study by New America's Education Policy Program lauded the state's birth through third-grade literacy improvement policy, particularly because of strong pre-K programs.
n Fayette County is considering a ban on disposing of fracking waste in the county, according to The Register-Herald. The commission will consider second reading of an ordinance prohibiting the storage, disposal or use of oil or natural gas waste at its 10 a.m. meeting on Jan. 12. The meeting will be followed by a rally in support of the ordinance.
n About 80 percent of municipal waste from Berkeley, Jefferson, Morgan and Hampshire counties will no longer be sent to a landfill starting in 2017, according to The Journal. Entsorga West Virginia broke ground on a new waste-to-solid fuel facility on Wednesday. The facility will convert the waste into a clean-burning fuel to be used at industrial sites. It's expected to be completed and in use by early 2017.
n A WVU football player was kicked off the team after being arrested during the team's recent bowl trip to Arizona, according to The Dominion Post. DaeJuan Funderburk was charged with indecent exposure, sexual indecency, assault and disorderly conduct. Funderburk, a redshirt safety, had yet to play in a game.
n The West Virginia State Treasurer's office anticipates coal severance tax disbursement to the counties will be about $4 million less this fiscal year, according to the State Journal. According to a statement from State Treasurer John Perdue, the office expects to end the year with about $22 million in coal taxes, about 23 percent less than the $26.8 million collected last fiscal year.
Reach Erin Beck at erin.beck@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5163, Facebook.com/erinbeckwv, or follow @erinbeckwv on Twitter.