Submitting Student’s Name:  Aerianna McClannahan

To answer this question, Mingo County's desire to ameliorate is increasing every day. Our elected county officials have such an alacrity to do so that it is inspiring. Many people notice how extremely close our residents are. We bond as a family, instead of just living in the same area. Same goes for the officials in our government. Each person on our county commission and so on not only cares about their job, but the people that are affected by the actions that they make. Although there are numerous things, there are three main things that especially make life better for me.

Firstly Mingo's government works hard to exterminate drug trafficking. Drug abuse is a touchy subject, and often gets tossed aside for that very reason. Being a teenager, it makes me feel safe knowing that this issue is not taken lightly in our community. Officers will often visit our schools and hold programs discussing the issue and ways to prevent it. Our county is protecting me by having a zero-tolerance policy. Our very own sheriff Eugene Crum was killed in the line of duty recently while cleaning up the county. He was one who would make routine visits, and he was very passionate about clearing the area of drugs and drug users. His legacy will forever live on and allow our county to move forward in the right direction. Coinciding with that is that our county is rehabilitating people with drug issues. They're trying to get funds toward creating a rehab center. Until then, our magistrate runs what is called a "day report" alternative sentence, which requires you to obtain your GED and take drug tests every three days. This is used for people who are hoping to better themselves. That is huge because it shows that our county government isn't just punishing people. They're trying to get them back on the right track, and this makes my community so much more productive. He says that with the program, if the people follow through it helps to create more jobs, which is what my next topic is about.

The counties of West Virginia receive a severance tax from coal, which is our primary industry. The Mingo County government puts this money to good use. The county commission donates to local fire departments, and also reinvest in industry like coal to liquid fuel and the attempt to bring more factories to our county. What our officials are hoping to do is create more jobs outside of just the coal industry. They are investing in the future so that my generation will have jobs and opportunities so that we may stay in the county as we grow older instead of moving away to look for work.

In conclusion, I definitely feel as though my county government is putting thought into making it a safer environment, a cleaner place to live, and providing jobs for my generation. Not only do they take care of issues today, they are looking toward the future.