DMV announces its holiday hours

CHARLESTON – Due to the Christmas holiday, all West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles’ Regional Offices will be closed on today and tomorrow, Dec. 25. Offices will resume normal business hours on Dec. 27.

For more information, please contact the WV DMV at 1-800-642-9066, or visit the DMV website at www.dmv.wv.gov.

College enrollment increases in Fall

CHARLESTON – The Community and Technical College System of West Virginia (CTCS) increased fall enrollment by 4.7 percent over 2009. With 26,692 students, this year’s growth reflects a continuing trend, which has seen the system increase total enrollment by 27.1 percent since 2004.

In an analysis of 2008 and 2009 enrollment by “Community College Week,” four West Virginia community and technical colleges were included with the fastest-growing institutions of their size in the nation.

Bridgemont CTC ranked 14th among community colleges with an enrollment less than 2,500. Likewise, Blue Ridge CTC ranked 13th, Mountwest CTC 27th and New River CTC 40th nationally with an enrollment greater than 2,500 and less than 5,000.

Adult students continue to be a key growth area for the state’s community and technical colleges. Full-time students, older than 25, were the fastest-growing segment of students in the state with a 10.3 percent increase from fall 2009 to fall 2010.

The CTCS, comprised of 10 institutions, delivers affordable comprehensive community and technical college education in all regions of West Virginia.

Cabinet secretary named by Tomblin

CHARLESTON – Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin announced Monday the appointment of Keith Burdette as the new cabinet secretary for the West Virginia Department of Commerce.

Burdette, a former legislator and president of the Area Roundtable and the Wood County Development Authority, succeeds Kelley Goes as head of the state’s Commerce Department. Goes will be taking on the role as state director for U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin in January.

Burdette spent several years in the West Virginia Legislature, serving two terms in the House of Delegates. In 1989, he became the youngest person elected as senate president in the state’s history at the age of 34.

Upon leaving the legislature in 1994, Burdette formed a government relations and consulting business but later joined the Gov. Bob Wise administration, serving as a senior assistant and director of policy and legislative relations.

“Keith has a very strong combination of legislative knowledge and a thorough business acumen that will allow West Virginia’s strong and growing presence in the global business community to continue,” Gov. Tomblin said in a press release.

Burdette has played an important role bringing economic development projects into reality for Wood County. As president of the Area Roundtable, Burdette assisted with the recruitment of Hino Motors, the expansion of Coldwater Creek, the construction of the new Mountain State Blue Cross & Blue Shield headquarters, along with a host of other development projects in the Wood County area.

“I know that Gov. Tomblin is fully committed to creating jobs and is continuously looking for ways to attract new opportunities in West Virginia and it is my true desire to be a part of that mission,” Burdette said in a press release.