West Virginia States for Business 2013" based on measures of competitiveness such as economy, workforce and cost of living – ranking among the bottom 5 states for the last six years running. West Virginia ranked 49th in the 2014 State New Economy Index, and has ranked in the bottom three states since 1999. West Virginia ranked last or next-to-last in critical indicators such as Workforce Education, Entrepreneurial Activity, High-Tech Jobs, and Scientists and Engineers. On January 9, 2014 near Charleston, the state capital, a chemical spill occurred that contaminated the water supply of 300,000 people in nine West Virginia counties. According to
West Virginia Route 17 West Virginia Route 17 West Virginia Route 17 is a north-south state highway located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of West Virginia. The southern terminus of the route is at West Virginia Route 10 in Stollings a short distance east of Logan. The northern terminus is at West Virginia Route 85 in Madison. The current alignment of WV 17 was once part of U.S. Route 119. US 119 was moved off of this routing when Corridor G was complete from Chapmanville to Danville by 1976. Once that section of four-lane highway was completed, US 119 was realigned