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 State Society West Virginia State Society The West Virginia State Society of Washington, D.C. (WVSS) was founded for those who live in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and have West Virginia connections. WVSS is a non-profit organization that hosts opportunities for West Virginians located in Washington, D.C. to gather, socialize, and create a strong identity in the city. Founded on September 12, 1914, the Society's first president was David W. Gall. Among the 78 original members were U.S. Senators, Nathan B. Scott and Davis Elkins. In 1939, State Societies began to coordinate events and in the late forties organized a Conference of