West Virginia per year, with 1,400 of those statistically attributed to deaths from heart, respiratory and kidney disease from living in an Appalachian coal county. In 2015, McDowell County had the highest rate of drug-induced deaths of any county in the United States, with a rate of 141 deaths per 100,000 people. Four of the five US counties with the highest rates of drug-induced deaths are located in West Virginia (McDowell, Wyoming, Cabell and Raleigh Counties). West Virginia's capital and seat of government is the city of Charleston, located in the southwest area of the state. The West Virginia Legislature is bicameral.
West Virginia State Society Award from the NCSS in 1977-78. 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