CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The governor’s office is fielding a number of calls from families hoping youth sports will be able to be played this summer. Justice indicated Tuesday he may set a date soon.
“We’ve got to give our little leagues, our youth sports a date, a date in which they can shoot for and go back,” Justice said at his state capitol media briefing. “I’m really, really hopeful that date is somewhere close to June 1st if we can pull it off.”
Justice’s six-week plan to reopen the state after six-weeks of a stay-at-home order is getting off to a measured start. Justice said he wants to see kids running around again.
“If there’s a way that we can get back to playing Little League baseball this summer I want to get back to playing Little League baseball. If we can get back to playing youth sports I want to do it,” Justice said.
Social distancing guidelines would likely impact practices and games, Justice said.
Hatfield-McCoy Trail
Justice also said Tuesday he would like to reopen the Hatfield-McCoy Trail soon but at the current time remains concerned about out-of-state residents heading here to use the trails. He said he doesn’t worry about those who rent cabins along the trail following sanitary guidelines.
“I have all the confidence in the world that the great people of southern West Virginia will keep those cabins spotlessly clean and they will work very, very diligently when we do bring back the trails,” Justice said.
Wedding bells
A reporter told Justice Tuesday he had a received a question from a bride-to-be if she’d be able to have her wedding this summer. After giving her some advice about choosing a husband, Justice said the wedding might be able to happen if the state continues to move in the right direction.
“I hope and pray she’s going to be able to have the wedding. There may be a few tweaks as far as the number of people and how they’re situated there,” Justice said.