Photo by Jolene Craig Joe Barker, director of the Office of Community Health Systems and Health Promotion, speaks about the $4.5 million federal stimulus grant awarded to the state, specifically the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department, during a press conference at Bicentennial Park Friday.

PARKERSBURG — The Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department was awarded $4.5 million in federal stimulus money Friday as part of a community wellness program called Communities Putting Prevention to Work. “This is the largest competitive grant awarded to West Virginia,” said Dick Wittberg, executive director of the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department. The grant money is geared toward creating healthier communities in Wood, Calhoun, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane and Wirt counties, said Joe Barker, director of the Office of Community Health Systems and Health Promotion in the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. This grant is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ initiative to support public health efforts to reduce obesity, increase physical activity, improve nutrition, and decrease smoking—four critical actions for combating chronic diseases and promoting health.