Bernie Sanders, Vermont senator and former presidential candidate, was scheduled to speak on poverty in McDowell County Monday, Feb. 13, 2017.

But Sanders announced Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017 on social media that a state government official canceled his appearance in Welch at the last minute.

A visit Monday would have been Sanders’ second to McDowell County since May, 2016, while he was campaigning during the primary elections. He was planning to hold a town meeting in Welch about helping poverty.

That’s an issue Chris Lester, Iaeger native turned Raleigh County resident, said is a reason his family moved.

“All the coal mines are shut down, people are moving upstate to find new jobs,” Lester said. “It’s just a lot of poverty down here.”

Sanders announced on his Facebook page Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017 that he was told a West Virginia state government official canceled his event at the Welch Armory.

When Reba Honaker, city mayor, heard the news, she called it a missed opportunity to bring much needed attention to a struggling community.

“Our luck is down, coal is down and we’ve lost a lot of jobs,” Honaker said. “We could use some federal help. And I think Bernie Sanders knows that, and I think he would do what he can.”

The Welch mayor said if there are no venues willing to host an event for Sanders, then she’s offering Martha H. Moore Riverfront Park.

“It’s an amphitheater setting that would accommodate hundreds of people,” Honaker said. “So that would be, if he wanted to come after the weather breaks, would be a beautiful location.”

Sanders said on his social media that from 2009-2013, more than half of McDowell County’s population was in poverty. The post also shows that the county has the lowest life expectancy in the United States.

Sanders finished that post by saying, “That town meeting will be held. Poverty in America will be discussed. Solutions will be found.”

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