Published: March 25, 2008 11:59 pm         

Former President Clinton to speak in Beckley today

‘Solutions for America’ event seeks to bolster wife’s campaign

Beckley is quickly becoming an important stop on the road to the White House.

Less than a week after Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama visited, former President Bill Clinton will campaign today in Beckley for his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is locked in a tight race with Obama for the Democratic nomination.

The former president will speak at 3:15 p.m. at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center in a “Solutions for America” event. No tickets are required for the public event.

With the West Virginia primary scheduled for May 13, Clinton will also campaign today in Parkersburg and Chesapeake before coming to Beckley.

Obama spoke at a town hall meeting last Thursday at the convention center.

Local emergency responders have been working with the Secret Service through the week, working to make sure the former president and all coming to see him are safe. They say security will be tight, once again, and they will deploy a new communications system a second time, hoping most of the kinks are gone.

The Beckley Fire Department’s Raytheon Modular Interface Interconnect System was put into “full-scale” use for the first time during the Obama visit, and it will be used again today, according to Chief Kevin Taylor and Capt. Billie Trump. The communications system that will eventually allow the fire department to communicate with any emergency responder statewide was purchased in November.

The system was, and will be, used to allow all emergency responders — law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services — to communicate with one another, Taylor said. During the Obama event, there were some “glitches” that prevented some agencies from communicating with others. The glitches could have been caused by frequencies, software or antenna problems.

Nonetheless, Taylor estimated the equipment had “90 percent” success. The agencies handling the Clinton event will test the equipment again before the former president arrives.

Police Chief Tim Deems said the Clinton event will have slightly fewer restrictions than Obama’s appearance. The Clinton campaign will allow supporters to bring signs and purses. However, they are asked not to bring any signs with poles, sticks or anything else that could be used as a weapon. They are also discouraged from bringing large purses and coolers.

Firearms and other weapons are prohibited, Deems said. Anyone who enters the convention center is subject to a possible search.

Once again, authorities have reserved the field in front of the convention center for any protesters.

“If they want to protest, yeah, they can do that — in a designated area,” Deems said.

While planning for such an event is hectic, officials believe the presidential campaign visits are positive for Beckley.

“Obviously, like in 2004, West Virginia is a swing state that’s important for the candidates,” Taylor said. “I don’t know if this will be the last visit before May, but I believe we will see the candidates back. This will be a busy political season.

“We are in the national spotlight.”

— E-mail: apridemore@register-herald.com