WHEELING — For nearly 40 years, Dec. 1 has been designated as “World AIDS Day” — but the observance was not officially recognized across America on Monday.

That didn’t stop a group of volunteers from gathering at the First State Capitol Building in Wheeling to craft four new panels for the AIDS Memorial Quilt in memory of West Virginians who lost their lives to the disease.

“Unfortunately, the White House has decided it will not be celebrating World AIDS Day,” said Mikaya Green, chair of the Friendlier City Project. “That is the first time since 1988 that that has happened.”

The Friendlier City Project had already planned the panel-making event for Dec. 1 in collaboration with the AIDS Task Force of the Upper Ohio Valley.

“The AIDS quilt is a very cathartic way to memorialize the peopl

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