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Stay informed of your government’s actions

All too often, people take an interest in the dealings of their local governments only when they feel it affects them directly. A handful of residents have been consistently attending Weirton Council meetings this year, speaking about the water issue. In the last month, between 20 and 25 residents took part in meetings held by the Weirton Zoning Board of Appeals over a proposed timbering project located on the hillside between Marland Heights and Freedom Way. The Hancock County Commission meetings were packed a few months back when it was announced there would be budgetary cuts to ...

Building a future for West Virginia

Hello, West Virginia, If we haven’t met, I would like to introduce myself. I am Michael T. Benson — you can call me “Mike” — president of West Virginia University. I officially started July 15 and I am amazed at how three decades of work in higher education across the United States have brought me, step by step, to the place I belong — the beautiful state of West Virginia in a position to lead its flagship, land-grant institution into a new era. My wife, Debi, is especially looking forward to experiencing the four seasons the Mountain State offers after our time under the ...

Artificial intelligence is upending the job market, but this industry is hiring

Today’s college graduates face a startling reality. Many of the jobs they were hoping for are rapidly disappearing because of AI (artificial intelligence). As Mike Rowe of “Dirty Jobs” fame recently observed, “We’ve been telling kids for 15 years to learn to code. Well, AI is coming for the coders.” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg agrees. He predicts that most Meta code will be written by AI in the next 12-18 months. The great disruption is here. Many entry-level office jobs—from coders and analysts to researchers and writers—are being eaten by AI. The unemployment rate ...

A letter to my grandson, please remember …

Dear Layne: There is something I would like for you to know, something no one else may ever say that I believe you should hear at least once in your life. As your grandma, I feel it is my responsibility to let you in on a secret. And no, I am not trying to persuade you into changing who you are or who you will one day become. That wouldn’t be fair. Just please know this … in case no one else ever tells you. You are growing up in a completely different society than the one I grew up in, different than the ones your grandparents and great-grandparents lived through, ...

Taking a hacksaw through recent news

We have another alleged case of hacking of a lawmaker. Last Monday, Del. Charles Sheedy, R-Marshall, posted on the Marshall County WV Republican Club Facebook page that he sent a letter to Gov. Patrick Morrisey and the state congressional delegation regarding the lack of a federal disaster declaration for Ohio and Marion counties. The following is taken directly from that letter as he (allegedly) wrote it: “Constituents in District 7 are asking why President Trump has not issued a FEMA Disaster Declaration for Ohio and Marion Counties? My constituents are also yours and they ...

Trying to find myself a new quiet spot

Do you ever find yourself needing to get away from everything? An urge to just take off somewhere, shutting off your phone, or at least picking somewhere with little reception, and disconnect from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the world? It brings to mind an exercise I went through as part of a merit badge class during my time in Scouts. Each of us were tasked with going out into the woods – a safe distance – sitting down and just observing our surroundings. We were asked to chronicle what we experienced. Through my life, I’ve attempted to use a similar method to help ...