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We need to teach our children how to live

There is a quiet wisdom in the way a child watches the world. Their eyes are wide and not yet clouded by the cynicism of adulthood. Their hearts are constantly open, always believing in a way that most of us have forgotten how to do. Questions come tumbling out of their mouths like marbles spilled across a hardwood floor. But for some reason, we tend to take that precious innocence for granted. Instead, we spend so much of our time hurrying them toward the next milestone in life. We are continually preparing them for standardized tests, college applications, their future ...

It’s all downhill from here in Charleston

Last Thursday marked day 30, the halfway mark of the 60-day annual legislative session. It’s all downhill from now to midnight on Saturday, March 14, when the regular session adjourns sine die. At the beginning of the session, I had a hard time predicting whether this session would be a flurry of action or be slow, but it appears slow and steady wins the race. That’s not terribly surprising given that this is a midterm election year. Lawmakers want to do enough to look like they’re doing something, while also not doing things to avoid rocking the boat. The House of Delegates ...

Paying for the decisions of our forefathers

Last August, this newspaper published an editorial, under the “Our Opinion” banner, titled “The water bill will come due, eventually.” Well, it’s looking as if that time is approaching. At the time, the Weirton Area Water Board was working with Thrasher Engineering to develop a plan for the replacement of 147,500 linear feet of cast iron and galvanized water lines within the distribution system. It’s all part of the order given last summer by the West Virginia Public Service Commission following last winter’s water woes, with an initial focus on some of the worst ...

A Valentine’s Day that we all can celebrate

I somehow found myself standing in the greeting card aisle the other day. I was surrounded by an ongoing display of crimson envelopes and plush teddy bears holding satin hearts and I love you notes. It was such a stark contrast between those vibrant red inks and the gray, winter sky that was peering through the storefront windows. The calendar has flipped to February. Yet even before then, it seemed as if the world had suddenly gone from discounts on leftover Christmas merchandise to a very specific, aggressive shade of pink. Yes, it is that time of year again. The time when ...

History in the Hills: Historic objects

Here at Historic Fort Steuben, our museum collections are important. The historical stuff we have really makes the museum special and it can make the past feel alive to our visitors. To me, the fort itself is an artifact, even though it is a reconstruction. These buildings invite us to appreciate what life was like for the First American Regiment and the team of surveyors working to map the Northwest Territory while they were here in the winter of 1786 and 1787. With the recent cold weather and snow on the ground, I feel more connected to them than ever as the winter the soldiers were ...

A big splash of those primary colors

When it comes to contesting statewide and legislative races, the West Virginia Democratic Party should be commended for its candidate recruitment efforts heading into the 2026 elections. I don’t say that because I have a specific bias one way or another. But I do believe that a healthy two-party system is important to making our democratic republic work, because the political parties hold each other accountable. According to the state Democratic Party, there are 22 Democratic candidates seeking nomination to 17 of 19 state Senate seats on the ballot for the May primary, some of ...