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Kicking off the year with a state park

Long-time readers of this column may recall previous commentaries about my interest in West Virginia’s state park system, especially may years-long quest into the Very Important Parks Person program. I still have nine parks to visit before receiving my patch, and, hopefully, that’s something I can get back into in the coming year. West Virginia’s state parks are as varied as the state’s geographical regions. Some are small, with a few trails and recreational offerings, perfect for an afternoon picnic or day visit, while others are established with connections to the state’s ...

Electric magic!

Could anything be more important to us, or less thought of, than the supply of electricity we use everywhere and every day? Electricity transformed humankind. It lengthened our days for both leisure and work. It has made it infinitely easier to prepare food, while making food so much tastier. It warms us and cools us. It allowed for truly miraculous progress in medicine, science, and exploration. It revolutionized engineering and made the computer, telephones, television, and airplanes possible. It has allowed us to reach for the stars and beyond. It expanded our ability to obtain an ...

A column specifically meant for our mothers

Today is my mother’s birthday. Now, to all of you who may be reading this sentence, that probably doesn’t mean a thing. But to me, those five words mean everything. Most of us know the importance of having a mom. They are the ones who brought us into this world. They are usually the ones who fed us whenever we cried, changed us because we could not do the job ourselves and rocked us to sleep, singing quiet whispers in our ear. They are the reason we are here, the reason we made it through all of those nights when we were sick, the times we had colic or chickenpox, ...

The special legislative session that wasn’t

Either as a reporter or a staff member, I have been under the golden dome of the State Capitol Building for going on 15 years in January. I have seen many things, but I have never seen the confusion that was caused last week for one day over how to call a special session in December following the November election but prior to the start of the new legislative session. It seems simple in concept: The governor has the authority to call lawmakers into special session (called an extraordinary session in the state Constitution, because it is outside the traditional 60-day regular ...

Adjustments coming for new officials

We’re about a month away from the start of a new term in many of our levels of government. In the coming weeks, current administrations will hold their final meetings, and, in some cases, they also will serve as the last meeting for several of our elected officials. This Monday, for example, will see the final regular meeting of the current Weirton Council. This means, unless a special meeting is called for some reason before Jan. 1, it will be the last time this group of eight individuals will be gathered to conduct the city’s business. Only two of the current council will be ...

Numerous West Virginia ties to legendary battle

When Army takes the field against Navy on December 14, West Point players will proudly display “Bastogne” logos on their chest. The logo honors the heroics by the 101st Airborne Division, the “Screaming Eagles,” during the Battle of the Bulge in WWII. In June 1944, Supreme Allied Commander Dwight Eisenhower issued the order to destroy the German war machine and eliminate Nazi tyranny in Europe. Eisenhower chose the 101st Airborne Division as a lead assault element and visited the 101st before they jumped into Normandy on June 6, 1944. For the next six months, the Division took ...