Life on the frontier could be tough

January 31, 2026

It’s going to snow — a lot … Our ancestors did not have the advantage of modern weather warning systems to prepare for things like bitter, raw, sub-zero temperatures, blizzards and ice storms. The Upper Ohio Valley was settled during some of the coldest winters of the Little Ice Age. The wintry weather that could be remembered might have been blended from the stories told in front of a hearth with a roaring fire and a black bake kettle and a bean pot, from a forbear of my mother’s side of the family. It was a time when youngsters were put to sleep in their feather beds to ...

Trains are beautiful, but respect the tracks

January 31, 2026

Here are words you would rarely put together: railroad safety and the Public Service Commission of West Virginia. Yet, when it comes to keeping rails safe and clear in the Mountain State, those duties fall to our Commission. And the center of that work is Operation Lifesaver. For more than three decades, the PSC has been a partner of Operation Lifesaver, a national nonprofit focused on rail safety education. Together with us, they raise safety awareness and strive to reduce accidents at rail crossings. That dedication starts at the top. The head of our railroad division was ...

Having to say goodbye never gets easier

January 31, 2026

There is a silence unlike any other when a certain heartbeat stops. It is a specific kind of quiet. One that seems to settle into the floorboards. And it remains a part of our home forever. It is a quiet so heavy that it feels as if it has its very own weight to it. How can air feel so heavy? We tell ourselves when we bring them home — those tumbling little balls of fur who trip over their own paws — that we are ready for the end. We tell ourselves that we understand the math. We convince ourselves that we realize there is not a lot of time when it comes to the life ...

History in the Hills: A look back at WW I

January 31, 2026

I am very proud of all my children, especially my oldest son, Paulie. He is smart, compassionate and is growing into a fine young man. What’s gratifying to me, though, is that he is developing a genuine love for history. As a child of two historians, he has always been exposed to our past, either through TV shows, books, trips to historic sites or the constant chatter from my wife and I about what we remember from the past and how things have changed. He likes to tease us when we start a story with the phrase “well, back in my day …” A huge part of his interest in so many ...

W.Va. Cold War: Justice versus Morrisey

January 26, 2026

Since former governor Jim Justice took his oath of office as a U.S. senator last year and former attorney general Patrick Morrisey was sworn in as West Virginia’s 37th governor, there has been somewhat of a cold war between the two officials. I won’t go over the entire history of the cold war, but the most recent incident involves the announcement by the Morrisey administration last week that Arizona-based Frontieras North America finally closed on the purchase of 183 acres in Mason County to move forward with a proposed $850 million investment in the state to construct a new coal ...

Waiting for the ballot to start filling up

January 24, 2026

We have about one week remaining until the filing deadline for West Virginia’s May 12 primary election, and...honestly...I’m a little disappointed in what I’ve been seeing so far. I’ve mentioned it before, but, while having more candidates does tend to mean more work for your local journalists covering these elections, it also means more choice for you, the voters. I prefer to see more names on the ballot no matter the election, because it means options. There’s so much talk about wanting change, but how can that happen if only the incumbets are running for the ...