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The critical role of childcare in development

Charleston, W.Va. – Childcare sits at the crossroads of economic growth, community stability, early childhood education, and family well‑ being. Reliable and available daycare is not a convenience for many working parents. And affordable daycare in all 55 counties has become a major issue that affects economic and community development throughout the state. When families cannot access affordable, quality childcare, businesses lose workers, communities lose productivity, and children lose crucial early‑ development opportunities. West Virginia, like much of the nation, faces ...

Find a fix for America’s drug pricing system

Millions of older Americans struggle every day to afford the medications they need. Too often, they make impossible choices: Splitting pills, skipping doses or forgoing prescriptions altogether because of the price. President Donald Trump recognizes the problem. His administration is weighing whether Medicare should cover GLP-1 medications for weight loss, a decision that could have major implications for access and cost. The White House has also recently worked with several pharmaceutical companies on voluntary “most favored nation” deals, which will secure more affordable ...

I want you to know that it really does get better

If you are anything like me, you are sitting there this morning with your usual cup of coffee. The house is quiet. And the Sunday newspaper is spread out before you on the bed or kitchen table. There is a specific kind of comfort in these pages. It is a sense of connection, a way to get in touch with the community that you just cannot seem to find anywhere else. I realize, of course, that I am likely talking to a specific group of people. We are the ones who still value the feel of the newsprint. Although I know many of you are reading this on a computer screen, smartphone ...

Week one of the W.Va. legislative session

Well, last week was an interesting start to the 2026 regular session of the West Virginia Legislature. In my previous column, I told you about the comments from former state Senate Finance Committee chairman Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, when he told attendees of the West Virginia Press Association’s Legislative Lookahead on Jan. 9 that the Republican caucus in the state Senate had no consensus regarding a public policy agenda. Now, that seemed a bit crazy to me. I’m a former Senate communications staffer, working the last two years of the Democratic majority and first two years of the ...

Full effects of school decision yet to come

There was, no doubt, shock following the decision Friday morning of the West Virginia Board of Education to take over control of the Hancock County Schools system. There have been many questions since October, when financial issues were made public, as to the future of the local school district. It began with the seemingly sudden termination of the former finance director, with the board then contracting with a financial consultant to help review the budgets of the current and previous fiscal years. As revealed during Friday’s state meeting, though, problems were known in ...

PSC at forefront of promoting broadband growth

One of the major issues the Public Service Commission has grappled with in recent years involves our effort to support the expansion in this state of high-speed internet service, commonly called broadband. Because of the mountainous terrain of the state, broadband is often accessed through provider service lines strung on utility poles. Our Commission regulates those poles and what can be attached to them. It is estimated that the state has more than 2.5 million poles, mostly owned by the two major power companies, but also by telephone carriers like Frontier. We have been tasked ...