Breaking News

Local Columns

Remember the importance of poll workers

We’re under the two-month mark leading up to West Virginia’s primary election, and while there is much attention on the various candidates set to appear on the ballot, there is something else just as important we should consider. In order for the election to be as successful as we have seen in the past, there is a need for poll workers. These men and women are those willing to step forward to register each voter as they come into each polling location, making certain voters are at the appropriate place and assisting them in the event they are not. They answer any questions and ...

Time to fix household leaks

A simple household leak can cost you a lot of money. Most are simple to fix once you locate them, but leaks can be sneaky. The Public Service Commission of West Virginia is participating in Fix a Leak Week, March 18-24 by encouraging everyone to be vigilant in finding and repairing leaks in household plumbing fixtures. Did you know that across America, homes waste more than a trillion gallons of water every year? That is shocking. The average home loses almost 10,000 gallons of water per year to simple leaks. That is the amount of water it takes to wash 300 loads of laundry. And every ...

To whom it may concern, I have to say good-bye

To whom it may concern, I am looking for a “sibling” for my 10-month-old husky, Mia. Some people believe I am crazy for wanting to get another puppy. My home already offers shelter and love to three teenage boys and the recent addition of a dog not quite 1. But I believe there is always room for another dog. A playmate for Mia and another being in which to love. I know the perfect one is out there and I’m hoping we will be led in their direction. To whom it may concern, Today I drove to your home. Although I cannot remember your name — if you even gave it to me at all, I ...

History in the Hills: Recollections of an historian

Some people, it seems, are just born with natural abilities. Some are naturally athletic, some are artistic and some are good at math, among other subjects. I, however, did not get those attributes. What I did get is the ability to learn and retain historical facts. For whatever reason, this comes easy to me, and I find myself being able to remember names, places and dates — you know, all the boring stuff one tends not to remember from their history classes. I am barely able to remember what I did last weekend, but ask me the date of the passage of the U.S. Constitution, and I can ...

Thoughts on the 2024 legislative session

As I write this Sunday morning following the end of this year’s 60-day session of the West Virginia Legislature, I’m trying to wrap my head around everything. When one looks back at this particular session, I have no idea what the takeaways will be. I stand by my contention a few weeks ago that this was largely a lackluster session. I decided to do some compare and contrast. As of the stroke of midnight Saturday, 280 bills had completed the legislative process, meaning they were passed by both the House of Delegates and the state Senate (38 of those bills have already been signed ...

Looking back at some of our local news

While we certainly have an eye set on West Virginia’s primary election in a little over two months, in our office this time of year also means preparations are being made for the West Virginia Press Association’s annual Better Newspaper Contest. For me, that means reviewing copies of every edition of our newspaper published in the previous year and trying to select the best possible news or sports articles, local columns and editorials, features and photographs to set up against other newspapers in West Virginia. We have a relatively small, but hard-working staff in our newsroom, ...