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Consider running for elected office

Editorials

If you’re a West Virginia resident not satisfied with the status quo of the Mountain State — or if you are satisfied and would love to see what you consider positive momentum to continue — there’s a way for you to directly influence that. From Jan. 12 through midnight Jan. 31, West Virginia residents can file to run for elected office. Seats in government both large and small are up for grabs this year, and now is the time to throw your hat in the ring. Among the seats up for grabs this year are those in the United States Senate and House of Representatives, West Virginia ...

West Virginia still has a long way to go

Editorials

Initiatives such as the Mountaineer Mile walking program or efforts against certain food dyes and sugary sodas may have West Virginians thinking more about their health habits these days, but a report last month from the West Virginia Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Task Force suggests we’ve got a long way to go to tackle our unusually high tobacco product usage rates. Tobacco and nicotine product use here is among the highest in the country, with MORE West Virginians (10.1%) reporting use in 2023 than in 2022 (9.3%). “While the use of traditional tobacco products in the ...

Don’t forget your flu shots

Editorials

A new variant of the flu virus has been affecting people all over the world, and serving as a reminder to get your flu shot. According to an Associated Press report, that variant is known as “subclade K” and led to early outbreaks in the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada. In the United State, while flu season typically begins in December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported high or very high levels of illness in more than half the states. The CDC estimated there have been at least 7.5 million illnesses, 81,000 hospitalizations and 3,100 deaths from flu ...

Celebrating a much-needed service

Editorials

It’s not often that a group is able to demonstrate exactly what kind of an impact it has had on a community. That’s not the case for A Child’s Place CASA, which recently observed its 25 years in operation. A Child’s Place is one of 939 Court-Appointed Special Advocates programs in the United States, and since it was established in February 2000 it’s contributions to Hancock and Brooke counties have been tremendous. CASA programs train volunteers to act as advocates for youth involved in abuse and neglect cases, and during the last 25 years, A Child’s Place has trained 106 ...

Suiting up for the 2026 legislative session

Local Columns

Finally, it is 2026 and things will begin ramping up from here as the new 60-day legislative session kicks off next week with the gaveling in of the House of Delegates and state Senate, and Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s second State of the State address. The West Virginia Press Association’s annual Legislative Lookahead is this Friday at the Culture Center in Charleston. The event serves as the kickoff for those in print, TV, radio, and non-profit news preparing for their statehouse coverage. Reporters will hear from legislative majority and minority leadership, executive branch ...

History in the Hills: Looking back on new years

Local Columns

One of my favorite movies of all time is Woody Allen’s classic 1987 film “Radio Days.” This movie is a delightful blend of history, radio, music and nostalgia from the late 1930s and 1940s. It takes place in Rockaway, N.Y., in the outskirts of New York City on the Atlantic coast, not too far from where my wife grew up. I always loved this film because of the glimpse into the past and the great music that was popular at the time. That is my favorite genre of music, so that is part of the reason I like it. One of the last scenes of the movie shows many of the radio personalities ...