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Preparing for the hunting seasons

Editorials

It feels as though we are still in the thick of summer now, but West Virginia’s hunting seasons start at the end of this month, with the Aug. 30 kick off of the early split of the black bear firearms season. Then there’s squirrel season; bow season for deer, black bear and wild boar; turkey season; early firearms season for antlerless deer and of course, traditional buck firearms season running Nov. 24 to Dec. 7. If the thought of all those excuses to spend a little time in the woods has got you ready to break out the orange, hold on a minute. Have you completed your hunter ...

West Virginia needs to invest intelligently

Editorials

In announcing that it turns out there WiLL be a larger-than-predicted surplus to start fiscal year 2026 in West Virginia, Gov. Patrick Morrisey said “We’re saving money, we’re running government more efficiently, and we’re making decisions to say when we’re going to spend money, let’s make sure we spend it on the things that really matter and drive economic growth.” So what really matters? A few studies released recently might give us some clues. West Virginia is 46th in the country for state health care systems, according to WalletHub — ranking 49th for cancer rate, ...

Keep art, history alive

Editorials

Kyle Holbrook’s name has become a familiar sight on the walls of Steubenville. During the past couple of years, the work of the muralist who grew up in the Pittsburgh suburb of Wilkinsburg has captured portions of the city’s history. In 2023, Holbrook painted a Stop the Gun Violence mural inside the entryway to the Northend Market and Deli on North Sixth Street. He returned to the city last year to create the Lewis & Clark and the Corps of Discovery mural on Court Street, across from the Jefferson County Courthouse. Holbrook is back in town to help restore and refresh the ...

Hot temperatures and hotter tempers

Local Columns

They say that heat makes people cranky, and it sure seems like tempers and egos are clashing all over the place within West Virginia state government. Take the recent drama over the Legislative Economic Development Assistance grant program, the reincarnation of the former Budget Digest, where lawmakers used to put earmarks for projects in their legislative districts. Instead of lawmakers putting earmarks in the general revenue budget, past legislatures and governors came to an agreement where the Legislature appropriates money into a line item within the Governor’s Civil ...

Coping with obsessive-compulsive disorder

Local Columns

I have had obsessive-compulsive disorder all my life. Even as a child, my devoted mother, Dorothy Irene Welker, would say to me, “Billy, you dwell on things too much.” I still do, but it wasn’t until my late 20s that I was finally diagnosed with OCD by Dr. Dorothy Jones, a clinical psychologist. In the United States, approximately 2.5 million people have been diagnosed with OCD. And those are only the reported cases. Millions of other Americans just try to cope with it. They are embarrassed to tell their friends about their condition. But keep in mind, OCD is an emotional ...

West Virginia must finalize NIL for high school athletes

Local Columns

On August 8, 2025, West Virginia will finally step into the present when the Board of Education approves Item I (WVSSAC, Series 2), allowing high school athletes to benefit from their name, image and likeness. This change isn’t just overdue, it’s essential. For years I’ve spoken publicly and privately about the need to give our student-athletes the same opportunities already available to their peers across the country. When my colleague and I started lobbying for this shift in February, only 30 states and the District of Columbia had NIL policies in place for high school students. ...