Breaking News

Opinion

Helping others: The best dollar I have ever spent

Local Columns

It isn’t often I feel as if I have made any real difference in this world. In other words, no real contribution of which to speak. If you think about it, there have been so many people who have made some kind of a change in another person’s life. Think of all of the inventions there have been — the everyday things we use which assist us in some small way. Yeah, somebody created that. It’s amazing. Think about all of the people who have made a difference. The ones who have done a good deed for another and never asking for anything in return. The volunteers who have ...

Utilities are getting the math wrong

Editorials

It’s always jarring when those representing corporations on which so many of us depend display their total disconnect from the real world most of us must navigate. Those of us who have to budget for utility payments — whether it be for a household or an industrial facility — could only laugh at Appalachian Power President and CEO Aaron Walker’s assessment of a 72% increase in residential customers’ rates since 2018. “I don’t think I’d say substantial. I don’t know what you mean by substantial,” he said during a West Virginia Public Service Commission hearing this ...

Remember what makes West Virginia grand

Local Columns

Friday was West Virginia Day – the observance of the anniversary of West Virginia’s statehood on June 20, 1863. West Virginia is a special place. Born of rebellion in the midst of the American Civil War, made of a proud people who were known to live for themselves and their communities, fighting for their rights and freedoms and not falling down before authorities. We are a hard-working people who cherish the beauty of our state and the traditions of our history. In a time when so much about society has been built to divide us, let us take some time to think about some of the ...

Those hills remain majestic and grand

Editorials

It was 162 years ago today when the nation first learned that “Mountaineers are Always Free.” Since then, we West Virginians have worked hard to make our mark on bettering not only ourselves and our beloved Mountain State but also this great land in which we are so privileged to live. June 20, 1863 saw West Virginia born from the Civil War as the 35th state. Since then, our natural resources — coal, natural gas and timber — have helped to power a growing nation. Our natural beauty and wild and wonderful landscape are a playground for many seeking to connect with the ...

Juneteenth celebrates our past and future

Editorials

Residents from across the Tri-State Area will be joining with those from across the country during the next several days to commemorate Juneteenth. There will be fun activities and games for children, vendors offering a wide variety of items and information, and there will be food — lots of it — including some of the best homemade dishes you can find in the region. But the annual celebration is about more than being able to enjoy a few days of entertainment and fun — it is a recognition, a chance to reflect on the significance of the Juneteenth holiday. The holiday remembers ...

Common sense and decency needed in debate

Editorials

West Virginia’s Prosecuting Attorneys Association injected a little common sense and decency into a conversation that reached intrusive absurdity after Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney Tom Truman earlier this month made the chilling claim that women could face potential criminal charges if they do not inform law enforcement of miscarriages. “Call your doctor. Call law enforcement, or 911, and just say, ‘I miscarried. I want you to know,’” Truman said to WVNS-TV in a June 2 interview. Ludicrous, isn’t it? To be sure Truman’s claim didn’t do any more damage than it ...