Breaking News

Editorials

Black history is American history

Black History Month 2025 is a chance to consider the ways work and working of all kinds intersect with the collective experiences of Black people. “African Americans and Labor” is the theme that has been selected by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, the founders of Black History Month, which runs through Feb. 28. It’s a multi-layered topic, and one that allows for study and discussion on many levels because, the association writes, of the many levels — free and unfree, skilled, and unskilled, vocational and voluntary — of life that labor ...

Looking toward the valley’s progress

As you look through the pages of the first installment of our annual Progress Edition that is inside today’s paper, you will find a real sense of optimism — a great deal of which is being driven by the men and women who have important roles in the region’s economic growth. “We need to think regionally, not just in terms of our own city or county,” explains Jefferson County Commissioner Tony Morelli. “We’ve been preaching a regional approach to development,” adds Brooke County Commissioner A.J. Thomas. And, according to Hancock County Commissioner Eron Chek, “I’m ...

Pinewood Derby teaches vital skills to our youth

The Pinewood Derby is a piece of Americana that hearkens back to a treasured time when fathers taught sons about working with their hands and with tools to create something of value. That piece of Americana nowadays involves moms and sons and daughters, brothers and sisters or uncles and nephews and nieces or grandparents and grandchildren — anyone who is willing to invest a little time in the life of a young person — but the concept remains the same: Teach a young boy or girl about using the skills of their own handiwork to enter a competition that is all about fun and ...

Coal numbers can be eye opening

Most West Virginians likely believe they have a general understanding of the significance of our coal industry in keeping the lights on for the rest of the country, and the size of its role in ensuring domestic energy security. But sometimes hard numbers make us take a step back from what we thought we knew. According to CSX Corp.’s fourth quarter earnings report, the railroad has seen a 14% decline in domestic coal shipments for the full year — but a 9% increase in export shipments. “Export coal decreased primarily due to reduced production, including planned and unplanned ...

Don’t leave your money behind

Arriving in the mail for many of us starting this past weekend was a piece of information that would be profitable not to misplace: the MV-1 form from the West Virginia State Tax Division, which indicates how much of a personal property tax credit you’re eligible for on your 2024 taxes. If you recall, the West Virginia Legislature approved legislation in 2023 as part of its tax-cut package that will credit, in full, all taxes paid in a calendar year on your vehicles — as long as those taxes are paid in full and on-time. The MV-1 form, which you will provide to your tax return ...

Smoking costs money and lives

As January tests New Year’s resolutions across the region, many may be weakening in their resolve. Certainly, that must include some who vowed this is the year to give up smoking. To add a little incentive to the effort, WalletHub took a look at the true cost of tobacco use. The dollar amounts are eye-opening for the 46 million people in the U.S. who still use tobacco. Total lifetime cost per smoker in Ohio was estimated to be $3,538,844. In West Virginia it is $3,210,116, and in Pennsylvania it is $4,300,935. Think about that for a moment — particularly given that those who live ...