Any real, imagined or threatened intent on my part to curb my caloric intake for the first time in 2021 came to a “sweet stop” after a knock on the door last weekend. Left behind was a belated Christmas gift from a creative friend who pays great attention to detail and desire when it ...

I’ve had a decades’ long enjoyment of the outdoors. It’s probably something that started in my youth when I would visit family in Wetzel and Tyler counties and go on walks through the woods with my maternal grandfather and great-grandfather. They would talk about the different types of ...

President Lincoln said, “Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision.” Faith in our American democracy depends on confidence in the election process and results. When confidence is shaken, so too is the confidence in our government and our leaders. Even during the pandemic, ...

What a year 2020 was for the people of America, the Ohio Valley and even the world. We have lost too many good men, women, boys, girls, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and friends. Now we are looking at 2021, and by the sixth day there are challenges we never dreamed taking place in our ...

This past week will go down as one of the worst weeks, not only for what occurred in our nation’s capital, but also for our newspapers. Last week we lost Mike Myer, the executive editor of the Wheeling Intelligencer, an accomplished columnist, and a giant in West Virginia journalism. He ...

True to any day, the thoughts in my head are as varied as they are disconnected and unassociated. This column will likely be proof of that. I was thinking, for instance, about inventions or more like, “Now why hasn’t anyone thought of this or done this before?” when I was grocery ...

I’m still trying to process my thoughts following the events in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6. I know not everyone who attended the rally that morning of President Donald Trump were involved in the raid on and ransacking of the U.S. Capitol. I also know those individuals do not necessarily ...

A recent donation to Historic Fort Steuben came rolling through the doors of the Visitor Center last month in the form of a four-passenger surrey. This great vehicle, fully restored, dates to 1909 and features plush seats and a top with fringe going all the way around. This holiday season it ...

How do you brainwash someone? Edgar Schein was one of the first psychologists who studied brainwashing. He identified three stages, through which a person is kept unaware of the process and the converting activities are presented as friendly and lighthearted. Unfreezing: A person’s current ...

Happy new year everyone. It’s now 2021, and with a new year comes the beginning of Gov. Jim Justice’s second term and a new legislative session with two Republican supermajorities. The first thing to happen will be the start of the regular session of the West Virginia Legislature starting ...

We’re officially kicking off 2021, but as I’m trying to write this a little ahead of time to meet some of our early deadlines, I’ll pick a few rambling topics to, hopefully, provide some thoughts over your weekend breakfast. ¯ A thank you to Paul Lauttamus for inviting me to see ...

I’m so predictable at the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one. I wear my baggy clothes and enjoy what the holiday affords — some time to chill and indulge in food that’s bad for you, which explains why it’s so delightful. It wouldn’t be a New Year’s Eve time of ...

The last year has been one of the roughest in recent memory. Mainly due to the pandemic, we as Americans have experienced loss, hardship and new challenges that haven’t been seen in several decades. As many of us try to leave 2020 behind, we can look towards the hope the new year will bring. ...

We’ve just completed our Christmas celebrations, which means the year will be coming to an end in just a matter of days. Many of us, I’m certain, are ready to put 2020 behind us, although, realistically 2021 is sure to provide challenges of its own. Much of the news of the last year has ...

I always say the best songs come on the radio when you pull into a driveway or a parking lot and have to be somewhere at a specific time and can’t listen to it and enjoy it. Life is ironic. I was running just a tad later than usual Tuesday morning and realized when I pulled in the ...

People love to say United States Senate is incapable of doing much of anything these days, least of all tackle tough issues like climate change. And yet, here we are, with the Senate passing the most significant climate and energy package in more than a decade. This is legislation that will ...

Christmas this year may be different for a lot of us. The parties, big dinners and mountains of gifts may just have to wait until next year. Despite all the limitations of this year, however, it doesn’t mean that Christmas should be any less special or magical to us. It seems to many that ...

Well, this is the last Sunday of 2020. Needless to say, it has been quite a year. I’m hoping everyone had a good Christmas celebration and you enjoyed all the festivities of the day. Many will reflect on the restrictions of this year, as we draw to a close. What will you remember? Many will ...

Last week, I pointed out an angle of attack the Democrats could use in 2022 against Republican lawmakers and 2020 candidates who stood on the steps of the Capitol and pledged $1 billion for broadband expansion. Again, they got to that $1 billion number by including the up to $766 million the ...

We’re only a few days away from Christmas, and about 12 (or 13 depending on when you’re reading this) from the beginning of a new year. The last 11 months or so have shown us a lot about our nation, highlighting the divisions and the dangers we face and must work to overcome in the years ...