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History in the Hills: Riding the rails of history

If you were to ask me what my favorite job was during my career, I would have a hard time giving an answer. Worst job? That’s easy, but best job, that’s tough. Certainly one of my most favorite jobs was working for the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh. My wife and I both worked there and it was a time in our life when we had no children and no real responsibilities, so it was a time to be young and fun. My wife worked in the USS Requin, a cold war era submarine that was on its way to the pacific when World War II ended. She gave tours, greeted visitors and worked in ...

More money more problems in the Senate race

I’ve talked a lot in this space about how far ahead Gov. Jim Justice is in various polls of the 2024 Republican primary for U.S. Senate, but U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney has at least one advantage: money. I’m not talking about a specific dollar amount, but I am talking about a potential shifting of resources by national groups trying to tip the Senate back to a majority GOP body. Justice, once the state’s only known billionaire according to Forbes, has seen his estimated wealth cut by more than half. And it’s likely worse than that based on his own financial disclosure report filed ...

The campaign surprises keep coming

There have been many reminders this year of why nothing is certain in political campaigns until the final date of candidate registration. Previously, I’ve written about the number of potential presidential candidates to make big-splash announcements early in the “pre-campaign” period, only to fizzle out and withdraw before anything really got going. We’ve had examples here in West Virginia, as well, with individuals touring the state in 2022 announcing plans to run for federal office only to switch to something on the state or local level once early filings started. We ...

Safe and reliable water for all

One of the most important laws ever enacted by the West Virginia Legislature is the Distressed and Failing Utilities Improvement Act. This 2020 statute gives the Public Service Commission crucial tools for improving water and sewer services. The law allows the Commission to determine whether a system can properly serve its customers. Systems fail or fall into disrepair for any number of reasons. A major issue is a declining customer base. Fewer customers mean less money for repairs, maintenance, and salaries. Running a water or sewer system takes expertise. Qualified operators often ...

When is preparing early too early?

As a child, I loved Christmas like most children do. But as a young adult, I began to sour on the holiday. However, as I began to leave young adulthood and transition into middle age, I’m back to enjoying Christmas. But how early is too early to begin decorating? The goal of my wife and I is to wait until after Thanksgiving. Yet, we’ve been slowly breaking the rule, starting earlier with the decorating each year. Two weeks ago, Jessica found a good deal on a LED light Christmas tree and I began making room in the living room for where the tree usually goes. “Are you dropping ...

Remember to shop local this holiday

The holiday shopping season is officially under way. The day after Thanksgiving is recognized as “Black Friday,” because of the amount of shopping done, bringing positive activity to businesses across the nation (and around the world). These days, with the increase in online activity, the following Monday has been dubbed “Cyber Monday,” and various internet-based businesses have begun to offer discounts and other deals for those wanting to do their shopping for the comfortability of their homes. All that is well and good, but let’s not forget about Small Business ...