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Guest Opinion: Powering America’s future from West Virginia

West Virginia has always been an energy state. From the coal that built our nation to the natural gas fueling the industries of tomorrow, our state has provided the reliable energy America needs to prosper. Today, we stand at another pivotal moment as FirstEnergy’s Mon Power and Potomac Edison propose the construction of a new 1,200-megawatt natural gas power plant. This project is about more than electricity — it’s about securing our energy future, creating good jobs, and ensuring West Virginia continues to lead America forward. The energy demands of the 21st century are ...

Guest Opinion: The free market works – even in energy

Who wants higher electricity rates? Ask just about anyone and they’ll agree that energy prices have risen. They’re not wrong. In recent weeks there has been significant attention in the Mountain State on what is driving those costs. The question has no doubt arisen from people seeing their electricity bills steadily rise, especially since the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic five years ago. A review of data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that electricity rates have risen for most states. For example: • West Virginia: +27.71% • Ohio: +30.11% • ...

Guest Opinion: Standing together to fight hunger in West Virginia

As West Virginians, we take pride in caring for one another, especially in challenging times. With the federal government shutdown creating uncertainty and potential delays in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, many families are facing difficult questions about how they will put food on the table in the coming weeks. While SNAP benefits fall wholly under the purview of the West Virginia Department of Human Services, Governor Morrisey, and his staff, the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) stand ready to assist in any way possible. Our department ...

The calendar is whispering … ‘pay attention’

Well, I blinked. And already it is the first weekend of November. I’m still wondering where September went. One minute we were having cookouts, cutting grass, swimming, going on picnics. Now, those days have been replaced with brisk mornings, early sunsets and shoppers browsing the aisles for that perfect Christmas gift. That’s the funny thing about time. It doesn’t ask our permission. It doesn’t wait for us to catch up. It just keeps steadily moving. Time just keeps ticking, like those hands on an old kitchen clock. Fast and steady. Never stopping ...

The always moving TikTok of the clock

The news business is constantly changing and that means changing with the times. So, reluctantly, I have started a news TikTok. I’m not a fan of TikTok. I don’t like how the app is designed or how it’s meant to keep a user swiping for minutes and sometimes hours. I don’t like its connection to the Communist Chinese government and how it constantly scrapes information and data. The problem is that is where the young’uns are, and if you want the teens and young adults to read your news stories, you have to be where they are. And TikTok is where they are. I don’t know when I ...

Can Halloween and football coexist?

The youth of our area, no doubt, are looking forward to their opportunity to roam around their neighborhoods (with parental supervision) to seek their fill of candy as part of the trick-or-treating tradition. We’ve published a list of local times in several editions in recent days to help our readership know when their local trick-or-treating has been scheduled. I know this year has probably been a little more confusing than usual when it comes to the practice. In recent years, we’ve noticed many of our communities have begun to communicate with each other when planning their ...