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Guest Opinion: October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month — a nationwide initiative to raise awareness about the importance of protecting our digital lives. In an era where nearly every aspect of our personal, professional, and civic life is connected to the internet, cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue; it’s a personal responsibility. From phishing scams and ransomware attacks to identity theft and data breaches, cyber threats are growing in both frequency and sophistication. The good news? There are simple, proactive steps every person can take to protect themselves, their families, and ...

Guest Opinion: Electricity prices are soaring — and coal is a key solution

Electricity bills are climbing almost everywhere, and the reasons have little to do with ideology. Three forces are driving prices higher: Massive new utility spending on infrastructure, rising natural gas costs and growing capacity shortages in electricity markets as power demand soars from the AI revolution. In some states, prices have jumped more than 60 percent since 2022. The Trump administration inherited this mess and now has its work cut out for it. The strategy the administration has embraced is built around reinforcing dispatchable power—the generating resources that run ...

What’s not to love about autumn?

I can remember a time when autumn was simply amazing. Cool breezes on amber days. Fallen leaves in colors one could only imagine. Yet, here they were … a mix of hues intertwined. Yellows, oranges, reds and browns … each a masterpiece all its own, appearing as if strategically placed by the author, himself, who created them. And every time the wind blew, you could somehow detect a faint glimpse of what heaven must smell like. Hints of pumpkin, apple, cinnamon ... collectively filling the air. Autumn used to be a beautiful time. At least in my mind. But all ...

History in the Hills: Ghosts of the past

This week is Halloween, and usually around this time of year, I get in the mood to read a good spooky tale or ghost story. I guess this is to prepare me to write a good local history tale of my own. Believe it or not, it is hard to find honest-to-goodness ghost stories from our area. They are just not written down. Rather, they are spread by word of mouth and passed down. I have heard of a few and many of those I have related in these columns during the past six years, but I am always on the hunt. For me, just because a story doesn’t have a “ghost” component, doesn’t mean it ...

Let Babydog eat cake while D.C. idles

You’d be forgiven if you were to think that West Virginia only has one U.S. senator instead of two. Because based on appearances, Sen. Jim Justice appears to be doing the bare minimum. Sure, Justice is casting votes. If he has missed any, I’m unaware. The same goes for committee meetings. Justice is attending meetings, casting votes and sometimes making speeches, though many times those speeches have little to do with whatever the committee is discussing that day. But is doing the bare minimum enough? One of my favorite movies is “Office Space.” In one scene, a server played ...

Officials should always explain their vote

Tuesday night’s vote on a proposal to adjust the pay scales for the non-union employees at the City of Weirton wasn’t so much a surprise that there was dissent, but by how much. The amendment to Ordinance 1313 was voted down by a vote of three in favor and four against. If you’re interested in learning who voted which way, there was an article in our Thursday edition reporting on the vote, as well as some of what was said when the item came up for consideration. Whether you agree with the idea of these non-union workers receiving these pay adjustments or not, the fact is this ...