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Government should stay out of contract negotiations

For decades, I had the privilege of serving as president and CEO of Eagle Manufacturing, a company based right here in West Virginia. Over those years, I understood the importance of sitting down together with my employees, talking through challenges and building trust over time. That approach worked for us, and it works for countless businesses across our state. That’s why I’m concerned about a new proposal in Washington called the Faster Labor Contracts Act. While its name makes it sound like common sense, the reality is that this legislation is unnecessary and could make things ...

Let’s take a magical tour to find out what’s happening at the PSC

One thing I admire about younger generations is how engaged they are with electronics And they display no fear of facing new challenges. So, let me invite you on a little magical tour of my own, by way of the Public Service Commission. You may groan at the thought, but the Commission truly touches each of you in many ways every day. Paying attention to what we do is very important to you, and could become habit-forming. And we all like to be in the know, and there is no better place for that than here. As with many mysteries, one needs the key to unlock the puzzle. In this ...

What I’ve leaned in my 53 … no, 54 years

So, today is my birthday. I know the date at the top of the page says it is Sunday. However, the newspaper comes out on Saturday ... my birthday. Oct. 18. If you’d have asked me long ago if I ever thought I would make it to 54, I probably would have responded, “no.” That number just seemed so far away. I couldn’t have envisioned myself being that age. Could any of us? I blinked. And now ... almost double nickels. You know, when my grandparents were double nickels, they looked a lot different than people today look when they are 55. Why is that? Their ...

Here’s to your health, West Virginia!

Last week, I covered the final two days of permanent injunction hearings to block a June directive from the West Virginia Board of Education to county boards of education to continue to enforce the state’s compulsory vaccine law and not accept religious exemptions approved by the Department of Health and made possible by Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s January executive order. I’m not going to rehash all of the particulars. You can read my coverage of both days. But I wanted to use my column to focus on last Thursday morning’s testimony by Dr. Mark McDaniel, the acting state health ...

Bad Bunny could provide a good show

Those complaining about the selection of Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl halftime show in 2026 should probably take some time to look up the history of the feature. From Super Bowl I in 1967 to XXVI in 1992, these performances were primarily provided by college and high school marching bands, with the occasional guest performer or two. Many had special themes, such as the 1992 salute to the Winter Olympics with appearances by the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, or the 1990 Salute to Peanuts, or the 1987 salute to 100 years of Hollywood. In 1981, there was a Mardi Gra theme. That changed ...

Guest Opinion: Politicians fight culture wars, W.Va. loses jobs

A recent local news headline read: “Manufacturing plant moving from West Virginia to Ohio, creating new jobs.” This is an unfortunate sign of the times for our state, which has lost the job-creating momentum created after business-friendly Republicans took control back in 2015. Unfortunately, a lot of Republican politicians seem more focused on fighting culture wars and creating new opportunities for lawsuits than growing our economy. Even though a majority of West Virginia voters want their leaders focused on economic growth, many legislators prioritize hot-button social ...