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The world’s biggest business needs West Virginia common-sense

Parts of West Virginia are less than an hour’s drive from Washington, but the two places could not be any more different. It’s not about the size of the cities or how many people live there, it’s about the way we think. It’s about culture, priorities and how we approach government. Inside the beltway, everybody is too busy worrying about the next election. But I never approached things that way. Back home, sure, people are busy. They’ve got plenty to do. But there’s this feeling of community, of belonging, of we are all in this together. And that is sorely lacking in a ...

Lawsuit abuse draining BRIM, burdening taxpayers

West Virginia taxpayers have dealt with increased consumer and healthcare costs for decades, tied to our formerly poor litigation climate. As our state courts have become fairer in recent years due to legal reforms that have improved our overall economy, the personal injury lawsuit industry has found a new deep pocket to go after—the state of West Virginia itself. Lawsuit after lawsuit has been filed against school boards and other non-profit organizations that use the state’s insurance agency, the West Virginia Board of Risk and Insurance Management (BRIM). In just the last ...

Merry Christmas and Happy Presidents Day

Merry Christmas! No, I haven’t lost my mind. (Completely.) I know that the calendar tells me it’s Feb. 14 ... Valentine’s Day. And if, by chance, you happen to be reading this column, it will already be Feb. 15, even though the newspaper indicates at the top of the page that it is Feb. 16. Are you still with me? OK. Good. Anyway, the reason I am wishing you a Merry Christmas is because my youngest son, Noah, will be coming home from Poland this week. As I have mentioned a time or two before … actually, more like three or four times before ... that upon his ...

History in the Hills: Washington’s visit

It’s good to be back at Historic Fort Steuben. I love spending time with our local history and helping to make it accessible to the public through our programs and events. I am constantly reminded, however, that the longer I interact with local history, there is so much more out there I don’t know. There are stories and history in every building, under every rock and around every corner. And very much buried in the ground. I remember fondly when we added more lights to the Berkman Amphitheater at Fort Steuben Park, long trenches needed to be dug in the ground. When I was tired of ...

‘Yeas and nays,’ preparing for the session

On Wednesday, I will begin my 15th year involved with the start of the West Virginia Legislature’s regular 60-day session. I moved to Charleston on a snowy January in 2010 a week before the start of that session. I had just started one year prior a news website on behalf of a libertarian think tank focused on government transparency and accountability called West Virginia Watchdog. This was a good 13 years before non-profit-funded journalism would become cool. As a print and radio news reporter in the Mid-Ohio Valley in the mid-2000s, I followed West Virginia politics and wrote ...

Show support for our local restaurants

This weekend should have been seeing the final days of the inaugural Weirton Restaurant Week. As an amateur foodie, this idea was something I had been looking forward to since first learning about it by speaking with those involved in its planning. I was mapping out a possible schedule, looking at ways to squeeze in a couple visits in between work meetings and other appointments, and even considering the possibility of inviting a few people to come along. Weirton Restaurant Week is being organized by the Top of West Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Weirton Area Chamber ...