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It’s time to restart the clock in Charleston

Today is the day, when Gov. Jim Justice hands over the wheel of the ship of state to the new governor, Patrick Morrisey. It is a true changing of the guard. Justice spent the prior week handing out more checks, traveling on treacherous roadways due to the snow/ice storm, receiving a polite goodbye from lawmakers who seem very ready for the new Morrisey administration to take over, and giving one final closed virtual briefing to reporters. I predict that Justice’s legacy over the last eight years will be mixed. There are many good things to point to, several bad things that took up ...

Elevating the local voices in our pages

One of my ongoing endeavors with this newspaper is to try to find ways to encourage more public discourse. I know most people prefer to go to their social media platforms to express themselves, as it’s an immediate way to share one’s thoughts, whether on your personal timeline, through a community page or one offered by a local business or organization. But let’s not forget the more traditional means of such vocal outreach. We continue to offer a section each week for letters to the editor, providing an opportunity for residents to express their thoughts on the matters of ...

College project will have benefits for our region

I’ve been fielding some questions lately about why the state of West Virginia awarded the College of Joseph the Worker an economic enhancement grant. Some people think it is odd that we gave money to a college based in Steubenville to expand its operations into our state. I thought I’d take a moment to clarify the reasoning behind the grant. The College of Joseph the Worker is a very innovative institution. It is a college that offers a robust education in the Western intellectual tradition, with students earning a bachelor’s degree that focuses on the meaning of work, the duty ...

Are you as safe as Washington during a winter storm?

Washington, D.C., got nearly 10 inches of snow recently. That was more than enough to shut down the nation’s capital. Thankfully, all of D.C.’s lobbyists and politicos stayed safe at home. Their local utility, Pepco—which relies on natural gas and coal for roughly half of its power generation—supplied the electricity needed to keep everyone warm. But what about the rest of the country? Are they as safe as Washington? Not necessarily. The North American Electric Reliability Corp.—which oversees the reliability and security of America’s bulk power system—believes the ...

Dogs are more important than you think

I miss my dogs. I know it’s been a while since I’ve mentioned it, but it seems to hit harder whenever I cover a story pertaining to the humane society. Don’t get me wrong, I like the dog I have now. I always thought goldendoodles were adorable. Like little teddy bears. Not real, but real, you know? But I have discovered that no dog, no matter how adorable, will ever take the place of the ones I have lost. For Christmas, my mom bought me a clear plastic tree ornament that shows the back of someone sitting on the ground between two dogs. She looks like me with the ...

Reflecting on the past, embracing the future

As I spent time reflecting during the holidays, I thought a great deal about how we never know what roads life will lead us down. When I was just a small business owner spending my days driving throughout the Eastern Panhandle, I didn’t realize then that the voices of Hoppy Kercheval, Don Marsh, and Stephen Reed would inspire me. They’d light a fire in me that would lead me to take a different and most rewarding path in my life that would lead me from Berkeley County to our state Capitol and the House of Delegates and finish with four years as the President of the West Virginia ...