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Watching a game of political musical chairs

Some people continue to be upset that Gov. Jim Justice is waiting until Governor-Elect Patrick Morrisey’s inauguration on Monday, Jan. 13, to resign and take is place in the U.S. Senate to avoid having a total of four governors (two of those being Senate presidents acting as governor) in a 10-day span. However, there is at least two good reasons for the delay. First of all, it allowed former state treasurer Riley Moore to take his U.S. House of Representatives seat Friday when Congress returned from recess. While both the House and U.S. Senate have narrow GOP majorities for the new ...

Trying to set a few goals for the new year

We’re now a few days into the new year, and I’m wondering how many of us already have broken our resolutions? To be honest, I have a tendency not to set actual resolutions for that very reason. It’s the pressure we put on ourselves as part of the observance and tradition, and the disappointment we feel when we aren’t able to accomplish them. I don’t like making big lists at the beginning of the year, tending more to come up with a couple of goals every couple of months. Admittedly, that hasn’t helped much, especially in the last couple of years. However, there are a few ...

A welcome to 2025

Welcome to the new year. The future looks better for developments in West Virginia, with a change in administration taking place in Washington. Our Commission has engaged in several battles over the past year with the Environmental Protection Agency. Those disagreements primarily involved proposed federal pollution regulations, many adversely affecting our coal-fired plants. All of them ended up in court, and we lost most, if not all, of the first rounds of arguments. Regardless of one’s stance on pollution controls, coal still remains a vital part of the energy makeup of West ...

Not everybody celebrates another new year

Well, we blinked. And another year has come and gone. So, with that, I believe I am supposed to say, Happy New Year! Of course, I, for one, am not someone who celebrates the start of another year. To me, it is just another day — not the beginning of something different. I am that person who is usually asleep before midnight, the one who even if they are awake, does not watch the ball drop on television. I can’t get excited over things like that. I’m sorry. I have never been someone who pays tribute to a new year by attending a party. I have never gone drinking with ...

History in the Hills: New Years of the past

Just a few days ago, we ushered in 2025. I didn’t do much, to be honest, on New Year’s Eve. My wife and I spent the evening at home with our son Paul and watched some coverage of the events going on in Times Square. Life with small children makes it impossible to go out to celebrate the New Year like we did years ago, but that’s OK. I am quite content to stay right at home with those I love and welcome the new year together. At New Years Eve, I always get more nostalgic than I already am, and I find myself reflecting on the previous year or years that have gone by. For this ...

Mission accomplished: Confidence regained

I have thoroughly enjoyed my tenure as Secretary of State. I love serving with the office’s professional staff, our hard-working county clerks, and our dedicated legislature. It has been the highlight of my career to serve the wonderful people of WV for the last eight years. Before being elected in 2016, I served five years with the U.S. Department of State in Afghanistan and 23 years in the U.S. Army assigned to military hotspots all over the world. I can assure you, there is no place like home in WV! At West Point and in the Army, I learned the value of teamwork. When people work ...