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Compromise is still alive in Charleston

The second special session of 2024 ended Tuesday night with a compromise between Gov. Jim Justice and Republican legislative leadership on an additional 2% cut in personal income tax rates. During an address last Wednesday, Justice did a touchdown dance and criticized those in the Legislature and media who said he would never get a tax cut over the special session finish line. As I don’t make predictions, I never said one way or another whether there would be a tax cut. I only relayed what my sources in the Legislature were saying, which was they did not see a pathway for ...

History in the Hills: Family connections

As a professional historian, I hear a lot of family history and lore. Folks often develop their love for history after learning about or discovering their own family history. All of it to me is fascinating, because whether your ancestors came to America recently or a few hundred years ago, there is always a story to tell. Looking through the past in our family’s history, it is so fascinating to discover all the connections, too. In my family, I can say that all but one of my great grandparents were born overseas and came to this country in the early 20th century for a better life. ...

An oldie but not-so-goody column from the past

I was going through my old columns recently. The ones I had written when I first worked for the paper several years ago. My mother keeps insisting that I repost them. Apparently, they cracked her up. I have no idea as to why. Whenever I reread them, I don’t think they are very funny at all. As a matter of fact, I can’t believe some of the things I used to say. Aloud. Let alone for the entire world to read. Well, not the world. That would be a lot of people. Just a few hundred. Or a couple of thousand. Depending on how many people felt like reading what I ...

Something or nothing on tax reductions

After a five-day timeout, both to avoid spending $35,000 per day and to allow negotiations between lawmakers and representatives of the governor’s office toward a 5% personal income tax cut to continue, the Legislature resumed the special session Sunday. Based on some of the rhetoric I heard last week on various talk radio programs, I don’t get the sense we’re any closer to lawmakers giving Gov. Jim Justice what he wants. During his weekly administration briefing last week, it sounds like Justice may be willing to accept a cut of less than 5%. In my opinion, that is the ...

Exploring West Virginia’s haunted hideaways

October has begun, which means the season of ghosts, goblins and other spooky creatures is officially under way. Of course, there are those of us who have been observing that time of year since mid- to late-August, but celebrate as you will. West Virginia has opted to mark the time of year as it has with many other things in recent years, by turning it into a marketing campaign. West Virginia is pretty well known for its haunted locations, legendary spots and native cryptids. From Mothman to Sheepsquatch, the West Virginia Penetentiary and spots on just about every college or ...

A rational look at renewables

The Public Service Commission of West Virginia welcomes all forms of energy production. The idea of electricity powered by alternative fuels is popular across the United States and resonates across the globe. These fuels include gas, solar, wind, coal, and even nuclear energy. In line with that, the Commission is seeing an increased number of applications to approve alternative fuel developments in the Mountain State. Our record shows we have welcomed every alternative fuel application we have received. A quick review of what has happened recently will give you an idea of the ...