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Our stories shape the stories that matter most

It seems like about every time I am out in the public, no matter what the occasion, once someone realizes I own the local paper they seem anxious to tell me something. And in more cases than not, it is how something someone has read impacts their lives. For example, the man that caught me in the local grocery store and proceeded to tell me he knows exactly when we deliver our paper there. He picks it up each week as soon as he can to see the public notices. In many cases it is the first notice he gets of something new coming to town or the streets in his neighborhood are up for ...

I would like to discuss politics … but I cannot

I learned from a very early age there are two things you should never discuss with anyone. One is religion. And the second is politics. Most of you already know this. But for any younger people who may not have heard, you might be wondering why. These are the two forbidden topics of conversation. When you get older, you’ll understand better. Religion and politics always seem to cause an argument whenever either issue comes up. If I were to talk about religion and my perspective on what I believe, many of you probably wouldn’t read this column anymore. If I ...

Riding the special session rollercoaster

My wife and I somehow survived Disney World last week with two parents who haven’t been there in decades and their three daughters ages 12, 7, and 5. All while dodging a hurricane at the end of the week. Now I’m flying into the hurricane that is Monday’s special session of the West Virginia Legislature. This could all change by the time you read this, but as I write this Sunday afternoon, I’m hearing that the Legislature could very well gavel in at 11 a.m., quickly pass some of the 19 supplemental appropriations bills on the special session proclamation, and adjourn until ...

Hoping to expand on the local voices

You may notice a few more local voices on the Opinion/Editorial pages this week. Between three letters to the editor and two longer-form column contributions, it’s always good to see the thoughts of our own neighbors being published in our newspaper. My hope is that will continue in the coming weeks, especially as we are a little more than a month away from the general election and I’m certain there are residents who have thoughts on the various candidates and issues set to appear on their ballots. We do have some policies for our letters to the editor submissions, which can be ...

Tales of ghosts, the vampire craze and witches

The new, multi-million-dollar Brooke County Judicial Center in Wellsburg was built on disturbed ground to hide the deep haunted history of the witch trials that took place at the old courthouse, by those black-robed justices who fear the spirit images of the secret truth that has been purged from the court records. The former museum was a spooky land, the site where people gathered during these times torn down in hopes that people would forget and discourage visitors to the troubled patch of sod. It is said, that parallel time is known to exist where you can see the vapor of the ...

Us versus them: Show support for Amendment One

There are states where it is acceptable for a family to discuss whether one of their members should kill themselves, and there are states where it is not. There are states — like Oregon, California, Vermont, Washington and many others now — where insurance companies can deny people end-of-life care — but offer to cover the cost of their suicide. And there are states—like West Virginia—where they cannot. I am proud to be a son of West Virginia, where suicide is known as a problem and not pushed as a solution. But well-funded liberal interest groups—like Portland, Ore.’s ...