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Meet the West Virginia PSC engineers

When the Public Service Commission needs to know how something works or, just as importantly, how it should work, we turn to the experts in our Engineering Division. Never heard of them? Sure, you have. When Governor Justice asked us last year to determine whether all of the state’s fire hydrants were in working order, it was the Commission’s engineering staff that got the job. They evaluated all of the information and wrote a thorough analysis of the entire situation. The division works on many other types of special projects, too, such as investigating last November’s natural ...

British treachery manifests at Point Pleasant, unleashing the ‘dogs of war’

This month marks the 250th anniversary of the Battle at Point Pleasant between Shawnee warriors led by Chief Cornstalk and Colonial Militia led by Colonel Andrew Lewis. It is the most important battle ever fought in West Virginia, as it was arguably the first battle of the American Revolution. To understand the context of the battle, one must start 20 years earlier in 1754. The French had claimed the land north and south drained by the Mississippi – including the Ohio River Valley. In contrast, England had established colonies along the seaboard and claimed land east to west. When ...

Remembering happier moments in my life

Speaking of hobos … Note: Remember in school when they said to pay attention because there might be a quiz someday? This was that quiz. If you didn’t read last week’s column you have no idea what I am talking about. Anyway … Speaking of hobos … I was completely shocked when I went to the Main Street Museum last Sunday and saw the photo Dale Holtzmann had taken of Harry Carpenter, the hobo who lived in Toronto many decades ago. The writing above his photo even referred to him as just that. Now, I would never intentionally refer to someone as being a hobo if I felt it ...

Candidate events remain informative

Thursday saw what, most likely, will be the last major candidate event for Hancock and Brooke counties before the election on Nov. 5. There may still be a couple chances for statewide candidates to make an appearance in our area in the coming weeks, but as far as mass gatherings where residents can hear from multiple candidates at one time, the forum held Thursday by the Hancock County Republican Committee will probably be it. These events always have a different feel, depending on the candidates in focus, the organizers and the format. In late August, the local Democratic ...

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. ...