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History in the Hills: We must never forget

This weekend is Memorial Day and ever since I began writing this column in 2019, I always make it a priority to write about this important national holiday. It truly cannot be overstated how important this day is to our nation and history. My grandfathers and many great uncles served in World War II, great-grandfathers served in World War I, some of my American relatives served in the Civil War and other ancestors served in the American Revolution, too, and thankfully none of them had to pay that ultimate sacrifice that is asked of so many who have served. Not too far from my house on ...

Let us remember the true meaning of the day

Many people left work Friday looking forward to their “three-day weekend.” Perhaps they were excited at the thought of not having to go to work tomorrow. And still get paid. Maybe they consider Monday to be the unofficial start of summer and are saying goodbye to cold weather. At least for a little while. Some are waiting in anticipation to attend a parade or that annual cookout and drinks with close friends or neighbors. Others will be content having a family barbecue or picnic in the backyard. And should the sun appear, many will probably take advantage by visiting ...

A few thoughts on the May primaries

Well, we survived the primary elections last week. Some things turned out the way I thought they would. Some things were complete surprises. The Republican primary for governor of West Virginia was as tight as I thought it would be. I had thought former lawmaker Moore Capito might be able to squeak out a win, but in the end, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey came busting through like the Kool-Aid man. WV MetroNews and Rex Repass should be given some credit for getting the spread right. They said Morrisey had 32% in their poll conducted April 24 through May 1, with Capito having ...

Hoping for better results in November

Another election cycle has come and gone, and I’m close to catching up on my sleep from another extended work day. I’ll admit, there were some results I didn’t necessarily like, but you’ll have that with any election. There also were some which ended up not being as close of a contest as I had anticipated. That’s the thing about elections, whether it’s your first time or you are a seasoned observer, the only way you can be sure of a result is if the candidate is running unopposed. Sadly, that was the case in many of our local races for the primary election this year. My ...

Better understanding of your Mountaineer Gas bill

Your Mountaineer Gas Company bill has loads of information, all on one page. Your 16-digit account number, at the top-right, is confidential personal information. You should only provide it when you have initiated a contact with the company or are certain you are speaking to an authorized company representative. Also on the right are your current Mountaineer Gas charges. The company has broken down this information in great detail. The first line is the charge the company has levied for the cost of the gas you used and the amount you used in the previous month. This is broken down into ...

Senators should seize opportunity to boost small business and help WV kids

Capito and Manchin should back a proposal to expand Child Tax Credit and extend small business relief. At a time of so much division and gridlock, lawmakers in Washington recently surprised Americans with some good news. The US House of Representatives passed legislation to expand the Child Tax Credit and badly needed tax relief for small businesses through the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 This bipartisan deal is worth celebrating. It could help millions of children living near the poverty line while also boosting our economy. Crucially, it does all this ...