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History in the Hills: Traveling through history

This weekend is Easter and typically we try to spend it with my wife’s family in New York City. Spending time away from home and the same old routine is good for a change, not to mention the great time spent with family. This trip there won’t be much time for sightseeing, but we may try to stop at a few places along the way. For my son Paulie, one of the best parts about the trip, not only seeing grandparents, is the anticipation of traveling. He loves getting up early, packing into the car before daybreak and starting our journey. I remember loving that, too, as a child. It ...

This Easter, take a moment … and thank Him

Easter was always one of my favorite days of the year. When my children were little, we would dress in our Sunday best and go to church. They never complained as I fidgeted with their ties. Such little gentlemen when they wanted to be. And fortunately, that was most of the time. Once inside the church, they were always so well-behaved. Sitting quietly while the preacher spoke his sermon. Many adults don’t even act that way. Watching them walk down to the front pews during the children’s sermon and trying to answer the questions asked of them. I miss that. I ...

Governor’s race polling show changing dynamics

Finally, the first new polling in the West Virginia Republican primaries for governor and U.S. Senate is out, and while it needs to be taken with a grain of salt, it does provide some interesting perspective. According to a poll conducted between March 19 and March 21 by Emerson College Polling and Nexstar Media (the owner of several TV stations in West Virginia, including WOWK, WTRF, WBOY, WVNS, as well as neighboring WDCW which covers the Eastern Panhandle from its Hagerstown bureau), Patrick Morrisey continues to lead in the GOP race for governor, but Huntington businessman Chris ...

Support a great learning experience

Next month, a collection of local teens will have the opportunity to learn first-hand from representatives of the area business community in the hope the knowledge they share will help to better prepare the youth for their future. The Weirton Area Chamber of Commerce is finalizing its plans for this year’s Dr. Barbara A. Matey High School Business Symposium, which has been scheduled for April 11. The symposium features a day of business-related lessons for up to 120 area high school juniors. Students from our four West Virginia schools – Weir, Brooke, Oak Glen and Madonna – as ...

West Virginia childcare advocates organize as Legislature fails to pass childcare bills

In a disheartening turn of events, the West Virginia Legislature has failed to pass any childcare bills at all, notably House Bill 4797, which sought to reimburse childcare providers based on the enrollment of children rather than the daily attendance. This failure to address crucial childcare issues represents a significant setback for families across the state, particularly in the realm of workforce participation. House Bill 4797 was a vital piece of legislation designed to reform the way childcare providers are reimbursed. By shifting reimbursement to be based on enrollment rather ...

West Virginia Public Service Commission is taking the next step in fire hydrant safety

Let me fill you in on the next step in our process of ensuring the safety of your fire hydrants. This is where you’re invited to get involved. As a little background, the Commission had its engineering staff do a study of the maintenance and upkeep of the state’s 50,000 fire hydrants last year. In large part, the report was good. We learned the state’s fire hydrants are maintained and functioning, but standards for upkeep of the maintenance and who has jurisdiction over studying fire hydrants was not clear. To resolve those issues, we took the matter to the Legislature this ...