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Celebrating a much-needed service

Editorials

It’s not often that a group is able to demonstrate exactly what kind of an impact it has had on a community. That’s not the case for A Child’s Place CASA, which recently observed its 25 years in operation. A Child’s Place is one of 939 Court-Appointed Special Advocates programs in the United States, and since it was established in February 2000 it’s contributions to Hancock and Brooke counties have been tremendous. CASA programs train volunteers to act as advocates for youth involved in abuse and neglect cases, and during the last 25 years, A Child’s Place has trained 106 ...

Suiting up for the 2026 legislative session

Local Columns

Finally, it is 2026 and things will begin ramping up from here as the new 60-day legislative session kicks off next week with the gaveling in of the House of Delegates and state Senate, and Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s second State of the State address. The West Virginia Press Association’s annual Legislative Lookahead is this Friday at the Culture Center in Charleston. The event serves as the kickoff for those in print, TV, radio, and non-profit news preparing for their statehouse coverage. Reporters will hear from legislative majority and minority leadership, executive branch ...

History in the Hills: Looking back on new years

Local Columns

One of my favorite movies of all time is Woody Allen’s classic 1987 film “Radio Days.” This movie is a delightful blend of history, radio, music and nostalgia from the late 1930s and 1940s. It takes place in Rockaway, N.Y., in the outskirts of New York City on the Atlantic coast, not too far from where my wife grew up. I always loved this film because of the glimpse into the past and the great music that was popular at the time. That is my favorite genre of music, so that is part of the reason I like it. One of the last scenes of the movie shows many of the radio personalities ...

Electric power demand, coal and natural gas should rise in 2026

Local Columns

The Public Service Commission of West Virginia hopes, on behalf of its staff, that you have a healthy and prosperous new year in 2026. We here are hopeful for a robust economy in the new year, with an influx of business developments and population to help expand the Mountain State economy. Some of our chief concerns, of course, include energy development and ensuring that electric power is available at prices we can afford in this new year. So far, the outlook looks robust, particularly for the production and usage of coal and natural gas. The U.S. Energy Information ...

Give the gift of blood in the new year

Editorials

If your New Year’s resolutions included finding small ways to do good more frequently, the American Red Cross has some ideas for you. You — yes, you — are needed, right now. A glance at the organization’s website reveals an alert that there is an “EMERGENCY NEED for type O blood” because winter weather has caused a decline in donations. There’s even a pitch that if you donate by Jan. 4, you will receive a Red Cross long-sleeved t-shirt; and if you give blood before Jan. 31, you can earn points to be used toward rewards. Local opportunities to give blood, according to ...

It’s time for West Virginia’s second quarter

Local Columns

As December 2025 draws to a close, we find ourselves at a historic milestone. One fourth of the 21st Century is now behind us. For many, the last 25 years have flown by, as it inevitably does, but with a speed that’s hard to fathom. Even so, the years in West Virginia have been marked by progress. At the dawn of this millennium, West Virginia faced what many called “insurmountable” financial hurdles. Our state had massive unfunded liabilities in retirement plans maintained for schoolteachers and other state retirees. We were, quite literally, mortgaging our future to pay for our ...