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Opinion

Transparency needed in school finances

Local Columns

There has been a great deal of discourse throughout the Hancock County community and beyond since Monday night when board of education members voted on, and approved, the termination of the school system’s former director of finance, followed by the announcement that representatives of the West Virginia Department of Education and others had been in the county in recent weeks to go over the financial record because of incomplete information and other discrepancies. Before the meeting was even over, the rumor mill had gone into overdrive, with questions, commentary, and a lot of ...

Guest Opinion: Finding West Virginia’s path forward

Local Columns

Policies are not just words on paper – they are the driving force behind the reality you experience. They’re the framework that helps shape the trajectory of your life, and those you love. Policies are the difference between whether you have a job created or lost, a bridge built or delayed, a population that is growing or shrinking and a community that thrives or fades. If you live, work or raise a family in West Virginia, you are personally invested in the outcomes of our state’s policy. And that’s exactly what the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce advocates for every day. ...

Good relationships a must for state

Editorials

Something about the relationship between Toyota and West Virginia should be studied by those hoping to expand and diversify our state’s economy. Since the days of former U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller’s encouragement of the Toyota Motor Manufacturing project in Buffalo, W.Va., the partnership between the state and Japan has been rock solid. Now, Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia is expanding with a nearly half-billion-dollar investment in increasing the assembly of four-cylinder hybrid-compatible engines, sixth-generation hybrid transaxles and rear motor stators. “What really ...

Guest Opinion: Building holiday hope — How West Virginia’s skilled trades strengthen families, communities, and the future

Local Columns

Each holiday season, West Virginians are reminded that the true measure of our state’s strength is found in the ways we show up for one another. For members of the West Virginia Building & Construction Trades (WVBCT), this commitment to community is woven into our very being. Our members don’t just build the roads, bridges, schools, and energy infrastructure that keep West Virginia moving. They show up after hours, off the clock, and from the heart, especially during the holidays. For example, this year, one of our partnerships supports the Salvation Army, where we were able to ...

Remember to give thanks for what you had

Local Columns

Well, we blinked. And already it is November. November. The month in which the leaves fall. The month in which the days shorten and darkness sets in before the 5 p.m. news. November. The time when we are tasked with the responsibility of making sure each and every decoration is hung just right, and with making sure every cookie is baked perfectly. With finding a gift for everyone on our list and hoping it is not one they want to return. We blinked. And already it is November. The Halloween candy is just about gone. Christmas is right around the corner. Porches have replaced ...

Guest Opinion: West Virginia entrepreneurship on full display at the Hayhurst Invitational and Innovators Summit

Local Columns

Last week, Lewis County was the epicenter of innovation and entrepreneurship as Stonewall Resort hosted the Mountain State Innovators Summit and its marquee event, the Hayhurst Invitational. I had the distinct honor to attend this event all three days. I served as a keynote speaker and as a judge. While I was there to inspire and encourage entrepreneurs of all ages, I left inspired with the knowledge that entrepreneurship is alive and well in West Virginia. For three days last week, some of West Virginia’s most energetic entrepreneurs - middle school students, college innovators, ...