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West Virginia math scores need improvement

Editorials

As the school year gets rolling in West Virginia, teachers and administrators throughout the state are once again tackling a persistent problem — the drop in math proficiency from elementary school to middle school to high school. Once again, West Virginia Department of Education data show a consistent decline in math proficiency as students get older. It’s a problem the Northern Panhandle is not immune to. Department of Education information shows: • 58% of Hancock County fifth graders, 43% of eighth graders and 27% of 11th graders; • 42% of Brooke County fifth graders, 35% ...

Avoiding the potential political malaise

Local Columns

Herbert Hoover was well-liked in his day, praised for his engineering prowess which he used to tackle major worldwide problems following World War I. He was a natural choice for president in 1928. But then the 1929 stock market crash happened, followed by the Great Depression. None of these things were exclusively the fault of Hoover, and frankly most of what his successor – Franklin Roosevelt – did to end the Great Depression worked until World War II broke out and we flexed our production muscles. But Roosevelt is remembered for ending the Great Depression and Hoover is ...

Better guidance needed for BEAD funds

Editorials

Remember the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which Congress passed to provide “additional relief to address the continued impact of COVID-19 on the economy, public health, state and local governments, individuals and businesses?” Remember how a lot of that almost $2 trillion ended up getting spent? Sure, plenty of it fit the definition of what most expected public “covid money” would fund. Some of it went toward swimming pools, event centers and any number of other use-it-or-lose-it projects that had us scratching our heads. It was all perfectly legal, and adhered to the ...

Tell them your stories, they’re gonna need them

Local Columns

Once again, I am going to quote Benson Boone. He is the young singer I mentioned in my last two columns. He sings “Beautiful Things,” the song which my grandson just loves. Only this time, I am going to reference a song he entitled, “Momma Song.” It, too, is beautiful. But unlike last time, I won’t ask you to listen to it. Instead, I am going to quote a couple of the lyrics. You may wonder why I am using this space to quote the words of someone else? After all, this is Julie’s article, not Benson Boone’s. And yet, his words are ones I wish I could have ...

September is National Voter Registration Month

Local Columns

In September, the National Association of Secretaries of State and the WV Secretary of State’s Office celebrates National Voter Registration Month. Since National Voter Registration Month was started in 2002, we use every September as a timely reminder that the foundation of our democracy rests not just on the right to vote — but on the responsibility to be ready to exercise that right. In every election, whether local, state, or national, the power of the vote is the most direct way citizens shape the future of their communities and country. But that power begins with one simple ...

Will socialism prevail?

Letters to the Editor

To the Editor, A cultural shift in the United States of America is occurring right before our very eyes. What is it? Political dogma saturates us. Are we to be a nation abiding by the ideals stated by our Founding Fathers? That is, each person can live freely, prosper in accordance with his native abilities and thereby flourish. Some will flourish while others may not do as well. Each man should be free to pursue his own lifestyle within the boundaries of reasonable laws, so say our Founding Fathers. But new ideals have emerged, ideals that perhaps are superior to those stated by our ...