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Using the power of nonprofits

Communities across Appalachia face many challenges, including job losses, economic struggles, and shrinking populations. In his book, “Building a Vibrant Community,” Quint Studer highlights the important role that nonprofit organizations play in making communities stronger. These groups help meet local needs, bring people together, and create new opportunities. In places like Elkins-Randolph County, nonprofits help preserve cultural traditions, boost the economy, and improve everyday life. One of the biggest ways nonprofits make a difference is by filling in the gaps where ...

American Dream fading

Like many Americans this week, my Facebook and text messages have been filled with sadness, stress and uncertainty as friends and neighbors express their disbelief at what is happening to public servants everywhere. These shared posts are filled with once-smiling Park Service employees and others whose employment has been unjustifiably and suddenly terminated. Their lives have been shattered. The long dedication to their jobs ignored. How could this happen in our country, they are asking. Since Inauguration Day, the daily barrage of executive orders signed with an oversized black ...

Saga of a Senator

If you are fascinated by history, this week’s column is for you. To be fully transparent, I ran this column in 2022 when I completed reading Oscar Lambert’s 1955 book titled “Stephen Benton Elkins.” The bulk of the content that follows is compliments of the author. Davis & Elkins College owes its name to two prominent West Virginia Senators: Henry Gassaway Davis and Stephen Benton Elkins. Senator Davis, who built Graceland on our campus, is the more widely known. His son-in-law, Senator Elkins, who built the campus’ Halliehurst mansion, lived a truly amazing life. The ...

Heart to heart

I’m writing this on Valentine’s Day, three days into the 60-day legislative session, and if Gov. Patrick Morrisey and some members of the Republican caucus in the House of Delegates have love for each other, I’m having a hard time seeing the floating hearts. Morrisey presented his first State of the State address Wednesday night to a joint session of the West Virginia Legislature, but even before he presented his legislative agenda, I was hearing consternation from House Republicans about pressure from those in the Morrisey administration. In fact, one thing I noticed Friday is ...

Judicial ‘resistance’ setting itself up

America, unfortunately, has long been suffering from a crisis of civics. Put simply, many Americans are woefully ignorant about the structure and features of their government. But every so often, an opportunity emerges to reteach some basics. The media’s predictable shrieks and howls of “constitutional crisis” notwithstanding, we are in the throes of a grand separation-of-powers standoff that will both serve as one such edifying civics lesson. First: Enter the energetic executive. In his frenetic opening weeks, President Donald Trump has channeled the spirit of The Federalist ...

‘Shock and awe’ approach

Given the headline-a-day approach of Donald Trump, it isn’t easy to understand what is happening on any particular day. The “shock and awe” approach confuses matters even further. Odds favor that this represents political pyrotechnics and brinkmanship, but one never knows with the President. Underneath all the folderol and bluster is that the new administration has yet to settle on a set direction. Threatening to annex this or that seems to give the uncertainty away. With the continuing resolution negotiated by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Trump has yet to reveal any ...