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Foster Care

Editorials

State officials have come up with a creative way to address one of the challenges in West Virginia’ foster care system, with Gov. Patrick Morrisey and state Department of Human Services Secretary Alex Mayer proposing a revolving investment fund to renovate state-owned foster care facilities and improve treatment capacity. Change is necessary because of the volume of West Virginia children in foster care who end up in out-of-state placement — 543 of the 5,960 children in state custody. For each of those children placed somewhere else, the cost is an average of $156,000. “What we ...

What being a good mentee looks like and why it matters

Columnists

People need mentors now more than ever. Career paths are more uncertain. AI, technology, and economic shifts are creating cultures of uncertainty; working with a mentor (or serving as one) can make a huge difference. A mentor is an experienced person who provides guidance, support, and advice and serves as a role model for someone else. This person is often called a mentee. There are formal mentor/mentee relationships as well as informal ones. The tremendous value of a mentor came home to me as I was reading an interview with someone who was being recognized for their positive impact ...

Counting our blessings

Columnists

Irving Berlin’s “Counting Your Blessings” sung by Bing Crosby in “White Christmas” (1942) has been on my mind during this busy season. We are setting up our 100 Christmas Trees to celebrate 100 years since the Kump House was completed. There are many things that could go wrong with complicated events like this one planned for two Sundays, Dec. 21 and 28 from 1–3 p.m. at the historic Kump House across from Kroger in Elkins. Bing Crosby’s lyric “When I’m worried and I can’t sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep” helps me when our task seems overwhelming. We ...

It appears MAGA is on the verge of a split

Columnists

It would appear that MAGA is on the verge of a split. The unifying face within the movement is Donald Trump, who is behaving in ways befitting a corporate executive and not a Populist leader. Marjorie Taylor Greene, in an interview, described her beliefs as “America First” rather than MAGA. Too much preference for corporate bosses and the Epstein affair caused the split. Impatience with the feckless Mike Johnson, the Marionette Speaker of the House, drove both Greene and Nancy Mace out of the tent. Evidence of these divisions is rife. Steve Bannon seems confused by Trump’s ...

Why we are doubling down on West Virginia

Columnists

You’ve likely seen the news that Antero Resources, already West Virginia’s largest natural gas producer, purchased the assets of another large producer in our state. When it closes, Antero’s production will total over four billion cubic feet of natural gas per day, representing nearly half of all natural gas produced in the state. Additionally, Antero will become the fourth largest independent natural gas operator in the United States as a result of this transaction. Every cubic foot of that production, all of it, will be from West Virginia. The same day Antero Resources ...

Building on Progress: My dedication to West Virginia continues

Columnists

It has been the honor of my life to serve West Virginia as your United States Senator, fighting for the concerns of our communities and making sure the voices of West Virginians are heard loud and clear in Washington, D.C. As a lifelong native of the Mountain State, I know how diligent and determined the people of our state are, and they deserve representation that works as hard as they do. I’m proud to announce that I’m running for reelection in 2026 to continue my hard work on behalf of West Virginia in the U.S. Senate. With President Trump’s endorsement of my reelection, it ...