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State Parks

Editorials

If you’ve already gotten far enough ahead of the game, it’s just about time to relax, enjoy some time with friends and family while celebrating Christmas and maybe even start making plans for New Year’s Day. West Virginia State Parks has an idea — 21 parks will host 24 First Day Hikes on Jan. 1. North Bend State Park is among them, with Audra, Beech Fork, Blackwater Falls, Bluestone, Cacapon, Canaan Valley Resort, Cass Scenic Railroad, Cedar Creek, Elk River Trail, Little Beaver, Lost River, Pipestem Resort, Tomlinson Run, Tu-Endie-Wei, Twin Falls Resort, Tygart Lake, Valley ...

Christmas potpourri

Columnists

As we get close to the start of the new year, the 2026 legislative session, and the next election cycle, we’re seeing a lot of movement in the deck chairs. For example, Del. John Williams, D-Monongalia, will challenge state Sen. Mike Oliverio, R-Monongalia, in the 13th Senatorial District covering parts of Monongalia and Marion counties. Of course, both will have to make it through their respective party primaries, which is likely. But a contest between Williams and Oliverio will mean at least one of them will not be returning to the statehouse after the November 2026 ...

Omar can accuse ICE with no proof

Columnists

As a leftist Muslim immigrant from Somalia, radical Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) is wonderfully blessed with a DEI press. She is perennially assumed to be a victim of racism, sexism and xenophobia whenever she is criticized, and especially when she’s verbally targeted by President Donald Trump. At the end of a typically syrupy interview with Esme Murphy from the local CBS station WCCO in Minneapolis on Sunday, Omar claimed her 19-year-old son Adnan Hirsi was pulled over by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement personnel. “Yesterday, after he made a stop at Target, he did get pulled ...

Reflections on Bondi Beach

Columnists

When I go to synagogue, I always smile and wave at the armed police officers stationed outside. I want them to know they’re appreciated, but also, at some level, I guess it’s fair to say that I’m trying to ingratiate myself so that the cop will want to put his or her life on the line to save us if a gunman decides to open fire on or torch our congregation, as happened in Pittsburgh (2018), Poway (2019), Miami (2019), Monsey (2019), Halle, Germany (2019), Colleyville (2022), Jerusalem (2023), Djerba, Tunisia (2023), Berlin, Germany (2023), Yerevan, Armenia (2023), Rouen, France ...

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 ...