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If it’s none of your business, it’s none of your business

Columnists

In my writings and talks, I often quote Cousin Al. Today is no exception. For those who might be wondering… yes, there really is a Cousin Al! His father and my mother were brother and sister, so he is my first cousin. Al has the ability to say things in a way that is memorable and helpful.    Much of what I talk and write about focuses on lessons learned from experience. This includes experiences gained from reading and listening as well as those gained from living life. In some of my presentations, I go over a list of suggestions that I have found helpful in creating a positive ...

Reader: Local BOE shouldn’t be blamed

Letters to the Editor

For the past two years I’ve lived in Randolph County, I’ve watched the public school system in Randolph County fall deeper into crisis, not because of mismanagement at the Board of Education, but because of deliberate policy decisions made at the state and federal levels. Let’s be clear: this crisis is not an accident. It is the direct result of an intentional effort by Republican leadership to defund and dismantle public education in West Virginia. Instead of funding our schools, they’re pushing a private voucher scheme that moves public dollars into private hands. That’s ...

Why the Mystery?

Editorials

Ever since Superintendent of Schools Dr. Shawn Dilly canceled the public hearing and Randolph County Board of Education vote to close the Pickens K-12 School on Oct. 14 — a decision announced less than two hours before the hearing’s scheduled start — because he said “new information related to funding” had been received, many people in Randolph County have been anxious to hear the new information, and to learn where the funding will come from. At Tuesday night’s Randolph County Board of Education meeting, those in attendance or watching the event streaming on YouTube had to ...

Foreign policy

Columnists

Give Donald Trump credit, he is imaginative concerning foreign policy. Freed from brokering the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, he managed to place relations with Russia on a positive track, despite some of his advisors, chiefly Keith Kellogg, pushing for a tilt towards Kyiv. Trump refused Ukraine’s request for Tomahawk missiles. Now he is reportedly ready to meet Vladimir Putin in Budapest. This is one of Trump‘s assets in that he considers all options before acting. Sometimes this allows Republican hawks, like Lindsey Graham, to think that he can be converted into a John ...

Is the U.S. really a democracy?

Letters to the Editor

This letter is in reference to the October 17, 2025 article by Brad Johnson about the “No Kings” rallies. In particular, I would like to point out a couple of things that perhaps the rally supporters have overlooked. First of all, I agree that there should be no kings in this country: we experienced the first “No Kings” rally in July of 1776 when we declared our independence from Great Britain and King George III. But I am puzzled as to why those who are against President Trump and his policies believe him to be a king. Each time that he tries to implement one of his ...

No problems seen at No Kings 2 rally

Letters to the Editor

Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, stated last Friday that people who participated in the No Kings protests were Marxists, socialists, antifa advocates, anarchists, terrorists, and pro-Hamas. A member of the U.S. Congress should know better than to speak in such untruthful, divisive, inflammatory, and frankly ridiculous terms. I stood with hundreds of other protestors who were present at last Saturday’s No Kings rally in Elkins, and there were hundreds more passing motorists who honked in response to the “honk for democracy” sign at ...