In this day and age, it seems that it is frowned upon to have competing thoughts in one’s head. You either must think one way or the other, but Heaven forbid you see things both ways. For example, I can believe the COVID-19 pandemic is serious, and it is, while also believing some people ...

The Augusta Festival has filled the Elkins City Park with music and local folk craft items for sale this time of year for many years. It has been my favorite place to buy Christmas presents, and I sincerely hope that it will come back to life after COVID-19. For most of the last 24 years ...

As Davis & Elkins College soon welcomes students back to campus for the Fall 2020 semester, be assured that we are doing everything in our power to protect the entire D&E community. This institution has worked tirelessly since March to prepare for the return of students, faculty, and ...

There’s really nothing wrong with the concept of eye-for-an-eye justice — as long as the eye is plucked from the right face. Devastating Wheeling Hospital to punish wrongdoing by a group of individuals makes no sense. Wheeling Hospital faces two severe financial challenges. One is making ...

The pandemic has hit West Virginia small businesses hard, hammering restaurants and coffee shops like The Black Dog Coffee Company in Shenandoah Junction. Concerned about continuing operations in the changing economic landscape, owners Jennifer and Brian Bircher received a financial lifeline ...

I feel like I’m copying Hoppy Kercheval, but he is right in noticing that the general election for governor feels like a three-way fight between Republican Gov. Jim Justice, Democratic Kanawha County Commissioner Ben Salango, and U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. This match-up becomes patently ...

Kump Education Center “Tech-Link Tutoring” will offer Randolph County students high-speed internet and tech-savvy coaching for online learning. This unusual intervention is the result of collaboration between Kump Education Center, Randolph County Schools, Davis & Elkins College, and ...

I’m not certain how giving Wheeling police new cruisers without, say, lightbars contributes to a better relationship between law enforcement personnel and the people they’re supposed to serve and protect. Nevertheless, city Councilwoman Rosemary Ketchum has a point about police/public ...

Learning more about who we are and what we value is a side effects of the current pandemic. Temporary workers prepared to take the 2020 Census in West Virginia trained in the Altice Learning Lab at Kump Education Center five days last week. Some live in Randolph County, but others came from ...

As the old proverb goes, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Gov. Jim Justice’s plan to used federal coronavirus relief funds for road repair sounds great in theory, but how they think they’re able to use those funds is unclear. I said last week that I would dive into ...

Improving West Virginia’s infrastructure is one of my top priorities. No project is more important to our state’s future than completing Corridor H. Once finished, that four-lane highway will link Interstate 79 with the Washington, D.C. area, creating tremendous opportunities for economic ...

Gov. Jim Justice and West Virginia legislators will have an ace up their collective sleeve when the new fiscal year begins Wednesday. My guess is the card will be worth $105 million to $140 million. State personal income tax collections for the first five months of 2019 totaled about $932 ...

In March when Lisa Wood, director of the Elkins-Randolph County Chamber of Commerce, invited Quint Studer, author of “Building a Vibrant Community,” to visit Elkins, the coronavirus was in the international news, but nobody thought that Elkins would shut down within a week. Three months ...

There is much to think about as we begin to plan children’s summer activities and reopening schools this fall. Social distancing may be possible for adults, but how can it be made effective for children who are longing to be actively engaged in activities with their friends again? CDC ...

Among the heroes of the COVID-19 epidemic in West Virginia are the men and women of the state’s National Guard. Many have worked tirelessly at great sacrifice to themselves and their families, sometimes risking their own health to aid fellow Mountain State residents. They have been ...

Elkins gardeners really get going in June, and this year walkers will see some interesting new things in local lawns and gardens. Taking a walk with friends makes social distancing easier. This is a time to try new traditions. The Emma Scott Garden Club was planning to hold a June Rose ...

CHARLESTON — Here we are, eight days out from the June 9 primary election and it’s crunch time for statewide candidates still trying to still influence voters who are marking absentee ballots, taking part in early voting or waiting to vote a week from Tuesday. I traditionally vote on the ...

School systems all over the country are struggling to find safe and reliable ways to begin school this coming fall. Forced school closures in March denied students and teachers three months of instructional time. The Covid-19 Crisis has forced us to recognize that equal opportunity to education ...

America’s communities are starting to reopen. It’s been a long, few months, and we’re ready to get out of our homes. We probably won’t be quick to hop on a plane, but we will opt for local and regional travel. Think of this as the Rediscover America Tour. There is one bright spot of ...

You’ve heard of “the butterfly effect.” If not, the Cliff’s Notes version is that the most minuscule action on our plant can spread and, like ripples in a pond, grow until it has gargantuan effects. Well, the butterfly may turn out to be a lightweight, compared to the COVID-19 virus. ...