What if a West Virginia Supreme Court justice decided she or he needed a couch with a price tag of, say, $100,000? Or what if circuit judges convinced the high court their $126,000 annual salaries were not adequate, despite the fact they’re specified in state law? Buy the couch. Give the ...

In today’s polarizing political climate, it may seem like there are few issues Republicans and Democrats can work together on. But on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, we are proving that is not the case. As the Republican Chairman and an active Democratic member of this ...

For Democrats, the treatment meted out to its U.S. senators by Mitch McConnell is a wake-up moment. When Lindsay Graham launched tirade after tirade and personal attack after personal attack, they remained surprisingly mute. Amy Klobuchar tried to be a good little presence, bringing a plastic ...

All the work that was postponed at Kump Education Center until after Forest Festival had to be done quickly on the first three sunny days after the carnival left town. Elkins always works so hard to prepare for fall visitors, and we have to wait until they leave to do the maintenance we really ...

I want to begin by thanking media outlets throughout the state who have published or reported on "Project Election Protection." Without your help, this important and educational eight-week series of op-eds focused on legal and ethical activities by candidates, their supporters and voters would ...

More than 320 young men and women at Davis & Elkins College serve a dual role. They are both students and NCAA Division II athletes. Known as Senator Nation, D&E athletics has a long and rich tradition and remains today a highly valued aspect of Davis & Elkins College. Today the ...

Last week, West Virginia’s Republican Leadership announced a $100 million funding commitment that significantly stabilizes and strengthens Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA), as well as a proposed five percent pay raise for teachers and state employees. When passed, this will be the ...

West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Walker did not exactly hit a home run during her impeachment trial before the state Senate. Call it a walk; senators voted not to remove her, but to censure her and leave her in office. Next up to bat, Justice Margaret Workman. Her impeachment ...

The Tygart Valley Lion’s Club celebrated the 70th birthday of cancer survivor Jim Wiest at the Beverly Heritage Center Thursday, Oct. 4. It was a time to remember that many paths have crossed in this valley and that good friendships can bridge much difficulty in the progress of a human ...

Donald Trump’s clumsy performance at the United Nations underscores the disjointed nature of his foreign policy. There is no over-arching theme; indeed the “axis of evil” has one less member. North Korea and its leader chairman Kim Jong Un have now been ushered into the family of nations. ...

Hello from Barbour County! The fall burning law is in effect. From Oct. 1 - Dec. 31, outdoor burning is only allowed between the hours of 5 p.m. and 7 a.m. There will be a Food Service Worker Permit Class on Oct. 13 at the Market Place in Philippi. Registration begins at 5:15 p.m., with ...

Brylee West, who allegedly shot a 2-year-old girl and her mother last week in Steubenville, is no stranger to pulling a trigger on another human being. When West was 15 years old, he put a bullet in another teenager who was unarmed and walking down a sidewalk in Steubenville. The boy, whose ...

For 82 years, Elkins and the Mountain State Forest Festival have been inseparable. The Forest Festival encompasses so much that is positive and celebratory about small communities across our state and nation. The civic pride and economic impact resulting from the Forest Festival are clear ...

Former West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Robin Davis says it’s all a vast, right-wing conspiracy. Where have we heard that before? In 1998 and again in 2016, from Hillary Clinton. Give Davis credit for coming up with a new and improved version. Davis has filed a federal lawsuit ...

Kump Education Center will have a team “running for it” in the Tucker Community Foundation Run For It race today in Davis. Last year we were fortunate to have Davis & Elkins College Coach Jason Pyle on our team, and he took second place in the event. This year we will miss Coach ...

Mitch McConnell, majority leader of the United States Senate, has been perhaps the most partisan leader in recent history. His cynicism is legendary and his ruthlessness commensurate. Unlike Newt Gingrich, he does not parley, he blocks; he does not seek consensus, only total victory. Certainly, ...

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” These are the words of Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount, also known as the Beatitudes. These were powerful words in first century Palestine, and they remain powerful words in our day. This past weekend I attended ...

Fall is the most beautiful time in the Mountain State and, as tremendous amounts of residents and tourists travel through West Virginia this time of year, we are reminded how important our forests, streams and access to hiking and hunting opportunities really are. The beautiful places that ...

Can the West Virginia Supreme Court order the state Senate to cancel an impeachment trial against a justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court? Of course it can. The state’s highest court can issue just about any directive justices choose in regard to affairs within the state. But what ...

Our book group discussed The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border by Francisco Cantu on Tuesday. While working with the Inmate Crew at Kump Education Center Wednesday, I thought of characters in Cantu’s book, and the two circumstances made me ponder about the reasons for ...