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W.Va. loses a good man

West Virginia is a small state, and state government is not large, so the longer you cover certain politicians, the more chances you have to see the human side of the people you cover and even become friends. That’s the way it was with Tim Armstead, the late justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals and the former minority leader who rose to become the first Republican speaker of the House of Delegates in nearly 83 years. I attended the visitation for Armstead last Tuesday in the chambers of the House of Delegates, not as a news reporter but as a friend. I have a ...

Britain — The Land of the Unfree

When the Irish comedian Graham Linehan arrived at London Heathrow Airport this past weekend, he was greeted by five armed British police officers who arrested him for — get this — three rude tweets. Or, as Linehan wrote on his Substack, “I was arrested at an airport like a terrorist, locked in a cell like a criminal, taken to hospital because the stress nearly killed me, and banned from speaking online — all because I made jokes that upset some psychotic crossdressers.” Whether or not you find his words offensive, it’s hard to disagree with Harry Potter author J. K. ...

Wikipedia and Google

While artificial intelligence may make the student research paper obsolete, if today a student does their own research and writing, it’s quite possible they will use Google to search their topic, and Google will invariably send the searcher to a Wikipedia article. If they were to write about cable news, the Wikipedia results are as biased as ... well, cable news. Their entries on Fox News Channel and Newsmax are remarkably different from the ones on CNN and MSNBC. Right away, in the second sentence, Wikipedia tells us Newsmax “has been variously described as conservative, ...

Barbour County is ready for fall football season

It’s football season. Good luck to all the many players this season. Stay safe and do your best. Congratulations to Miss Barbour County 2025, Aubrey D’Angelo. Best wishes and have fun on your reign. There will be a Ladies Night Out on Sept. 9 from 6-9 pm at Battlers Knob. There will be live entertainment, a Photo Booth, wine tasting, door prizes, food, and more. Tickets can be purchased at People’s Bank, BC Bank, or any Freedom Bank location. Also on Sept. 9, from 4:30-6 p.m., Philippi Public Library will be hosting Family Game Night. Try a new game or play an old ...

Companies thrive when leaders know what’s expected of them

Clarity is key in building and sustaining a high-performing culture. For leaders, this means making sure messages are clear and understood — not ambiguous or confusing — and that everyone knows what they’re supposed to do and how it contributes to the organization’s objectives. Clarity is vital in each part of the organization, and it applies to everyone.  (Here, I am talking about clarity as it relates to the workplace. However, the principles certainly apply to life in general.) Peter Drucker (1909-2005), whom many consider the “father of modern management,” and ...

Letting the volunteer lights shine

When the leaves begin turning yellow, orange, and red, we see Forest Festival volunteers working all over the Elkins community. On Friday we saw the red t-shirts for United Way Day of Action, This week we celebrated volunteers who let their lights shine to help Kump Education Center create a brighter future. Our volunteers helped me remember our shared history and think about the ways we can teach the next generation what we learned from the generations before us about honesty, kindness, and responsibility. Volunteering is an affirmation of our shared humanity. It is the essence of ...