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Making the grade

I’ve occasionally talked in this space about being a college dropout. In the past I used to qualify that statement as being a “proud” college dropout, though as I prepare to turn 43 on Friday, I’m not sure how proud of that I am of that anymore. I went to St. Marys Elementary School, Pleasants County Middle School, St. Marys High School and graduated from North Pleasants Christian School in 2000. I took a year off to decide my higher education options. I had thought about going to Marshall University at Huntington, but I just wasn’t ready to stray too far from St. Marys. ...

U.S. support for Israel remains strong

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and first lady Sara Netanyahu hosted a high-profile diplomatic reception Wednesday evening at the historic Blair House in Washington, D.C. The event, titled “A Reception in Appreciation of the Enduring Bond Between the United States and Israel,” was convened to honor the strategic, moral and longstanding partnership between the United States and Israel. Before the prime minister spoke, I asked him whether he was concerned that the United States was heading in the same direction as Europe, where antisemitism has risen as a result of ...

Gender gap

The gender gap, we’re informed by some of the best polling analysts in the business, is bigger than ever. Ever, in this case, means since the election of 1980, when men were more willing than women to vote for Ronald Reagan and oust Jimmy Carter. That spurred political journalists to emit multiple articles examining just exactly what was on women’s minds and probing their different and presumably superior opinions. The assumption was that the gender gap was costing Republicans votes. Being of a contrary disposition, in October 1982, I wrote an opinion article titled (paraphrasing ...

Strangely joyless

Despite the narrow victory with the passage of the “big beautiful bill,” the Republican party seems strangely joyless. You have to hand it to Donald Trump; he did a superb job in holding the GOP’s feet to the fire. However, the contradictions within the party remain evident and may ultimately undermine the founding principles of the Republicans. For MAGA, it was a mixed bag; they got the money for the border and ICE. A few tax cuts were provided for the working and middle classes. However, these are not permanent cuts; the revenue deductions for the wealthy persist for longer ...

‘Keep Kumping’ to the Wetland

AmeriCorps member in the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area continue to make a great deal of difference at Kump Education Center owned by the City of Elkins. Soon after the City first accepted the Kump property, Logan Smith and Phyllis Baxter began sending intelligent and energetic young people over to help us paint the fence, cleanout the barn, repair windows, replace plaster, and work in the wetland. In 2015 AmeriCorps member Alyssa Hanna planted 1,000 wetland plants to help channel the stream and improve water quality. After Jane Birdsong and Pam Byrne use the Trout ...

New Era

When I addressed my fellow West Virginians upon taking the oath of office, I said it was the dawn of a new era. A time to set our sights on something truly great: a future where West Virginia thrives as that shining state in the mountains. We pledged to move the needle on the things that matter: lifting our standard of living, driving educational attainment, and growing our workforce, all while defending and advancing West Virginia conservative values. Promises made, promises kept. We’ve proven that West Virginia can rise. We will rise. And not only that, we are ready to lead. ...