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Capito has proved she works for us

West Virginia needs a strong, powerful voice in Washington, D.C., now more than ever — someone who has proved she can build relationships, earn influence, reach across the aisle when necessary and speak up for US. For nearly 25 years, Shelley Moore Capito has built relationships across our nation’s capital and learned what it takes to represent a small state without getting lost in the swamp. Today she is chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, working toward “policies that protect vital West Virginia energy and manufacturing jobs and encourage ...

The Cost of West Virginia’s Jobs Problem. Here are the Numbers.

West Virginia's labor force participation rate is 54.5%, last among the fifty states and 8.5 points behind the nation. Here is the part that ought to disarm the partisanship: we have sat at or near the very bottom every year since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the series in ...

Federal funding for flood-ravaged counties

Last week, President Donald Trump approved federal disaster assistance funding for Upshur, Barbour, Randolph, Tucker and seven other counties, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance program. The funds will go toward repairing public infrastructure after the deadly flooding of July 21. Federal Individual Assistance was previously approved for Upshur, Lewis, Pleasants and Ritchie counties following the July storms. Individual Assistance can help eligible residents with temporary housing, home repairs and other uninsured or underinsured disaster-related ...

Season of school closure discussions

You could hear groans all over Randolph County this week when Superintendent of Schools Dr. Derek Lambert told the county Board of Education that declining student enrollment may lead to more school closures. Lambert said Randolph County Schools is looking at a projected loss of 240 students this school year, which translates to roughly a $2 million reduction in funding, or approximately 30 staff member positions. He told the BOE that “finding another 30 positions to reduce, while maintaining our current number of schools, is going to be extremely difficult, if not ...

Take part in Festival fun this week

The 88th Mountain State Forest Festival kicks off this morning, with the MSFF Official Opening Ceremony set for 11 a.m. at the Jennings Randolph Federal Building Plaza in Elkins. Today's weather forecast calls for sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-60s. The other MSFF opening day events include the 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. Forest Festival Kickoff Party & Chili Cook-Off, which will run from 4-8 p.m. on Davis Avenue, featuring live music by the power ballad tribute band BonJourney. The annual Bass Fishing Classic will begin with the boat launch at 6 a.m., and the fish weigh-in at 3 p.m. ...

More work needed on scholarship program

Despite Hope Scholarship participation nearly doubling across the state, and a recent survey showing high parent satisfaction with the program, skeptics continue to insist reform of the scholarship program is needed. Upshur County Superintendent of Schools Tim Derico announced this month that the county's Hope Scholarship participation rose from 146 students last year to 273 this fall, nearly doubling. On Sept. 2, Randolph County Schools Superintendent Dr. Derek Lambert said, “Hope Scholarship participation increased by 119%, from 193 students to 423 students in one year. And I ...