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Tragedy

West Virginians got a horrific reminder last week of the depth from which those trying to reform the work of the state Department of Human Services are trying to climb, with news that on Feb. 15, 2025, 11-year-old Miana Moran of Taylor County died in a case that has led to murder charges for her primary custodian. Miana was a sixth grader in virtual schooling through Upshur County Schools, according to a report by WCHS. A criminal complaint filed in Taylor County Magistrate Court said she weighed 43 pounds at her death. According to the WCHS report, Miana was wearing a pull-up diaper ...

Protection

It is the season during which many of us simply accept that we will get the common cold or come down with the flu, but failure to do all we can to prevent such viruses can be dangerous. In some cases, it can be deadly. Recently, Ohio reported its first pediatric flu death of the season — a teenager under 18 in Greene County, according to state health officials. In fact, each year there are between one and seven pediatric flu deaths in the state. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nationwide 6,300 to 52,000 people died from the flu annually between ...

Questions Remain

It’s a new chapter for Hancock County Schools, and it’s one to which we won’t be seeing an end anytime soon. A decision made Friday morning put the local school district – currently with two high schools, two middle schools, three elementary schools and a tech and career center – fully under the control of the state. The superintendent and assistant superintendent were relieved of their positions, and the Hancock County Board of Education is, for all intents and purposes, powerless. While board meetings will continue, the reality is that those five individuals now are ...

Infrastructure

West Virginians know our state is full of pieces of land that would make fantastic locations for new employers to build … except you can’t get there from here. Infrastructure isn’t our strong suit, and site readiness efforts are often about not just utilities and maybe even having a pad poured, but building roads for potential industrial sites. Lawmakers this week demonstrated they understand that, and are serious about working toward jobs first and improving opportunity everywhere, with a committee substitute for House Bill 4007. The bill, which proposes updates to the ...

Don’t Let Up

Frontieras North America’s announcement that it has closed on 183 acres in Mason County with a plan to build an $850 million coal reformation facility appears to be wonderful news for those communities. It’s a big project that, if all goes as planned, could result in 2,000 construction jobs and 200 permanent jobs. Gov. Patrick Morrisey says many of those jobs are expected to be more than $100,000 per year. Company officials say the construction could begin later this year and the plant could be up and running by the middle of 2028. Those same officials also claim the project ...

Growth

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, small businesses generate 44% of U.S. economic activity, though that contribution has gradually been declining as small business growth has slowed in recent years. It takes brave entrepreneurs to launch a small business. Some states are better environments than others, and according to at least one study, West Virginia has an enormous amount of room for improvement. In WalletHub’s “Best and Worst States to Start a Business (2026),” the Mountain State ranks 44th. For business environment, we rank 46th; ...