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Burn Ban

With resources tighter all around, local and state firefighting agencies already have their hands full. That is why it is essential West Virginia residents follow the burning restrictions of the spring fire season, which kicked off March 1. Outdoor burning must be confined to 5 p.m. to 7 a.m., with fires set during that time put out before 7 p.m. Other rules include ensuring all fires have a 10-feet wide safety strip cleared of burnable materials. All fires must be attended until fully extinguished. Only leaves, brush and yard clippings may be burned. Spark-throwing machinery on land ...

Term Limits

One of the more intriguing ideas to come out of Charleston this legislative session involves proposed term limits for some elected officials. What’s interesting is the idea did not come from the governor or a sitting member of the Legislature but instead from first-term state Treasurer Larry Pack, who is planning legislation that would limit those elected to the Board of Public Works — treasurer, auditor, secretary of state, agricultural commissioner and attorney general — to only three terms in office, or 12 years. That’s an excellent idea — and one that should have been ...

Economy

West Virginia’s Polymer Alliance Zone is growing, and that’s good news for counties along the Ohio River in desperate need of greater economic development support. With the addition of Ohio, Marshall and Wetzel counties, the PAZ now covers ten counties along the river — from Ohio to Wayne. No economic development zone in the state is bigger. “The addition of the three (Regional Economic Development partnership) counties is consistent with our goal to advance the core mission of PAZ, to attract new investments and foster the creation of new jobs for our citizens who live and ...

Energy

During the winter meeting of the National Governors Association, Gov. Patrick Morrisey showed his continued willingness to stand up for a “future for coal.” He spoke to Fox News Digital, saying he is “very hopeful” on coal partly because of what he believes is an impending information technology arms race with China. “And we have to catch up to what they’re doing in terms of the Chinese use of coal and many, many different types of fuel sources, because we can’t let them get ahead of us as they’re building capacity in AI, superintelligence, robotics and advanced ...

Boos & Applause

Applause to Meals on Wheels of Randolph County, which was presented a donation check for $10,000 from Movement Mortgage. Movement Mortgage representatives nominate local non-profit organizations nationwide for its annual GraceWorks grant. Meals on Wheels of Randolph County doesn’t receive federal funding, so it survives on private donations and annual funding from the Tygart Valley United Way and Randolph County Commission. Davis Medical Center has been preparing meals for the organization for the past 50 years. Applause to the news that Randolph County had the second-highest county ...

Determined

Members of the state House Health and Human Resources Committee did the right thing this week by voting down House Bill 2007, which would have repealed the certificate of need program that helps make quality healthcare accessible to all West Virginians. But on this matter, Gov. Patrick Morrisey is determined. “The fight to repeal Certificate of Need is not over,” Morrisey said in a post on social media Monday evening. “West Virginia currently pays more for hospital services than all but one state – while experiencing the worst healthcare outcomes. We must reduce the ...