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Forging Ahead

For 161 years, West Virginia has been our Wild and Wonderful home. Much good is taking place right now, and it’s not hard to be bullish about the state’s future. Consider: in the past year, we’ve seen personal income tax rates drop 21.5% for all residents. We’ve seen the state Legislature pass a measure that will allow the personal property taxes you pay on your vehicles this year to be refunded during tax season next year. And we’ve seen lawmakers hold the line on state spending instead of finding a way to waste every tax dollar received. That’s meaningful. That’s ...

Agriculture

West Virginia is more than coal mines, timber operations and chemical plants. We are a state of farms, too — feeding our families, neighbors and communities for generations. But until recently, the Mountain State included the only land-grant school in the country not to have a school of agriculture. Fortunately, West Virginia State University no longer bears that distinction. This week, officials gathered in Institute, W.Va., to celebrate lawmakers’ passage of a bill that will provide $50 million to build a new lab that will then hold the state Agriculture Department ...

Boos & Applause

Applause to all the volunteers who have worked to put together this week’s 30th annual Coalton Days events, which will continue all day today, featuring the annual Vince Ross 5K Walk, Wood Chopping competition, Car Show and Cornhole Tournament, as well as the Firemen’s, Car Show and Feature Parades. Today, food concessions, vendors and the rock climbing wall will open around 10 a.m., with carnival rides opening at 11 a.m. The Vince Ross 5K Walk begins at 8 a.m. in Coalton Park Saturday. The Wood Chopping competition will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the basketball court. The annual Car Show ...

Patriotism

West Virginians have always prided themselves on being patriotic citizens who answer our country’s call. And for generations, that was true. Now, according to WalletHub’s “Most Patriotic States in America (2024),” our status on that front has plummeted. Just in time for West Virginia Day, we learn the state is 41st in the report’s overall rankings. Even in the most obvious category — one in which the Mountain State has performed admirably for decades — we are faltering. Military engagement here is a surprising 32nd in the country. The figure takes into account average ...

Pet Safety

Have a hard time dealing with the sudden oppressive heat after getting into your parked car over the past few days? You immediately either rolled down all the windows completely or cranked the A/C as high as it would go, didn’t you? Now, think about those few moments of discomfort and imagine how very much worse it is for animals who are left in parked cars for an extended period of time on days like these. “A parked car can become an oven under the sun, even in mild temperatures,” said Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane. “When it’s a comfortable 70 ...

Free Speech

The U.S. Supreme Court stood up for free speech in its unanimous verdict in National Rifle Association v. Vullo — a case that cut to the heart of how states cannot regulate a business or organization just because they don’t agree with policies. New York state officials targeted the NRA specifically because they found the NRA’s message objectionable, and pressured private enterprises to “blacklist” or refuse to conduct business with the organization. The decision earlier this month “confirms that government officials have no business using their regulatory authority to ...