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Editorials

Disappointing

Surely Brian Abraham, Gov. Jim Justice’s chief of staff, saw last Thursday’s press conference going better than it did. In moderating the in-person press briefing, his aim was purportedly clearing up questions about how Kyneddi Miller’s case was handled leading up to her death at age 14 in Boone County. What followed was a standout example of bureaucracy over common sense, coupled with appalling disorganization and poor communication. West Virginians got to listen to the governor’s chief of staff call the actions of an on-the-ground local Child Protective Services worker ...

Level the Field

Ask anyone who used to work in the steel or aluminum industry in our region what happens when the federal government does not defend strongly enough against unfair trade practices — too often at the hands of China. Their story is one of failure to transition policy at a pace that keeps up with the bad behavior of global players. Now, there is a threat on a new front — the solar industry. Ohioans who welcomed First Solar and had hoped for more growth (and jobs) in the industry know they have allies in Washington, D.C., as U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, ...

Boos & Applause

Applause to Ona resident Lilly Harper Ryan, who has been selected as Maid Silvia for the 86th Mountain State Forest Festival by Director General Peggy Phillips.  Ryan visited Elkins on Sunday to attend a private reception in her honor, sponsored by Graceland Inn and Davis & Elkins College Dining Services. Ryan, 20, is the daughter of Retired Lieutenant Colonel Jerry “Chip” Floyd and Amy Floyd of Ona.  She is the granddaughter of Frank and Laura Santmyer of Elkins, Jim and Diana Sturm of Huntington, Norwin and Donna Lilly of South Charleston, Joe and Janet Richards of Charleston, ...

Value

As declarations and federal funding remind us of recent natural disasters, and reports suggest there may only be more to come, there is good reason for the West Virginia National Guard to want to help as many organizations as possible be ready. Earlier this week, the Guard joined with members of several civilian fire departments for a joint training exercise near Winfield, in Kanawha County. According to a report by WV MetroNews, the National Guard’s All-Hazards Response team was joined by members of the Clendenin, Glasgow, Charleston, and South Charleston fire departments — all of ...

Deadly Heat

For most of us, the ability to keep a home warm in the colder months seems more important than the ability to keep a home cool in the heat of summer. Those of us who grew up with grandmothers who opened the windows and set a couple of fans blowing when things got really warm probably don’t give much thought to air conditioning as an essential — particularly when so many of us take for granted that we CAN now crank the AC as low as we want to. But as temperatures rise, heat is becoming as deadly as cold in some parts of the country, while keeping a home cool is becoming more ...

Reckless?

President Joe Biden’s decision to release a million barrels of oil from a federal reserve is more of a frustration than a relief. Releasing petroleum from reserves is a short-term band-aid that carries real risks. If a crisis or prolonged economic downturn comes, the U.S. may well regret tapping into this supply. The United States instead should be pursuing long-term solutions — promoting or incentivizing the production of domestic oil and gas and investment in increased refinery capacity. As we have noted before, the benefits of developing domestic energy sources can be seen ...