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Common Sense

Winding its way through Congress is legislation that would require the U.S. Postal Service to track crashes of vehicles carrying mail. The legislation, which carries the name “Mail Traffic Deaths Reporting Act,” and which passed the House on May 6, also would punish USPS contractors that fail to report accidents. Additionally, the Postal Service would be required to publish a yearly report focusing on its highway safety record. Why has the USPS not already been doing this? The Wall Street Journal, in March 2023, revealed that in the prior three years, “outside” postal ...

Wing 2 Wing

Because of partners such as the Save the Music and Wing 2 Wing foundations, every middle school in West Virginia will have received free musical instruments by 2027. Residents who grew up during an era where most middle and even some elementary schools found ways to bring hands-on musical education to students might be surprised to learn it’s been lacking. But it has taken millions of dollars contributed to the state Department of Arts, Culture and History for such programs to make a come-back. Most recently, Wing 2 Wing, through its partnership with Save the Music, donated ...

Foster Care

Gov. Jim Justice didn’t do Pamela Woodman-Kaehler any favors when he brushed off a reporter’s questions about the reason for her resignation as the first ombudsman of the state’s foster care system. When asked whether Woodman-Kaehler was leaving because of a problem with the office, Justice deflected: “ … This business of attacking people and everything and, you know, just, you know, digging into everything, coming and going. I mean, if she’s telling us she got a better job, why don’t we celebrate that?” It is always a wonder to behold a public official who pretends ...

Transparency

While state officials are bending over backward to protect themselves, rather than the children in their care, the former deputy secretary of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources is speaking out. “There is just not enough transparency in the system to fill some level of assurance that while tragedies will always happen, at least we did our best as a state and a government to address them,” Jeremiah Samples said during testimony in a class action lawsuit involving the state’s foster care system. “And I don’t believe we are at that stage right ...

Super Fan Spirit

Some people are unforgettable. Their honesty, and their authenticity, make them stand out from the pack and lead us to remember them long after they’re gone. John Zirbs was such a person. Many in Elkins knew him as “Super Fan.” Others referred to him as “Mr. Forest Festival.” Still others knew him as a devoted carrier of The Inter-Mountain who served his customers for four decades. Zirbs, a special needs person, was a 1975 graduate of Elkins High School who became the biggest supporter of EHS sports in the school’s history by adopting the alter-ego “Super Fan.” For ...

To the Rescue

West Virginia’s National Guard repeatedly comes to the rescue when the state is in need. Whether it be a pandemic, a natural disaster or simple bureaucratic/governmental incompetence, we know we can count on the men and women of the Guard to make a difference. Nearly two years ago, Gov. Jim Justice declared a state of emergency for our 17 correctional facilities because of severe staffing shortages. More than 730 members of the WVNG stepped up to rotate into positions in those facilities. “Today I am ending our long-standing emergency as the National Guard has completed its ...