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Letters to the Editor

Were data center moves suspicious?

Thank you for the story clarifying that the proposed data center in Tucker County was introduced on the last day to introduce legislation in the chamber, a permit application was submitted hours later, the bill was approved within days with all tax revenue going to the state rather than local governments. Local governments, according to the bill, are prohibited from restricting noise, lighting, or land use on such projects. And local officials, such as the mayor of Davis, were never consulted. The number of combustion turbines wasn’t specified, types of air pollution control ...

TVHS grad asks that school not be closed

I keep seeing in the news where there is serious consideration to close Tygart Valley High School at Mill Creek and send all those students to Elkins High School. Please consider the following and these facts carefully before this serious action is undertaken. If this action is taken, then students from Mingo, Monterville, Valley Fork, Dry Fork of Elk and other outlying areas will have to travel 37-40 miles one way just reach a school in Elkins. Total travel will be 76 to 80 miles daily. This travel will take in the neighborhood of 2-2½ hours daily on a school bus that has to ...

Bill passing was a ‘betrayal of trust’

I am astounded that the United States Congress passed the Reconciliation Bill, also known as the Big Beautiful Bill. The West Virginia Congressional Delegation, including Senator Capito, Senator Justice, Representative Miller, and Representative Moore, should understand how disappointing their support of this legislation is. I work with vulnerable, low-income youth. Many of their families rely on SNAP and Medicaid. These federal programs are a lifeline for them. I have observed the low self-esteem that poverty can cause. Congress’s decision to cut SNAP and Medicaid is ...

Reader encourages residents to watch BOE meeting

I encourage you to listen/watch the Randolph County School Board meeting held on Wednesday, July 30, 2025. (available on YouTube). School board member Ed Daniels gave a comprehensive presentation outlining an alternate approach to address the school system’s current financial situation. The approach he described incorporated current school utilization, capacity of facilities, and student travel times. The following are a few observations from Wednesday’s meeting: • It is time the Board of Education and the community had options to consider. The recommendations provided by Dr. ...

Recognizing our leaders’ priorities

Thank you for publishing Steven Allen Adams’ story on July 9th about the West Virginia Democrats and their legislative priorities. Unlike most of the Republicans in office — who seem to think the priorities of West Virginians lie in petty things like being able to legally stand up while riding a motorcycle— the Democrats are focused on what’s important. They are saying that the Legislature needs to work, in a bipartisan way, on the most important things for all West Virginians, such as clean drinking water, a fully-funded Flood Resiliency Trust Fund to help communities protect ...

Put power plant in a safer location

The picture is becoming clear for Tucker County residents who oppose the Ridgeline power plant. Just read the news release about Gov. Patrick Morrissey’s “Grow West Virginia” initiative. Morrissey wants to “grow jobs” by expanding current businesses and attracting new ones, and he wants to “grow the free market environment by cutting red tape and being the fastest permitting state in the region.” That certainly could explain why the air permitting process for Ridgeline is sailing through the WV Department of Environmental Protection in spite of the application being ...