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Letters to the Editor

Residents thanked for charity donations

I am writing to thank Elkins-area residents for sharing the true meaning of Christmas with children in need this past holiday season. Generosity throughout contributed to a successful shoebox gift collection season at drop-off locations for the Samaritan’s Purse project Operation Christmas Child. Across the U.S., the project collected over 9.3 million shoebox gifts in 2022. Combined with those collected from partnering countries in 2022, the ministry is now sending nearly 10.6 million shoebox gifts to children worldwide. Through shoeboxes — packed with fun toys, school supplies, ...

Should Dems change their party symbol?

Should the Democrat Party change their symbol from a donkey to a sheep? I recall asking my uncle why he raised goats instead of sheep, he said, “Let me explain something to you. A goat is born looking for something to eat. A sheep is born looking for a place to die. When Edward R. Murrow said, “A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.” What did he mean? He meant that when voters are simply sheep they will eventually elect wolves to control them. If you ask the typical Trump hater why he or she or whatever pronoun being used today, hates him, they will give ...

Darden Fest event deemed a success

It was an evening to remember! Music, friends and exciting raffle items to bid on in-between musician sets. The Darden Fest Concert that happened last Saturday was organized by Josh Wanstreet and all the proceeds were given to the Friends of the Elkins-Randolph County Public Library (Elkins Bookhounds) for use in the expansion and renovation of the old Elkins Library Our beloved community library was severely damaged by roof leaks in late 2021. The sold-out concert was sponsored by the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area, AmeriCorps West Virginia Members, and the Elkins ...

Officials should be held accountable

The attitude coming from the nation’s capital these days when it comes to the law is, “Only for thee and not for me.” The president and the Congress have broken the laws concerning immigration and it’s affecting this country in a bad way. Biden made the call and Congress OK’d it. The president should be charged and impeached for breaking these laws, and Congress charged as an accessory.  Drugs are not just leaking over the border, they are pouring over the border, making the biblical “Great Flood” look like a creek crossing. Young teens all the way to the age of ...

Justice’s tax cut would hurt the poor

In response to the current large state tax surplus, Gov. Justice has proposed a 50 percent reduction in the state personal income tax. When fully implemented this would return roughly 800 million dollars to West Virginia taxpayers. The people that will benefit most from this are those who have larger incomes and therefore significant state income tax liability, that is, the wealthier segment of our population. However, nearly 15 percent of West Virginians live in poverty and over 20 percent are elderly and many of these have incomes too small to owe any income tax at all, so the ...

What will the new road bring us?

During the ‘70s, I sat on the porch of my Ritchie County grandparents’ house in Ellenboro watching Corridor D being chiseled into the hillside overlooking US 50. The promise then was “economic development.” In a lifetime since, all I’ve noticed is Pete’s Dairyette is gone, replaced with a Dairy Queen. The numerous locally owned glass factories, including MidAtlantic where my Papaw worked, have been shuttered for a corporate one whose profits flow out of state. The local diner has long since closed. You can, however, get a Big Mac without leaving town. Local ...