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Gridlock

Editorials

This week, Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced that the state will extend its “donor agreement” to keep open the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. At $7,000 a day, Morrisey is likely correct that such a decision is worth the money, given the consequences if New River was to be closed for Bridge Day, or visitors were disappointed when they tried to visit our parks during what should be peak leaf-viewing season. “The political gridlock in Washington, it’s hurting a lot of people, but we took swift action in one area where we felt ...

Tutors needed to help students learn

Columnists

As we start our Targeted Tutoring program for another year I am becoming more aware of the fact that the original concept of tutoring is the central purpose of Kump Education Center. The word “tutor” comes from a Latin root word that means guardian or protector. If we do our tutelary work well, we will make safe relationships with students enabling them to feel secure enough to learn. Children can overcome their weaknesses if they learn coping devices to make them better students. With private tutoring students do not have to hide their weaknesses from the rest of the class. Good ...

Benson

Editorials

West Virginia University President Michael Benson had a lot of big ideas in his first State of the University address this week. They come as he is in the middle of an effort to visit every county in the state — an important attempt to truly understand his new home and the state his university serves. Sure, it’s nice to learn the holiday lighting party will return to Woodburn Hall this year, but it is also encouraging to hear Benson has a realistic understanding of the challenges faced by the university, and the need to tackle them — with help from those who responded to the ...

Safety First

Editorials

There are plenty of designated days, weeks and months meant to raise awareness and perhaps steer conversations toward finding solutions to some of our biggest challenges. For example, the third Saturday in October is National Move Over Day, according to a representative of AAA, who spoke with WCHS earlier this week. Lori Weaver Hawkins told the news station “That gives us an added way to really educate the public and bring awareness to this issue.” Most of us probably think we understand the law, and the safety implications for not following it, but Hawkins points out, “It’s ...

Regional instability

Columnists

Donald Trump‘s quest to see a peace deal for Gaza seemingly met with success with a ceasefire agreement. But the joy may be premature, given that Benjamin Netanyahu is to run the agreement past his cabinet. As well, the terms of the understanding are to be implemented in stages. It is a framework, but the actions of all the participants must be tightly aligned. Surely, gaining some understanding is a significant accomplishment given the pitfalls of diplomacy. Trump placed a great deal of pressure on Netanyahu, which in turn strained their relations. But this strong-arming did not ...

Burden

Editorials

Among the concerns for some of those worried about their finances amid a federal government shutdown, continued increasing inflation, high interest rates and an unsteady jobs market, is the burden of student loan repayment. In West Virginia, that burden is especially heavy. According to personal finance company WalletHub, West Virginia carries the eighth most student debt in the country. The Mountain State is 25th for average student debt, but third for the proportion of students with debt and fourth for student debt as a percentage of income. Meanwhile, the state is 15th for the ...