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Sad Process

Editorials

Today marks the beginning of a sad process for the Randolph County Schools system, as the county Board of Education will vote this month on whether to close two K-12 schools and three elementary schools. A public hearing on the closing of Harman K-12 School and North Elementary School is scheduled for today at the Elkins High School theatre, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Those wishing to speak during the hearing must sign in between 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. The Randolph County Board of Education will cast a final vote on closing the two schools at 8:30 p.m. tonight. If the proposal is ...

Keeping government open

Columnists

As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, one of my primary responsibilities is ensuring that our government is responsibly funded so it remains open and working for the people we represent, including the hardworking West Virginians. That’s why I’m deeply disappointed to see Washington once again stumble into a completely avoidable government shutdown—this time because Senate Democrats have refused to join Republicans in supporting a commonsense, short-term measure that would keep the government open. Let’s be clear about what this measure—known as a ...

Festival Weather

Editorials

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, and you certainly couldn’t judge the 87th Mountain State Forest Festival by the weather of its opening weekend. The small army of volunteers it took to bring us this year’s Forest Festival, under the supervision of Director General Lisa A. Shaffer, are to be commended for all the hard work they put in last week, especially in light of the rapidly changing weather conditions. The 87th MSFF got off to a rainy start during the official opening ceremony at the Jennings Randolph Federal Center in Elkins on Saturday, Oct. 27. A number ...

Not a passive president

Columnists

Whatever else you want to say about him, President Donald Trump has what Alexander Hamilton in Federalist No. 70 called “energy in the executive.” Announcing a peace plan for Israel and Hamas, ordering the dispatch of federal troops to protect immigration enforcement personnel in “sanctuary” states, authorizing his budget director to use reorganization powers available after Senate Democrats shut down the government, and announcing a pediatric cancer initiative. No one can seriously argue that this is a passive presidency, though some may say that Trump is not promoting “the ...

Get Outside

Editorials

Though the weather is still warm enough to make us forget, cooler temperatures are on their way. As the cold gray of winter appears on the horizon, it’s a good time for those who love the outdoors to remember: There’s no such thing as bad weather, only poor clothing choices. The Mountaineer Mile has been a tool to help West Virginians stay healthier for months now. But representatives of Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s office took the chance last week to visit a couple of parks in Pleasants and Wetzel counties to remind us there are walkable opportunities outdoors in the Mountain State ...

Comparing talking points to the truth

Columnists

On Twitter, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tweeted, “Let me be perfectly clear: Undocumented people CANNOT AND WILL NOT receive ACA premium tax credits BY LAW. PERIOD. This is a LIE from Republicans to divert attention from their shutdown. Republicans are refusing to lower healthcare costs for the American people.” The capitalization was his. It is a talking point to distract from the truth. CNN’s Jake Tapper pointed out to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, “What you support does bring back funding for emergency Medicaid to hospitals, some of which does pay for ...