Reading the tea leaves on Koenning’s departure

WVU and the football team’s defensive coordinator, Vic Koenning, parted ways this week.  The decision was reached following an investigation by outside counsel into allegations by player Kerry Martin that Koenning mistreated him and other players by trying to force his Christian beliefs on them, disparaging the Black Lives Matter movement, and subjecting players to “his

Trump sends the right message on the virus… finally

President Trump used the coronavirus briefing Tuesday to warn of difficult times ahead, while calling on Americans to wear masks and socially distance. Well, better late than never. Trump has been all over the map during the pandemic. In March, he soberly warned that the nation faced a “great national trial unlike any it has

The Frustrated Farmer

Canadian poet and novelist Brian Brett said, “Farming is a profession of hope.” Anyone who makes their living through agriculture will tell you that is true. The farmer can do everything right, but if, for example, it does not rain enough or rains too much, their livelihood is in jeopardy. And that is the predicament

West Virginia is faring better than surrounding states during pandemic

So, how is West Virginia doing in the fight against Covid-19 compared with our surrounding states? Kentucky is witnessing a significant surge.  There were 979 new positive cases Sunday, the most of any day since the pandemic began.  Governor Andy Beshear called the increase “a wake-up call for everybody.” The surge prompted a warning from

Working toward reopening schools in WV

West Virginia educators are working toward reopening of the state’s public schools on Tuesday, September 8.  That is the new date set by Governor Jim Justice, delaying the previously scheduled start dates in August, to give the schools extra time to prepare for class during the pandemic. State School Superintendent Clayton Burch says they are

Governor must include Legislature in Covid-19 spending

Governor Jim Justice has consistently made responsible and reasoned decisions in the state’s response to the Covid-19 virus.  As a result, West Virginia has managed to avoid the worst of the pandemic, although we are not out of the woods yet, and won’t be for some time. However, Justice is now running into opposition on

Why did Reta Mays murder those veterans?

The unavoidable and overriding question in the case of admitted serial killer Reta Mays is why; Why would this woman in the trusted position of nurse’s assistant at the Louis A. Johnson Veterans Medical Center in Clarksburg kill eight of her patients? Mays admitted to the crimes in federal court Tuesday, but she said nothing

Guilty plea solves only part of the mystery of veterans deaths

The lengthy investigation into the murders of patients at the Louis A. Johnson Veterans Medical Center in Clarksburg has taken a significant step toward resolution with the guilty plea of a former hospital nursing assistant. Reta Mays appeared in federal court yesterday and pleaded guilty to seven counts of second degree murder and one count

Justice closes bars in Monongalia County in hopes of slowing virus spread

Governor Jim Justice closed all the bars in Monongalia County for ten days starting at midnight last night. The move comes after a spike in Covid-19 cases, which the Governor and health officials believe is linked to the bars. The number of positive cases in Monongalia County now makes up one-fourth of all the cases

Virus fatigue

There is a new strain of virus now in this pandemic.  It is Virus Fatigue and, like Covid-19 itself, there is no vaccine but there are plenty of coping mechanisms. Yes, everyone is weary of the 24/7 news coverage, the travel and lifestyle restrictions, the constant reminders about wearing masks and keeping our social distance, the

Scholar program will benefit state and students

Every school year, West Virginia has a hard time filling every classroom with a qualified teacher.  Too many classes end up being taught by a teacher not certified in that discipline One of the issues is pay, since college graduates can make more in other professions. Another is that fewer people are choosing to be

Covid-19’s comeback in West Virginia

We are headed in the wrong direction. West Virginia did remarkably well for weeks in the early stages of the pandemic. The shutdown orders, social distancing, hand washing and mask wearing paid off in minimizing the spread of Covid-19. The spikes in the early stages were in places where the virus could quickly spread in

Anti-carbon activists win, West Virginia loses on Atlantic Coast Pipeline

Dominion Energy and Duke Energy announced last Sunday the companies were canceling their jointly-proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline that was supposed to deliver natural gas from Harrison County, West Virginia to North Carolina. The utilities threw in the towel after six years of planning and securing rights of way. But mostly the time was spent in

Now it’s an order. Wear a mask.

West Virginia has joined the growing list of states mandating masks to try to reduce the spread of Covid-19.  Governor Jim Justice’s executive order that took effect at midnight last night requires all West Virginians age nine and above to wear face coverings at all indoor public places where social distancing cannot be maintained. The

Rename Stonewall Jackson Middle School

The Kanawha County Board of Education is scheduled today to take up the question of whether to rename Stonewall Jackson Middle School. David Knox, School Improvement Council President at Stonewall and Capital High School, is among those who has been pushing for a name change for some time.  He has presented the board with a

Happy Independence Day

(Editor’s note:  This is a commentary I wrote a few years ago and post every year at this time.) John Adams’s letter to his wife Abigail was filled with enthusiasm, but also carried a tone of foreboding.  It was July 1776 and revolution was in the air among the delegates at the meeting of the

The Delusional Defunders

New York City is the latest municipality to join the “defund the police” movement. This week Mayor Bill de Blasio and city council agreed to a spending plan that reallocates approximately $1 billion from the police department to other spending.  That is one-sixth of the entire police budget. Even that is not enough for Democratic

Removal of Confederate plaque from Charleston park triggers debate

This week, the City of Charleston removed a plaque from a monument at Ruffner Memorial Park that recognized members of the Confederacy. As MetroNews reported, “The plaque, dedicated in 1922 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy’s Kanawha Riflemen Chapter, listed multiple military officers as well as a “colored cook, faithful during the war.” A

West Virginia’s hidden flood threat

West Virginia is prone to flooding.  The mostly mountainous terrain means sudden and heavy downpours can turn normally placid creeks into torrents of mud and debris. Just last week West Virginia marked the four year anniversary of the catastrophic 2016 flash flooding that left 23 people dead and tens of millions of dollars in damages

West Virginians should be natural mask wearers

Generalizations are often not entirely true, so a word of caution here at the beginning.  I believe this to be true about most West Virginians: We have an independent streak and we are generous of spirit. These qualities are important when thinking about how West Virginians are responding as we continue to deal with the