Justice administration cleans house over Nazi salute

Sometimes you just have to pull out the problem by the root. The Justice administration has decided to take a hard line at the state Department of Corrections officials and trainees involved in the “Nazi salute” controversy. All trainees who gave either the Nazi salute or a closed fist salute while posing for their graduation

Vatican document details Bransfield’s excesses

The revelations about the behavior of former Diocese of Wheeling Charleston Bishop Michael Bransfield continue to shock the senses. The Washington Post and other media, including MetroNews, have reported extensively about Bransfield’s sexual harassing and abusive behavior and opulent lifestyle.  But now the Post has released publicly for the first time the independent investigation by

Federal judge misses mark in State Trooper excessive force case

Earlier this week, U.S. District Court Judge Gina Groh released her decision acquitting former West Virginia State Trooper Michael Kennedy* of depriving the rights of an unidentified youth. Specifically, Kennedy was accused of physically assaulting the 16-year-old while assisting in the boy’s arrest. On November 19, 2018, the youth, identified only as J.H., ran his

My unexpected Christmas gift

I received an unexpected Christmas gift the other day.  It was a simple little poem from a dear friend.  I’ll get to that in a moment, but here’s the background. My friend was diagnosed recently with stage three ovarian cancer.  She has had surgery and is now going through chemotherapy and the side effects. She

The Christmas when the fighting stopped

Has there ever been a Christmas when there was no war, no fighting in any corner of our planet?   It’s difficult to imagine since the world’s history has been a series of conquests and defenses. But there was once a Christmas when the fighting did stop, when enemies shook hands and laughed and even

MARC service saved… for now

Last week, after much debate, state leaders and representatives from the Eastern Panhandle announced a deal to keep the Maryland MARC commuter train service operating at current levels for at least another year. The estimated 250 to 300 passengers a day use the train to commute between Jefferson and Berkeley Counties and Washington, D.C. MARC

Christmas Staycation

I’m off this week–a Christmas Staycation.  Dave Wilson will fill in (and continue to angle for my job!) Anyway, will you do me a favor and fill in the blank? “All I want for Christmas is…” I look forward to your responses.  I’ll read some on the air next week. Best Holiday and Christmas wishes.

Justice maintains big lead among Republicans, Independents

Poll numbers show Governor Jim Justice holds a distinct advantage to win nomination by the Republican Party in the May Primary Election. The MetroNews West Virginia Poll released this week finds that if the election were held today, 56 percent would support Justice compared with 21 percent for Woody Thrasher and 11 percent for Mike

The wondrous Christmas catalog

This time of year always makes me think of the Christmas catalog. I’m not talking about the item-specific catalogs you still get in the mail today, but rather the huge catalogs from Sears, Montgomery Ward and JC Penney. Growing up, we lived on a farm near the little town of Summit Point in Jefferson County. 

Democrats overplay their impeachment hand

The evidence accumulated over the last two months of impeachment hearings leads to the conclusion that President Trump wanted the president of Ukraine to announce an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and the unsupported claim that Ukraine conspired with the Democrats to interfere in the 2016 election. Now House Democrats have announced two

Stephen Smith goes big on economic overhaul

As I have written here before, Stephen Smith is running an impressive campaign for the Democratic nomination for Governor of West Virginia.  He is smart, energetic and a tireless campaigner. His “small ball” fundraising is working.  Smith’s campaign has reported raising nearly one-half million dollars so far, much of it through donations of $5, $10,

Nazi salute warrants house cleaning

So, what are you supposed to do when members of a Division of Corrections class of trainees give the Nazi salute? You clean house, that’s what. Last week, the now infamous photo emerged of a corrections training class at the Glenville academy showing most of the men and women with arms raised in what is

Delegate Caputo’s second mistake

In the case of the State of West Virginia v. Michael Caputo, it seems a mole hill has become a mountain. Last March, Delegate Caputo (D-Marion) angrily pushed his way through the main door of the House of Delegates chamber.  He was among the Democratic lawmakers who were upset over an anti-Muslim display at the

Carmichael threads needle on Fairness Act

Senate President Mitch Carmichael (R-Jackson) is threading the needle on the Fairness Act, the proposed legislation that would outlaw discrimination against LGBTQ people in employment, housing or public accommodations. Carmichael participated this week in a panel discussion sponsored by Fairness West Virginia that was designed to highlight support for the act. He spoke in favor

Pelosi’s Paris Ploy

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told the United Nations climate summit in Madrid that the United States is “still in” the Paris Climate Agreement.  “Our delegation is here to send a message that Congress’s commitment to take action on the climate crisis is iron clad,” she said. Clearly Pelosi can speak for the Democratic majority in

Mr. Rogers—a hero for our time.

Here is an idea for a simple gift you can give yourself this holiday season: Go see the movie “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.” The film is inspired by the relationship between Fred Rogers, the long-time host of a popular children’s TV show Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, and Lloyd Vogel, a fictional character based on

Investigators of suspicious deaths at VA hospital taking their time to get it right

The public first learned last August of the suspicious deaths at the Louis A. Johnson Veterans Hospital in Clarksburg. Since then, information has continued to filter out. Here are some of the basics that we know: —The VA Office of the Inspector General, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of

A Thanksgiving holiday prayer

(I posted this Thanksgiving holiday commentary several years ago.) This Thanksgiving holiday we face constant reminders of our divisions and personal challenges. Disagreements extend from spats among family members all the way to violent conflicts between countries and religions to our own health and well-being. But we should also be reminded that there exists a

Bransfield needs to accept responsibility, pay up and apologize

The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston has come down hard on disgraced former Bishop Michael Bransfield, but is it hard enough? Bishop Mark Brennan’s “plan of amends” for Bransfield includes the following: —Bransfield must pay $792,638 in restitution to the Diocese for personal expenses associated with his luxurious lifestyle and not part of church duties. —He must

Family wants answers after suspicious death of their father at VA hospital

  We now know the identity of a sixth person who died under suspicious circumstances at the Louis A. Johnson VA Hospital in Clarksburg.  Russ Posey, a World War II Navy veteran, died July 3, 2018. Posey, 92, was not a diabetic, but his blood sugar dropped from normal levels to just 14, plunging him