Trump deserves censure/reprimand, but not impeachment

The impeachment inquiry has a fundamental problem.  The House Democrats and Republicans, who have handled most of the questioning and been the prominent spokespersons at news conferences, have made black or white arguments. Democratic Representative Adam Schiff would have you believe that the country is teetering at the edge of the abyss. Schiff and Speaker

The prosperous Eastern Panhandle

A new report by the West Virginia University Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) confirms what anecdotal evidence has told us—the Eastern Panhandle (Jefferson, Berkeley and Morgan Counties) continues to be the strongest economic region of the state. The just-released report lists a number of facts about economic performance in the region. Among them:

WV struggles to keep up with child abuse and neglect cases

West Virginia has a legal responsibility to take care of children who are being abused and neglected.  State Code 49-1-105 specifically says it is the obligation of the state child welfare system to “assure each child care, safety and guidance; serve the mental and physical welfare of a child; preserve and strengthen the child family

West Virginia politics wears out veteran lawmakers

Four veteran members of the West Virginia Legislature have announced, just in the last few weeks, that they are not running for re-election next year. (Read more here, here and here.) Senate Minority Leader Roman Prezioso, Senate Minority Whip Corey Palumbo, House Minority Leader Tim Miley and House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Shott have all decided

You’re not going to believe this, but…

The headline in the New York Times caught my eye; “No One Believes Anything.” The story quoted a poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and USAFacts which found that a growing percentage of Americans just don’t know what to believe in the news. For example, 47 percent of the news

Martinsburg drug house ordinance is cleaning up neighborhoods

Walk around any troubled neighborhood in any West Virginia community and talk with folks who live there. They know where the drug dealers live. For that matter, the police often know too, or at least they suspect certain locations because of the number of complaints they receive. Three years ago, the city of Martinsburg, fed

Let’s give charter schools a chance in West Virginia

West Virginia is just dipping its toe into charter schools. The state Board of Education is putting out for public comment proposed rules on how charter schools will operate. Those rules run 47 pages, single-spaced, which seems like a lot considering one of the supposed advantages of a charter school is that it can be

Policy changes paying dividends for West Virginia’s economy

West Virginia is seeing some notable growth in employment and workforce participation. The state Chamber of Commerce, citing state figures from Workforce West Virginia, said the state has added 19,000 jobs from October 2018 to October 2019. Specifically, 763,000 West Virginians were working last month compared with 744,000 the same month of the previous year.*

The die is cast on impeachment hearings

So, the much-anticipated House impeachment inquiry goes public today.  The country will be able to watch and listen as diplomats testify in open hearings and answer questions from Democrats and Republicans. Each side has developed a strategy.  Democrats want to show that President Trump broke the law by trying to force Ukraine to gather dirt

A stumble on Coach Neal Brown’s ‘Trust the Climb’

  Mountaineer Coach Neal Brown’s “Trust the Climb” mantra took a tumble Saturday. The 38-17 loss to Texas Tech was not simply a misstep or slip, it was a face first slide down the mountainside that left WVU fans bloodied and bewildered. Yes, this is Year Zero (my term), and yes Dana Holgorsen’s half-hearted recruiting

A day of tribute, respect and remembrance

(Editor’s note: This is a commentary I have posted previously on Veterans Day.) One-hundred and one years ago, at the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month, the fighting stopped along the battle lines in Europe, bringing an end to the hostilities of World War I.  The following year, President Woodrow Wilson

The Diviney family’s personal hell

Ken and Sue Diviney and their daughter, Kari, have been through hell. I’m not talking about just a difficult period… the kind of challenge you muscle through with the expectation that things will get better. No, for the Divineys there never could be a hopeful sunrise the next day or even a happy memory of

Confirmation of 6th suspicious death at Clarksburg VA

So far, MetroNews and other media have confirmed the names of five veterans who died under suspicious circumstances at the Louis A. Johnson VA Hospital in Clarksburg. They are Archie Edgell, John Hallman, William Holloway, Felix McDermott and George Shaw. Monday, we reported on a sixth individual, a 92-year-old Navy veteran from West Virginia. His

West Virginia students score below average in national testing

Results from the National Assessment for Education Progress (NAEP) testing show a pattern in West Virginia, and it’s not a good one. The biennial exam, known as the Nation’s Report Card, shows that West Virginia students are below the national average in math and reading in all four testing areas and even lost ground in

West Virginia offers major incentive to teach here

Earlier this year the Legislature passed, and the Governor signed, the education reform bill. The legislation allowed for creation of up to three charter schools in West Virginia, and that was the subject of intense debate. The bill included pay raises for teachers and service workers, more support staff for schools, and additional funds for

Fix the miners’ pension fund before it’s too late

Last week’s bankruptcy filing by Murray Energy should create an even greater sense of urgency in Congress to pass the proposed fix for the financially troubled United Mine Workers multi-employer pension plan. The UMWA 1974 Pension Plan is headed toward insolvency by 2022, but that date will likely come sooner now because Murray is the

West Virginia Catholics confronting Bransfield scandal

Most Christians know well a verse in 2 Corinthians 9:7 that comes to mind when the collection plate is passed: “God loves a cheerful giver.” But many congregants of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston find themselves somewhat reluctant tithers these days because of the scandal surrounding former Bishop Michael Bransfield. For example, last month, a fundraising

Obama gets real on ‘woke’

Former presidents, especially popular ones, have a great luxury; they can say pretty much what they want and not worry about the political consequences. With that in mind, consider what former President Barack Obama said during a recent Obama Foundation Summit in Chicago.  Obama called out the extremes of the woke movement. “The idea of

Murray bankruptcy is symbolically significant

Bob Murray has been the face and the attitude of the struggling steam coal industry for some time now.  As others abandoned coal, the outspoken and hard-driving Murray doubled down, buying up coal operations and betting that the industry could withstand growing regulatory and competitive pressures. Murray started with the purchase of a single Ohio

Coal, natural gas slowdown affects W.Va. budget

Keeping a tight grip on the state budget of West Virginia is like hanging on to the reins of a bucking bronco; it’s hard to know what’s going to happen next. There are predictable factors and long-time Deputy Revenue Secretary Mark Muchow has become particularly adept at economic forecasting.  Those revenue projections are vital because