I’ll be back

Folks, I’m off this week.  Dave Wilson will be filling in  on Talkline.  I’ll be back Monday, September 30th. Hop

Pattern develops in suspicious VA hospital deaths

The stories are strikingly similar. An aging veteran checks into the Louis A. Johnson Veterans Hospital in Clarksburg.  He has some health problems, but he is not dying. Suddenly, he takes a dramatic turn for the worse.  His blood sugar levels drop dangerously low triggering hypoglycemia.   Despite treatment, within a few days or possibly a

Governor may have to explain slower economic growth

When politicians take credit for economic growth it’s a little bit like the weatherman accepting praise for the sunshine. Of course, government policies have a direct impact on the economy.  However, there are many factors beyond the control of the government, especially in a free market system, and also because economies around the world are

Weighty West Virginians

This column is not about fat shaming, but rather an acknowledgment of this fact: West Virginians are too heavy. Well, not everyone, but a significant percentage.  New figures from the Trust for America’s Health show that West Virginian’s obesity rate is 39.5 percent, and that’s up one percent from the previous year. In the interest

The Shaw family waits for answers

If you drive out past Lumberport in Harrison County and stay on the road when it turns to gravel, you will eventually come to the end of the road, and there you will find the Shaw farm.  The 111 acres have been in the family for a couple of generations, and it’s where several family

The Mountaineers ‘defining moment’

A little over a week ago, Mountaineer Nation was notably and appropriately subdued.  Nothing about the embarrassing butt whipping at Missouri looked like what Mountaineer fans have come to expect from their team. The Mountaineers have often played more talented teams, but WVU football has always been regarded as hard-nosed.  You don’t get pushed around

Kids can’t learn if they are not in school

West Virginia’s public education system has a major student attendance problem; too many students are missing too many days of instruction. The newest figures from the Balanced Scorecard on public school achievement are out, and while there are the usual concerns over math and English Language Arts scores, the most troubling numbers are revealed during

Poll: West Virginians are not seeing enough progress on #FTDR

It would not surprise me if every West Virginia Governor has a recurring nightmare about the state’s roads. Imagine waking up in a cold sweat after a graphic dream where you are drowning in a giant pothole or being besieged by pitchfork and torch-toting West Virginians angry over the condition of their roads. Roads may

Remembering 9/11

As a child, I remember the news media coverage every December 7th. Earnest television reporters would recount in serious tones the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. We would see black and white images of American ships ablaze and listen to the replay of President Roosevelt’s description of “a date which will live in infamy.” I

Poll: WV teachers have the public behind them

The state teacher unions have conducted two strikes in two years. In both instances, the strikes shut down schools statewide—11 days in 2018 over salaries and 2 two days this year over charter schools and private school vouchers. I keep wondering if and when the West Virginia Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers

Compromise needed in eastern panhandle train controversy

There is constant debate in a free society over the legitimate functions of government, especially as it relates to the spending of taxpayer dollars. What services do people need and want from their government and how much should be spent on those services? The current topic of that debate is taking place in the state’s

OVMC leaves Wheeling hanging

Last month, Alecto Healthcare Services announced it was closing the Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling and the East Ohio Regional Hospital just across the river in Martins Ferry, Ohio.  The company said the closures would occur in 60 to 90 days. Immediately, WVU Medicine, which manages Wheeling Hospital and operates Reynolds Memorial Hospital in

West Virginia’s economic conundrum

West Virginia has a “chicken-or-the-egg” economic problem. Our state, like every other state, can always use more economic development—new businesses opening and moving in from out of state and existing businesses expanding. Economic growth creates wealth that is shared among those participating in the economy and generates the revenue for government to provide the services

Why Manchin skipped Governor’s race

Joe Manchin has always been politically stealthy.  He has practiced to near perfection the ability to balance in the middle as the political world increasingly pulls participants to one side or the other. During his years in state politics, Manchin billed himself as a pro-business Democrat.  His desire for a deal or a compromise frequently

MetroNews West Virginia Poll shows weak spots for Justice

The most recent edition of the MetroNews West Virginia Poll shows that Governor Jim Justice has his work cut out for him to win re-election. So far, he is in good shape to clear the first hurdle.  Our poll shows that if a Primary Election were held today, Justice would get 53 percent of the

VA stonewalling on murders, suspicious deaths at Clarksburg hospital

The mission statement of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs quotes President Abraham Lincoln: “To care of him who shall have born the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan” by serving and honoring the men and women who are America’s Veterans. Contrast that with what we are learning about the horrific events

Police: Senator Solicited Prostitute

Last month, Glen Dale police arrested six people on prostitution charges.  Police accused the men of soliciting sex from Cortnie Ann Clark. Police used Clark’s phone to track down other customers.  Police say one of the numbers was to a phone belonging to Marshall County Republican State Senator Mike Maroney. This week, Glen Dale police

Neal Brown wins the off-season

When Dudley DeGroot arrived in Morgantown in 1948 to coach the WVU football team, he already had nearly 20 years of college and professional head coaching experience.  His first year with the Mountaineers continued his previous history of success—the team went 9-3. His second, and what would be his final season, was a disappointment.  The

Clarksburg VA death ruled homicide; VA investigating more possible victims

On the morning of April 9, 2018, Felix McDermott died at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg.  The retired Army Sergeant and Vietnam Veteran was 82 years old and had several health issues, including aspiration pneumonia. However, his condition was improving, and his death shocked his family. “No answers were given to

Bernie’s energy pipe dream

  Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has unveiled his version of the Green New Deal.  The Democratic Socialist characterizes it this way: “A ten-year nationwide mobilization centered on equity and our humanity during which climate change will be factored into virtually every area of policy, from immigration to trade to foreign policy and beyond.” That’s another