The Scouting world comes to West Virginia

It is not often that West Virginia can be at the epicenter of a global event, but that is exactly what is happening for the next two weeks as the Mountain State hosts the 24th World Scout Jamboree. An estimated 45,000 Scouts and leaders from over 150 countries are gathering at the Summit Bechtel Reserve

Paper provides shocking numbers on the opioid crisis

Many stories about the opioid epidemic are about people, and that’s logical. That approach is meaningful because it humanizes the crisis, it puts a face on addiction that is easier to relate to. But this story is about numbers, and for good reason.  To more fully understand the drug epidemic in our state and the

Rich Rod’s Regrets

Rich Rodriguez is the most polarizing sports figure in the state’s history. Over seven seasons (2001-2007) the Grant Town native and WVU graduate, led his alma mater to 60 wins against just 26 losses, consistent top 25 rankings, a historic Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia, and to the brink of a national championship game. Mountaineer

More tough times ahead for coal

Coal continues to be a difficult business.  Environmental pressures, increased competition from natural gas and renewables, and market conditions mean it’s harder than ever for coal operators to stay in business. It’s not going to get any easier. Moody’s Investors Service earlier this month predicted that the demand for thermal coal from U.S. utilities will

Our orbit of outrage

We’re approaching the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. Neil Armstrong’s “one small step” onto the lunar surface was indeed a “giant leap for mankind.” The successful Apollo 11 mission in July 1969 is one of the great achievements in history, a dramatic nexus of technology and human will.  The mission was a grand culmination

Congress’s missed chance to fix immigration/border security

Today’s debate over immigration has devolved into overly simplistic catchphrases, like “build the wall” and radical proposals such as the elimination of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The flood of illegals into the country and the dramatic increase in those seeking asylum have created chaos at the border, overwhelming security forces and the agencies responsible

The WVEA’s long shot to kill the education reform law

Opponents of charter schools were unable to stop the proposal in the Legislature, so they are now going to court. The West Virginia Education Association teachers’ union announced plans to sue the State over the passage of HB 206, the omnibus education reform bill that includes a provision that allows for a limited number of

Who can repair the WV GOP?

Tempers flared at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Kanawha County Republican Party Executive Committee.  There was shouting, arguments and hurt feelings. As one committee member told MetroNews, “It was awful. Longtime friends have taken separate paths.” We’ll get to the specifics of Tuesday night’s blow up shortly, but it’s important to first understand how the

Small donations add up for Stephen Smith

It does not take long to review the second quarter campaign financial statement of incumbent Governor Jim Justice. It’s just 12 pages and the quick summary is this: The Republican raised $57,560 at a June 20th fundraiser and loaned his campaign $131,500. The same goes for Woody Thrasher. The Republican challenger received contributions totaling $36,385,

West Virginia’s venture into rail/truck transport business comes up empty

The Heartland Intermodal Gateway (HIG) at Prichard in Wayne County opened with great fanfare and hope in 2015.  Rail-to-truck transfer stations and other truck repair business for sale were booming in other parts of the country and advocates of the West Virginia project saw HIG as a chance for West Virginia to get in on

Chris Cline’s legacy: Success and contributions

  Chris Cline had a way of staying one step ahead in the volatile coal business. According to a 2017 Forbes Magazine profile, when Cline was 22, his father, Paul, had heart surgery and was considering selling the family coal business in southern West Virginia to his partner for $50,000. His father was going to

Politics are cutting into American pride

The Independence Day weekend is typically a time when we rally around the flag and celebrate the birth of the nation.  However, a new poll suggests a continued decline in American pride. The Gallup Poll found “Pride in the U.S. has hit its lowest point since Gallup’s first measurement in 2001.” Seventy percent of American

What Founding Father John Adams missed about 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

Capitalism vs. Socialism

One of the issues emerging in the 2020 presidential race, at least among Democratic candidates, is whether the United States should become more socialist.  I say more socialist because the government already plays a significant role in the production and distribution of goods and services—think Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, Social Security, public education, national defense,

Look below the surface of the education bill

If you only paid attention to the hyperventilated debate, you would think that Republicans and Governor Jim Justice were gutting public education and undermining teachers.  However, the education reform bill, which has now been signed into law by Justice,  is chock-full of often overlooked or less-well publicized improvements to our school system.   Frankly, there are

Republicans get on the same page on education reform… finally

It took a while—okay, it took six months—but Republicans in the state Senate, the House of Delegates and the Republican Governor finally got on the same page. The Senate’s version of comprehensive education reform—SB 451—originated in the Senate Education Committee way back on January 28th.  What followed was months of debate and dispute, a two-day

West Virginia: 156 bruising years

According to John G. Morgan in his book West Virginia Governors, “The historic morning of June 20, 1863, the official birthday of the 35th state, was cloudy with a threat of showers, but the sun broke through reassuringly.” A crowd assembled outside Linsly Institute in Wheeling, where Arthur Boreman would stand on a platform and

When a ‘Jobs Act’ creates no jobs

Back in 2001, the West Virginia Legislature passed the West Virginia Jobs Act.  The aim was to require companies working on public projects financed all or in part with state taxpayer dollars to hire more local workers. According to the law, “The Legislature finds that the employment of persons from outside the local labor market

The high school diploma isn’t what it used to be

About 3.6 million students graduated from high school this year.  Completing K-12 is an accomplishment worth noting, but those diplomas are losing value when it comes to finding a good job.* Not that long ago, individuals with a high school degree, or even less education, could count on a decent job in manufacturing.  However, a

Legislators need wingsuits to pass education reform bill

The House of Delegates is getting back together today to see if members can agree on education reform. It makes me think of those daredevils in wingsuits. They fly headlong off a cliff, their special “wings” keeping them just barely aloft while they navigate over and through rugged terrain. The most daring (or crazy) among