The Blueprint and the Big Man: Remembering Jay Rockefeller and Mountaineer Field

The late Jay Rockefeller had the vision to guide skeptics toward a modern day football stadium in Morgantown

Friday Night’s MAGA Funeral

Listen to “Friday Night’s MAGA Funeral” on Spreaker. The funeral was late Friday evening. There was concern it wouldn’t happen. A birthday party drop-off for child one, a post-dinner ice cream run with child three, and just life getting in the way. But mourning the death of MAGA in America — for me — finally

Crazy Silly ‘Shift’ in WV; Smith’s Claims Fall Flat

Listen to “Crazy Silly ‘Shift’ in WV; Smith’s Claims Fall Flat” on Spreaker. West Virginia Senate President Randy Smith released a statement Wednesday after the midterm election claiming voters returned a Republican supermajority to the state Senate because “they’ve seen what Senate Republicans do with the trust voters place in us.” He went on to

Blue Wave Splashes on to West Virginia

Ogden newspaper political reporter Steven Allen Adams, during an appearance on MetroNews Talkline before the election, suggested that the expected “blue wave” nationally could splash over into West Virginia. Adams and the rest of our state got that answer Tuesday night. The wave that swept Democrats into majorities in the U.S. Senate and the House

Americans Have Had Enough

They said a blue wave was coming nationally — more like a blue tsunami resulting from a meteor the size of Rhode Island landing in the coastal Atlantic. It may wash up by the time it gets to Denver — maybe. At the time of publication, Democrats had flipped 32 House seats, seven Senate seats

MetroNews Decision 2026: Potential 2028 Morrisey vs. Justice race looms over midterms

While the focus is on the results of the 2026 midterm elections, there is already another election looming. Governor Patrick Morrisey is less than two years into his first term and now, the man he succeeded, U.S. Senator Jim Justice, is considering a return to the Governor’s Mansion. A potential 2028 Republican primary showdown that

Remember Them When You Vote

Listen to “Remember Them When You Vote” on Spreaker. Louis Bennett, Jr. came from a family of wealth and privilege. Reared in Weston, historical descriptions note his likability, headstrong nature and mechanical inclinations. It’s said he had his own car and motorcycle by age 12 and “frequently raised the dust on his town’s dirt streets

A New Deal for Energy Landowners

Listen to “New Deal for Landowners” on Spreaker. A mention here or there, not a fully fleshed-out idea as much as a thought tossed against the wall to see if it sticks, emerged during a few conversations on Talkline this week. At the core is a question: If the country is undergoing an energy revolution,

What Amendment One Would–and Would Not–Change

West Virginians voting in the upcoming General Election will see on the ballot a proposed amendment to the state Constitution.  The Citizenship Requirement to Vote in West Virginia Elections Amendment states: “This amendment provides that in all elections held in West Virginia only citizens of the United States who are citizens of this state are

Good Policy. Good Character. Why Not Both?

Listen to “Good Policy. Good Character. Why Not Both?” on Spreaker. A loyal listener and frequent texter posed a genuine question to me yesterday: Which presidency was worse? A — Jimmy Carter’s or B — Donald Trump’s current term? It’s a thought-provoking question, one that led me to consider two important measures of any presidency:

Remembering when a Nitro, W.Va. native dominated the World Series

Nitro's Lew Burdette pitched Milwaukee to a Word Series win over the vaunted Yankees in 1957

Two Major Announcements Could Signal a Unique Opportunity for West Virginia

Two significant business announcements today tell a larger story about West Virginia’s economic future — maybe. Anthropic, one of the world’s leading artificial intelligence companies, filed paperwork to go public.  Meanwhile, EQT announced its acquisition of Range Resources, creating an even larger natural gas producer with extensive resources and infrastructure in Appalachia. At first glance,

Local Control. Local Burden. Local Benefit.

Listen to “Local Control. Local Burden. Local Benefit” on Spreaker. A simple principle increasingly shapes my thinking on data centers: local control, local burden, local benefit. As the prospect of a data economy becomes more concrete in the Mountain State, communities are making their preferences clearer. Some see opportunity. Others see reasons for caution. That

Justice for Kyneddi Miller Requires More Than Convictions

Listen to “Justice for Kyneddi Miller Requires More Than Convictions” on Spreaker. Julie Miller pleaded guilty and is serving a sentence of 15 years to life in prison. Donna Stone was convicted this week by a Boone County jury and granted mercy, making her eligible for parole after 15 years. Formal sentencing is scheduled for

A Reasonable Fix for College Sports

The college sports landscape has never been more chaotic, but the sports themselves have never been more popular. The breakdown of the college sports framework has created an environment where, in the words of former college football coach Nick Saban, “We have no rules.” That may be hyperbole, but he is not far off. Television

America’s Looming Doom Loop

Listen to “America’s Looming Doom Loop” on Spreaker. Riots in France amid rising living costs, political unrest and a national debt shooting through the roof should concern America’s political leaders — at least enough to motivate action to keep the same from happening here. Economists described the predicament to The New York Times as a

Lawmakers and school officials face tough decisions as closures fail to live up to promises

County Boards of Education have faced criticism from constituents and state education leaders for refusing to make difficult, unpopular decisions. Often, those decisions have involved whether or not to close and consolidate schools as districts face mounting costs and declining student populations and revenue.  Last week in Taylor County, tensions ran high at the suggestion

Mason Levy Question Brings HB 2014 Into Focus

Listen to “Mason Levy Question Brings HB 2014 Into Focus” on Spreaker. State Treasurer Larry Pack last week released a six-page analysis entitled Tax Impact of Data Centers on Local Communities — Mason County. It has people talking. Good. More discussion about how HB 2014 allocates tax revenue is needed. A better understanding now will

School Funding Reform Must Include School Utilization

Listen to “School Funding Reform Must Include School Utilization” on Spreaker. A day after state education officials introduced proposals to revise West Virginia’s school-aid funding formula, reiterating their belief that current funding levels are inadequate, Americans for Prosperity–West Virginia released a report showing the average utilization rate of the state’s public-school buildings is roughly 55

High Diesel Prices Are Everyone’s Problem

Most West Virginians—in fact most Americans—typically don’t think much about the price of diesel fuel.  That is because our primary contact with fuel prices is at the gas station. In West Virginia, just over four percent of all light-duty vehicles are diesel-powered.  So, for the average West Virginia motorist, the higher price for a gallon