Wheeling: Still Tough as Nails

The "Nail City" comes by the name honestly

The Hard Truth About Poverty in West Virginia

I wrote about West Virginia’s poverty level in last week’s commentary, based on U.S. Census figures. However, those numbers do tell only part of the story of the financial challenges in our state. The United Way’s ALICE report is more revealing. ALICE stands for asset limited, income constrained and employed.  It’s a measure of those

West Virginia’s Mixed Report on Poverty

The U.S. Census Bureau has released new figures on poverty in America, and for West Virginia the findings are mixed.  I’ll get to those numbers shortly, but first here is some context: The data come from the Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics.  The agencies look at poverty two ways:  The official poverty figure

Remembering the Battle of Harper’s Ferry

Today is the anniversary of one of the most significant days in Civil War history and West Virginia’s role in it.    On this date in 1862, at the Battle of Harpers Ferry, Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson forced the surrender of a 12,500-man Union garrison.  It was the largest single surrender of U.S. Army

Remembering 9/11

(Editor’s note: This is an updated version of a commentary I posted several years ago around the anniversary of 9/11.) Has it really been 25 years since the September 11 attacks? Consider this: Nearly half the U.S. population—45 percent—was either not yet born or too young to remember when the World Trade Center towers burned

Crafting the 2026 WVU Football Season Narrative

Fans judge their favorite team’s season on myriad events—wins and losses, overall and individual performances, the level of competition, game-changing plays, untimely penalties, the cost of attending a game, and on and on. But every season also develops its own narrative—a simple statement or two that summarizes everything that happened. As time passes and the

West Virginia’s Labor Day connection

West Virginia's history has deep ties to the labor movement throughout history

West Virginia Remains Trump Country, But He is Losing Support Among Independents

Polls across the political spectrum continue to show a steady decline in Donald Trump’s approval rating. For example, a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll put the president’s approval rating at 33 percent, down 14 points from the start of his second term. Not all polls have his numbers that low. However, a Cook Political Report aggregate of

Why Socialism is Gaining Traction

Socialism is having a moment in the United States… again. Recent election wins by candidates who identify as Democratic Socialists have generated interest in what supporters believe is a new and better way of governing.  The movement has gained momentum among younger voters in particular. A recent Axios-Generation Lab poll found that 68 percent of

The night NASCAR came to West Virginia

The biggest names of motorsports battled for the checkered flag in the Mountain State

Measles is Spreading, But Not in West Virginia

Whenever I see one of those “ranking” stories about the states, I brace myself. Is this going to be another report on some measure where West Virginia finishes near the bottom? But the latest list brought welcome news for our state. Recent stories based on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report on the

A look at Volcano, West Virginia

From a boom town to ashes

When the Snake Oil Stops Working

The traveling snake oil salesmen of the late 19th and early 20th centuries had their share of success for several reasons. They were effective pitchmen who sold hope in the form of miraculous cures from exotic—but ultimately ineffective—elixirs. They understood the importance of moving from town to town, knowing that the deception would eventually catch

Another Destructive and Heartbreaking Flood

Severe weather this week brought massive rainfall, high winds, and possible tornadoes to West Virginia. The resulting flooding has devastated parts of north-central West Virginia, particularly the corridor between Buckhannon and Weston. The National Weather Service in Charleston reported that three to five inches of rain fell Tuesday in just a few hours. One location

The Greenbrier Ghost is an odd West Virginia tale

Part ghost story, part true crime story

The Death of Deep Reading

The late Don Marsh, who served as my Talkline co-host for several years, was a man of letters.  He was extremely well-read and would often recall quotes and bits of wisdom.  Once when he pulled out a literary nugget relevant to the topic at hand, I asked him, “Marsh, how did you know that?”  He

Remembering J. Roy Hunt, an ace with the camera and the RV

 West Virginia’s history is brimming with men and women considered to be extremely resourceful; its deeply woven into our state’s history and culture.    We have the story of one of those types of West Virginians this morning; J. Roy Hunt.     While you may not know his name, but if you like classic movies or have

His Majesty’s Celebration

The kingdom was preparing to celebrate its birthday. Grand celebrations were planned. However, inside the castle, the king was unsettled. He shifted uneasily on his newly acquired throne. The gold-leafed, jewel-encrusted gift had arrived only days earlier after the king’s family secured lucrative investments in the donor’s kingdom. For the king, it was just another

Fix Social Security… No, Seriously.

Washington’s policy making debate is often a tangle of jargon, hyperbole, shape-shifting rhetoric and outright lies.  All that makes it difficult, if not impossible, for the average concerned citizen to understand what is going on. And that makes the most recent report on the financial status of Social Security refreshing… and deeply disturbing. The annual

The 23rd of June is not a good weather day for W.Va.

June 23rd marks the most tragic weather day in West Virginia........twice.