Is the local community school worth fighting for?

One of the casualties of West Virginia’s current demographics is the community public school. In a rural state with an aging population and ever increasing costs, keeping small schools open is becoming more difficult, if not impossible. The closures are commonly driven by a three-headed monster that is difficult to overcome: declining enrollment, financial challenges

Cabell Sheriff’s Office; Huntington Police Under Scrutiny

TJ Meadows · Cabell Sheriff’s Office; Huntington Police Under Scrutiny Editor’s Note: This commentary contains quoted language that some may find offensive. The videos (linked) may be disturbing to some viewers. A few incidents involving Huntington-area law enforcement re-surfaced in the media and on social media last week; they deserve attention. Our system depends on

Friday Musings: Pennies, “6-7,” and the Madness of Time Change

TJ Meadows · Friday Musings: Pennies, “6-7,” and the Madness of Time Change Every so often, it’s good to give the mind a break from the heavy stuff and wander into lighter territory. This Friday feels like a good time for that. A few curiosities worth mulling over to wrap up the work week. The

If You Needed Proof Washington Is Broken, You’ve Got It

TJ Meadows · If You Needed Proof Washington Is Broken, You’ve Got It Without intervention, federal SNAP funding runs dry November 1. That’s left states scrambling to keep people fed. In West Virginia, about 275,000 residents – many are children – rely on SNAP to avoid hunger. Governor Patrick Morrisey Tuesday afternoon announced a plan to

Today’s significance in country music and the W.Va. ties

The world said hello to Brad Paisley and good-bye to Porter Wagoner on this date

From Washington to West Virginia: The Rise of Republican Socialism

TJ Meadows · From Washington to West Virginia: The Rise of Republican Socialism A new mentality led by President Trump and adored by at least some it seems within the Grand Ole Party — many call it Republican populism — is drifting well past its definition, edging dangerously close to a socialist, central-planning philosophy once

Clearing America’s Airway

TJ Meadows · Clearing America’s Airway Albeit uncomfortable, imagine you’ve suffered a terrible accident — one that leaves your life hanging by a thread. You’re rushed to the ER, where doctors follow the ABCs of trauma care: airway, breathing, and circulation. The airway comes first. If it’s blocked, you can’t breathe — game over. Only

Bailing Out Argentina Isn’t America First, It’s West Virginia Last

TJ Meadows · Bailing Out Argentina Isn’t America First Wall Street won’t underwrite Argentina without Washington backing the play — and who could blame them? Argentina is a very poor bet. Asking whether we should be bailing it out is not only fair, it’s essential. Count me among those voting no. According to the Associated

If Trump is a king, Congress is the court jester

This past weekend, hundreds of thousands of people participated in “No Kings” rallies across the country, including here in West Virginia, to protest Trump administration policies. The overarching theme of the rallies was that President Trump has pushed the authority of the executive branch too far and by doing so has turned the presidency into

Yes, Both Sides are Wrong

TJ Meadows · Yes, Both Sides are Wrong Sometimes, the only winning move is not to play. Sometimes the game becomes so vile – so stripped of civility, compassion, and mercy – the only way to survive is to run, not walk, away. Take, for example, two recent failures. This month, leaked text messages from

Clay County’s Power Problem and a Bigger One

TJ Meadows · Clay County’s Power Problem and a Bigger One The Clay County Commission has asked the West Virginia Public Service Commission (PSC) to investigate Black Diamond Power over persistent outages, billing issues, and poor service quality – despite a previous rate hike. The request follows a public hearing on the utility’s proposed $1.2

Debate Is Healthy — Especially on Energy

My sincere thanks to Senator Brian Helton for joining Talkline Tuesday. Debate is essential — and in an energy state like West Virginia, more debate on energy policy isn’t just healthy, it’s necessary. Before diving in, I’d suggest reading my earlier commentary on this topic or catching Tuesday’s interview with Senator Helton (above). Energy is

What happened to all the hobbies?

Do you have any hobbies?  I was recently listening to a podcast while doing some maintenance work on my truck, and I was surprised when the host lamented that people don’t have hobbies anymore. The statement caught my attention, as the host suggested that hobbies have been replaced by technology. Activities that challenge us intellectually

Protecting West Virginians or Raising Their Power Bills?

TJ Meadows · Protecting West Virginians or Raising Their Power Bills? There’s no questioning the good intentions behind efforts to “protect West Virginians” by keeping the state’s coal plants running and holding utilities accountable. But Senator Brian Helton’s proposed legislation — which would force coal units to run at least 69 percent of the time

Supporting public education is not an attack on school choice

Often, if people took the time to listen and discuss the pressing issues of the day, they would find they have more in common than not. This is especially true in the recent discussion surrounding education reform in West Virginia. State Board of Education President Paul Hardesty stirred controversy during the last school board meeting

Is the United States Senate What Our Founders Envisioned?

TJ Meadows · Is the United States Senate What Our Founders Envisioned? With the shutdown ball squarely in the Senate’s court, a fair question feels timelier than ever: Is the United States Senate what our Founders envisioned it to be — or has it fallen short of their design? The honest answer lies somewhere in

Looking Deeper than School Choice and the Funding Formula

State Board of Education President Paul Hardesty’s comments about school choice and the school aid funding formula cut through the noise this week. His words carried from one end of West Virginia to the other. Word of mouth, social media, radio, TV and print… people are talking, and that’s healthy. Let’s go point by point.

We’re Guilty Too!

TJ Meadows · We’re Guilty Too Some might say I “preach” when it comes to our fiscal situation in this country. They’d be right. Fiscal prudence is absent in Washington today; more needs to be said, not less. Bonkers isn’t too strong a word to describe what has become a mess. You don’t run up

RFD began as a West Virginia experiment

Did you ever wonder about how often we communicate with each other via e-mail?   We aren’t talking about text messages here, just e-mail.  The United States leads the world in the number of daily e-mails; nearly ten billion every single day.     But there was a time in America when sending or receiving a letter wasn’t quite

Coliseum Naming Rights: A Reality Check

There was a distinct opinion in the air last Friday. It showed up on social media, in coffee shop chatter, and even on the MetroNews text line. Some – hard to say how many – object to the WVU Coliseum having a sponsorship attached to it. Theme One: “It’s always been the WVU Coliseum and