While national debates fixate on “wokeness” in education, here in Berkeley and Jefferson counties, we’re facing something far more pressing: collapse. Our public schools are being pushed past their limits—not by ideology, but by underfunding, understaffing and the impossible gap between lega…
As you are reading this, I am vacationing with my wife and mother-in-law in Southern California, staying at a resort just south of Orange County.
Ever watch people on a treadmill? Do they look like they’re enjoying themselves? Maybe you’re one who walks for 20, 30, 60 minutes or more on one. You’re going nowhere and maybe that’s fine; but while you’re going nowhere, a little background on the machine might give you a chuckle while you…
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve made my nearly annual trip to the U.S. Capitol Building to spend time with members of West Virginia’s congressional delegation.
My new family had not had a family vacation since Pam’s two children, Chadd and Tonia, were youngsters. In April, we took a family vacation which included Pam and myself, Chadd and his wife, Ann, and Tonia and her husband, Carl.
I had the great pleasure to go to the Media Innovation Center at West Virginia University last week and attend an enlightening presentation on the use of AI (artificial intelligence) in new reporting.
I try not to write angry. As I’ve said before, this column is not just a place for me to spew an opinion. I really do try to use this space to take you behind-the-scenes into how I choose the stories I cover, analysis of the political actions of others, and tidbits of items I can’t fit into …
Our children spend an enormous part of their early years learning everything from science to math to the history of our country. But as test scores have become a baseline for success, soft skills seemed to have gone by the wayside. In the past several decades, students who graduated from our…
Wild and wonderful West Virginians are wildly unhealthy. The state has the highest obesity rate of all 50 states and leads the way in heart disease and stroke. A Forbes Advisor analysis of drug abuse, lifestyle habits, and chronic disease has determined West Virginia is the most unhealthy st…
Finally, we’ve come to the final six days of the 60-day legislative session. At midnight on Saturday, April 12, the lawmakers will complete their work and adjourn sine die.
The gaming industry plays a pivotal role in the U.S. economy, and physical casinos continue to be significant revenue generators despite the rise of online gaming. In 2023, traditional slot machines alone contributed $35.51 billion, while table games brought in $10.31 billion. Despite the su…
My how time flies when we are having fun! On April 19, we will be celebrating our First Wedding Anniversary. Not bad, you might say, for a 79-year-old man.
As a business owner, common sense conservative, and lifelong West Virginia Republican, I have witnessed a remarkable transformation as Republicans achieved supermajority control of our state legislature over the past decade.
We’re on the countdown to Crossover Day Wednesday, when state Senate bills must cross over to the House of Delegates and vice versa in order to ensure these bills have a chance of making it to passage by midnight on Saturday, April 12, when the 2025 legislative session ends.
Today is the deadline for bills to be introduced in the West Virginia Senate. As of Sunday, we are now two-thirds of the way through the 60-day legislative session with less than three full weeks left.
In the wake of the recent flooding that did much damage to several communities in our state, we have seen firsthand the resilience and solidarity of West Virginia’s people. These floods reminded us of the need to better prepare and support our communities for the challenges ahead.
Last week, we had the first of Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s bills be signed into law. Senate Bill 456, the Riley Gaines Act that defines “male” and “female” in State Code, is now the law of the land.
Thursday marks day 30, the halfway mark of the 60-day annual legislative session, but as I write this, I’m having trouble predicting how productive this session will be by the time we get to April 12.
In the United States, around 2.1 million deer-vehicle collisions occur annually, resulting in approximately 59,000 human injuries and 440 human deaths and thousands of injuries, some so severe as to change a person’s life forever, and over $1 billion in vehicle damage. (https://www.cnn.com/t…
While living in Middleway, WV, you learn one thing very quickly: how special this place is. In the summer, barred owls call from the old trees along the stream, and luna moths fly under the full moon. In the fall, the old trees near the graveyards shine in golds and rubies. In the winter, th…
I am a Star Trek nerd through and through, ever since I can remember. Naturally, I’m a fan of “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.”
This is my 19th year selling books. I am trying to work smarter rather than working harder as I get older.
Shepherdstown – Shepherdstown Pack Horse Ford Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) celebrated 109 years of service during its annual birthday luncheon at The Sycamore at Stonebridge restaurant in Martinsburg on Saturday, Feb. 15. Despite the burst of rain, sle…
As your lone state government reporter here in Charleston, I have to cover both the House of Delegates and state Senate at the same time. Sometimes this means going to one chamber or the other. Sometimes that means having two computers open when two different committees are meeting at the sa…
After the American people made their voices heard in November, President Trump is now back in the White House with a Republican majority in both chambers of Congress. In this new Congress, my role has expanded. For the first time, I will serve as the senior-senator from West Virginia, the Ch…
