Vote on EMS levy in Nov.

July 26, 2022

This November, voters will see a levy to fund Mon EMS on the ballot, now that the Monongalia County Commission has given the proposal its approval. As The Dominion Post reported, in its first year, the levy would add an additional 4.66 cents on every $100 of assessed value of Class II property (owner occupied) and 9.32 cents for every $100 of Class III/IV (rental). Those rates would increase to 4.70/9.40; 4.76/9.52; and 4.80/9.60 in years two, three and four. If passed, the levy would give Mon EMS an additional $17,888,598 over four years. Emergency medical services are one of ...

Is there a remedy for W.Va.’s poor ranking?

July 23, 2022

Statistics are an important tool but rarely the whole picture. There’s no better reminder of this than the announcement Medscape ranked West Virginia the third worst state for doctors. According to Medscape’s analysis, “West Virginia presents numerous challenges for doctors. The state ranks in the bottom two quintiles for most measures, including compensation, tax burden, malpractice payouts, adverse actions against doctors, competition and [medical] resident retention. … last in public health and had the second highest level of medical liability premium increases in 2021 ...

Boycott will hurt us more than banks

July 22, 2022

As the window closes for banks to prove they are in compliance with West Virginia’s new rules prohibiting the state from doing business with financial institutions “boycotting” fossil fuels, a new study examining the impacts of a similar Texas law may give insights to West Virginia’s financial future. First, some background: The West Virginia Legislature passed SB 262 in March and it became effective in June. In a twist that’s sparked wider debate on financial regulation, some experts question whether the state’s stance could extend to other controversial sectors, ...

COVID on the rise, but by how much?

July 21, 2022

Regular readers may have noticed we no longer display COVID-19 case numbers on the front page, nor do we include vaccine/testing information on A-2. The explanation for the latter is the simplest, so we’ll start there. In early June, Gov. Jim Justice announced the state would scale back community testing. The Mon County Health Department has discontinued its public testing and vaccine clinics, including the one at the WVU Rec Center. However, that doesn’t mean they’ve stopped offering vaccines and testing completely. If you need to be vaccinated for COVID or get a booster, ...

In blocking archaic law, judge likely saving lives

July 20, 2022

What a relief to know there are still courts that make decisions based on the rule of law rather than personal or political opinions. Judge Tera Salango of the Kanawha Circuit Court issued a well-founded and level-headed injunction against the 1800s law banning virtually all abortions in West Virginia. The law in question prohibits all abortions except when done in “good faith” to save the mother’s life; it also says “anyone” who administers to or causes a woman to take any drug or undergo any procedure for the purpose of aborting a fetus can be convicted and imprisoned ...

Editorial Encore: News vs. opinion

July 19, 2022

EDITOR'S NOTE: Today’s editorial originally ran June 28, 2020. What’s the difference between “news” and “opinion”? News is the facts of the situation. It’s the report on a car wreck or a council meeting. Even soft news, like features on significant people or someone’s 100th birthday, is still news. The writing might be a little more flowery, but the article still gives the facts. News can contain quotes from people who are giving their opinion, but the meat of the story is still based in concrete events. Opinion is an expression of a particular point of view. ...