Editorials

State Stepping Forward To Assist Communities

There’s no question Gov. Patrick Morrisey has gone all in when it comes to helping Ohio County residents recover from the June 14 flooding. The governor on Wednesday traveled to Ohio County to meet with flooding victims and update the public on several important matters — his fourth such visit in the first 11 days following the flooding. The governor has shown strong leadership in this tragedy — recall, nine lives lost, dozens of home destroyed, and millions of dollars in property damage. Morrisey made his first visit to the flood-impacted area about 15 hours after the tragedy ...

Our Area Needs a Break

The torrential rain and resulting flooding Thursday evening in several Ohio County and Marshall County communities showed just how tenuous our situation is right now. Homes in Wheeling that haven’t seen water in basements for two decades were flooded. The Elm Terrace Shopping Center turned into a muddy mess. Sections of 29th Street in Wheeling — not far from Mount Zion Cemetery, which itself was damaged last year by heavy rainfall — were impassable Thursday evening. It’s been hard not to notice over the past few years that when we have rainfall, it often turns into a damaging ...

Be Prudent With West Virginia’s Finances

Mirroring the landscape of the state itself, monthly tax collection figures can be a matter of ups and downs in West Virginia. The trick is for state officials not to go overboard when there are ups and not to be surprised when there are downs. Last month, we got an “April surprise” in the form of tax collections 26.8% above estimates. May’s numbers, however, came in shy of projections — $154,000 below what revenue officials had expected. (While some segments continued to be up, May personal income tax collections were 6.5% below the estimate for the month). An overall ...

Keeping Elections Secure

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has been working to provide guidance meant to increase security for our elections. He has so far provided six security directives to county boards of elections. Most recently was a set of requirements to configure networks, firewalls, vulnerability assessment tools and equipment with the most recent approved security updates; complete monthly cybersecurity checklists to ensure protection from malicious threats; conduct a county-specific security audit led by his office’s chief information security officer and cybersecurity team; and comply with ...

Improving Health Outcomes in W.Va.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey appears determined to turn around West Virginia’s hideous statistics when it comes to our health. Whether it be food dyes, the Mountaineer Mile or improvements in the ways SNAP recipients can access fresh produce, there have been plenty of announcements to indicate a desire to improve our health and health outcomes. But according to a report by the Commonwealth Fund, the Mountain State is still ranked 47th in the country for overall health system performance. That assessment comes before the effects of any possible changes to Medicaid that might make their way ...

Using Common Sense in West Virginia Issues

West Virginia’s Prosecuting Attorneys Association injected a little common sense and decency into a conversation that reached intrusive absurdity after Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney Tom Truman earlier this month made the chilling claim that women could face potential criminal charges if they do not inform law enforcement of miscarriages. “Call your doctor. Call law enforcement, or 911, and just say, ‘I miscarried. I want you to know,’” Truman said to WVNS-TV in a June 2 interview. Ludicrous, isn’t it? To be sure Truman’s claim didn’t do any more damage than it ...