Letters to the Editor

Protecting Arts, Culture in Our Mountain State

Editor, News-Register: The Board of Directors of the West Virginia Humanities Council, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization, was recently notified by the federal Department of Government Efficiency that support to our Council from the National Endowment for the Humanities was being terminated. This abrupt termination of long-established and congressionally appropriated NEH funding support for the Council, which serves as the NEH’s official affiliate in and for the Mountain State, if sustained, will cause the closure of all Council activities within West Virginia. The financial ...

Federal Cuts Undermine the Fight With Cancer

Editor, News-Register: As someone who was a caregiver to her husband and daughter when they battled cancer, I’m calling on Senators Capito and Justice to help America continue our progress in the fight against cancer by voting “No!” on harmful cuts to Medicaid. In recent years, we have made huge strides in the fight against cancer, improving our understanding of what causes cancer, developing better screening tools to catch cancer earlier, and researching breakthroughs into new treatments. These incredible achievements have culminated in a promising increase in the overall ...

Trump Has Evaded Justice

Editor, News-Register: More than 1,000 riotous insurrectionists tried to stop Congress from certifying the president’s election on Jan. 6, 2021. Each rioter received a due process fair trial under the law, in which valid evidence was presented, and each had the opportunity to defend themselves. Each convicted rioter was judged guilty by a jury of peers. Only the ringleader of the anti-democracy rebellion, the leader who told them to “fight like hell,” escaped trial and conviction. His lawyers masterfully played every “due process” trick in the book. Then, on Jan. 20, ...

A Hodgepodge of Thoughts This Day

Editor, News-Register: I always look forward to this format. The “thank you” letters often published are mostly heartwarming. To place “Light” on benevolence is needed these days. Years ago, an old neighbor, friend and good man had told me something I’ve always remembered. It was 1978 (I wore a Jimmy Carter sweater), inflation was 20%. I was a steelworker (Yorkville Mill) Wheeling Steel, WPSC, Severstal Steel and RG, LLC (40 years). The cost of living adjustment (COLA) reflected an extra $150 a pay (2 weeks). The fixed income of the good man (mentioned), who was a retired ...

Lawmakers Should Let Teachers Teach

Editor, News-Register: I just read where our West Virginia Legislature, in all its wisdom, dumped something else on teachers (and we wonder why we can’t attract teachers to our state!). Now teachers must inform parents if their child identifies as a different gender. In most cases, the parents live with their children and should be able to pick up on the fact that their child may be transgender. About the time a teacher informs a parent of that fact and the parents don’t want to believe it, a lawsuit is in the making. In my 30 years teaching, I though my job was to teach the ...

Time To Rethink City’s Park System?

Editor, News-Register: As a lifelong resident of Wheeling, I’ve always believed in the beauty of our parks and green spaces. From sprawling trails at Oglebay Park to quiet corners in neighborhood parks, these are places meant to bring people together. But as I’ve grown older and more civic-minded, it’s become increasingly clear that our system is anything but united. In fact, it’s fractured—by history, by design, and by a troubling lack of transparency. Most people don’t know that the Wheeling Park Commission is not just a parks department. It’s a special district, ...