Letters to the Editor

Swank for Congress?

Editor, News-Register: Isn’t it truly amazing the tear down and reconstruction of our I70 bridge system in West Virginia? I have watched in speechless awe as the team of Swank workers have removed the old system and built up the new. The Fulton area was the most interesting (OK, maybe I am a bit too bored, thanks to the coronavirus.) The support beams were removed, along with the old bridge — steel beams and all. The new support began before the deck above was demolished. Did you see the new steel beams appear? Four at a time were staged and moved into place, a series ...

Leonhardt Grows W.Va. Agriculture

For many years, agriculture was something of an afterthought when the future of West Virginia’s economy was being discussed. No more. Farming and related endeavors now show real promise as part of our economy. Careers in agriculture seem more realistic now. Give state Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt much of the credit for that. His drive to make agriculture commercially viable — rather than merely a hobby for Mountain State residents — is paying off. Leonhardt took office in 2017, after a stint in the state Senate. Prior to that, he had served in the Marine Corps, ...

Learning About Some of the Victims of 9/11

This month we took time to remember the 19th anniversary of the events of September 11, 2001. I wrote about these individuals 19 years ago and I would like to re-introduce some of the people of September 11th. Our prayers go out to these families who lost someone then or through the war on terror later. My first wife and I were in New York, New York on the one-month anniversary of the September 11th tragedy, to do what little we could to comfort. This is my opportunity to vent. There have been several anniversaries since that day, but still it looms large over our lives. ...

Here We Go Again

Editor, News-Register The Wheeling Park High School Coaches Association just recently endorsed the Democratic candidate for the Ohio County Commission. The candidate and coaches for posed for a picture on school property, specifically in the gym. Really? Haven’t we been down this road before? Why is the WPHS coaches association endorsing a partisan political candidate? Why are OCS employees using school property to take campaign photos with a partisan political candidate? So Park coaches are officially an arm of the Ohio County Democratic Party? So rather than the usual ...

Defeat Trump

We have become zombies. We seem to be totally inured to Trump’s hourly lies and disasters. How is it the tough American — the greatest generation— has dangerously accepted the distortion of truth and hardship? A brief review of Trump’s constant attacks on our people, values, norms, and institutions reveals: Broadcasting Trump’s indecent behavior, as Roger Cohen of the NY Times did, by defining Trump’s foulness writing “the president’s personality is consistent: a mix of coward, racist, liar, con artist, narcissist, grifter, and blowhard.” Disrespecting of ...

Showing Appreciation

Editor, News-Register: September 20-26 has been designated the Week of Appreciation as an opportunity to show support and appreciation to those who work directly with individuals struggling to overcome substance use disorders. Those being recognized include behavioral health care workers, police officers, firefighters, EMTs, children services workers, emergency department staff, and anyone else who may experience burnout or secondary trauma because of their work with individuals with addictions. On behalf of the Mental Health and Recovery Board serving Belmont, Harrison, and ...