Local Columns

State Government Stocking Stuffers

As we get close to the start of the new year, the 2026 legislative session, and the next election cycle, we’re seeing a lot of movement in the deck chairs. For example, Del. John Williams, D-Monongalia, will challenge state Sen. Mike Oliverio, R-Monongalia, in the 13th Senatorial District covering parts of Monongalia and Marion counties. Of course, both will have to make it through their respective party primaries, which is likely. But a contest between Williams and Oliverio will mean at least one of them will not be returning to the statehouse after the November 2026 ...

Make Dreams Come True, Regardless of Your Age

Let me share an event that was less than 5 minutes, that keeps coming up in my memory. In 1979, I was blessed to be hired to work for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Ohio. I was tasked to be an Internal Auditor for the bank, and part of my responsibilities was to do what I called surprise audits with a team of auditors on banks in the 4th district. As part of my new job we were sent to Atlanta, Georgia to go to the Federal Auditors School for a series of classes. As we took the class, we were living out of a hotel. One day after work, we got on the hotel elevator, and to my ...

Building on Progress: My Dedication to West Virginia Continues

It has been the honor of my life to serve West Virginia as your United States Senator, fighting for the concerns of our communities and making sure the voices of West Virginians are heard loud and clear in Washington, D.C. As a lifelong native of the Mountain State, I know how diligent and determined the people of our state are, and they deserve representation that works as hard as they do. I’m proud to announce that I’m running for reelection in 2026 to continue my hard work on behalf of West Virginia in the U.S. Senate. With President Trump’s endorsement of my reelection, it is ...

Doubling Down on West Virginia

You’ve likely seen the news that Antero Resources, already West Virginia’s largest natural gas producer, purchased the assets of another large producer in our state. When it closes, Antero’s production will total over four billion cubic feet of natural gas per day, representing nearly half of all natural gas produced in the state. Additionally, Antero will become the fourth largest independent natural gas operator in the United States as a result of this transaction. Every cubic foot of that production, all of it, will be from West Virginia. The same day Antero Resources ...

Finding a New Approach to Homelessness

On Dec. 1, the city of Wheeling withdrew its only legal encampment zone’s exempt status, continuing to employ restrictive actions against people suffering from homelessness. As updates continue to emerge about Wheeling’s homelessness issue, it is safe to say: encampment bans do not solve the issue of homelessness. It only makes the path to escaping homelessness even harder through criminalization. Because one in three people experiencing homelessness have substance abuse issues and two-thirds of those people have a history of drug or alcohol abuse, barriers to accessing housing and ...

West Virginia Is Subsidizing Instead of Treating Addiction

West Virginia spends enormous sums on Medicaid-funded drug treatment, yet overdose deaths remain the highest in America. Addiction-driven homelessness is rising and our workforce participation is the lowest in the nation. Last year alone, the state spent more than $240 million on Suboxone and methadone-based programs. A system this expensive should not produce results this poor. It is time the state of West Virginia demanded accountability. And yes, there will be pushback from the industry. The truth is unavoidable: our treatment system is failing, and we are paying for failure. ...