Local Columns

Work Trip to Canada Yields Leads for the Ohio Valley

Earlier this month, Lynnda and I were in Toronto at the SelectUSA Canada Roadshow. The event is hosted by the U.S. Commerce Department Commercial Services to encourage direct foreign investment in the USA. We had a business dinner in Morgantown just prior with our friends from Israel who are looking for a location of their U.S. Research and Development Center. They flew home Saturday after a productive week and meetings with the governor, secretary of state, secretary of commerce and business leaders. The state people, business community and people of West Virginia were helpful and ...

For Innumerable Great Blessings in Our Lives, We Thank You, Lord

Thanksgiving is a particular time, like the bright and shining poetic moments of Camelot, to express gratitude for our own particular circumstances. It has been my custom for several years now to share with you my own personal litany of Thanksgiving. Looking over these pieces for the last decade reveals just how strikingly repetitive they have been and Lord, what a blessing that is! My life has not changed in any great dramatic fashion over the past decade; much for which I expressed gratitude then I remain thankful for today. The glorious wonder of it all is that so much of my own ...

One Governor at a Time, Please

Larry Pack has a good reputation as an accountant and businessman, having operated an assisted living company until selling it off a few years ago. He was an active member of the West Virginia House of Delegates. He continues to be a respected Republican national committeeman. He moved on to serve as a senior advisor to former governor Jim Justice and easily slid into a vacancy as Department of Revenue secretary during Justice’s final year in office. Pack won election unopposed as state treasurer, taking office early in January so that former state treasurer Riley Moore could be ...

Lack of Energy?

I’ve said it before, but energy is going to be a huge issue heading into the 2026 legislative session in January. But walking around the Governor’s Energy Summit last Thursday, I didn’t get a sense of excitement. That was very clear during Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s remarks last Thursday morning. It had already started off on a somber note with the announcement of the death of miner Steve Lipscomb after rescuers found him in a Nicholas County mine. Morrisey pivoted to his energy economic development announcements that have come to fruition since October, but many of the applause ...

EPA, Senators Working Together To Deliver for West Virginia

When you reflect on the history of the Mountain State, the words “West Virginia” and “energy” are inextricably linked. Coal was first discovered in West Virginia in 1742, natural gas was first struck in 1815, and the state’s first oil-producing well was completed in 1860. Each of these discoveries happened before West Virginia was recognized as the nation’s 35th state. In fact, West Virginians were enjoying public electric streetlamps a full three years before electric lights were installed in the White House in 1891. When it comes to energy, West Virginia has always led the ...

When the Days Get Darker, Remember You’re Not Alone

As daylight fades and temperatures drop, something quiet but heavy often begins to settle in. The holidays are approaching, and while they may bring bright lights and moments of joy, they can also stir up anxiety, loneliness and stress. In our region, when finances tighten around gift-giving and travel, and when family gatherings bring old wounds or tension to the surface, anxiety and low mood can show up fast. The reality is, this season affects people more than we realize. Some are grieving. Some are overwhelmed by the pressure to make everything perfect. Others are navigating ...