Local Columns

An Independence Day Reflection on the Price of Freedom

The following poem was written and submitted by the Rev. Patrick E. Davis, a Vietnam-era Marine and Army veteran who also is a retired ordained minister and certified Christian counselor. The poem is part of his book “Awakenings: A Journey.” Dedicated We took our oath. They dressed us in green. Cold, tired, hungry, wet, In that time we didn’t complain. Not only were we on cold, windy mountains, We were in the rice paddies, traversing the Maginot Line. We were shelled and shot at. We were brothers! We were wounded and saved. We were indebted to our brothers — ...

Some Odds and Ends

Last week, I wrote about the tendency of Gov. Patrick Morrisey to continue on as if he is still trying to win a GOP primary by taking certain actions and making certain statements aimed at keeping his base in his corner. But I still don’t know who the base is that he keeps playing to on this issue of religious exemptions to West Virginia’s school-age immunization program required by State Code. I just went back to Morrisey’s website for his campaign for governor and I can’t find anything showing me he campaigned specifically on this issue. While a bill to allow for religious ...

Making a True Difference in Our Ohio Valley Community

Flood Reflections After Two Weeks: Losing, Building, People and Ending ... 1) Oh my goodness how much can be wiped away, in one night ... Whether we saw the pictures, or saw the cars in the creek, or saw the roads, or the fences, or the houses and basements — we all saw in our own way how ...

Marshall Memo: Community Events Spark Summer Interest

Marshall County is alive with gatherings and celebrations this summer. Here’s the latest on seven events bringing us together. This week, join the Hungry for History 2025 Summer Speaker Series at noon June 30 at the Moundsville-Marshall County Public Library. Jim Brockman offers an intimate portrait of John Adams — Founding Father, fierce advocate for independence, and devoted husband. Explore the ideals, character, and enduring love that defined one of America’s most passionate patriots. The series continues every Monday of June and July at noon. Visit cockaynefarmstead.com or ...

Punching Down

At what point does one quit trying to keep winning the last political party primary? At one point does one stop trying to play to the perceived whims of a base and simply just govern? Gov. Patrick Morrisey won the 2024 GOP primary with 33.3% of the vote in a six-person primary. Albeit Morrisey didn’t win a clear majority and his closest competitor — former House Judiciary Committee Chairman Moore Capito — was only about five points behind Morrisey, but he did win. Turning to the general election, Morrisey carried the state last November with nearly 62% of the vote — a more ...

I’m Worried for W.Va. Amid Scientific Funding Cuts

Growing up in West Virginia, I was fascinated by the science in nature surrounding me — the deer quietly disappearing into the forest’s edge, the blinking lightning bugs dotting my backyard, the exposed rock layers drawn alongside our winding country roads. Before I even understood being a scientist was a possible career, I had fallen in love with the abstract concept of scientific research ­— this idea that we don’t know all the answers yet, and that figuring them out might just help the world with disease, infrastructure, or even the economy. But transforming this passion ...