Local Columns

W.Va. Lawmakers Should Back Medicare Advantage

I have spent my career in the professions of insurance and law. These days, part of my efforts include helping seniors select their appropriate Medicare coverages. Healthcare access and affordability are critical for West Virginia retirees and seniors, which makes programs like Medicare Advantage indispensable. More than half of West Virginians who are eligible for Medicare choose to enroll in a Medicare Advantage program, mirroring national trends. Keeping this program strong and on steady financial ground is critical to protecting the health and well-being of hundreds of thousands of ...

Marshall Memo: Community Nights; Busy Summer At Libraries; and School Honors

Monarch Stadium Community Nights are expanding to include every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday in June and July from 6-9 p.m. The public invited to walk, run, kick field goals or enjoy the facility. --- The Marshall County libraries located in Benwood, Cameron and Moundsville will have several programs for students throughout the summer. Signups for the summer reading program began on June 3rd for children ages birth to sixth grade. For children aged birth to 3rd grade, a prize, book, coupon, or raffle ticket is earned for every 10 picture books completed. For older kids in grades 3 ...

AI Isn’t the End of Work. It’s the Start of Better Work

Twenty years ago, we dismissed social media as a distraction. Today, we dismiss artificial intelligence as a threat. We were wrong then. Let’s not be wrong now. The fact of the matter is those who leaned into the social media movement back then built personal brands, community engagement and revenue streams that redefined entire industries. The same hesitation and anxiety are now surfacing around artificial intelligence. Once again, we are being asked to make a choice — resist change or rise with it. Artificial intelligence is not something to fear. It is not a gimmick or a ...

Heard This Before?

Here we go again, the merry-go-round that simply will not end. If it seems like I’ve written a whole column on the efforts by some to eliminate West Virginia’s certificate of need law, I did back in March. Remember, I got to shoehorn in a Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan reference. But supporters and detractors of CON repeal were back at it last week. Once again, many health care services are required to apply for a certificate of need from the state, which can approve or reject it based on many factors, such as the availability of similar services in the region. Gov. Patrick ...

Promise Made, Promise Kept: Ending the EV Mandate

Oftentimes in Washington, promises made go unkept, and priorities fall to the wayside as politics take over. I’m proud to have worked in tandem with my colleagues and President Trump to make good on a promise I made. On May 22, Congress struck down a key aspect of the Biden Administration’s nationwide EV mandate under the Congressional Review Act. This is a win for American consumers and protects Congress’s constitutional and statutory oversight authority over federal agencies and unelected bureaucratic overreach. How did we get here? More than 50 years ago, Congress allowed ...

Marshall Memo: An Emergency Drill; LifeSmarts; Concerts; and Celebrity Servers

An Emergency Drill will be held from 8 a.m. until noon June 4 at Moundsville Middle School. Marshall County Schools, Moundsville Middle School, and emergency responders from city, county, and state agencies are working collaboratively to prepare for potential emergencies at the school. As part of the process an operation-based emergency training will be held at the school. Participants will begin arriving around 7 a.m. for set-up and the event may look like a real emergency —but it is just for practice. The areas surrounding MMS may be congested with extra people on site during ...