Local Columns

Moving Mountains Made of Molehills

As your lone state government reporter here in Charleston, I have to cover both the House of Delegates and state Senate at the same time. Sometimes this means going to one chamber or the other. Sometimes that means having two computers open when two different committees are meeting at the same time. This also means I must prioritize the bills and resolutions I write about. I very rarely write about bills and resolutions that are not taken up by committees in the House and Senate. I joke that I’m the tyrannosaurus rex from Jurassic Park: I respond to movement. Because I do not have ...

Capito Focusing on W.Va. as Environment, Public Works Chair

After the American people made their voices heard in November, President Trump is now back in the White House with a Republican majority in both chambers of Congress. In this new Congress, my role has expanded. For the first time, I will serve as the senior-senator from West Virginia, the Chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, and importantly, the chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. The Environment and Public Works Committee, or the EPW Committee as it is typically called, is tasked with developing policies to address the infrastructure, ...

Marshall Memo: JMHS Queen Candidates To Compete, Steel Drum Band to Perform

The annual John Marshall High School Queen of Queens Pageant will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday in the school’s Center for Performing Arts. The pageant will feature 10 senior girls competing for the crown and the honor of representing JMHS in the OVAC Queen of Queens Pageant in July. Interview, talent, and poise/presentation are the three categories in which the contestants will be scored. Participants include: Kendra Callahan, Morgan Carlin, Audrey Ferguson, Megan Gary, Sydney Gray, Laiken Jones, Abby Korngiver, Reagan Miller, Jadyn Parker and Mylie Scott. Pageant coordinator is ...

WVU’s R1 Research Ranking Great for State

We learned earlier this month that West Virginia University has been reaffirmed as an R1 university, the highest possible research ranking, by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Achieving R1 is the benchmark for universities and colleges from across the country to be recognized for exceptional research activity. WVU is the only R1 institution in West Virginia. So, what does this mean? Our R1 classification reaffirms that we are among the best of the best when it comes to producing research and propelling students into ...

Heart to Heart

I’m writing this on Valentine’s Day, three days into the 60-day legislative session, and if Gov. Patrick Morrisey and some members of the Republican caucus in the House of Delegates have love for each other, I’m having a hard time seeing the floating hearts. Morrisey presented his first State of the State address Wednesday night to a joint session of the West Virginia Legislature, but even before he presented his legislative agenda, I was hearing consternation from House Republicans about pressure from those in the Morrisey administration. In fact, one thing I noticed Friday is ...

World’s Biggest Business Needs Common Sense

Parts of West Virginia are less than an hour’s drive from Washington, but the two places could not be any more different. It’s not about the size of the cities or how many people live there, it’s about the way we think. It’s about culture, priorities and how we approach government. Inside the beltway, everybody is too busy worrying about the next election. But I never approached things that way. Back home, sure, people are busy. They’ve got plenty to do. But there’s this feeling of community, of belonging, of we are all in this together. And that is sorely lacking in a ...