Local Columns

Mothers Make the Difference in Their Children’s Lives

This Mother’s Day will be the 46th Mother’s Day without my mother being physically alive. I only had 17 Mother’s Days with her, and yet I can’t stop thinking about her from time to time. I lost my mother to cancer when I was 17 years old. She had three forms of cancer — breast cancer, lung cancer and brain cancer. I don’t think there is a day I don’t still think about her. She died when she was 36 years old. If your mother is alive, honor her. I am sure she made mistakes, but she’s still your mother. Some mothers have given up their jobs to stay at home to take ...

Marshall Memo: Recognizing Veterans; Pizza Party Day; and Plantings

Eleven Moundsville city employees were honored at this past week’s council meeting following an announcement by city manager Rick Healy. Healy said, “I remembered that May is National Military Appreciation Month and started thinking about members and veterans working for the city. “A little background — In 1999, Congress designated May as National Military Appreciation Month to ensure the nation was given the chance to publicly show their appreciation for troops past and present. It serves as a reminder of the profound contribution made by service members. “Each year, the ...

Who’s in ‘Poll Position’ For W.Va. Governor’s Race?

We are now nine days out from the May 14 primary, with early voting continuing this week until Saturday. And as I write this, I cannot tell you how the Republican primary for governor will go. As you all well know, I don’t do predictions. All I can do is tell you what the political weather is like at this moment. If the election were held at this very moment, it sure looks like based on polling and money expended that Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is the favorite, with former state lawmaker Moore Capito and Huntington businessman Chris Miller duking it out for the role of ...

Marshall Memo: Sherrard Middle Makes It Three in a Row at History Bowl

Sherrard Middle School made it three championships in a row in the West Virginia History Bowl as Team No. 2 defeated Mountain View Middle School to take home this year’s state title. Coached by Dan Gatts and Jeff Stephens, this year’s team consisted of Chase Fromhart, Connor Fromhart, Emily Gatts and Chloe Pickett. Emily Gatts was named the tournament’s MVP and earned an additional $300. Overall, the four top winners of the first-place team each received a trophy and $500 to celebrate the achievement. The team began its journey to The Cultural Center in Charleston by ...

Understanding Your Monthly American Electric Power Bill

I would like to explain to you how to understand your electric bill from Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power. When you open your bill, your eyes are going to be drawn to that colorful bullseye on the left column, about half-way down the page. Like the statistics box that stays on the television when you watch a ball game, this circle gives you the full and simple breakdown on your bill. So, I’d like you to focus on that blue bullseye. Take a look at the center of the circle. It is divided into a black top and a white bottom. In the white lower-half is the amount of money you ...

EPA Rules Short-Circuit Nation’s Power Grid

On April 25, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency launched a blitz of regulations targeting the nation’s fossil-fuel power plants. In the center of the EPA’s crosshairs is America’s coal fleet, which remains a workhorse source of power across the country — and the leading source of electricity in more than a dozen states. EPA’s suite of rules — anchored by a series of unachievable and exorbitantly expensive technology mandates — will force the closure of the nation’s existing coal plants nearly overnight. They’ll also make it all but impossible to build new ...