Local Columns

Primary Election Season Entering Home Stretch

I had a wonderful vacation and cruise of the Caribbean, but after being back to work as of last week, part of me wishes I was still at sea. If I took a drink every time a candidate said “woke” or “radical,” I’d have alcohol poisoning. The plus side is we’re 16 days out from the May 14 primary. Early in-person voting in West Virginia begins Wednesday and continues until Saturday, May 11, excluding Sundays at county courthouses and other designated polling locations. If we can just get through the next couple weeks, our mailboxes and airwaves should return to normal for a few ...

Supporting Ohio County Schools Levy the Right Choice

Historically, the Ohio County community has always shown support for our students. A levy, whether excess or bond, has consistently passed. May 14, 2024, aims to hold true, and Ohio County Schools hopes to see the excess levy pass. The passage of the excess levy doesn’t increase taxes for Ohio County citizens, but it does have the potential to drastically alter the future of the county’s schools. The levy supports the daily functioning of our school system. With the yearly funding it allots, we are able to provide innovation in our county that is highly regarded in this region. ...

College Campuses Should Not Become Bastions of Hate

As a graduate of a major American university where pro-Palestinian protests and anti-Semitic rhetoric have taken place, I feel compelled to make known how repugnant I find the expressions of antisemitism on many college campuses. I abhor just as much expressions of anti-Moslem sentiment and violence, such as the injuries suffered by a Palestinian student, a student at my alma mater. The Hamas-Israeli war has elicited strong feelings from many people — but strong feelings are not an excuse for using hateful and stereotypical language about Jews and Moslems. While some students and ...

Marshall Memo: Celebrating 50 Years of Moundsville’s Grand Vue Park

Grand Vue Park will be observing it’s 50th year starting in the month of May with one of the first events taking place on May 4 at a Gold Star Mothers event. The attraction will include a “Living Memorial’’ apple orchard dedication of the Post 9/11 West Virginia Fallen Military Service members. The event will take place at 1 p.m. Other Upcoming events during May are: - May 3, Concert Series by Jim Berze. - May 4, Fireworks Show - May 10, Concert Series by Josh Sokolowski. - May 11, Birding 4 All; Smart Center Kite Day; and Smart Center Star Watch. - May 12, ...

Family, Friends and Neighbors Important to Life

Only once have my wife and I had the experience of being a foster parent to a beautiful 9-year-old girl. I did not know how old I had gotten until I tried to stay up with a 9-year-old. Our kids range from their 40s to their 20s. I have gotten comfortable with grandparent duty, a few fun hours, then turn them back over to the real parents. I had forgotten the 24-hour care — from the early morning rush to catch the school bus, to the change in the middle of the afternoon to pick someone up from the bus. God bless the bus drivers, teachers, school workers, and all who help in a child’s ...

Government Overreach in Moundsville Will End Up Costing Tenants

I read the editorial from April 9 regarding the rental inspection program in Moundsville. My initial reaction is here is another example of government overreach and interference in free trade. Tenants know what they do and don’t want, and if they don’t like landlord A, they can go to landlord B, or landlord C. The handful of similar laws in our state have resulted in a number of unintended consequences including higher rent and limited apartment availability, and has caused landlords to raise their application standards for tenants, thus locking out those in desperate need of ...