Local Columns

Counting Down the Days at the Capitol

Starting with my first regular legislative session back as a reporter for this newspaper in 2019 (my first session back was the special session on impeachment of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals in the summer of 2018), I would title my columns “Week x at the Legislature.” I haven’t done that this session. Because honestly, this session has not been worth writing about in my weekly “Reporter’s Notebook” column except in a couple instances (the governor’s State of the State address, the bill lifting criminal liability protections from librarians). This has been ...

Channeling Alice Parker To Warm Away Nightmares

As many of you know one of the churches that I am blessed to lead stepped out and purchased what I like to call the, “North Wheeling Community Dream Center.” Due to all the problems, challenges, and difficulties we have had since its purchase in February 2016, some members call the building the, “North Wheeling Community Nightmare.” I understand it, but I don’t like it. I have been told that I am too transparent, and that I share way too much about my life and ministry. It is very possible, this may be more evidence they can use against me, about sharing too much. No ...

Marshall Memo: Crowning the Queen; Wall of Fame; and Writers

Congratulations to Lauren Rice who was named the 2024 JMHS Queen of Queens at a ceremony held at John Marshall High School Thursday. Victoria Henry was named First Runner Up while Amelia Kaste was Second Runner Up. Annadra Dudley was voted Miss Congeniality. --- The John Marshall High School Wall of Fame Committee will hold its 18th annual banquet and induction ceremony on Saturday, March 16 at JMHS. Donald Kirsch, Jeffrey Lilley, and Greg Steele will be the inductees. They will be recognized for their accomplishments and dedication to community with a dinner among friends and ...

Gaza: Uncovering a New Approach To Solve an Old Problem

To get to where to begin, we must discuss where we have been. Gaza was a Philistinian city and Jews began living there in the Hasmonean Era (140 B.C.E. to 37 B.C.E). At that time it was known as the place that Sampson died. Driven out by the Romans in 61 C.E., Jews have lived there off and on for 2,000 years, with their strongest presence in the 19th & 20th centuries. Israel took control of Gaza during the 1967 “Six Day War.” By 2005, 8,000 Jews were living in 21 communities in Gaza. A total of 166 farms were growing $120 million a year of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. They ...

Rhetoric Heating Up in West Virginia Governor’s Race

Trump has entered the chat, as the kids say, but it’s not the Trump you think. Donald Trump Jr. — the son of former Republican president and likey 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump — took a swipe at both U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and Republican candidate for governor of West Virginia Moore Capito on social media last week. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., voted for the amended national security supplemental last week that contained funding for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, as well as funding to replenish U.S. military munition stockpiles. Some on the MAGA right and ...

Congress Must Preserve Jobs, Reject Carbon Tax

West Virginia’s rich natural resources and robust oil and gas production long have been cornerstones of the nation’s energy sector and a significant contributor to our energy independence. Just as importantly, the industry is an economic engine for West Virginia workers and families by supporting more than 73,000 jobs and nearly $5 billion in income across the state. That is why it is so concerning to see important discussions surrounding environmental sustainability and foreign pollution give way to irrational legislation in Washington that would harm this vital industry and the ...