Local Columns

Time To Lift Each Other Out of Life’s Trash Can

Did you see the story? A man in his 80s stops for gas on his way back home from Bible class in Detroit, Michigan and got mugged. It was not in the dark, but in a lighted area. He was not at a lonely stop, but there were a number of people who were pumping their gas watching it happen. They even have it on tape and played it on the news. The man crawled into the station, others walked by, some even stepped over his bloody body, but none of them reached out to help him. Even the clerk at the station did not quickly call the police. I don’t want to put Detroit in a bad light, my father ...

Marshall Memo: Kindness; Loving a Parade; and Christmas Bazaar

Today (Saturday) at 2 p.m. is the Moundville Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade. The route runs along Jefferson Avenue from Second Street to Eighth Street. WJMH Media, the student run broadcasting services of Marshall County Schools based at John Marshall High School, will provide a live stream of the 53rd annual Marshall County Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade presented by Southwestern Energy. The broadcast will begin at 1:55 p.m. on the WJMH YouTube Page. The parade will also be available to watch any time during the holidays by searching for searching for WJMH Media ...

Appalachian Hydrogen Hub Will Equal W.Va. Jobs

West Virginia is heading into a time of economic growth and expansion with the creation of the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub. This groundbreaking project has the potential to transform the state’s energy landscape, create jobs, and drive economic development for years to come. West Virginia’s hydrogen hub is a testament to the state’s commitment to innovation and economic development. ARCH2 was one of only seven hydrogen hubs selected by the U.S. Department of Energy. A hydrogen hub is a network of energy producers, consumers and transportation networks coupled with ...

How Will The Dominoes Fall After Manchin’s Exit?

For years, I have talked about writing a book about West Virginia political dynamics over the last nearly 14 years called “Domino.” The book would focus on the state’s political history beginning in 2010 with the death of former U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, a giant in Congress and in the Democratic Party. But the book would largely follow U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., from his final year as governor to whenever his time at the U.S. Senate would be done. Well, we now know when that will be. Manchin will retire from the U.S. Senate when his term ends in 2024. You’d think with ...

Serving West Virginia’s Veterans In Their Time of Need

Veterans put their lives on the line to keep our country safe and America has a duty to ensure our veterans are taken care of. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, over 6,146 veterans committed suicide in 2020. To put this in perspective, approximately 17 veterans took their lives every day for a year. My father served honorably as a captain in the U.S. Army in Vietnam. He received the Bronze Star for his service. Like many in his generation, my father served overseas in a foreign war knowing he might return gravely injured or not at all. Many veterans resume civilian life ...

Will it Even Be Possible to Manage the Israel/Hamas Crisis?

“... So, when you clash with the unbelieving Infidels in battle, smite their necks until you overpower them, killing and wounding many of them ... when you have thoroughly subdued them, bind them firmly, making them captives. ... You are commanded by Allah to continue carrying out Jihad against the unbelieving infidels until they submit to Islam.” Koran 47:4 The events unfolding in Israel may seem unfathomable, and indeed, are beyond human understanding. People around the world are trying to understand the motivation behind such savagery. Yet, what may appear to be inexplicable ...