Local Columns

Justice Has Trump Card To Play in Senate Race

In the game that is the 2024 Republican primary for U.S. Senate, Gov. Jim Justice was finally able to play his trump card, literally. The Trump card I speak of is the man himself, former Republican president Donald Trump, who announced on his own social media platform last week that he endorses Justice in the GOP primary over his rivals, including Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va. Whatever one may think of Trump, there is simply no denying Trump’s continued popularity in West Virginia. The annual West Virginia Poll showed Trump losing a few points between this year and last year, but not ...

World Should Run Away From War and Back to Prayer

When I was growing up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, there was a very nice elderly Jewish couple that lived next door to us. At the time we moved to this suburb from the inner city of Cleveland, there were very few minorities, especially African Americans, in the community. They said we moved from the ghetto, the inner city to the suburbs, but the real truth is we moved from the ghetto to a real ghetto. The definition of a ghetto as a noun is a poor urban area occupied primarily by a minority group or groups. The definition as an adjective is something that resembles or has the ...

Defending Pope Francis’ Stance on Climate Change

In the October 12 edition of The Intelligencer, Stephen Moore wrote a scathing criticism of Pope Francis’ recent pastoral letter, Laudate Deum (Praise God) on climate change. I offer a different response. First, contrary to Mr. Moore’s impression, Pope Francis does not claim to be infallible in his teaching on the environment. He has issued a teaching document on a serious subject, after wide consultation and reflection, and it deserves respect. Catholics and others, especially those well versed in the letter’s subject matter, are free to form their own opinion and offer their ...

Marshall Memo: Violins of Hope, Peter Pan, a Halloween Party and Cruisers

The Wheeling Symphony Orchestra hosted a special school presentation in honor of Violins of Hope this past week in the John Marshall High School Center for Performing Arts. Violins of Hope is a national organization that brings together an exhibit of beautifully restored violins and other string instruments that were played by concentration camp prisoners during the Holocaust. For this concert, WSO musicians performed on those instruments for a reflective and powerful experience. Several collaborations took place as part of this unique experience. More than 150 JMHS students, faculty and ...

Anyone’s Race in GOP Primary for Governor

Last week was a fire hose of political news, from campaign finance reports to new polls to newly registered Republicans running for statewide office. Let’s start first with campaign fundraising in the 2024 Republican primary for governor. Attorney General Patrick Morrisey might have the most donations for the most recent three-month quarter, but Huntington businessman Chris Miller continues to be a wild card with his more than $3.6 million of cash-on-hand. Keep in mind, that haul includes both money that can only be used for the primary and money that can be used for the general ...

VA Must Honor Its Commitment To Care for Veterans

The U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs made a commitment to taking care of the health and wellness of our veteran community here at home; unfortunately, they are falling far short on that promise when it comes to emergency medical care. As chairman of the West Virginia Senate’s Committee on the Military and a combat veteran of the U.S. Air Force, I am appalled by the VA’s recently published plan to slash reimbursements for emergency medical transportation services provided to our nation’s veterans and the communities in which they live. Due to a rule change (“Change in ...