Local Columns

Marshall Memo: Tourism; Cameron; ‘Second Saturday’ Films; and Artistic Talent

This past week I came across a letter written 10 years ago from the Marshall County Tourism Committee to the Marshall County Commission dealing with its mission. The letter made mention of attractions such as Grand Vue Park, the Fostoria Glass Museum, Marshall County Historic Society, Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex, Cockayne Farmstead, Strand Theatre, Palace of Gold and the former WV Penitentiary, along with four restaurants that visitors might want to visit. Well, to start with there is no longer a tourism committee. Ten years later, instead of a tourism committee, there ...

The Biden Administration Must Embrace Domestic Mining

Americans are starting to see the results of the bipartisan infrastructure bill signed by President Biden in 2021. Federal projects are now upgrading America’s transit systems and power grids, including a proliferation of electric vehicles (EVs) and charging stations. However, there’s a catch. All of these renewable technologies have spurred massive demand for key minerals and metals. But right now, global supplies of these resources are dominated by America’s rivals. The International Energy Agency estimates that demand for key minerals—such as lithium, cobalt, and ...

Let the Mud Fly in West Virginia Senate Race

Judging by the crowd Thursday evening at The Greenbrier Resort, Gov. Jim Justice is heading into the 2024 Republican primary for U.S. Senate with a lot of support. It was notable that U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, ranked number five in the Senate Republican leadership, and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., were the ones to introduce Justice and endorse him. I don't recall ever seeing Capito endorse in a Republican primary before; not even in the 2022 Republican primary for the 2nd Congressional District that saw U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney defeat former 1st District Congressman David ...

Marshall Memo: Numerous Events at the Strand; Making History; and Strings

As usual a number of upcoming events will be taking place during May through July at the Strand Theatre in Moundsville. Starting off at 7 p.m., on May 2 will be Seniors Palette to Pen Showcase which will be free and open to the public. The Balloonatic & Safety Last silent films featuring world-renowned Theatre Organist Dennis James will take place at 2 p.m. on May 7. James is a regular performer at silent film festivals internationally. He has restored period-sourced scores from a number of films. The admission price is $10 with tickets available at the door or at ...

Do Limits Really Apply for an Inclusive Society?

In a recent interview about some of the socially divisive laws just passed by the Legislature’s Republican-led supermajority, West Virginia GOP Chairwoman Elgine McArdle was asked whether our state might now be viewed as less inclusive. She responded, “Inclusiveness is a funny term.” That made me pause a little bit. So I consulted the Merriam-Webster definition of inclusive: “Including everyone.” Seems pretty straightforward. I wondered, how is the idea of including everyone funny? Thankfully, Chairwoman McArdle went on to clarify. Embracing laws that penalize ...

Is Justice Senate Announcement Coming This Week?

Is this the week that Republican Gov. Jim Justice announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin?I had sources tell me two weeks ago that Justice had a day in mind, though the source declined to say what day that would be. Capitol Hill-based news outlet Politico pegged a possible announcement to the end of this week. A Politico report late last week put the announcment day as Thursday at The Greenbrier resort, according to an invitation the outlet obtained.I'm unsure if this is a coincidence or not, but a group with some links to the Senate ...