Opinion

Drama Beneath the Gold Dome

Local Columns

Last week was an interesting start to the 2026 regular session of the West Virginia Legislature. In my previous column, I told you about the comments from former state Senate Finance Committee chairman Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, when he told attendees of the West Virginia Press Association’s Legislative Lookahead on Jan. 9 that the Republican caucus in the state Senate had no consensus regarding a public policy agenda. Now, that seemed a bit crazy to me. I’m a former Senate communications staffer, working the last two years of the Democratic majority and first two years of the new ...

Moving West Virginia Forward

Editorials

If Gov. Patrick Morrisey is looking for a West Virginia comeback, it’s a good indication he understands the struggle has been overwhelming for far too long and hope is still hard to come by for too many Mountain State residents. But during his State of the State address Wednesday, Morrisey was determined to focus on “a West Virginia we can be proud of,” for our children and grandchildren. As he rightly pointed out, that means being honest about the fact that many in our state are still struggling to make ends meet. They are dealing with “sky-rocketing grocery bills, crushing ...

Making Sure King’s Dream Isn’t Deferred

Editorials

For those enjoying a three-day weekend in observance of this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it is important to also honor the memory of a civil rights leader who died working toward a dream that in many ways still has not been fulfilled. Honor King by looking around — at your community, at your state, and at this country — and doing some honest thinking about how far we have to go. We are approaching 60 years now since King was murdered for believing that one day “my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by ...

Pats on the Back

Editorials

- To Ohio County Schools Assessment and Federal Programs Director Walt Saunders, who was named Friday as the new superintendent of Hancock County Schools. - To Cameron High School graduate Ian Bush, a 184-pound wrestler at West Virginia University who was named WVU’s Athlete of the Week after two Big 12 conference road wins . - To Ohio County Schools for a successful “Tiny Patriots” event to promote the school district to parents of young children. - To congregants throughout Ohio County who came together at Lava Ave. Baptist Church to build booklets of the Gospel of John and ...

Tobacco Use Still an Issue in West Virginia

Editorials

The start of “political season” in many states brings with it a host of studies and reports filled with data that could inform legislative decision-making. Among them is another WalletHub study: “The Real Cost of Smoking by State (2026.)” In West Virginia, it may come as a surprise to learn, the lifetime cost of smoking is among the lowest in the country. The Mountain State ranks 38th for both out-of-pocket costs at $153,300 and financial opportunity costs at $2,685,329 over a smoker’s lifetime. It won’t surprise anyone who knows how Duke University got its name to know ...

Keeping Downtown Development Going

Editorials

A major downtown construction project’s return to the front burner for the city of Wheeling is fantastic news for its future. At its most recent meeting Wheeling City Council had its first reading of an ordinance that would allow the city to spend $59,000 on M&G Architects and Engineers’ services to get the ball rolling on demolishing several buildings on 14th Street — which would make way for a $63 million project that would include a restaurant, coffee shop, event center, hotel, condominiums and more right across from WesBanco Arena. Is it a huge step? Yes and no. It’s an ...