Opinion

Let’s Get Rolling on Permitting Reform

Editorials

Give them a hot-button topic that doesn’t actually affect the lives of ordinary people and politicians will waste no time hopping on and digging in. But when the issue is something of great significance to the rest of us — individuals and their employers — they drag their feet. That is the case with permitting reform. Last time it got any serious traction in Washington, D.C., former U.S. Sen. Joe Machin was leading the charge on the Energy Permitting Reform Act. Now, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., is bringing lawmakers’ attention back to the matter in the hope that ...

Slow News Week

Local Columns

Last week was a slow news week when it comes to my specific beat of West Virginia state government news. Reporters who cover the same beat had similar opinions when I talked to them. There are weeks when it is not uncommon for me to write as many as 15 stories per week or sometimes four stories in one day. I certainly don’t mind a busy week, but last week was mostly quiet. Sure, there was the Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia’s summer meeting at the Greenbrier Resort at the beginning of last week, which saw many state elected officials address the group and talk about West ...

Dangerous Merge Area Needs Attention

Letters to the Editor

Editor, News-Register: When traveling east on I-70, I hold my breath as I approach the on-ramp from Wheeling Island. While there is a yield sign, drivers punch the accelerator and force a merge. Perhaps a STOP sign is needed, then maybe drivers merging from the Island would at least slow down and, yes, YIELD! Patricia Byrd Bridgeport

Considering Future of Public Schools

Editorials

It’s August, which means it’s back-to-school season. As the new school year nears (remember to slow down and watch for students getting on those big yellow buses with the stop sign sticking out the side), it’s worthwhile to consider the future of our public schools — particularly as West Virginia’s workforce ages and we continue to struggle to compete against our neighboring states. Consider these enrollment trends from the West Virginia Department of Education: ∫ In the 2017-18 school year, West Virginia enrolled 270,613 public school students. For the 2024-25 school ...

Marshall Memo: Getting Ready For a New School Year

Local Columns

The Marshall County Board of Education will continue offering free breakfast and lunch to all students regardless of income for the 2025-26 school year under the Community Eligibility Option. Extra milk costs 35 cents and a second lunch is $1.70, payable in cash at the time of purchase, while accommodations for students with special dietary needs are available at no additional charge (contact your school and submit a physician-completed Special Dietary Needs Medical Statement). The district’s Wellness Policy promotes nutrition, physical activity, and student health — get involved by ...

Counterpoint: Coal Doesn’t Fit With Nation’s Energy Future

Local Columns

For a decade now, coal has been on the way out. The industry’s future was considered mainly dead and buried until the Trump administration decided to pull out every stop to dig it out of the grave. And this wasn’t caused by any “Green New Deal” boogeyman stuff: the coal industry does not have the economics to survive intense competition from less expensive alternatives. Donald Trump’s efforts to revive coal will cost the U.S. time and money we can’t afford to waste, driving up energy costs for Americans and leaving the mining communities behind. As we look toward the ...