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Reporter’s Notebook: Always Ready, Always There

After a week of tragic news, I think a palate cleanser is in order. I got to do something last week that allowed me to witness the professionalism of our West Virginia National Guard members. Members of the guard take part every two years in Sentry Storm, a joint training exercise involving both the Air and Army National Guard, along with National Guard units from nearby states, such as Kentucky. This year's exercise was supposed to be last Wednesday, but after the flooding in Upshur and Lewis counties, the exercise was canceled. National Guard members were stretched thin last week. ...

John McCabe: Wheeling’s Heritage Trail Needs Attention To Reach Potential

One of the highlights of working downtown, in my opinion, is the easy access to Wheeling Heritage Port and the Heritage Trail. I estimate that over the past three decades I’ve logged more than 10,000 miles walking on that trail, either during a quick break, after work or on the weekends. But, sadly, Heritage Trail is not what it once was. A combination of time, invasive plants and a general lack of maintenance — along with the trash left behind by some of the area’s homeless population that utilize the trail to shuttle between neighborhoods, or to access temporary camp sites — ...

Reporter’s Notebook: Nothing But The Truth

The spread of misinformation (inaccurate information spread by mistake) and disinformation (false information spread deliberately) is nothing new in the history of humanity, but it sure seems like it's been getting worse lately. While my colleagues in local news media work to confirm information for stories that you may not see until later the same day or the next day, bad information is spread within seconds on social media platforms, such as Facebook and TikTok. For example, some on TikTok were accusing Gov. Patrick Morrisey of being absent and criticizing Parkersburg Mayor ...

John McCabe: A Quick Look at Spending in Marshall County Schools

It was interesting to read Wednesday that Marshall County Schools already is planning to get its five-year excess operating levy, which does not expire for nearly two years, on the ballot for renewal this fall during the midterm general election. School districts typically choose to run levy renewals, when possible, during primary election cycles, when fewer voters turn out to cast ballots. Certainly, if the levy would fail (I would not expect that to happen), this does give time for the board to get it back before voters again in the 2028 primary election. In the meantime, our ...

Sen. Laura Wakim Chapman: Data Centers: To Regulate, Or Not To Regulate. Is That Even A Question?

I was, like you, blindsided by an “announcement” of a 100-megawatt data center going into the Centre Foundry in Warwood. As your Senator, I attended the recent Warwood community and Wheeling Council meetings because I wanted to hear residents’ questions and concerns directly. My job is to find the facts, share them with you, and most importantly, listen to what you have to say. I will only support what is best for you, my fellow citizens in Warwood, and the Northern Panhandle. There was much discussion about the Power Generation and Consumption Act (HB 2014), which passed with ...

Sen. Patricia Rucker: Another History Milestone For School Choice In W.Va.

This year, June 15 marked an historic moment for education in the Mountain State as the application period for families to enroll in the Hope Scholarship for the 2026-27 school year ended. For the first time, every school-aged child in the state is eligible to enroll in the program providing necessary flexibility in education for every child. This universal eligibility is a huge part of what makes Hope the nation’s gold standard for educational freedom. Unlike other states, West Virginia intentionally chose to not pick winners and losers in school choice by ensuring every student could ...