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It’s Time For A New Approach For West Virginia

Gov. Patrick Morrisey invested into getting some of his candidates nominated in last week’s primary election. Let us hope the governor takes that same passion into a much more meaningful project for our state’s future — turning around decades of population decline. On Thursday, the U.S. Census Bureau released its latest population figures for cities and towns, based on July 1, 2025 estimates. As expected, only a few cities in West Virginia have seen population increases since the official 2020 Census (Morgantown and Martinsburg are the only two among the cities with 10,000 ...

Low Voter Turnout A Worrying Sign For Northern Panhandle

The turnout numbers from Tuesday’s primary election here in West Virginia should concern anyone who truly cares about our representative government. Across the six counties in our region — Ohio, Marshall, Wetzel, Tyler, Brooke and Hancock — average turnout in this year’s primary was just 24.4%. That means fewer than one in four registered voters took part in choosing the candidates that will shape our communities, our schools, our courts and our future. That figure is part of a troubling trend. The average turnout for comparable off-presidential year primaries over the past ...

Bishop Mark Brennan Oversaw Diocese’s Restoration

Mark E. Brennan’s resignation earlier this month as bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston marks the close of a chapter defined not by style, but instead substance. When Brennan arrived as the diocese’s ninth bishop in 2019, he inherited a church in turmoil. The fallout from the tenure of former bishop Michael J. Bransfield had shaken confidence among parishioners and the broader community alike. The assignment before Brennan, then 72, was clear — and daunting: restore trust. He approached that in a way that now seems almost understated, but was exactly ...

Incoming Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala Brings Spirit of Service to Role

The appointment of the Most Rev. Evelio Menjivar-Ayala as the 10th bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston is a moment of significance not only for West Virginia Catholics, but for the broader communities the diocese serves. Menjivar, 56, comes to West Virginia after serving as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington. His installation Mass is set for July 2 at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Wheeling. Born in El Salvador, he immigrated to the United States in 1990 and became the nation’s first Salvadoran bishop when appointed in Washington. What stood out in his ...

Program Helping W.Va. To Grow

Ascend West Virginia continues to look for more ways to recruit new Mountain State residents, even as the program has already attracted 1,412 new residents since its founding in 2021. Now, it hopes to make the state more attractive to military veterans by launching a new program: Ascend Heroes. For veterans and active service members who are at least 18, hold U.S. citizenship or a green card and live out of state, the program could be perfect for you. The only other condition to meet is either having a remote job or a job lined up in West Virginia. Participants are being asked to ...

Lawrences Made A Real Impact

In a short period of time, Lt. John Lawrence and Lt. Candace Lawrence made their impact known in the Ohio Valley with the Salvation Army in Wheeling. The couple arrived in the Friendly City in June 2023, and they’ll depart for a new appointment in Annapolis, Maryland this coming June. In those three years, they moved quickly and effectively to make the Ohio Valley a better place to live. On top of the Christmas toy drives and Red Kettle campaigns, the Lawrences increased and improved the Salvation Army’s presence in the area. The organization opened a service center in Moundsville ...