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Something about the relationship between Toyota and West Virginia should be studied by those hoping to expand and diversify our state’s economy. Since the days of former U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller’s encouragement of the Toyota Motor Manufacturing project in Buffalo, W.Va., the partnership between the state and Japan has been rock solid. Now, Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia is expanding with a nearly half-billion-dollar investment in increasing the assembly of four-cylinder hybrid-compatible engines, sixth-generation hybrid transaxles and rear motor stators. There are ...

A Sobering Outlook

A report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland delivered some unsettling news as we roll toward the holiday season. Indicators suggest there is a 24% chance the U.S. economy was in recession last month. The Cleveland Fed represents Ohio and parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky, where the Ohio Capital Journal noted there have been a number of worrying indicators. Credit card debt is rising faster in Ohio than in all but four other states. We had the fifth-highest unemployment rate in the country in August. In fact, hiring across the country has slowed dramatically, ...

Broadband Access Still Needs Work

Federal money is helping a little when it comes to West Virginia’s broadband internet woes, but despite being one of the most improved states in the country on that front, we STILL are the worst connected state in the nation — worse than even Mississippi and Puerto Rico. That gives some idea of just how far behind we had fallen when it comes to getting Mountain State residents affordable access to the quality broadband internet service that is regarded as a basic utility in most of the rest of the United States. The average for connected households everywhere else is 93.2%. Here, ...

Flood Victims Aren’t Being Forgotten

Even though it has been months since Ohio County residents suffered catastrophic damage in the deadly flash floods that hit several communities, organizations are making sure those survivors aren’t forgotten during the holidays. The Ohio County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Valley Grove and Triadelphia volunteer fire departments, held a “Stuff the Truck” event Wednesday at the Highlands Walmart. The groups hoped to collect shelf-stable food items to stock the pantry for flood survivors at Triadelphia United Methodist Church. “Having seen first hand the devastation of ...

Make W.Va. CPS Better

West Virginians knew our state’s child welfare system was a mess — and regularly failing children and families — toward the end of the Justice administration, but a report by the U.S. Department of Human Services Office of Inspector General shows us the situation may have been even worse than we thought. In a 100-case sample, the report showed the state’s Bureau of Social Services failed to comply with child abuse and neglect requirements 91% of the time: 74 reports did not include a required written notification letter; initial assessments were not completed within 30 days of ...

Welcome To New American Citizens

This past Friday, the Ohio Valley bid welcome to some of its newest American citizens. Thirty-six people from 23 different home countries around the globe took the Oath of Allegiance in United States District Court in Wheeling. The pathway to citizenship is neither short nor simple. It is an involved process. Those who complete it show their dedication to becoming a part of the nation’s fabric. Many of these folks have already lived here for a while, contributing to the betterment of their communities. Former U.S. Congressman David McKinley, who spoke at the naturalization ...