Many people like to categorize others neatly. We class them as good or bad, brilliant or crazy, personable or anti-social, a friend or someone to avoid, etc. Good luck fitting H. John Rogers into a neat pigeonhole. He was all of the above and more. For two weeks now, I’ve struggled ...

The Jewish holiday of Tu B’Shevat, celebrating the bounty of nature, was observed this past week and begs a very important question: What was God thinking when pomegranates were created? Does the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe have something against clean shirts? Anyone who has ever had ...

This year’s 15th annual Marshall County Chamber of Commerce Business & Health Expo will feature nine different types of attractions, the most ever. The event will take place at the former West Virginia Penitentiary, and will be held from 4-8 p.m., on March 6, and 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., ...

We all know that over the years the prices we pay for prescription drugs have increased. Whether it be for generic or name brand prescriptions, the one thing we’re certain of is that they’ve all become more expensive. The one thing we don’t know, however, is why this happens. This session ...

West Virginia’s state government budget is going to the dogs in more ways than one. Let’s start with a bill in the House of Delegates that would have the effect of wrecking the greyhound racing industry. That would be accomplished by eliminating a requirement that the two ...

It’s been said that the relationship between tax cuts and economic growth is complicated. This is a lesson that we know all too well in West Virginia, as the lowering of taxes has not always resulted in economic expansion. West Virginians should keep this in mind when it comes to the ...

Paul Garey has been a fixture with not only the Marshall County Fair, but also the West Virginia Association of Fairs and Festivals. For his involvement with the WWAFF, Garey was inducted into its Hall of Fame. The event took place at its annual convention held in Charleston. The WWAFF ...

It’s interesting that a significant number of people think “sanctuary cities” to protect illegal immigrants from enforcement of U.S. law are wonderful things — but sanctuary counties aimed at safeguarding a right of Americans enshrined in the Constitution are outrageous. A long list ...

It was a hard and painful lesson many years ago, but it has never left me. It was a beautiful fall afternoon and my husband and I decided to take a quick walk on the city’s jogging trail in Elm Grove. We parked in the lot on the Elm Grove side of the trail. Several other trail users were ...

As long as they’re not harming someone, what a man or woman does on his or her own property is pretty much no one else’s business, right? Wrong. You’ve been reading too many books about how the nation’s founders viewed government authority. Last year, West Virginia legislators ...

With greyhound racing recently coming under fire from some folks in Charleston, I’ve found that I have two different groups of constituents that I need to look after in the debate — those who work in and with the industry, and my four-legged friends who race in it. In the weeks leading up ...

The name Edward Kuca has been connected with city government in Benwood for 56 of the past 60 years. It started in 1960 when Edward Kuca Sr. was elected to city council. He would go on to serve 24 years. While there was no Kuca in city government from 1984 through 1987, in 1988 a new Kuca ...

Learning to take care of what you have is part of life. Any parent who ever had a child who wanted a goldfish or a kitty-cat or a puppy has had the conversation: “If you want to have a pet, you have to take care of it. It’s your responsibility.” Of course as cute kittens and puppies get ...

Successful military professionals understand the importance of learning from their mistakes. Severe defeats are studied, a period of soul-searching ensues, and sometimes — but not always — corrections are made to avoid catastrophes in the future. So let us hope Major General James ...

It was a darker than usual Saturday night and rain had been falling. My sister and I had the occasion to be in Elm Grove for some shopping. We decided to go for pizza, but where? It’s no secret that we have an abundance of pizza choices. Some have more bragging rights than others, but each ...

West Virginia has long been a coal state. And there are understandable reasons why many in the state view the rise of alternative sources of power with concern. The loss of much of the nation’s coal fleet has at times been met with frustration and confusion. Are renewable sources of power ...

Is Wheeling City Council pondering an ordinance requiring all city employees to be Roman Catholics? Are they asking the Methodist Church to collect taxes for them? Have they decreed that only Jews can vote in municipal elections? Have they ordered the police department to double overtime ...

I read articles urging adults to take kids fishing, and it’s a great idea. But here in the Northern Panhandle, the question looms: Where to fish? For a long time, our fishing opportunities have been diminishing, and the dismal trend looks like it will continue. Specifically, in the last ...

A number of Marshall County residents in the past couple of weeks received letters pertaining to a Marshall County Gold Star Families Memorial Monument, while others will be receiving the same letters in the near future. The letter explains the monument and the need for money to undertake ...

What do the West Virginia foster care, child welfare, public education, and court systems have in common? They are systems in crisis, because the children they serve — casualties of the drug epidemic — are in crisis. Child neglect, death of a parent or sibling, having a parent in jail, ...