It became common practice over a dozen years in this editor’s chair that at least one or two Thursday or Friday afternoons each month were reserved for a phone call from then-U.S. Rep. David McKinley.

McKinley, a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives during that time, would use at least an hour of his drive from Washington, D.C., back to Wheeling to call this newspaper and speak with either me or my predecessor, the late J. Michael Myer, to get a feel for what was happening in his district.

McKinley understood that a politician who truly cares about doing what is best for his state stays in touch with those who understand its communities best.

And when it comes to gauging public opinion on matters that may originate in the nation’s capital but have real-world implications back home, newspaper editors tend to fit that bill.

I first got looped into those conversations in 2011, as the congressman was in the midst of pushing a series of coal ash-related bills.

Mike Myer was heading out on vacation and asked if I would take McKinley’s call that Friday. I agreed — and it marked the beginning of a relationship that would strengthen over the ensuing decade.

Congressman McKinley died Friday following an illness. Reflecting this past weekend on that first call — though I had met and spoken with him before, those discussions were never at that level — I remember realizing how little I knew about coal ash, and that if I didn’t want to come across as a fool, it was time to learn.

The congressman often would call just as he merged onto Interstate 68 — and as anyone who has driven that route knows, an hour of meaningful conversation nearly gets you to Morgantown and helps pass what can otherwise be a long, uneventful drive. At other times he would be taking the backroads through the Eastern Panhandle and then through Hampshire, Mineral, and Grant counties.

Through those calls, he provided as much education to us as we did for him. Myer and I would often compare notes afterward, and invariably came away with a handful of story and editorial ideas.

From the start, it was clear these were not courtesy calls, nor a series of political talking points dressed up as dialogue. They were substantive, often candid discussions — the kind that reflected a lawmaker intent on staying in touch to the people and places he represented. They illustrated McKinley’s dedication to his district and its residents.

That matters.

Too often, Washington has a way of insulating those elected to serve. The noise and partisan divide there can create distance between policymakers and their constituents. The best public servants recognize that risk and work deliberately to counter it.

David McKinley did.

By picking up the phone during that drive home, he wasn’t just checking a box. He was inquiring into how policies were being received, what concerns were emerging locally, and where disconnects might lie.

In doing so, he reinforced a simple truth: representation requires listening.

Those conversations also served another important purpose — they helped bridge the gap between complex federal policy and everyday understanding.

Take, for example, the coal ash discussions. For many residents, the issue was layered and confusing. Environmental concerns, economic implications, regulatory nuances — it was not a simple matter of support or opposition. Through his outreach, McKinley sought to understand how those complexities were being interpreted back home. At the same time, those conversations equipped us, as editors, with clearer insight into the intent and mechanics of the legislation, allowing us to better inform our readers.

That exchange was invaluable.

Local newspapers play a critical role in translating policy into impact, into helping local readers understand how the happenings in Washington affect them. Members of Congress, in turn, benefit from the perspective community newspaper editors provide. When that relationship works as it should, the public is better served.

There is a lesson here that extends well beyond one representative or one region.

A lawmaker, no matter through which level they serve, must never forget where they came from — nor for whom they work. Staying grounded is essential. Making informed decisions that best represent your constituents — that should be the goal.

Regular, meaningful engagement — whether with local leaders, business owners or, yes, newspaper editors — helps ensure that connection remains intact.

In an era when trust in institutions continues to erode, that kind of effort stands out as the standard of what we should expect.

David McKinley lived that standard every day.

It is what we should expect from all our elected leaders — a commitment to putting aside partisan politics and the trappings of the nation’s capital and instead putting their constituents, their communities and their state first.

John McCabe is editor of The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register. He can be reached at jmccabe@theintelligencer.net.