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Local Columns

Tallying the True Cost of Being a Mother in 2026

In 1962 a group called, “The Limeliters,” released a new song on their album. A few months later,” Pete Seeger the writer of the song, put it on his album as well. It was not until 1965 that a folk-rock band named The Byrds made the song famous. The song was entitled “Turn! Turn! ...

Ice Cream, War and Its Cost to Americans

A few years ago, my wife was at the grocery store when a fellow shopper spoke to her in the freezer section. He reached for a half gallon of ice cream, looked at the price, and casually blamed then-President Barack Obama for how much he had to pay. And so it goes for every president. Wendy ...

Reporter’s Notebook: Republican Street Fight

Last week, I noted how shocked I was by the sheer amount of spending by political action committees and independent expenditure committees in statehouse races for this primary period. As I reported last week, just five groups had spent more than $1.6 million in a 30-day period between March ...

Seeing Green

If you read my weekend story about the spending by five independent expenditure groups and political action committees, then I assume you’re as shellshocked as I am. Quite frankly, I have never seen this amount of money spent in midterm statehouse races in my life. We're talking more than ...

Outsiders Buying Elections, West Virginia Families Paying For It

West Virginians already carry one of the heaviest economic burdens in America. Fewer of us work than in almost any other state. Those who do work, earn wages that lag the rest of the country, electric bills among the highest in the region, and the most expensive private health insurance costs ...

Clean Water For West Virginians Is A Congressional Priority

Spring in West Virginia is truly “almost heaven.” Life comes back to our forests, wildflowers scatter across the mountains, and spring rains send cold water rushing through our mountain streams and rivers. Unfortunately, many West Virginians don’t have reliable access to that clean, ...