Reporter’s Notebook: Gov. Morrisey Needs To Break Out The White Board Again

August 3, 2026

If Gov. Patrick Morrisey is wanting to fix his relationship with fellow Republicans in the West Virginia Legislature, his handling of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program is going a long way to souring that relationship even further with possible electoral repercussions. Last week, the Department of Human Services announced that after only being open a week, the application window was closed for the back-to-school clothing voucher program funded through the TANF program due to running out of money. Families still had 20 days left to apply before the program was ...

John McCabe: The Waterfront’s Next Great Chapter Is Here

August 1, 2026

This past Tuesday, as about 100 people gathered on the porch at WesBanco Arena to hear details of the planned JC Lando Hotel on Water Street moving into its next phase, I took a few minutes to marvel over just how much the downtown’s waterfront has changed since the late 1990s. I still recall one of my earliest stories for these newspapers — a local downtown businessman and property owner who objected to the Wharf parking garage being removed. Water Street then was primarily a mix of commercial businesses. The Wharf garage, which sat on the western end of Water Street, may have ...

Reporter’s Notebook: Always Ready, Always There

July 27, 2026

After a week of tragic news, I think a palate cleanser is in order. I got to do something last week that allowed me to witness the professionalism of our West Virginia National Guard members. Members of the guard take part every two years in Sentry Storm, a joint training exercise involving both the Air and Army National Guard, along with National Guard units from nearby states, such as Kentucky. This year's exercise was supposed to be last Wednesday, but after the flooding in Upshur and Lewis counties, the exercise was canceled. National Guard members were stretched thin last week. ...

John McCabe: Wheeling’s Heritage Trail Needs Attention To Reach Potential

July 25, 2026

One of the highlights of working downtown, in my opinion, is the easy access to Wheeling Heritage Port and the Heritage Trail. I estimate that over the past three decades I’ve logged more than 10,000 miles walking on that trail, either during a quick break, after work or on the weekends. But, sadly, Heritage Trail is not what it once was. A combination of time, invasive plants and a general lack of maintenance — along with the trash left behind by some of the area’s homeless population that utilize the trail to shuttle between neighborhoods, or to access temporary camp sites — ...

Reporter’s Notebook: Nothing But The Truth

July 20, 2026

The spread of misinformation (inaccurate information spread by mistake) and disinformation (false information spread deliberately) is nothing new in the history of humanity, but it sure seems like it's been getting worse lately. While my colleagues in local news media work to confirm information for stories that you may not see until later the same day or the next day, bad information is spread within seconds on social media platforms, such as Facebook and TikTok. For example, some on TikTok were accusing Gov. Patrick Morrisey of being absent and criticizing Parkersburg Mayor ...

John McCabe: A Quick Look at Spending in Marshall County Schools

July 18, 2026

It was interesting to read Wednesday that Marshall County Schools already is planning to get its five-year excess operating levy, which does not expire for nearly two years, on the ballot for renewal this fall during the midterm general election. School districts typically choose to run levy renewals, when possible, during primary election cycles, when fewer voters turn out to cast ballots. Certainly, if the levy would fail (I would not expect that to happen), this does give time for the board to get it back before voters again in the 2028 primary election. In the meantime, our ...