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City of Wheeling Must Do Its Part To Help Those in Need

The acrimony in the continuing debate about people who are unhoused in Wheeling and the region showed up in a recent editorial in the Sunday News-Register. This mirrors what is happening in many communities across the country. The problem is that we only want to treat the symptom rather than the cause. And we seem to share the naive assumption that the easy answer will work. There are many ways people can become unhoused. Severe medical issues, low wages, burgeoning health care costs (where the working poor pay far more than insurance companies or the insured for the same medical ...

Plug Data Centers in W.Va.’s Coal Power Grid

A major driver of the recent surge in electricity demand is the explosion of energy-intensive data centers and artificial intelligence systems. These massive operations are rapidly approaching saturation in our neighboring state of Virginia. This presents a golden opportunity for West Virginia. Our state generates more electricity than it consumes and has the capacity to accommodate new growth. Large-scale data centers require land, water, and—most importantly—reliable and adequate power. West Virginia has all three. Yet, instead of taking full advantage of our existing, proven ...

Marshall Memo: Musical Talent on Display; and a PROM

The Historic Cockayne Farmstead is celebrating the success of its inaugural Beginner Knitting Classes and, due to popular demand, has announced a new lineup of hands-on workshops over the coming months. Crafters of all ages can look forward to a variety of offerings at the Farmstead’s Visitor Center, starting with Beginner Knitting, a class for ages 10 and up that teaches the basics while creating a simple project, running from 5-6 p.m. Tuesdays, April 1 through April 22. Also on Tuesdays, from 4-5 p.m. during the same period, Beginner Crochet will introduce participants aged 10 and ...

Physical, Mental and Sexual Abuse Led to BRIM Claims

In his op-ed in this newspaper, Greg Thomas, representing Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA), claimed that “lawsuit abuse” is burdening West Virginia taxpayers. The basis of this dubious claim are the insurance claims paid by the West Virginia Board of Risk and Insurance Management (BRIM). He said it’s lawsuit abuse. The truth paints a different picture. The column failed to provide readers with context or facts. West Virginians deserve accurate information. John Adams said it best: “Facts are stubborn things . . . they cannot alter the state of facts and ...

Midterm Report

Thursday marks Day 30, the halfway mark of the 60-day annual legislative session, but as I write this, I’m having trouble predicting how productive this session will be by the time we get to April 12. According to the Legislature’s website, only two bills have completed the legislative process and have been signed by Gov. Patrick Morrisey. Those bills are the annual bills to update terms in the state’s personal income tax and corporate net income tax acts to align with federal terms. These two bills are always passed at the beginning of each session quickly. Otherwise, the only ...

Prayerful Gathering for Our Homeless Neighbors

As people of faith our biblical call is clear: Love our neighbors, especially those in need. This past Tuesday at Wheeling’s city council meeting one of our councilors, blaming service providers, threatened to close the only homeless camp that has survived last year’s otherwise sweeping homeless, or camping, ban. The municipal homeless ban, now alongside introduced statewide homeless bans, legislates legal penalties for people cooking, eating, sleeping, and storing personal belongings in public (the state ban also incentivizes busing violators away). Panhandling bans have also ...