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Marshall Memo: Homecoming Kings and Queens, an Annual Dinner and School Personnel Shifts

A few events will be held on Oct. 4 and Oct. 5 involving Marshall County Schools students, the first of which will be those participating in the school’s homecoming parade, which will begin at 5:30 p.m. and go through several streets near Monarch Stadium on Friday. The John Marshall High School homecoming king and queen will be crowned that evening when the Monarchs host Warren Local High School. The kickoff will be at 7 p.m. Queen candidates are: Audrey Ferguson, Madison Galloway, Emmylea Harkless-Lehew, Maitlyn Miller and Madison Walker. King candidates include Jacob Boyette, ...

New Research Shows Many School Boards Violate ‘No More Lines’ Law

Are most public school transfers sports related? Not according to new research from Americans for Prosperity Foundation West Virginia (AFPF-WV). Unlike misleading reports from certain lawmakers and some media outlets, the vast majority of public school transfers under the No More Lines law were not sports related. According to the West Virginia Watch, most of the students who transferred last school year were in elementary school. And the primary reason these families transferred their student was either they were looking for the right education for their child’s unique needs ...

Don’t Expect a Debate in W.Va. Senate Race

I’m writing this on Friday, but by the time you read this I will be on vacation at Disney World with my wife, mother-in-law, my best friend, his wife and their three young daughters. This will be my friend’s family’s first time at Disney, so I’m looking forward to being part of those memories. Let’s get to the column then. --- Don’t expect a debate between Republican Gov. Jim Justice and Democratic former Wheeling mayor Glenn Elliott for their U.S. Senate race. My friend and colleague Brad McElhinny with WV MetroNews posed the question about the possibility of a debate ...

Why Can’t We Disagree Without Being Disagreeable?

It is sad to hear of a second attempt on one of the presidential candidates’ lives. It’s a club that no one wants to be a member of; the club where someone tries to take your life. It is reported that only two American presidents are members of the two assassination attempts club: President Gerald R. Ford, while he was the sitting president, and former President Donald Trump, while running as a candidate. The good news is they both survived both attempts. It is reported that the two men who attacked former President Trump at one time voted for or supported him. It shows the ...

Marshall Memo: Courthouse Facelift Complete, Spooky Autumn Events Scheduled

This past week one of three projects in Marshall County was completed — the Marshall County Courthouse. Yet to be completed are the Marshall County Health Department and the Moundsville City Building. As to the courthouse contract, total sum to date is $6,737,792, while the original contact amount was $6,652,460. The money for this project was budgeted from general county funds. The Marshall County Commission has been very fiscally conservative and, because of that, the commissioners were able to pay cash and not float bonds for this project. The courthouse was built in 1875 with ...

Advantages of Synthetic Turf Today: Not Your Father’s Surface

Aren’t sports meant to be played on natural turf? That’s what I thought when I first heard Mount Union College (now University) was trading in its natural grass for an artificial field in the summer of 2002. It wasn’t until after I investigated this new breed of synthetic turf that my perspective changed, and it led to my new career in the synthetic turf industry. Today, the proposed House Bill 605 would require Ohio professional sports stadiums that seat 10,000 or more and host preseason, regular season, and postseason events to be 90% natural grass. While this may sound ...