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To cut or not to cut is now the question

We now have nearly two weeks until lawmakers gather for the Sept. 30 special session to pass Gov. Jim Justice’s 5% cut in personal income tax rates, and at this point I’m just not sure it can pass. That doesn’t mean it won’t pass. There is certainly time for the governor’s advisors (Chief of Staff Brian Abraham and Department of Revenue Secretary Larry Pack) and legislative leaders to come to some form of agreement on bill language to make such a cut happen. The hang up on the state Senate side appears to be how to pay for the 5% personal income tax cut, which would return ...

Marshall Memo: School Staff Changes, a Holiday Play, and ‘We Serve’

Four Marshall County school personnel were approved as Class of 2028 advisors by the board of education this past Tuesday. They were Brandice Walton, Jennifer Yates, Kylie Krieger and Derek Martin. Both Walton and Yates will be advisors at John Marshall High School, while Krieger and Martin will be class advisors at Cameron High School. Hattie DeBolt will become department head of CTE and Fine Arts at CHS. In other matters: Resignations include Brice Brennan as Leo Club advisor at Sherrard Middle School, Debra Higginson as Bus Safety Team, countywide, and Morgan Piatt, ...

Political Odds and Ends in West Virginia

With all of the headlines about Gov. Jim Justice’s many business debts coming due and the near-auction of the historic Greenbrier Resort, you’d think this would affect Justice’s popularity going into the final two months of the general election for U.S. Senate. Yet, as it turns out, no one is paying attention. And even for those paying attention, Justice’s issues are not nearly as important as electing a Republican to the U.S. Senate. According to the results of the WVMetroNews West Virginia Poll last week, only 38% of the 400 likely voters polled said they had heard a lot ...

Parents on Frontlines in Fight Against Online Threats

A new school year is underway for children in West Virginia, many of whom have their own smartphone. By age 11, about half of the kids in America have one of these powerful devices so that they may stay connected with friends and family. However, smartphones also create the opportunity for connections to be made by people who could harm them, and thus parents must be vigilant. According to the F.B.I., more than 500,000 online predators are active daily and many are engaging with youngsters via Instagram, Snapchat, and gaming platforms. Parents are the first line of defense and need to ...

John Marshall High School To Induct 8 Into Hall of Fame

Seven athletes and one coach have been selected by committee members for the John Marshall High School Hall of Fame. This is the fourth year for the HOF and with the current inductees will bring the total number to 38. Cindy Lawther, Coach Cindy retired this past June after 47 years working as a speech language pathologist with Marshall County Schools. After West Virginia began girls’ soccer in 1995 with eight schools, she campaigned hard for Marshall County Schools to add a team at John Marshall High School, which they did starting in 1996. She took over the coaching ...

Brown Right Pick for Ohioans

Editor, News-Register: In our region of the Ohio Valley, like many in Eastern and Southeastern Ohio, communities rely on manufacturers like Cleveland Cliffs and their former Weirton, WV tin mill for good paying union jobs. When the mill was idled back in April, it left hundreds of workers, both from Ohio and West Virginia, without jobs. Sherrod Brown fought to ensure that Ohio companies like Cleveland Cliffs weren’t stopped from creating new jobs because of some critically bad decisions. Thanks to Sherrod’s efforts to stand up to unnecessary bureaucracy, Cleveland Cliffs ...