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To Your Health

I usually publish my annual Memorial Day column around this time, but with all the action in Charleston last week, I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about some of that. If you’re looking at the number of bills Gov. Jim Justice introduced for last week’s special session and the number of bills that passed, it could be said the special session was a success. We won’t go through all 15 bills that passed. Frankly, it was the drama around one bill that caused the most issues and nearly caused the special session to end without returning more than $188 million to two state ...

Why Are We Paying Higher Utility Rates in W.Va.?

All sorts of things can trigger a rate increase request from a utility and approval of increased rates by the Public Service Commission of West Virginia. The primary factors driving utility rate filings are the cost of operations and the cost to provide utility service. Key elements include maintenance of the utility’s lines, such as the transmission and distribution wires used by electric utilities and the pipelines used by gas, water, and sewer utilities. The costs to produce or purchase what they sell are major components of their revenue requirements. Utilities also are required to ...

Manchin, Capito Must Seize Opportunity To Help W.Va. Kids

At a time of so much division and gridlock, lawmakers in Washington recently surprised Americans with some good news. The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to expand the Child Tax Credit and badly needed tax relief for small businesses through the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024. This bipartisan deal is worth celebrating. It could help millions of children living near the poverty line while also boosting our economy. Crucially, it does all this without adding to the budget deficit. However, the legislation is stalled in the U.S. Senate. I ...

Marshall Memo: Cameron Flags; Memorial Day; and the Roller Derby

This past Monday, Jim and Christy Rogers were awarded the Chapel of Four Chaplains Award for their dedicated service toward military veterans in Cameron. The Rogers, who live near Cameron, organized the “Field of Flags" that has increased yearly, reaching 1,366 flags this year. The award recognizes individuals who go above and beyond in their service to veterans and the community. The flags will be on display at Veteran’s Park in downtown Cameron through June 2. This is the eighth year for the Field of Flags. While the Rogers and some 50 others are responsible for placing ...

Opioid Money Must Be Used for Treatment and Prevention

We cannot punish our way out of the opioid epidemic. Punishing addiction is simply not a solution. All the arrests, fines, jail time, separation of families, childhood trauma too often results in the continued cycle of addiction. Rinse and repeat, that part of addiction can simply go round ...

Thoughts on the Primary Election

Well, we survived the primary elections last week. Some things turned out the way I thought they would. Some things were complete surprises. The Republican primary for governor of West Virginia was as tight as I thought it would be. I had thought former lawmaker Moore Capito might be able to squeak out a win, but in the end, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey came busting through like the Kool-Aid man. WV MetroNews and Rex Repass should be given some credit for getting the spread right. They said Morrisey had 32% in their poll conducted April 24 through May 1, with Capito having ...