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Marshall Memo: Numerous Events at the Strand; Making History; and Strings

As usual a number of upcoming events will be taking place during May through July at the Strand Theatre in Moundsville. Starting off at 7 p.m., on May 2 will be Seniors Palette to Pen Showcase which will be free and open to the public. The Balloonatic & Safety Last silent films featuring world-renowned Theatre Organist Dennis James will take place at 2 p.m. on May 7. James is a regular performer at silent film festivals internationally. He has restored period-sourced scores from a number of films. The admission price is $10 with tickets available at the door or at ...

Do Limits Really Apply for an Inclusive Society?

In a recent interview about some of the socially divisive laws just passed by the Legislature’s Republican-led supermajority, West Virginia GOP Chairwoman Elgine McArdle was asked whether our state might now be viewed as less inclusive. She responded, “Inclusiveness is a funny term.” That made me pause a little bit. So I consulted the Merriam-Webster definition of inclusive: “Including everyone.” Seems pretty straightforward. I wondered, how is the idea of including everyone funny? Thankfully, Chairwoman McArdle went on to clarify. Embracing laws that penalize ...

Is Justice Senate Announcement Coming This Week?

Is this the week that Republican Gov. Jim Justice announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin?I had sources tell me two weeks ago that Justice had a day in mind, though the source declined to say what day that would be. Capitol Hill-based news outlet Politico pegged a possible announcement to the end of this week. A Politico report late last week put the announcment day as Thursday at The Greenbrier resort, according to an invitation the outlet obtained.I'm unsure if this is a coincidence or not, but a group with some links to the Senate ...

Biden’s Progressive Vehicle Standards Wrong

Recently, I’ve been asked by a lot of people what exactly I mean when I talk about “federal overreach.” While I can point to an untold number of examples that illustrate my point, perhaps none more perfectly does so than President Biden’s recent attempts to force Americans into buying electric vehicles (EVs) through regulations that seem to stop just short of banning gasoline-powered vehicles. By doing so, President Biden is once again showing he is out-of-touch with the average American consumer. Through this outrageous use of the federal government — and taxpayer dollars ...

Marshall Memo: Public Libraries; ‘Conversation with Council;’ and an Update

This year’s National Library Week will be observed beginning Sunday and continuing through Saturday. The Marshall County Public Libraries—Benwood-McMechen, Cameron and Moundsville — will be celebrating several special activities. The NLW theme is “There’s More to the Story.’’ The Marshall County Commissioners have signed a proclamation to announce the county’s observance of National Library Week, and to call attention to the vital role libraries play in the county. The celebration actually started early this month in Marshall County, as the Benwood-McMechen ...

West Virginia’s Cities Can’t Waste This Unique Opportunity

When one thinks of West Virginia, many things are likely to come to mind: natural beauty, John Denver, coal, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, poverty, opioids, state pride, and so on. What isn’t likely to make a top 10 list is cities, or perhaps more accurately, towns. West Virginia is the third most rural state in the country, with over half of its population residing in rural areas (just behind Vermont and Maine). West Virginia’s largest city, Charleston, is the second smallest such city in the United States. It is only larger than Vermont’s largest city, Burlington, by less ...