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Time To Recharge West Virginia’s Workforce

Editorials

Governments have only a limited number of ways to support private businesses — large or small. Whether we like it or not, spending taxpayer money is one of them. The question becomes whether the return is larger than the investment — whether that money is being spent prudently. So, one can understand one of the objections to state House Bill 4004, to create the Recharge West Virginia program, from a few who wondered whether it was a good use of taxpayer dollars to support private businesses by incentivizing them to upskill existing employees. (It is harder to understand those who ...

Decisions Must Now Be Made on Bridge, Island

Editorials

With it now official that the Wheeling Suspension Bridge will no longer support vehicle traffic, the years-long wait for that aspect of the bridge’s future is over. A new conversation about the future ­ —not just with the bridge, but with Wheeling Island as well — must begin immediately. We all had to wait through studies and discussions with state departments about what can cross that bridge, be it vehicles or pedestrians. Now we know the answer: feet and not wheels. So what now? How does the Suspension Bridge fit into the future of Wheeling? And how do we help the residents ...

A 10% Tax Cut That Puts West Virginians First

Local Columns

West Virginia is proving something powerful right now: when you focus on the basics, tighten the budget, and let the free market work, good things happen. That progress puts us in a position to do what the government too often forgets to do: return money to the people who earned it. That’s why I am calling on the State Legislature to pass a 10 percent across-the-board income tax cut. Over the past year, my administration has made difficult but necessary choices. We tightened spending, restructured government, reduced costs, and focused relentlessly on fixing our state budget. Those ...

WVDOH Whiffed on Wheeling Suspension Bridge Update

Editorials

The historic Wheeling Suspension Bridge has carried far more than vehicles across the Ohio River for 176 years. It has carried the city and even the state’s identity, our civic pride and even our nation’s history — all of which deserved more respect than they were shown this week. The West Virginia Department of Transportation announced Wednesday through an end-of-day email that, after more than six years of being closed for repairs and renovations, the bridge would be permanently closed to all vehicular traffic. That notice came after state officials held a closed-door ...

Child Care Is Vitally Important To Economic Development

Local Columns

Childcare sits at the crossroads of economic growth, community stability, early childhood education, and family well‑being. Reliable and available daycare is not a convenience for many working parents. And affordable daycare in all 55 counties has become a major issue that affects economic and community development throughout the state. When families cannot access affordable, quality childcare, businesses lose workers, communities lose productivity, and children lose crucial early‑development opportunities. West Virginia, like much of the nation, faces profound childcare ...

Dental Health Is Crucial for West Virginia

Editorials

Mountain State residents grew up knowing there were certain jokes that would be made at their expense once a person from another state found out they were West Virginians. Some variation on the “but you’re wearing shoes!” or “but you look like you have all your teeth!” was not uncommon. And we laughed it off. But the reality is West Virginia HAS struggled for generations — and still does struggle — with making dental health a priority. That’s backed up by a recent WalletHub study, “2026’s States with the Best and Worst Dental Health,” in which West Virginia ranks ...