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Editorial

Discussions about homelessness still front and center

The subject of homelessness and how best to handle it has been front and center in local discussions for well over a year now, but the conversation has taken a more urgent tone since winter. First, it was the struggle to open a warming shelter during the coldest months. Then it was the collapse of Bartlett House. And now, once again, the subject is dominating headlines and public discourse. Under new management As of the end of June, Catholic Charities of West Virginia is on track to take over the triage shelter at Hazel’s House of Hope — if it can get enough funding. And the ...

Congress must pass TAKE IT DOWN Act

A couple weeks ago, a bipartisan group of senators, including Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito, introduced Senate bill 4569: the Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks Act — or, the TAKE IT DOWN Act. This bill takes aim at explicit images of, or that resemble, real people and are posted online without the person’s consent. You may be familiar with “revenge porn” — when someone shares, usually online, sexually explicit or nude images of someone else without the subject’s permission. Those images are ...

Granville should move elections in line with primary

Granville is considering moving its municipal elections in line with primary elections, following in the footsteps of Westover and Star City. We fully support the move — after all, the results from this past primary speak for themselves. With Star City’s local elections on the ballot in May, the town saw voter turnout triple compared to its past two standalone elections (jumping from a little over 100 to over 300). The change for Westover was even more drastic: 127 voters participated in 2022; almost 800 people cast ballots for municipal offices this past May. For both ...

Dilapidated house funds: Use it or lose it

It’s common knowledge that the wheels of bureaucracy turn slowly, but when it comes to the City of Morgantown addressing dilapidated structures on Pennsylvania Avenue, the wheels have turned too slowly and now the clock is running out to use federal funding. Morgantown has allocated $600,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to purchase and demolish dilapidated structures, focusing its efforts on Pennsylvania Avenue. Despite having those federal dollars for several years, the city has only purchased one building (for under $60,000). While there are several other potential ...

On this July 4, a reflection upon U.S.’s progress

We’re feeling introspective this Independence Day. Certainly, we’re excited for the community parades and events and the fireworks displays after dark. (Hopefully our introspection is the only rain on your parade today.) After all, the Fourth of July is essentially America’s birthday, and birthdays are joyous celebrations. However, birthdays can also be a time for reflection, especially as we get older, and today’s forecasted thunderstorms have us reflecting on the United States’ tumultuous history. Our country was founded in conflict. From the conflicts that drove ...

MountainFest rides again

After a five-year hiatus, the rebranded Wild & Wonderful MountainFest returns tomorrow to the Greater Morgantown Area. Triple S Harley-Davidson at The Gateway, just off Interstate 79, has sponsored the event in years past, and this year it is also playing host to the multi-day motorcycle extravaganza. MountainFest, in its original iteration, was a Morgantown staple for 15 years until organizers had to make the difficult decision to put it on pause in 2019 due to costs. (We imagine COVID likely played a large role in delaying the rally’s comeback.) The revived festival will look ...