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Editorial

‘Middle College’ for foster kids will change their lives

Early this month, Fairmont State announced its “Middle College” would launch this fall: an endeavor specifically designed to help foster kids make the transition from high school to a two-year, and maybe later a four-year, degree program. Foster care often gets a bad rap — sometimes unfairly, sometimes deserved — but even in the best-case scenarios, going through foster care can cause a lot of upheaval in a child’s life. Living a life constantly in flux can make it difficult to concentrate on seemingly less important things — like school work. And since many foster kids ...

Editorial Encore: A reflection on LGBTQ+ people’s place in history

EDITOR'S NOTE: This editorial has been adapted from one that originally published June 2, 2023. When you’re constantly struggling, it can be hard to see how far you’ve come. Such as it is with the progress made by the LGBTQ+ community. Every push forward has been met with resistance, and some fights were harder and lasted longer than others. And it seems like every step that has been taken forward is about to be shoved two steps back. But as Pride Month comes to a close, we want to take a moment to celebrate how far the LGBTQ+ community and its allies have come since the ...

Summer safety tips

Each season brings its challenges, but while we’ve come to expect the potential dangers of winter’s sub-freezing temperatures and heavy snow, we tend to forget that summer — known for fun and relaxation — has its own hazards. With summer officially here, we want to share some reminders to help everyone enjoy the season — safely. We’ve previously discussed the dangers of hot cars, so we won’t re-tread that ground too much. But we would like to add that hot cars are not safe for anyone — regardless of age or number of legs (two or four). The sunlight coming through the ...

Happy Father’s Day

It feels like just yesterday we were talking about how Mother’s Day can be so bittersweet, and here we are, talking about Father’s Day, feeling today much like we did then. In some ways, Father’s Day is harder. Everyone knows what to do for Mother’s Day: a bouquet of flowers, maybe some jewelry, a sweet card and perhaps a special Sunday brunch. Dads are a little more complicated; as a general rule, they favor function over form and a man only needs so many neckties. And many of us run into the challenge of trying to shop for a man who already has everything he needs and ...

Not every day is a party, but today certainly is

West Virginia turns 161; Main Street Morgantown celebrates 40 years; and Pride rocks the block It’s not a birthday without a party. For West Virginia’s 161st birthday (on June 20), Morgantown is celebrating a few days early with a big party downtown, and everyone is invited. The celebration runs from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. today along High Street. Activities include live music, a West Virginia Beer Garden featuring local craft beers and ciders, a Kids’ Zone, food from local restaurants, a Vintage Market and vendors showcasing the works of local artists. And, of course, a cake ...

Homeschools need more oversight

In the wake of 14-year-old Kyneddi Miller’s death earlier this year, two of the West Virginia Senate’s top Republicans are calling for a reevaluation — and possible tightening — of the state’s homeschool regulations. Delegate Amy Summers, R-Taylor, chairwoman of the House Committee on Health and Human Resources, and outgoing Senate President Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, are pushing for change. We whole-heartedly agree — especially since that’s something   for which we have been advocating for over two years. It’s a shame, though, that it took another child dying ...