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Meanwhile, in Morgantown …

City takes panhandling law off the books Last week, the Morgantown City Council voted to repeal a 2005 panhandling law that is the basis for a federal lawsuit against the city brought by Mountain State Justice. City Code Section 371.10 is a true “panhandling” prohibition in a way that Monongalia County’s “safety” ordinance is not. As Ben Conley reported, the law in question states it’s illegal to ask for money or other objects of value by any means with the intention of the money or objects being transferred from an occupant of a vehicle within a public roadway at that ...

MCHD wants to know: What can it do better?

What more can the Mon County Health Department do — and what can it do better? That’s what the health department would like to know, and it’s hosting town hall meetings to find out. The first town hall was last night at Morgantown High School’s library and the second one will take place from 6-7 p.m. tonight at the Clay-Battelle High School auditorium. Members of the public are encouraged to come and ask questions, make suggestions and give feedback. MCHD already provides a wide variety of services: food handler training, health inspections, free clinics and testing, ...

Where Pulitzer fiction meets W.Va. reality

In case you somehow missed the news, Buckhannon native Jayne Anne Phillips won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel “Night Watch.” This is, of course, an incredibly proud moment for the Mountain State, and we congratulate Phillips on her success. The summary for “Night Watch” reads: “In 1874, in the wake of the War, erasure, trauma, and namelessness haunt civilians and veterans, renegades and wanderers, freedmen and runaways. Twelve-year-old ConaLee, the adult in her family for as long as she can remember, finds herself on a buckboard journey with her mother, ...

Last chance to comment on MIP bridge proposal

Amidst everything else that has been going on — regionally and nationally — discussion of the Harmony Grove interchange and the even more expensive stop-gap bridge has faded into the background. But the period for public comment on the bridge is coming to a close. As a quick refresher: The Harmony Grove interchange has been a long-sought-after renovation to connect the Morgantown Industrial Park to Interstate 79 and then to 68. In fact, it was the deciding factor in Mountaintop Beverage deciding to settle in the industrial park; the interchange would allow Mountaintop’s trucks ...

Happy Mother’s Day

Moms are special figures in our lives; they sacrifice much of themselves to bring us into this world, and they help guide us through it, often with compassion and sometimes a little tough love. Traditionally, moms are the primary caregivers — the ones who kiss the boo-boos, dry the tears, give the hugs and help us put ourselves back together after a fall (both literal and metaphorical). Mother’s Day, like many holidays, can be a little bittersweet. For those lucky enough to still have our mothers in our lives — or to be a mother who still has her child(ren) in her life — ...

WVU faculty get to keep gun-free office spaces

It seems like a strange time to be talking about campus carry, what with spring classes already finished and the law not taking effect until July. But between summer courses and year-round administrative duties, WVU never really shuts down, which means campus carry will be a concern long before the fall semester starts in August. So it’s a good thing WVU is addressing it now — and making sure faculty know what boundaries they are allowed to set. Despite numerous objections from campus communities, the West Virginia Legislature passed, and Gov. Jim Justice made law, the Campus ...