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Kids told teachers how they had made a difference

You can, too Sometimes, we just need something to restore our faith in humanity. The recent “You Made a Difference” Awards by University Motors was exactly that. During the ceremony, 18 educators were honored, received awards and $500 checks and got to hear the letters nominating them read aloud by the students who felt they had made a difference. It was a beautiful reminder of the impact teachers have on students. And that while a single person may not be able to change the whole world, they can change someone else’s whole world. They can make a child want to learn. They ...

The Good, the Bad and the Stupid 10

Of the over 2,500 bills introduced this past legislative session, only 279 became completed legislation. And of the 140-ish bills we were following, only about 16 of them passed. Friday, we presented you with the Legislative Graveyard. Today, we’ll give you some of the bills that did pass, presented with their original “good,” “bad” or “stupid” designation. Good: SB 190 — to remove the marital exemption for sexual assault. This bill largely flew under the radar. The provisions of this bill had been amended into the House version of the “Women’s Bill of ...

The Good, the Bad and the Stupid 9

The Legislative Graveyard Welcome to the Legislative Graveyard, where bills that did not become law come to rest –— though rarely in peace. The vast majority of bills we followed this session died, for better or worse. We can’t list them all, but we’ll give you the highlights. Each bill is listed with its original “good,” “bad” or “stupid” designation.  Good: SB 740 and SB 741 — dealt with digitally manipulated images to create child pornography: SB 740 forbade altering images to make it appear a real child was engaged in sexually explicit conduct, while ...

Results are in: W.Va. among worst states for women

As we like to say in West Virginia, thank goodness for Mississippi (and Alabama). Otherwise, the Mountain State would be dead last in everything. As it stands, several recent rankings put West Virginia consistently in the worst five to 10 states for women’s physical and financial well-being. The exact order of states shifted a little from list to list, but at least we were (usually) above Mississippi and Alabama. WalletHub’s “Best and Worst States for Women,” released Feb. 26, ranks West Virginia 45th out of 51 (50 states plus D.C.); and the “Best and Worst States for ...

No cash, no plans. No wonder W.Va. microschool failed

If alternative K-12 education is the new frontier, then West Virginia is the Wild West. In early March, “The 74” broke the story of The Hive Learning Academy — a microschool in Martinsburg that opened its doors in August and had closed them by November, leaving students and families floundering. We won’t paint The Hive’s founders as financial predators or villains; it seems the two moms had their hearts in the right place, but they had neither a solid business plan nor the cash flow to get their microschool off the ground and keep it running. They had banked on ...

Auditorium at MHS looking for second act

If you thought you heard a great cry resounding through the Force last week (apologies to George Lucas), it was probably the over two-decades worth of former Morgantown High theater kids shouting, “Finally!” Because the MHS Foundation announced it will be turning its fundraising efforts to renovating the high school’s auditorium. The grand entryway at street level, with its glittering chandeliers, greeted thousands of parents, extended family, friends and community members to see what magic the spirited, dedicated students could create. The well-trod boards held sure and ...