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Editorial

Our immigration problems require humane solutions

Gov. Jim Justice and 24 other governors of (mostly red) states have signed a letter of support for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s so-called “self-defense” tactics to guard against migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Those tactics have included, but not been limited to, lining riverbanks with layered coils of razor wire and installing a “wall” of large rotating buoys with nets underneath. The U.S. Supreme Court recently decreed U.S. Border Patrol Agents may cut through the razor wire, since it can hinder their ability to do their jobs. Abbott has seemingly accepted the ...

PRESS Act: What it means for journalists & America

There must have been a strange and rare alignment of stars on Jan. 18, because on that day, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying (PRESS) Act with bipartisan support. The PRESS Act protects journalists from being forced to name their sources in federal court or disclose “any records, contents of a communication, documents, or information obtained or created by journalists in the course of their work” that could otherwise identify the source; and would stop the federal government from spying on journalists through their ...

Rainbow House a welcome addition

This month, Rainbow House celebrated its grand opening. As Monongalia County’s first LGBTQ+ shelter, it’s a welcome addition to our community. Historically, emergency — and even long-term — shelters have not been LGBTQ+ friendly. Sometimes because the shelter was hosted by a religious group that does not accept LGBTQ+ people or lifestyles. Sometimes because the rules governing the shelter were designed for heterosexual, gender-conforming individuals and didn’t have the flexibility to comfortably accommodate LGBTQ+ people. And sometimes because the other people in the ...

Nancy Walker leaves behind big shoes to fill

After 28 years of service on the Monongalia County Board of Education, Nancy Walker has announced her decision not to seek reelection. Walker has always been known for her engagement — even before she was on the BOE, she was on her kids’ school’s PTA and improvement council, plus she did Read Aloud. She brought that same energy (and maybe more) to her role on the county’s board of education. Walker takes with her almost three decades of institutional knowledge that will be sorely missed. She’s overseen countless changes from bonds and levies to superintendents to opening ...

The Good, the Bad and the Stupid 2

Good: HB 4428 — a candidate for election for any state, county, or local office is required to have his or her principal residence within the election district for the office for which they are seeking to be elected. The bill defines “principal residence” as “residence where the candidate is domiciled which includes both physical residency and an intent to remain in the state, district, county, or municipality.” This bill passed the House and is in the Senate. If your U.S. history classes ever made it as far as Reconstruction, you may have learned the term ...

SB 468: Anti-abortion propaganda in schools

The West Virginia Senate is advancing a bill that would force schools to show students an anti-abortion propaganda film produced by an extreme “pro-life” group that became infamous for secretly videotaping Planned Parenthood consultations and crusading to end federal funding for the provider. SB 468 would require schools to show the video “Meet Baby Olivia,” produced by the anti-abortion group Live Action, to all eighth graders and tenth graders as part of a lesson on “human development.” (An earlier version required the roughly three-minute video be shown to third, fifth ...