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Editorial

Congress must act before we careen off ‘child care cliff’

On Sept. 30, funding for the Child Care Stabilization Program ran out and experts warn that when the already-distributed dollars dry up, the nation will go careening off a “child care cliff.” The Century Foundation reports that more than 3 million children nationwide could lose access to child care, 70,000 child care programs are likely to close and families will lose $9 billion in earnings every year. Here in West Virginia, 23,231 children will lose access to child care, 604 centers will close, parents will lose $54 million in earnings as they cut work hours and 1,009 childcare ...

Hateful rhetoric, violence on the rise. Politicians aren’t helping

In the wake of Hamas’ attack on Israeli civilians and Israel’s counter-attack on Gaza, both antisemitism and Islamophobia are on the rise in the U.S. and abroad. Some pro-Palestine groups have unfairly laid the blame for Hamas’ attack at Israel’s feet, framing the slaughter of civilians as “anti-colonial” pushback; some individuals have gone so far as to chant antisemitic slogans at rallies, including “Gas the Jews,” or by holding up images of swastikas. On the reverse side, people who have shown support for Palestinians have been doxxed or fired from jobs. American ...

It’s no secret Jim Justice’s finances are a mess. They’ve been the subject of reporting  and court cases since before Justice became governor of West Virginia. And they’ve always come across as something between a drama and a tragedy: failing empires, shady deals and the “little guy” left hung out to dry. But lately they’ve seemed more like a farcical comedy. Take, for example, the recent court-ordered repossession of a Justice company helicopter as collateral for unpaid debts. Prologue: In May 2009, Justice sold the family’s coal assets in Bluestone Resources ...

City is right to want to expedite police hiring

The City of Morgantown has proposed some needed changes to the police hiring process. It doesn’t seem to be looking to cut corners, but rather to cut through some of the red tape. Under West Virginia Code, the city is required to have a three-member police civil service commission that sets procedures for hiring and promotion. In the current hiring process, a candidate must satisfy the commission through a number of exams and evaluations before being presented to the appointing officer (city manager) as eligible for hire. This includes a written exam, a physical agility test, an ...

Preston BOE, yes, introduce the levy

The Preston County Board of Education is exploring the worthwhileness of putting another education levy on the ballot come May. There’s an exploratory committee, and an online survey for the community just wrapped up. Our advice: Instead of a million committee meetings to decide whether or not to introduce the levy, just do it. Put the levy on the ballot. It never hurts to try. No one really likes paying more taxes, but many people understand that if everyone puts a few dollars towards education, they aren’t just investing in the local schools, they are investing in a better ...

There’s something we’d like to add to Hoppy Kercheval’s below commentary, “West Virginia’s food conundrum,” so we recommend reading that first. Now that you’ve read Hoppy’s piece, here’s what we’d like to add: A food desert isn’t necessarily a lack of food. Food deserts, according to the Food Empowerment Project, are “geographic areas where residents’ access to affordable, healthy food options (especially fresh fruits and vegetables) is restricted or nonexistent due to the absence of grocery stores within convenient traveling distance.” These are ...