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Inmates are still people

Alleged abuse at Hazelton must be investigated Most everything we’ve seen in the headlines recently related to jails has been about the (still ongoing) staffing crisis. But Hazelton federal prison in Preston County made headlines this past week for a very different — and disturbing — reason. U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito was one of three senators (two Republican and one Democrat) who wrote a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland asking for an investigation into alleged misconduct at Hazelton. “These reports,” the letter said, “combined with public ...

‘Greedflation’ theory no longer the fringe

“Greedflation” is an economic theory that emerged around 2021 as an explanation for the sky-high inflation we were experiencing. At first, even mainstream economists considered greedflation a left-wing fringe theory, bordering on conspiracy. But now, some mainstream and even conservative economists are starting to see some merit in the idea. In essence, greedflation is the idea that the various factors large corporations kept citing as justification for price increases couldn’t be the whole story. Yes, there was a pandemic. Yes, there was a tight labor market. Yes, there were ...

CSC upholds Dalton termination — for the wrong reasons

Last week, the Westover Civil Service Commission rightfully voted to uphold the termination of former Westover Police Officer Aaron Dalton. But the reasons the commissioners gave — or did not give — is concerning. As Erin Cleavenger reported, Dalton’s original dismissal by the police review board was based on three allegations of misconduct — two against civilians and one against fellow officers — but the commission did not agree all three were grounds for termination. The first allegation stemmed from an Aug. 25, 2019, incident in which Dalton and Officer Justice Carver ...

Local firefighter case will set statewide precedent

The ongoing dispute between the City of Morgantown and local firefighters over holiday pay has made its way to the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. Whatever the court decides will impact paid firefighters across the Mountain State. As Erin Cleavenger reported, International Association of Firefighters Local 313 contends Morgantown did not fully compensate firefighters for shifts worked on holidays. In a previous ruling, Monongalia County Circuit Court Judge Phillip D. Gaujot said firefighters were entitled to time off or additional pay only during the legal holiday itself, but ...

Never too early to register to vote

Yesterday was National Voter Registration Day, and even though we’re still several months out from any election, it’s as good a time as any to check your voter status or register to vote. You find just about everything you need at GoVoteWV.com. Nearly two dozen states (now including Pennsylvania) have automatic voter registration (AVR), which has been shown to increase both voter registration numbers and voter participation. Eligible residents are “opted-in” to be registered to vote when they get their driver’s license or other state ID or when they sign up for ...

Leave the 1-to-1 solar credit alone

In addition to the multiple rate hikes it’s requesting, Mon Power (and sister company Potomac Edison) are also asking for the Public Service Commission to approve adjustments to net-metering so that new customers who generate their own power receive less than the 1-to-1 credit that current customers are getting. (Since solar accounts for 99.6% of generating capacity, vs. 0.04% for wind, we will focus on solar.) In one of two filings to the PSC addressing the change, Mon Power said it wanted “to adjust the amount the customer will be credited for kWh [kilowatt hours] produced in a ...