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Coopers Rock overlook closure may have an end date — hopefully sooner than later

West Virginia is blessed with the beauty of nature’s bounty. From the rolling hills, to the plunging gorges, to the rushing rivers and placid lakes, the Mountain State is home to gorgeous vistas and breathtaking views. But nowhere is that beauty quite so accessible as it is at the Coopers Rock scenic overlook.  Unfortunately, the bridge leading to the overlook was unexpectedly closed almost two weeks ago for “structural repairs.” At the time of the bridge’s closure, West Virginia State Parks said it would be closed “until further notice.”   “Further ...

DOH, WVU should help pay for flood study

It’s hard to forget the images of cars stranded on a flooded Patteson Drive as people sat on vehicle roofs, rain pouring down and brackish water racing past.   The historic summer 2021 storms caused the stormwater systems connected to Popenoe Run and Burroughs Run to be overwhelmed, leading to unsafe conditions and extensive property damage.  (Popenoe Run goes from east of Shorty Anderson’s Auto Repair, all the way through Evansdale and Star City to the Monongahela River, while Burroughs Run flows primarily through underground culverts.)   Impacted residents ...

Editorial Encore: You can actually file your taxes for free. Here’s how

EDITOR'S NOTE: Today’s editorial has been adapted from the perennial “free tax filing” editorial we run each year. The information has been updated. And just like that, it’s tax season again. Commercials are airing for various tax services — talking about write-offs and deductions and credits and other gibberish — and the sign-spinners dressed like the Statue of Liberty are wiggling for warmth on the sidewalk outside Suburban Plaza. And many tax preparation companies are promising that you can file your taxes for free.    If you scoffed that there is no such ...

Legislature hobbled PFAS Protection Act

In September 2022, we editorialized on the U.S. Geological Survey report on the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in West Virginia’s water, which found 37 of 279 water intake sites across the state had levels higher than the EPA’s drinking water health advisory.   Back then, we told you how “PFAS” is an umbrella term that encapsulates many related chemicals that are used in a variety of industries and products, from pots and pans (think “non-stick”) to clothes to carpets and rugs to food wrappers and even fire extinguisher foam. It’s believed ...

W.Va. sacrifices real election integrity in favor of illusion

Earlier this month, West Virginia joined several other deep-red states, including Florida and Missouri, in capitulating to the election fraud conspiracy crowd when the state opted to leave the Electronic Registration Information Center partnership. Louisiana and Alabama dropped out of the program earlier this year.  For states, and state election officials like Mac Warner, who claim to care about election integrity, this is a huge mistake.  Founded in 2012 with three Democratic and four Republican states, ERIC, as it’s known, is a bipartisan nonprofit that helps states ...

Are ‘bad apples’ too hard to get rid of?

The Department of Homeland Security, at Gov. Jim Justice’s request, launched multiple investigations into incidents involving state police after two anonymous letters were sent several months ago to the Justice administration and several lawmakers. The allegations go back years, ranging from financial fraud and misuse of funds, to stealing an unattended envelope full of money from a casino, to videotaping female officers in a state police locker room.  As investigations continue, Justice has promised transparency. That is a promise that he, his administration and the state ...