Breaking News

Editorial

Editorial Encore: Are you prepared to vote in the Primary Election?

EDITOR'S NOTE: This editorial was adapted from one that originally ran June 9, 2020. All times and dates have been updated for the current election cycle. If you’d like a copy of the Voter’s Guide or a paper with sample ballots, call Circulation at 304-292-6301 Monday-Friday from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. The Primary Election is here. Early voting ends today and the official election day is Tuesday. The primary decides who goes head-to-head in November for major races such as president, governor and both national and state House and Senate. The primary is also the final decision for local ...

A library that is truly the center of the community

When the Kanawha County Public Library in Charleston re-opens next week, it’ll feature quite a few upgrades. There are the traditional expanded study and conference spaces, but there will also be some more … unusual additions. Like an “Idea Lab” that features 3D printers, laser etching capabilities, recording booths and sewing machines. Possibly even cooler, it will also debut a “Tool Library,” where community members can check out a variety of tools the same way they would a library ...

Take care of yourself

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. And it’s pretty safe to say we’ve all been aware of our mental health the last couple years — particularly its decline. We could go on and on about all the ways you can improve your mental health, but instead we’ll just say this: Taking care of yourself is not always selfish, and there’s nothing wrong with asking for help. Help can look like talking to a therapist, or reaching out to friends or family when you need comfort, or taking some time off work. Help can look like a lot of things, to a lot of different people. But no matter ...

Re-housing Hazel’s House of Hope

As you likely already know, Hazel’s House of Hope was devastated by Sunday’s storms and strong winds. The social services hub lost a large chunk of its roof. Between that and the resulting water damage from rain pouring in, the building has been declared condemnable. The various organizations that call Hazel’s House home step up every day to serve members of our community. We’re hoping the community will step up to help them. One of the things each group needs is a place to work. March-Westin and Lytle Construction have already replaced Hazel’s House’s roof, but ...

W.Va.’s other state flower

It’s officially spring! You can tell because West Virginia’s state flower is blooming all along West Virginia’s roadways. Not the rhododendron — the orange construction cone. We love it as much as we hate it. Traffic snarls. Unexpected detours. Getting ticketed in a “work zone” because there is a single cone within 10 miles. But after all the inconvenience, we get freshly paved roads — or at least patched potholes. Since the weather is starting to get nicer (this week excluded), we’ll see road crews out and about, making repairs or repaving. Here’s your reminder ...

Teachers haven’t felt the love, but this is Teacher Appreciation Week

Yesterday was the nationally recognized Teacher Appreciation Day, but Teacher Appreciation Week goes until Friday. The not-holiday is extra special this year, given all the flack educators have faced at school board meetings and on the floors of state legislatures recently. But in all the debate about what should or should not be taught to our kids, no one takes the time to acknowledge what an essential profession teaching is, or the special people who have what it takes to do the job. Teachers aren’t just people who stand in the front of the classroom, reciting factoids. ...