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‘Afraid’ feels too timid to really qualify as horror

Entertainment

Earlier this year, there was some controversy around the film “Late Night with the Devil” over its use of generative AI in some of the art in the movie. Teachers are struggling with students using AI to write essays. There are more convincing deep fakes, making it harder to know what is true and what is false in the news. Artificial intelligence  is moving quickly, and any time there is a shift in technology, it is a prime moment for a movie to be made about that technology. Writer and director Chris Weitz is tackling AI in the new film “Afraid.”   Curtis (John ...

FMHA hopes to partner in city's affordable housing efforts

Community

MORGANTOWN — Morgantown needs more-affordable housing options.  That seems to be a generally accepted statement.  And it’s being repeated more and more in recent months as a thread intertwined in a wider conversation about how the city can and should address homelessness.  The discussion inevitably leads to questions about what affordable housing should look like and — if new construction is part of the equation — where it could be located?  That leads to another question.  Did you know the Fairmont Morgantown Housing Authority — the agency ...

Music Under the Stars with the Wheeling Symphony set to return Sunday

Entertainment

The Wheeling Symphony Orchestra (WSO) returns to Oglebay Park for Music Under the Stars, an annual Labor Day concert, at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.  An evening of Broadway, Disney and classical music, this year’s featured guest artists include WSO Principal Trumpet John Winkler, Broadway star Siri Howard and local talent Amanda McGovern.   Music Under the Stars is free to attend.   “Music Under the Stars is one of my favorite WSO traditions, and this year is extra special because it marks the symphony’s 95th anniversary,” said WSO Music Director John Devlin. ...

Introducing Dr. Huggins: New health officer hits the ground running at MCHD

Community

Dr. Brian H. Huggins hit the ground running when he joined Monongalia County Health Department as the incoming health officer on April 1.  The health department has been undergoing a strategic plan process and  Huggins stepped up to lead two town halls only six weeks after starting his new position.  Huggins was seeing patients on days when retiring health officer Dr. Lee B. Smith, who officially stepped down June 30, was off.  He immersed himself in other health department endeavors, including working toward achieving accreditation through the Public Health ...

‘The Deliverance’ fails to deliver

Entertainment

The first horror novel I ever read was William Peter Blatty’s “The Exorcist” and the first horror movie I ever watched was “The Omen,” so possession horror holds a special place in my heart. I like the way  possession can be a stand-in for different personal, societal or religious ills. And it generally has some of the gnarliest-looking visual elements. Lee Daniels hasn’t worked in this genre before, but nevertheless, I was interested to see his take in the new Netflix film, “The Deliverance.”   Ebony (Andra Day) and her mother Alberta (Glenn Close) ...

ReTails moves to WesMon Plaza after 14 years at Morgantown Mall

Business

For 14 years, ReTails, a nonprofit thrift store benefiting the Mountaineer Spay Neuter Assistance Program (MSNAP), has operated from the Morgantown Mall in Westover.   But much like the items they sell and some of the animals they help, it was time for a new home.  The store will officially open its doors at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4 at a new location in WesMon Plaza on Commerce Drive in Westover.  The new location will be in the corner of the multi-store building to the left of the Big Lots entrance and to the right of Pizza Hut.  Store Manager and ...