With gasoline prices climbing, it makes more sense than ever to take advantage of nearby recreation options. Fortunately, there is no shortage of national wilderness areas and parks within a short drive from Jefferson County. And you can stretch your dollar even farther by taking advantage of discounted or free access passes from the National Park Service. Read the Full Story >>
Economy & Environment
Stunning Colors at the Feeder
A half-dozen goldfinches, pure yellow against the fresh grass of May, sought scattered dandelion seeds. Brilliant as they are, they can’t compare to the painted bunting that showed up at Tom O’Connor’s Clarke County, Virginia bird feeder a few days ago. Read the Full Story >>
Air Quality Forum – June 2
The Rockwool Ranson facility is required to file an application for its air permit with the WV Department of Environmental Protection in June. The non-profit Jefferson County Foundation will summarize the permitting process as it applies to the Rockwool facility, followed by a discussion about how residents can engage in this review process. Read the Full Story >>
Reeling In Big Fish & Big Tales
The largest member of the pike family, Esox masquiniongy got the name muskellunge from an Ojibway expression meaning “big fish.” True to its name, a musky grows bigger than any other fish in its habitat. Read the Full Story >>
Drama at the Nest
They were all set to start a family. The nursery was almost ready. Then one day everything changed when a young stranger appeared. Is this the trailer for a new soap opera? No, it’s part of the drama that’s unfolded over the past month keeping viewers tuned in to the live camera feed at the Shepherdstown eagle nest. Read the Full Story >>
The Bradford Pear Outgrows Its Welcome
It sounded like springtime in December. Three dozen robins were singing and scolding on Christmas morning. They had gathered to feed on the fruits of a Bradford pear, an ornamental tree that was the darling of landscapers thirty years ago but is now black-listed by many gardeners and nature lovers. Read the Full Story >>
Barred Owls Hoot a Duet
As a new year starts, I love to step outside at dusk and see the twigs of the bare trees etched against the greenish afterglow of sunset. I was about to call the dogs back into the house when I heard two barred owls hooting. We don’t hear barred owls too often. Hearing them makes me smile. Read the Full Story >>
Local Resident Joins Biden Administration
Rod Snyder, of Shenandoah Junction, was recently appointed Senior Advisor for Agriculture to the Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Observer spoke with Snyder about his new role and what inspired his career in public policy. The questions and responses in this article have been edited for length and clarity. Read the Full Story >>
The Singing Foxes
I’ve come to recognize some cries foxes make as their love songs. Winter is their mating season and, like birds in the spring, foxes communicate by vocalizing. Late November and early December is when you’re most likely to hear foxes sing. Read the Full Story >>
Woolly Bears and Giant Leopards
What do the giant woolly bear and the great leopard moth have in common? Quite a lot, it turns out. Read the Full Story >>
Aluminum in the Water Prompts Questions
Elks Run and its tributary, Elk Branch, are the primary source of drinking water for Harpers Ferry and Bolivar. Tests of an Elk Branch spring show a 20-fold increase in aluminum in September compared to prior months, according to reports shared with government officials in Harpers Ferry, Bolivar, and the Jefferson County Health Department. Aluminum’s health effects have been widely studied and associated with neurological disorders. Read the Full Story >>
Waters of Jefferson County
What is karst? Who is responsible for protecting surface waters and groundwater in WV? How can community members ensure the safety of their drinking water resources. This SIGHTLINE covers topics surrounding water in Jefferson County. Read the Full Story >>
The Prairie Grass Season
Years ago the highway department scraped and graded a steep bank along the road past our property. In order to prevent erosion and to enhance the area as wildlife habitat, we seeded the bare clay soil with a mixture of native perennial plants and warm season grasses. Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) are both useful and dramatically beautiful native grasses. Read the Full Story >>
Court Ruling Undoes Zoning Amendment For Industrial Solar
On August 16, Judge Debra McLaughlin, in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, issued a ruling that invalidated the text amendment ZTA1903 to the Jefferson County zoning ordinance. The now-invalidated amendment was written to allow development of utility-scale solar power facilities as a principal permitted use in rural, residential growth and other open lands in the county. Read the Full Story >>
Tracking Solar Installations
During the discussions of the now-invalidated zoning amendment, several citizens expressed concern that the broad expansion of the amendment to include by-right development of industrial solar in rural and residential growth zones would open up most of the county as potential sites for these facilities. Read the Full Story >>