West Virginia Amendment 1, stating that “this Constitution does not protect the right to abortion,” is what I would call “backwards family planning.” We all agree that our goal is to bring children into the world who are wanted and able to thrive. We also agree that government is not just there to protect property, it’s there Read the Full Story >>
Government
The Case for Cannabis in WV
The West Virginia Legislature passed a bill two years ago legalizing the consumption of marijuana for medicinal purposes. But no “weed” may yet be taken as medicine, because the administration of Governor Jim Justice has not been able to get the program under way. Read the Full Story >>
Local Historian Publishes Reaction to Trump with Book of Essays
Dr. Raymond W. Smock is an American historian, currently serving as director of the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education at Shepherd University. The Observer interviewed him recently to discuss his career, the cottage industry of “Trump books” that has emerged in the last several years, and where his new book, Trump Tsunami: A Historian’s Diary of the Trump Campaign and His First Year in Office, lands in the context of this new literature. Read the Full Story >>
Chair of Emergency Services Board Resigns over Commission Action
Chris Conroy, the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Jefferson County Emergency Services Agency (JCESA), has resigned — citing the decision to lower the fee as an “act of malfeasance” on the part of the Commission. Read the Full Story >>
What’s the Dill with the Pickle Bill?
It was a bill that would expand access to healthy, locally grown food. Co-sponsored by Senator Patricia Rucker (R-Jefferson), it was legislation that would help farmers preserve and add value to their produce. Senate Bill 27 passed the WV Senate unanimously and the House of Delegates 95-3, yet alcohol and politics killed the "Pickle Bill" in the final hours of the 60th day of the Regular Session. Read the Full Story >>
Ambulance Fee Reduction Leaves Questions Unanswered
The Jefferson County Commission is discussing a reduction in the ambulance fee. Read the Full Story >>
A Push to Revitalize West Virginia’s Downtowns
A robust movement advocating for greater state tax credits for the rehabilitation of historic properties is spreading throughout West Virginia—and is picking up steam in the state’s legislature. Read the Full Story >>
Brunch Means Business for Jefferson County
On November 8, Jefferson County voters, in addition to voting for their president, governor, and state and elected representatives, will be asked another question: “Shall the beginning hour at which non-intoxicating beer, wine, and alcoholic liquor be sold or dispensed for on premises consumption only in Jefferson County on Sundays be changed from one o’clock p.m. to ten o’clock a.m.” Simply put, can our bars, taverns, and restaurants start serving alcoholic drinks at 10am on Sundays? Read the Full Story >>
The Elk River Spill Two Years Later
The buzzword about Congress these days is gridlock: the left and right are too far apart to get anything done, and compromise (at least among some) is now a dirty word. Yet in December, the U.S. Senate passed a major overhaul of one of America’s most outdated environmental and public health laws, the Toxic Substances Control Act. This follows House passage of a separate reform bill in June. No one can claim that the chemical spill in Charleston’s Elk River two years ago last month triggered reform. But surely, a public health disaster of such magnitude couldn’t go unnoticed, even in the tone-deaf halls of Congress. Read the Full Story >>