In the spring of 2012, Shepherdstown resident Annie Wisecarver decided to celebrate a milestone event—her 50th birthday—by setting off on a six-month, 2,000-mile-plus hike. You might have heard of the place: the Appalachian Trail. Read the Full Story >>
Mike Chalmers
Mike Chalmers is a consulting editor and former editor-in-chief (2016-2020) for The Observer. Mike graduated from Shepherd University with a degree in Communication and Media Studies and currently lives in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.
A Deep-Dive Into Anger, Abuse, and Resurrection with Debut Author Timothy J. Hillegonds
A Chicago native, author Timothy J. Hillegonds stepped foot in Shepherdstown for the first time in 2012, and found himself smitten from the start. Seven years later, he readily calls Shepherdstown his second home, and by getting to know West Virginia’s oldest town as intimately as he has, he’s also become familiar with the Mountain State’s unfortunate connection to the nationwide opioid epidemic. Read the Full Story >>
Drug Take Back Day Gets an Upgrade in Shepherdstown
Across the U.S. every year, National Prescription Drug Take Back Day lands in cities and towns with the goal of providing a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications. Read the Full Story >>
Martinsburg High School’s Grant Harman Simply Won’t Be Denied
Say the name Grant Harman pretty much anywhere in the Panhandle, and those who follow sports, and many others, will not only know the name, but will likely have more than a few adulatory things to say about the Martinsburg High School senior. A tenacious, determined, highly focused three-sport athlete who’s never lost a high Read the Full Story >>
Shepherdstown Debates the Emergence of Transient Lodging
Arguably the oldest town in West Virginia, Shepherdstown remains surprisingly on trend within an assortment of social, political, and even municipal categories. Which is why it should come as no surprise to learn that the town began exploring the emergence of transient lodging back in 2017. Read the Full Story >>
Tyson Bagent’s Record-Setting First Season at Shepherd
This time last year, we put Tyson Bagent on the cover in recognition of his inspiring achievements as Martinsburg High School’s starting quarterback, which had culminated in a second straight state title and undefeated season for the Bulldogs. In early 2018, most of the Panhandle public officially learned that Bagent would be sticking around, and Read the Full Story >>
Shepherd University Athletic Club Takes First Step Towards Prolific Future
Shepherd University Athletics will officially announce the kickoff of the Shepherd University Athletic Club (SUAC) with a FREE launch party on Friday, September 14, at 6pm, at the Smallwood and Small Pavilion within Ram Stadium on Shepherd campus. Read the Full Story >>
He Said. She Said. They Said. We Said.
When all the posting, researching, explaining, presenting, disputing, articulating, organizing, mobilizing, etc., is stripped away, it looks like this: one group of people—Rockwool Group North America, the JCDA, and the City of Ranson—wants to bring what has been determined to be an economic opportunity to Jefferson County; another group—mostly Jefferson County citizens and larger groups therein—doesn’t want it here. They each have a story to tell; they each have been attempting to tell that story vigorously for the last month or more. Read the Full Story >>
A Community Conversation with Alan B. Gibson
Local author and entrepreneur, Alan B. Gibson, has a lot going on. He and his partner were recognized for years as the owner/operators of the popular Ridgefield Farm & Orchard located just outside of Shepherdstown—known for its apples, pumpkins, vegetables, Christmas trees, corn maze, and much more. But they sold it, officially, last September (2017), and since then, Gibson has been on a dream-chasing tear, particularly as an author, though he’s quickly making inroads into film, while also continuing to grow a tech startup. Read the Full Story >>
National Organization Arrives in Panhandle to Confront Opioid Epidemic
Established after the 2016 presidential election, The One America Movement’s (One America) mission is to build bridges and solve problems by bringing Americans together across racial, religious, political, and geographic divides in order to address pressing social problems like poverty, opioids, racial tension, and more. 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 >>
Berkeley County Waste-to-Fuel Plant Sets Example for the Nation
Berkeley County Solid Waste Authority (BCSWA) Chairman Clint Hogbin is very proud of his organization’s efforts to adhere to the West Virginia Legislature’s requirements that all solid waste authorities reduce landfilling. In fact, it could be argued that, with Hogbin’s influence, BCSWA is one of the most progressive authorities in the state—making great strides in recent years towards sustainability and recycling. Read the Full Story >>
Is Legalization the Answer … to the Opioid Crisis?
On Thursday, January 4th, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions effectively ended the federal policy of non-interference with marijuana-friendly state laws. Needless to say, this is controversial for a lot of reasons, mainly because it’s a step back in the nation’s ongoing battle against opioid addiction. An interesting nugget the Trump administration might want to take Read the Full Story >>
Connected to Something Bigger
— Martinsburg High School’s Tyson Bagent is even more special off the field. Two consecutive state high school football titles. Twenty-eight wins and zero losses in two years. Winner of the 2017/18 West Virginia Gatorade State Football Player of the Year, the House Award, the 2017 All-USA West Virginia High School Football State Offensive Player Read the Full Story >>
The Jefferson County Plaque Problem
On Thursday, October 26, the Jefferson County Commission confirmed a September vote that denied a request to remove a plaque from the front of the county courthouse honoring residents who fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War. Read the Full Story >>