Over the summer, Jefferson County Schools (JCS) had 320 open positions to fill for the 2022-23 school year — approximately one quarter of the full-time employee count across the entire school system. Read the Full Story >>
Rich Goodman
Online, Distant, Together, Ready
Shepherd University is moving forward with virtual and in-person instruction starting August 24, with an accelerated semester that reclaims Labor Day and Fall Break as instructional days and ends just before Thanksgiving. Read the Full Story >>
400 Years, 8 Minutes, 46 Seconds
George Floyd was murdered on May 25. The next day protesters took to the streets in Minneapolis, and every day since then protests have roared through the streets of every state in the United States. Around the globe, people have united to echo this call for change, not only in support of the protesters in America but also to call-out and address similar issues in their own societies. After countless years of activism, a majority of the American population is finally beginning to see through the literal smoke. Read the Full Story >>
West, By God: Telling Our Story
Growing up, I had heard many negative stereotypes associated with folks from my home state, but when it was suggested that there was a real bias against West Virginians, I was unconvinced. Read the Full Story >>
Clean & Green—Local Farmers Preserve Natural Lands
As more land is being used for residential and commercial properties, some are concerned that those green spaces will become more difficult to find. In 2000, West Virginia passed the Voluntary Farmland Protection Act, allowing for the creation of county Farmland Protection Boards. Jefferson County wasted no time in establishing its own board that same year—with 21 county boards throughout the state today. Read the Full Story >>
Out of the Darkness, Into the Light
This will be the third year that Shepherdstown and its surrounding communities will come together to shed some light on an important issue. The Shepherdstown ‘Out of the Darkness’ walk has been an event rapidly growing over the last two years, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is expecting an even larger turnout this year. Read the Full Story >>
Building Together for Mutual Benefit
As Shepherdstown and Shepherd University continue to successfully expand and become increasingly intertwined, the value of cooperative partnerships cannot be overemphasized. Read the Full Story >>
Stepping In and Reaching Out
Never having been without the security of having a place to live, it's difficult to imagine what it means to be homeless. Those who have been less fortunate seem to be too easily assigned responsibility for their circumstances. Outstretching a hand or even trying to find a warm place to sleep are often met with stigma and assumptions about life decisions of the individual in need. The necessity for empathy and care seems to sometimes be the last priority within these interactions. Read the Full Story >>
W-elk-ome Home
Don’t be fooled by your friends and family in the southern part of West Virginia this holiday season if they post pictures or videos of wildlife with captions like “I believe,” or #Blitzen. We are a little south of caribou territory, but it turns out that due to some recent environmental changes, and the persistent efforts of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR), we will soon be inviting some old friends back to the state. Read the Full Story >>