Uriah Cummings, State Financial Officer of the WV Board of Education, and Jeff Davis of Educational Consultants, stood before the Hancock County Board of Education and a large public crowd to find out what had caused the financial crisis in the County school system that resulted in the State taking over. The answer was clear.  …

Like most kids, I hated trips to the clothing store. Two hours deprived of whiffle ball, clubhouses, and Rock’em Sock’em Robots (the blue guy had a glass jaw, one jab and his melon popped up) was bad enough, but the commandeered time instead spent stuffing myself into ridiculous wool “slacks,” striped pullovers seemingly designed to…

.The response to candidates filing during an off year election has been encouraging.  This county is making a return to a two-party system and means that voters want a choice and candidates are not happy with the decisions being made by the current officials. ……….I was blown away by the number of candidates filing for the…

I wrote in my column that decisions on how to vote are based on many things. When Senator Shelly Capito Moore didn’t have any competition, I left the box vacant. I was very happy when former WV Senate President Jeff Kessler, a Democrat, decided to challenge her. I will vote for Jeff. My experience with…

2nd NINE WEEKS’ GRADING PERIOD 5th Grade Straight A Honor Roll: Blake Allison, Laila Behanna, Brinley Chaffin, Lyla Cole, Adalynn Durbin, Londyn Crummitt, Dakotah Davis, Adalyn Dawson, Raegan Dodd, Aubrey Duke, Vance Gregory, Bowen Hardy, Liam Hatch, Charlene Hurst, Krew Karpinski, Lydiabelle Krnaich, Alisann Manypenny, Koi Martsolf, Destiny Masters, Bryce McIntosh, Macie Murray, Paetyn Perry,…

Brayley Lash will be furthering her academic and softball career at West Liberty University. Brayley is a two time All State Honorable Mention in West Virginia. She was also a member of the Sectional and Regional Championship team in 2025. She will be entering her senior year with a .321 batting average with 99 hits…

The midnight hour is fast approaching for candidates to file for the 2026 election. At 3 p.m., Saturday, January 31. 11 people have filed for the Board of Education including incumbents and those seeking office the first time. Both House of Delegates and the Senate have competition and the County Commission has competition in both…

Do to the extreme low temperatures and drifting snow, we have decided to cancel the benefit turkey shoot this Saturday, January 31st, for the young Marine who was in a terrible accident in October. Please let anyone know that was planning on attending.An alternative date of Saturday March 21st has been scheduled for this event. Chester-Newell…

CHARLESTON – The Public Service Commission of West Virginia on Wednesday granted a siting certificate for a solar energy plant in southern West Virginia. The authorization was made to Twisted Gun Solar, LLC, and Twisted Gun BESS, LLC, without the necessity of a hearing. The plant will have no rate impact on West Virginia residents. On…

In the space of a few hours, Hancock County residents went from being proud of our school system and the improved test schools students were exhibiting to shameful disbelief ten days ago. West Virginia Board of Education President Paul Hardesty took our school administration and Board of Education to task in a way I can…

HB 4574, designed to provide funds and set criteria to bail Hancock County Schools out of its fiscal emergency, made the agenda this morning (Jan. 27) in Senate Education. The bill is double referenced and if passed out of the Education Committee will then face another hurdle in Senate Finance. The bill did not make…

by Mark Patterson I have this recurrent dream- a waking nightmare, really-that I’m walking through long, foreboding corridors. Symmetrical and clearly man-made, their seeming indifference to my presence is strangely belied by the dim lights left on for me, as if somehow, I’ve been expected. Tiled floors, skylights, and chic, functional, chandeliers provide panoramic insight…

New Cumberland native Joe Swan is one of ten WVU employees recognized with an “Outstanding Mountaineer” award. 2026 marks the inaugural recognition of employees deemed to go above and beyond in their service to the University. In 2025, Swan was the recipient of the Mountaineer Impact Award. He was nominated by Wren Baker, Vice President…

If you’re thinking of throwing your hat into the political ring, it’s time to make up your mind. The deadline for filing for Federal, State and County office is only six days away. Candidates can file up until midnight, January 31st, 2026. Statewide offices including House of Delegates and State Senate must file with the…

……The snow today just keeps coming and the much anticipated January 26 meeting of the Board of Education has been cancelled with a meeting date yet-to-be-determined. The January 26th meeting was when we were promised the big reveal on what really happened with the Hancock County School District’s finances. Uriah Cummings, WV Dept. of Education…

The final approval from the National Parks Service for CEMCO Inc. and the Hancock County Commission to enter into the Kennedy Marina Concessionaire Agreement has been received. Commission President Eron Chek noted that the Commission had previously received administrative review approval, but this constitutes formal approval. Commissioners approved the following 2026 committee and board appointments…

The January meeting of the Alpha Tau chapter (WV) of Alpha Delta Kappa International Honorary Organization for Women Educators was held at the Swaney Memorial Library in New Cumberland. The meeting was called to order by President Fran Jones. Chaplain Kathy Griffith gave a reading from Walking In Grace as the Thought for the Day.…

HB 4575 and HB 4574, which provides assistance to County School Districts who are in financial distress, encountered a slower pace when they crossed the rotunda to the Senate. While Majority Leader and 1st District Delegate Pat McGeehan was successful in getting the Constitutional rule requiring a bill be read on 3 separate days suspended…