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Guest column/Grant a good investment in Hancock County

I’ve been fielding some questions lately about why the state of West Virginia awarded the College of Joseph the Worker an economic enhancement grant. Some people think it is odd that we gave money to a college based in Steubenville to expand its operations into our state. I thought I’d take a moment to clarify the reasoning behind the grant. The College of Joseph the Worker is a very innovative institution. It is a college that offers a robust education in the Western intellectual tradition, with students earning a bachelor’s degree that focuses on the meaning of work, the duty ...

Guest column/Are you as safe as Washington during a winter storm?

Washington, D.C., got nearly 10 inches of snow recently. That was more than enough to shut down the nation’s capital. Thankfully, all of D.C.’s lobbyists and politicos stayed safe at home. Their local utility, Pepco — which relies on natural gas and coal for roughly half of its power generation — supplied the electricity needed to keep everyone warm. But what about the rest of the country? Are they as safe as Washington? Not necessarily. The North American Electric Reliability Corp. — which oversees the reliability and security of America’s bulk power system — ...

It’s spelling bee time

While there was a lot of anticipation, no one at the Herald-Star or in the group of local educators who helped to organize the competition was really sure how the area’s foray into the national spelling bee would eventually play out. As it turns out, there was little reason for that concern. Since plans were completed in the fall of 1984 and the first bee was held in the late winter of 1985, the bee has continued to change and grow, and has become one of the region’s top academic competitions. And that all will make this year’s Jefferson-Harrison County Regional Spelling Bee a ...

Guest column/Traditional vs. progressive culture in public schools

American Public-school education from the very beginning lived by strict traditional doctrines. I began teaching in 1969. At the time, the educators in positions of power were rethinking how to educate the students in the classroom setting. In the early 1970s, new teaching mandates were being contemplated for the K-12 classroom teachers which included innovations in handling student discipline. I refer to it as the progressive culture in our public schools. But I am getting ahead of myself. Let’s take a trip back in time to explore the attributes of classroom educators of the ...

Not everybody celebrates another new year

Well, we blinked. And another year has come and gone. So, with that, I believe I am supposed to say, Happy New Year! Of course, I, for one, am not someone who celebrates the start of another year. To me, it is just another day — not the beginning of something different. I am that person who is usually asleep before midnight, the one who even if they are awake, does not watch the ball drop on television. I can’t get excited over things like that. I’m sorry. I have never been someone who pays tribute to a new year by attending a party. I have never gone drinking with ...

History in the Hills: New Years of the past

Just a few days ago, we ushered in 2025. I didn’t do much, to be honest, on New Year’s Eve. My wife and I spent the evening at home with our son Paul and watched some coverage of the events going on in Times Square. Life with small children makes it impossible to go out to celebrate the New Year like we did years ago, but that’s OK. I am quite content to stay right at home with those I love and welcome the new year together. At New Years Eve, I always get more nostalgic than I already am, and I find myself reflecting on the previous year or years that have gone by. For this ...