Mountaineers Are Always Free

…or are they?

We all love and appreciate the natural beauty of West Virginia – especially our majestic mountains. We call ourselves the Mountain State. We sing about our West Virginia Hills and our Mountain Mama. We proclaim that Mountaineers Are Always Free. On the flip side, our mountains often present us with challenges. Sometimes getting from here to there can be difficult – especially in bad weather. We may ... Continue Reading »

Apprenticeship Training

A Debt-Free Alternative to a Four-Year College

News reports are full of stories about young people burdened with crushing student loan debt. Celebrities are in trouble for their attempts to bribe college officials to admit their offspring to high-profile schools. Colleges are cutting programs to make ends meet, and many alumni are questioning the return on their hefty college investment. Amid all this bad news, many are overlooking ... Continue Reading »

Rural Hospitals Are in Crisis!

You Can Be Part of the Solution

As of January 1, 2020, the rural hospital closure crisis has claimed 120 facilities across the nation over the past 10 years, according to a recent study released by the Chartis Center for Rural Health. Unfortunately, rural hospital closures are becoming increasingly common with 19 closures in 2019 alone. There are currently 1,844 rural hospitals in the U.S., so the closure of 120 of them over 10 years means ... Continue Reading »

Community Colleges and The Workforce Sustain Each Other

One Size Does Not Fit All

Community Colleges Offer Educational Options

The traditional four-year college experience isn’t for everyone. Some students aren’t yet set on a course of study, while others are looking for a more affordable education. Some choose career paths that require only a two-year degree, while others may choose to step right into the working world. Still others may use their ... Continue Reading »

What is Apprenticeship?

A Clear, Cost-free Path to a Great Future.

Words are funny. Most often we understand their meaning, but we might be challenged to specifically define them. We’ve all heard the word “apprenticeship,” but other than what we’ve seen about so-called apprentices on reality TV, few folks have any idea of what an actual apprenticeship entails or the benefits it provides.

Defining Apprenticeships as an ‘Earn ... Continue Reading »

Are Your Tax Dollars Being Spent Responsibly?

There is a way to be sure

Check your news feed or pick up a newspaper and you’re sure to find a story about some huge federal or state project with price tags so large that you can hardly wrap your mind around the figures. Other than generalized descriptions of these projects, we find that the media offers us very little information about them. We never really ... Continue Reading »

How to Restore West Virginia’s Roads and Infrastructure

It All Starts with You

In the United States, 65% of our cities have either delayed or canceled improvements to their roads, bridges, water and sewer systems, electrical grids and other desperately needed infrastructure. Few have the funds to provide for the preventative maintenance these systems require, yet alone plan for improvements. The problem is becoming more and more apparent. Our states, cities and small towns are struggling to ... Continue Reading »

Take Me Home, Country Roads

Restoring the Place We Belong

These lyrics made West Virginia famous around the world for its beauty and hospitality, but especially for our amazing country roads. And for decades, our beloved state really did have wonderful and well-maintained roads and highways that afforded citizens and visitors alike the opportunity to experience our beautiful state. But now, in 2020, our roads and bridges are deteriorating. Our state is having a ... Continue Reading »

A West Virginia Wish List

What Would You Wish For?

We’ve all shopped online, so we are all familiar with what many web sites call a Wish List. It’s where we save the items we plan to purchase at a later date. We’d love to have that fancy barbecue grill or cutting-edge appliance but we can’t afford it right now. So, we save it to our wish list. Each ... Continue Reading »

Ending the Exodus

Restore West Virginia Families

We all know the story of Exodus from the Bible. And we are all familiar with people who’ve had to make their own exodus from their homes because the living conditions became dangerous after storms or earthquakes, or political uncertainty. Currently our state is experiencing its own exodus, and sadly, it is of our own making. We have nurtured and ... Continue Reading »