West Virginia is unique, in both wonderful and disappointing ways. Various aspects of our culture are endearing. Some of our cities and towns have much to offer. Many of our schools and professionals are notable. Much of our natural world is captivating.
But today, on the 148th anniversary of the state’s founding, perhaps we should truly [...]

Posted in Business, Culture, Education, Government, West Virginia 1 Comment »

The Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) program at West Virginia University has expanded rapidly over the last several years. Their first official conference is June 3/4 in Morgantown.
As one of the nation’s more rural states, West Virginia has traditionally been seen as disconnected from much of the country. However, as state businesses, organizations and residents become [...]

Posted in Business, Economy, Education, West Virginia 10 Comments »

Internet connectivity is an essential tool in today’s modern economy, but West Virginia lags behind the nation when it comes to Web accessibility.
While 66 percent of U.S. households have Internet access, only 56 percent of West Virginia households are connected to the Web, according to a 2007 task force report by the state Public Service [...]

Posted in Business, Economy, Education, West Virginia 8 Comments »

The debate over coal’s environmental impact and future, between Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship and environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was most significant due to the relatively civil manner in which it occurred. Last night’s forum, hosted at The University of Charleston, was mostly devoid of the disrespect and intimidation that arose during public [...]

Posted in Culture, Economy, Education, Government, West Virginia 9 Comments »

Once again, the Mountain State has been smeared by commentary distributed via a major media conglomerate. NBC Washington columnist Chris Needham featured an account of the public records database developed by the state Division of Culture and History, a system that had previously received praise as “fantastic” in comparison to similar efforts across the country.
In [...]

Posted in Culture, Education, Media, West Virginia 10 Comments »

By Carrie Robey
“Even as the cell is the unit of the organic body, so the family is the unit of society.”
– Ruth Nanda Ansehn
In the lives of children, families are the building blocks, providing a place of encouragement, a place to build dreams and a place to grow. A positive and encouraging family helps children [...]

Posted in Education, West Virginia 1 Comment »

Organizers of the 2009 Create WV Conference are asking the public to jump start the conversations that will take place there by using Twitter, Facebook and blogs to answer this open-ended phrase: “WV, I WILL CREATE…”
Because conferences can tend to offer too many ideas and not enough results, people are being asked to not only [...]

Posted in Business, Culture, Economy, Education, West Virginia 9 Comments »