Last Saturday night, I led a friend and her family on a bat walk. She said it was the only thing she wanted for her birthday, so I met her at her house near Ranson, West Virginia around 8:30 pm. It had rained all day but started to clear up in the late afternoon. Perfect “batting” weather. Read the Full Story >>
Asking Questions, Recovering Truth
I came across When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill just after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The reviews indicated that it was a book about women’s rage, and also dragons. What’s not to love, I thought? I did indeed love it, but I was also surprised by the tender coming-of-age story about a grieving girl, and the powerful indictment of a society that tries to force its people to sweep their traumas under the carpet. Read the Full Story >>
Freedom’s Run 2022 – Your Solution to the Comfort Crisis
So many things today compete for our attention and energy. So it’s no surprise that when we get a few minutes of peace we seek comfort. But a book I brought on a summer trip to Oregon suggests we should regularly seek to get out of our comfort zones. Read the Full Story >>
Cyber Thriller Debuts at Theater Festival
It took only 20 years for the number of Internet users to grow from a few hundred million to 5 billion people. Today, cyberattacks are constant. And because the United States was an early adopter of connected technologies, we are particularly vulnerable. Read the Full Story >>
Shepherdstown Public Library Checks Into Its New Home
The Shepherdstown Public Library has occupied the iconic market house building at the center of downtown Shepherdstown for 100 years. That’s a lot of time to accumulate books — and memories. But come July 22, library director Hali Tayor and the library staff will cheer on the ribbon-cutting for a brand new library building just outside of downtown Shepherdstown. The Read the Full Story >>
Year-Round Excitement at Summit Point Motorsports Park
We’re in the recreation and entertainment business, but it’s important not to lose sight of seeing what we do through the eyes of the participants and visitors — the drivers and fans. Our goal is to be a top-notch, world-class facility with regional appeal.” Read the Full Story >>
Appalachian Chamber Music Returns In August For a Second Season
Last summer, a new music festival landed in Harpers Ferry, bringing a relevant and approachable experience of classical music. The Appalachian Chamber Music Festival is now back for its second season with a two-week schedule of performances celebrating the history, nature, and culture of Jefferson County and the surrounding region. Read the Full Story >>
Library Summer Programs Entertain & Educate
All of the local public libraries (Charles Town, Bolivar-Harpers Ferry, Shepherdstown & South Jefferson) have a variety of events, activities, classes and challenges as part of their summer programs. Read the Full Story >>
Fear & Injustice
When I picked up The Lioness, the latest from author Chris Bohjalian, I thought it would be a well-written beach-read-style page-turner. The combination of 1960s Hollywood and the hot Serengeti settings made me think this novel would be a thriller above all, more fun perhaps than Bohjalian’s past works. But while this book makes for compulsive reading, be forewarned that it does not shy away from extraordinary acts of violence, brutal mistakes, and their rippling consequences. Read the Full Story >>
Identify & Avoid Poison Hemlock & Wild Parsnip
Queen Anne’s Lace is a lovely name for a pretty wildflower. But beware the look-alikes that have become common in West Virginia, particularly Wild Parsnip, Poison Hemlock, and Cow Parsley. Read the Full Story >>
A New County Ambulance Service
At their May 19 meeting, the Commissioners voted unanimously to direct the County Administrator, John Nissel, to develop a plan to create a County Ambulance Service, which would include the County owning and operating all ambulances. Read the Full Story >>
Dutchman’s Pipe, the Old Porch Vine
When my wife and I added a new trellis to our old side porch, we knew the perfect vine to plant there. Facing northwest, the porch is shaded by the house until it gets the full afternoon sun, just the place to plant a Dutchman’s pipe, also called pipevine. Read the Full Story >>
A Thank You to our Readers
It was July 2020 — the height of the pandemic — when Steve and I published our first issue as the new owners of The WV Independent Observer. We were not quite sure what we’d be writing about in the months ahead. Turns out there is a lot happening in Jefferson County and it’s only getting busier. Read the Full Story >>
Rockwool Factory In Ranson Marks First Year of Production
One year ago this month, Rockwool North America announced the start of commercial production at its 130-acre insulation factory off Route 9 in Ranson. Where do things stand now? The Observer contacted Rockwool and reviewed publicly available information to prepare this update. Read the Full Story >>
Tourism Potential in Jefferson County
Within West Virginia, Jefferson County ranks at the top for tourism. According to a 2019 analysis prepared for Secretary Ruby by national economic consultants Dean Runyan Associates, tourism in Jefferson County supported more than 7,000 jobs, brought more than $840 million in direct spending, and generated $10.5 million in local government tax revenues. And the region is positioned to attract even more tourism in the years ahead. Read the Full Story >>