Why Would a Woman Hike the Entire Appalachian Trail at 50? Why Not? Mike Chalmers April 6, 2020 Features, Health & Wellness In the spring of 2012, Shepherdstown resident Annie Wisecarver decided to celebrate a milestone event—her 50th birthday—by setting off on a six-month, 2,000-mile-plus hike. You might have heard of the place: th...
And That Works for Me Mike Chalmers April 1, 2020 Writing Strange times. Is there a better way to sum up the last month? At this point, there’s nothing I can write about here that many of you aren’t already thinking. Still, there’s so much to think about. To keep i...
Kunkel Endeavoring to Challenge Both Establishment and Mooney in Bid for U.S. House Seat Mike Chalmers December 9, 2019 Politics Earlier this year, Cathy Kunkel announced her candidacy for West Virginia’s second Congressional district in the U.S. House—running as a Democrat, and, if she secures the nomination, challenging Congressman Ale...
Observer Contributor Co-Develops Memorial Site for Opioid Victims Mike Chalmers December 7, 2019 Addiction & Recovery If you or someone you love has lost someone to the opioid crisis, then it’s worth your while to check out "All Our Hearts"—an online memorial project developed in part by Observer contributor and Jefferson Coun...
Harpers Ferry Mayor Spends First 100 Days in Motion Mike Chalmers November 9, 2019 Community, Features Harpers Ferry Mayor Wayne Bishop began his second term on July 1, and we featured him in that month’s issue. He stated then that “… as a town, we have a tremendous amount of work to do, requiring clear heads an...
A Deep-Dive Into Anger, Abuse, and Resurrection with Debut Author Timothy J. Hillegonds Mike Chalmers October 5, 2019 Addiction & Recovery, Writing A Chicago native, author Timothy J. Hillegonds stepped foot in Shepherdstown for the first time in 2012, and found himself smitten from the start. Seven years later, he readily calls Shepherdstown his second ho...
American Overdose Mike Chalmers August 17, 2019 Addiction & Recovery — Drop what you’re doing and read this book. Back in December (2018), Observer contributor Gonzalo Baeza reviewed award-winning journalist Beth Macy’s book Dopesick, in what he described as a “… timely, in-d...
Behind the Scenes with CATF 2019 Mike Chalmers July 8, 2019 Community, Society Entering its 28th year, Shepherdstown’s renowned Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) runs from July 5-28 and comprises six new plays by American playwrights—spotlighting contemporary issues that both ...
Debut Writers Conference Geared Towards Authors at Every Level Mike Chalmers July 4, 2019 Education, Writing On Friday and Saturday, September 6-7, Shepherd University will host the first-of-its-kind “From Manuscript to Marketplace” writers conference, designed to deliver success strategies and insider advice for writ...
JCPS Responds to Rise in Special Education Needs with New Student Support Center Mike Chalmers June 17, 2019 Features In April, Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) announced in a press release that, due to a significant increase in both the number of students and the level of student needs served in the past decade—particul...
