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Latest Stories

Events & Activities – November 2023

Jefferson County Commission Misses Grant Deadlines

Commissioners Attempt To Repeal Part Of County Zoning Ordinance

Jefferson County Lights Up For Halloween

Red Summer 1919 – An Instrumental Opera

Cryptid Cave Escape Room

A Crash Course In Bird Feathers

Salute To Veterans

Two Commissioners Refuse To Meet

Local Woman Plays For USA Team In Amputee Soccer Tournament

Shepherdstown Day Care Center Celebrates 50 Years

Imaginary Horribles – An Artist’s Perspective

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In Print

Education

Homeschool As An Option For Students In The Eastern Panhandle

January, 2022 Tagged With: Charter School, homeschool, In Print Jan 2022

Children participate in an educational event for homeschooled students with Potomac Valley Audubon Society.

While there are many motivations for why parents and children choose to school at home, a preference for hands-on learning and outdoor activities seems to be a common reason for choosing this option. Read the Full Story >>

Will New Charter Schools Open in West Virginia?

January, 2022 Tagged With: Charter School, charter schools, House Bill 2012, In Print Jan 2022

Logo for the West Virginia Department of Education.

Governor Jim Justice signed House Bill 2012 in May of 2021, allowing for the establishment of up to 10 charter schools in West Virginia over the next decade. But the status of these virtual charters may be up in the air because of a preliminary injunction issued in late 2021. Read the Full Story >>

The Health Of The Community

September, 2021 Tagged With: College of Nursing, healthcare, Shepherd University

Nursing students practice in the simulations labs at Shepherd University.

Be the Light” — it’s the inspirational message displayed prominently on the walls throughout Erma Ora Byrd Hall, home to the College of Nursing, Education and Health Sciences at Shepherd University. This state-of-the-art teaching facility represents the University’s commitment to training the nursing professionals who are essential to meeting the health care needs of the local and regional community. Read the Full Story >>

Shepherd University Celebrates 150 Years

August, 2021 Tagged With: Mary J.C. Hendrix, McMurran Hall, Shepherd University

the lawn in front of MuMurran Hall in Shepherdstown.

This year marks the 150th anniversary for Shepherd University. As the University resumes classes for the 2021-22 academic year, Dr Hendrix, the current university president, noted the anniversary milestone and remarked on the recent challenges: “At Shepherd University, we remain optimistically committed to training the next generation of leaders and model citizens by listening to the needs of our community, looking at ways to adapt to our changing landscape, and learning from the faculty, students, and staff employees who came before us. Read the Full Story >>

Jefferson County Schools Plans Two New Facilities

July, 2021 Tagged With: Jefferson County Schools, Ranson Elementary School, School Building Authority of West Virginia, Shepherdstown Elementary School, Shepherdstown Middle School, West Virginia Board of Education

A bus pulls in to the bus circle at Shepherdstown Middle School.

Jefferson County Schools (JCS) manages 16 schools — 2 high schools, 4 middle schools, and 10 elementary facilities — and during the 2020-21 school year enrolled 8,478 students. Jefferson County is one of only three counties in West Virginia that expects growth in student population over the next four years. Read the Full Story >>

Shepherdstown University Art Students Exhibit

April, 2021 Tagged With: art gallery, evolve gallery, Shepherd University, Shepherd University events

Shepherdstown University art students exhibit in downtown gallery. Read the Full Story >>

Coming Together to Talk Politics

January, 2021 Tagged With: Shepherd University, Stubblefield Institute

After the past year of 24/7 political and pandemic coverage, it might seem odd to hear David Welch say “we need to talk more about politics, not less.” The director of the Stubblefield Institute for Civil Political Communications at Shepherd University is quick to point out that he means being able to have constructive conversations.  Read the Full Story >>

Civics and Civility for Students

January, 2021 Tagged With: Shepherd University, Stubblefield Institute

Beyond its conversation events and programming, the Stubblefield Institute’s mission extends to being a catalyst for introducing the topic of civil political communication across the Shepherd University campus.  Read the Full Story >>

Navigating A Difficult Road

October, 2020 Tagged With: Bondy Shay Gibson, COVID-19, Jefferson County Schools, online, online learning

looking down the school bus line at Shepherdstown Middle School

The Observer asked Stephen Willingham to explore how the local public school system is managing through the current public health crisis. The author interviewed the Superintendent and also spoke with teachers about their experiences in the classroom and online. Read the Full Story >>

Online, Distant, Together, Ready

August, 2020 Tagged With: COVID-19, online, Shepherd University

A banner for the "Ram Ready" back to school effort posted outside McMurran Hall at Shepherd University

Shepherd University is moving forward with virtual and in-person instruction starting August 24, with an accelerated semester that reclaims Labor Day and Fall Break as instructional days and ends just before Thanksgiving. Read the Full Story >>

I Think I May Be the Luckiest Man Alive

February, 2020 Tagged With: Shepherd University

Dow Benedict sitting casually on sandstone steps outside at Shepherd University.

Dow Benedict, former faculty member and Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities at Shepherd University, looks back on 48 years of service as a mentor, artist, and leader. Read the Full Story >>

Are the Higher Education Policy Commission’s Days Numbered?

November, 2019 Tagged With: Higher Education Policy Commission, WVU

Delegate John Doyle

There have been four different systems of higher education in West Virginia since the 1960s. We seem to want to completely overhaul the structure every 20 years or so. Read the Full Story >>

JCPS Responds to Rise in Special Education Needs with New Student Support Center

June, 2019 Tagged With: Bondy Shay Gibson, Jefferson County Public Schools, rockwool

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—particularly, the intensive needs of students requiring special education services—they were moving forward with the development of a regional student support center to meet those needs in a way that creates a more positive and productive experience for students, families, and staff. Read the Full Story >>

Barrat Leads Way in AI Research

March, 2019 Tagged With: Jefferson County Schools, science

Robbie Barrat’s revolutionary research relating to artificial intelligence (AI) has earned him numerous plaudits, an art exhibition in France, as well as a place in a new documentary about high school science fairs. Read the Full Story >>

We Went Back to School and Asked: What’s for Lunch?

February, 2019 Tagged With: Jefferson County Schools, nutrition

Ask random adults what school lunches were like when they were kids, and the answers can range from great to awful, depending on when and where they went to school. Schools are required to provide healthy lunches, but children must want to eat them. The Observer decided to see and taste-test some of today’s lunches in Jefferson County schools.  Read the Full Story >>

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