Consultants' study recommends reductions in ambulance service, accuracy of data questioned. County Commission eager to proceed, citizens raise multiple concerns. Read the Full Story >>
Government
Ambulance Response Times Explained
The report from Fitch & Associates recommends the adoption of standards from CFAI (Commission on Fire Accreditation International). Following the “rural” standards, the report indicates that the "goal time" for EMS unit response (turnout + travel) would be 15 minutes (the "benchmark"). The same standard also indicates an acceptable time of 19 minutes, 42 seconds. Read the Full Story >>
School Board — How It Works, Why It Matters
Voters will elect 3 candidates to the Jefferson County Board of Education this year. Read more about how the School Board works. Read the Full Story >>
Meet the 2022 Candidates — Board of Education, Jefferson County
Voters will elect 3 candidates to the Jefferson County Board of Education this year. Read what the candidates are saying. Read the Full Story >>
County Commission & School Board Need Candidates
While the congressional and state elections next November will likely attract a lot of attention, there will be plenty of county and municipal offices on the ballot next year too — these are the local officials who can really affect what happens close to home in Jefferson County. Read the Full Story >>
New Districts for 2022 Elections
Population shifts and politics are redrawing districts lines across West Virginia. Those changes will likely be noticed in several ways next November as West Virginians vote for the politicians to represent them in the US House of Representatives, WV Senate, and WV House of Delegates. Read the Full Story >>
Jelani Cobb & The Kerner Report — Oct 27
Speaking about the killing of George Floyd in May of 2020, Jelani Cobb writes, “the flames of a single incident seemed to combust, and all at once, over the country.” Cobb’s recently published book, The Essential Kerner Commission Report, “distills the full Kerner Report to its most significant and enduring parts.” The current book is a much slimmer volume, but no less timely or relevant. Read the Full Story >>
Constitution Day at the Shepherd University Byrd Center — Sep 16
The 17th annual Tom E. Moses Memorial Lecture on the United States Constitution will be held on Thursday, September 16 at 7:30 pm. The 2021 lecture will be presented by Dr. Ray Smock, former Historian of the US House of Representatives and currently the interim director of the Byrd Center. Read the Full Story >>
Census Numbers Drive Redistricting
According to the 2020 Census results, West Virginia is a lot less crowded than it was a decade ago. With an overall drop of over 59,000 residents since 2010 (a 3.3% decrease), the state’s population decline stands out even from the other two states to lose population over the past decade, Mississippi (down 0.2%) and Illinois (down 0.1%). However, the story is a bit different in the Eastern Panhandle. Read the Full Story >>
Jefferson County Schools Plans Two New Facilities
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 >>
Ranson Local Elections – June 1
In the upcoming June 1 election, Ranson residents will vote for Mayor and 2 City Council seats. The last day to register to vote in the election is May 11. Voters have multiple options for casting their vote - absentee, early in person, and in person on election day. Concern for COVID-19 exposure is a valid medical reason for requesting an absentee ballot. Read the Full Story >>
Charles Town Local Elections – May 27
In the upcoming May 27 election, Charles Town residents will vote for Mayor and 5 City Council seats. The last day to register to vote in the election is May 6. Voters have multiple options for casting their vote - absentee, early in person, and in person on election day. Concern for COVID-19 exposure is a valid medical reason for requesting an absentee ballot. Read the Full Story >>
How To Vote in Jefferson County
The West Virginia Secretary of State maintains the GoVoteWV.com website portal to assist with voting questions, registration, and absentee ballot requests. Here are some quick tips and links to help navigate key dates and actions so you can make sure your vote gets counted. Read the Full Story >>
Absentee Voting Has Begun
The last day to register to vote in West Virginia for the November election is October 13. If you are registered, you may request an absentee ballot anytime until October 28. Rules for absentee voting have been updated to allow any voter to claim Covid-19 as a health reason for requesting an absentee ballot Read the Full Story >>
Bearing Witness to the Trump Presidency
I do not hate Trump. I am appalled by him. There is a difference. I see Trump as a massive and dangerous symptom of a political disease that has been festering and growing in this country for most of my adult life. Ideological extreme partisanship, now fueled by social media, is as bad for our political well-being as the forest fires in Australia were bad for the entire ecology. Read the Full Story >>