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Latest Stories

COVID-19 Relief Grants

March 5, 2021

Unlocking Options for Renters & Landlords in the Pandemic

March 5, 2021

March 21 — Virtual Walk In The Woods Fundraiser with PVAS

February 26, 2021

2021 American Conservation Film Festival

February 26, 2021

Exhibit at Berkeley Art Works Celebrates Historic African-American Cemetery

February 26, 2021

Book Review: Pop

February 26, 2021

March 5 — Virtual Concert: A Celtic Celebration

February 26, 2021

Feeling The Heartbeat Of Spring Emerging

February 26, 2021

March 9 — Speak Stories Presents Chetter Galloway

February 26, 2021

Take An Online Art Class This March At Berkeley Art Works

February 26, 2021

Connecting Solar In Jefferson County

February 24, 2021

A Look At Rural Zoning In Jefferson County

February 24, 2021

Read all stories

In Print

Mike Chalmers

Mike Chalmers

Mike Chalmers is a consulting editor and former editor-in-chief (2016-2020) for The Observer. Mike graduated from Shepherd University with a degree in Communication and Media Studies and currently lives in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

Organizing Allies in WV

December 1, 2020 Tagged With: healthcare, HIV, opioid epidemic, Shepherdstown Community Education Group

With the COVID-19 pandemic dominating the news, it’s easy for other public health issues to drop out of sight. Shepherdstown-based Community Education Group (CEG) is pointedly focused on West Virginia’s ongoing substance-use disorder epidemic. Read the Full Story >>

Why Would a Woman Hike the Entire Appalachian Trail at 50? Why Not?

April 6, 2020 Tagged With: Appalachian Trail, hiking

Annie Wisecarver sits atop the sign marking the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail with a clear blue sky behind her.

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: the Appalachian Trail. Read the Full Story >>

And That Works for Me

April 1, 2020 Tagged With: WV Observer

WV Observer

The July 2020 issue marks a change in ownership of The Observer from Mike Chalmers to Steve Pearson as Editor in Chief & Harriet Pearson as Publisher.  Read the Full Story >>

Kunkel Endeavoring to Challenge Both Establishment and Mooney in Bid for U.S. House Seat 

December 9, 2019 Tagged With: Cathy Kunkel, climate change, coal, congress, drinking water, elections

Cathy Kunkel

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 Alex Mooney (R-West Virginia) in November 2020. Read the Full Story >>

Observer Contributor Co-Develops Memorial Site for Opioid Victims

December 7, 2019 Tagged With: All Our Hearts, opioid epidemic

All Our Hearts

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 County native Lena Camilletti. Read the Full Story >>

Harpers Ferry Mayor Spends First 100 Days in Motion

November 9, 2019 Tagged With: Harpers Ferry, Hilltop House, Wayne Bishop

Wayne Bishop

With his first 100 days now productively behind him, we circled back with Bishop to see where his initial vision has landed, and what the future holds for Harpers Ferry. Read the Full Story >>

A Deep-Dive Into Anger, Abuse, and Resurrection with Debut Author Timothy J. Hillegonds

October 5, 2019 Tagged With: opioid epidemic, substance use disorder, Tim Hillegonds

Tim Hillegonds

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 home, and by getting to know West Virginia’s oldest town as intimately as he has, he’s also become familiar with the Mountain State’s unfortunate connection to the nationwide opioid epidemic. Read the Full Story >>

American Overdose

August 17, 2019 Tagged With: Beth Macy, book review, Dopesick, nonfiction, opioid epidemic

The opioid epidemic has been described as “one of the greatest mistakes of modern medicine.” But calling it a mistake is a generous rewriting of the history of greed, corruption, and indifference that pushed the U.S. into consuming more than 80 percent of the world’s opioid painkillers. Read the Full Story >>

Behind the Scenes with CATF 2019

July 8, 2019 Tagged With: Contemporary American Theater Festival, Ed Herendeen, theater

Contemporary Ameican Theater Festival

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 challenge and entertain audiences. Read the Full Story >>

Debut Writers Conference Geared Towards Authors at Every Level 

July 4, 2019 Tagged With: Alan Gibson, Manuscript to Marketplace, writing

Manuscript to Marketplace

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 writers at absolutely any stage. Read the Full Story >>

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

June 17, 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 >>

Drug Take Back Day Gets an Upgrade in Shepherdstown

April 7, 2019 Tagged With: Drug Take Back Day, substance use disorder, Trinity Episcopal Church

Across the U.S. every year, National Prescription Drug Take Back Day lands in cities and towns with the goal of providing a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications. Read the Full Story >>

Shepherdstown Debates the Emergence of Transient Lodging

January 8, 2019 Tagged With: Airbnb, Shepherdstown, tourism, Transient Lodging Taskforce, zoning

Arguably the oldest town in West Virginia, Shepherdstown remains surprisingly on trend within an assortment of social, political, and even municipal categories. Which is why it should come as no surprise to learn that the town began exploring the emergence of transient lodging back in 2017. Read the Full Story >>

Shepherd University Athletic Club Takes First Step Towards Prolific Future

September 6, 2018 Tagged With: fitness, Shepherd University Athletic Club, Sports

Shepherd University Athletics will officially announce the kickoff of the Shepherd University Athletic Club (SUAC) with a FREE launch party on Friday, September 14, at 6pm, at the Smallwood and Small Pavilion within Ram Stadium on Shepherd campus. Read the Full Story >>

He Said. She Said. They Said. We Said.

September 4, 2018 Tagged With: air pollution, Jefferson County Development Authority, rockwool, West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, zoning

When all the posting, researching, explaining, presenting, disputing, articulating, organizing, mobilizing, etc., is stripped away, it looks like this: one group of people—Rockwool Group North America, the JCDA, and the City of Ranson—wants to bring what has been determined to be an economic opportunity to Jefferson County; another group—mostly Jefferson County citizens and larger groups therein—doesn’t want it here. They each have a story to tell; they each have been attempting to tell that story vigorously for the last month or more. Read the Full Story >>

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