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Solar in Jefferson County

April 11, 2021

Shepherdstown University Art Students Exhibit

April 10, 2021

A Vision for Hill Top House

April 2, 2021

2021 PVAS Race For The Birds

April 2, 2021

Speak Stories Hosts Len Cabral – April 13

April 2, 2021

Book Review: Remaking Appalachia

April 1, 2021

Keep Your Bird Feeders Clean

April 1, 2021

Rebuilding A Shopping Destination In Downtown Charles Town

April 1, 2021

Discover History At The Jefferson County Museum

April 1, 2021

Shepherdstown Library Gets a New Website

April 1, 2021

Building An Organic Farm From The Ground Up

April 1, 2021

Berkeley Arts Council Offers Classes In Watercolor Pencil

March 29, 2021

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In Print

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The Observer focuses on the stories of Jefferson County and West Virginia, looking beyond the headlines to inform the public discusssion on important topics relevant to the community, including the local economy, environment, education, politics, and public health. We also spotlight local artisans, artists, musicians, businesses & community organizations.


A map of drinking water wells and municipal water source protection areas proximal to the Rockwool factory in Jefferson County.

Taking Waters Into Their Own Hands

Concerned that West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) oversight is insufficient to protect the water underlying their property from the threat of pollutants from the planned nearby Rockwool factory, a group of local residents is hiring experts to test their water to establish a record to use in possible future legal action. Read the Full Story >>

Coming Together to Talk Politics

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

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 >>

The Eastern Panhandle Transit Authority Rides Out The Pandemic

Elaine Bartoldson, Director of the Eastern Panhandle Transit Authority (EPTA), describes EPTA’s mission as “providing service for the workforce, individuals who have no other way to get around.” She summarized her perspective on the value of EPTA, saying, “without public transportation, things will stop for the people who use it." Read the Full Story >>

Adam Booth

Talking Across Time & Space

Adam Booth credits a course he took with Rachael Meads in the Appalachian Studies department at Shepherd University for starting him on the path to becoming a professional storyteller, a passion he has pursued as a career for the past fifteen years.  Read the Full Story >>

The welcomign entrance of the newly opened restaurant, lilah.

Lilah Restaurant Opens with Warm Vibes & Dog Treats

There is an energy when you walk in the door at Lilah, even when there are no customers inside. Perhaps it’s the wood-fired oven blazing through the open window into the kitchen. Perhaps it’s Connie Heyer working to put together the dining room or Kevin Longmire and the staff hustling in the kitchen. Perhaps it’s the smiling image capturing the memory of the Heyers’ dog Lilah overlooking the bar. Whatever the source, it’s clear that you’ll be welcomed into Shepherdstown’s newest restaurant. Read the Full Story >>

Fresh, local produce inside at Bushel & Peck Grocery.

Bushel & Peck Receives Grant to Expand Operations

Whether you choose to measure by the bushel or peck, there’s no denying that a recent $125,000 grant awarded to local grocer Bushel & Peck will soon allow the organization to offer a lot more local, healthy food to the community. Read the Full Story >>

The Pandemic is Here & Now

Dr. Terrence Reidy shares thoughts and observations about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as well as his advice for reducing risk while the vaccine rollout begins. Read the Full Story >>

empty shelves at the JCCM food pantry.

Stocking the Shelves

When The Observer spoke with Greg Petersen of the Jefferson County Community Ministries (JCCM) for our July 2020 issue, the Food Pantry operated by JCCM in downtown Charles Town was in the early days of navigating the pandemic and the staff was anticipating a sharp increase in demand. We recently touched base with John Cloyd, Greg’s colleague at JCCM to see what they experienced over the summer and what they expect this winter. Read the Full Story >>

Jefferson County is Horse Country

Driving around, it’s easy to see the agricultural activity that surrounds us in Jefferson County, but it often seems at a distance. As part of a planned series of articles looking at the activities that have defined Jefferson County across several centuries, The Observer recently visited one of these operations — the Blue Spruce Farm in Kearneysville WV. Read the Full Story >>

A map of drinking water wells near the site of the Rockwool facility in Ranson.

Counting on the Well Water

After the WV Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued a notice on November 5, 2020 that it was authorizing the Rockwool stone wool insulation manufacturing facility in Ranson to operate under a general water pollution control permit, the Jefferson County Foundation noted that the source water protection area map submitted as part of the facility’s application process marked only 4 drinking water wells within the one mile buffer zone. Read the Full Story >>

Organizing Allies in WV

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 >>

Dr. Mark Cucuzzella and James Munnis stand atop a rocky outcrop during a hike.

Running the COVID Marathon

Health experts around the globe have been warning of the risk of a pandemic like COVID-19 for years — and they tell us that we can expect similar viruses to break out in the future. Dr. Mark Cucuzzella suggests that our current approach has focused on hiding from this virus and he makes the case that it’s just as important to strengthen our resistance to COVID-19 and future viruses — in other words, healthier lifestyles for healthier immune systems. Read the Full Story >>

Bryan and Cathy Gray in the rear yard of the Thomas Shepherd Inn.

Thomas Shepherd Inn Reopens

In the spring of 2020, Bryan and Cathy were pondering the implications of the unfolding pandemic, and Cathy’s employer decided her days as a salesperson on the road were at an end. A friend called to tell them that the Thomas Shepherd Inn was coming on the market. Then another friend called. And another. They arranged to visit the property on the day it was first open for showing. Standing in the back yard after walking through, they had already decided to make an offer. Read the Full Story >>

Music Performance Transposed for COVID-19

The Music School at Shepherd University makes a point to be a highly personalized experience for its students. In contrast to many programs at larger institutions, Shepherd is focused on undergraduates and emphasizes the opportunities for its students to study directly with faculty. Unfortunately, the very adjectives that one would use to describe music programs in general and Shepherd’s program specifically — intimate, group, performance, together — also describe the activities the health department advises against during the pandemic health crisis. Read the Full Story >>

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