First it’s the daffodils. Then it’s the forsythia. The wind still blows cold, but springtime is in the air. Doug Pifer explains that some of the haze we see around this time is quite natural — just trees doing what trees do. Local garden club leaders have been eager for spring too. For some, it’s been a four-year wait to stage their annual home and garden tour. It’s quite a show, and it raises money for beautification projects around the Eastern Panhandle. Read the Full Story >>
Editor's Notes
A collection of Editor’s notes from the monthly print issues of the WV Independent Observer.
Changes & Choices In 2023
Many changes and choices ahead for Jefferson County in 2023. Read the Full Story >>
Local Spirits Bright For The Holidays
The holiday festivities seem particularly energetic this year. Perhaps it was the unseasonably warm weather for the parades — or that our pandemic-related anxieties of the past several years have cooled. Read the Full Story >>
Remembering An Important Slice Of Life In Shepherdstown
When what we might think of as history is still present in the minds of the living, the need for an emphatic rejection of groups that seek to instigate race-based fear and political violence seems to be self-evident — so that “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” are secured as rights of our common future, not just hollow words left behind, buried by the burden of a hidden past. Read the Full Story >>
Securing Life and Liberty for All
When what we might think of as history is still present in the minds of the living, the need for an emphatic rejection of groups that seek to instigate race-based fear and political violence seems to be self-evident — so that “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” are secured as rights of our common future, not just hollow words left behind, buried by the burden of a hidden past. Read the Full Story >>
Building Character, Mending Fences
The white picket fence will look good for Middleway Days on October 8 2022, thanks to the volunteer efforts of the cadets of the Jefferson HS Air Force Junior ROTC program. Read the Full Story >>
Face to Face for Democracy
The norm we’ve come to expect, enshrined in laws, is for meetings of local government commissions, councils and committees to be open to the public with opportunities for comment. It can be tiring for the folks sitting at the official table to listen, and sometimes it gets a little heated, but as has been said about other activities, if it’s too quiet, you’re not doing it right. Read the Full Story >>
A Thank You to our Readers
It was July 2020 — the height of the pandemic — when Steve and I published our first issue as the new owners of The WV Independent Observer. We were not quite sure what we’d be writing about in the months ahead. Turns out there is a lot happening in Jefferson County and it’s only getting busier. Read the Full Story >>
Connecting the Trails
Today, it’s possible to cycle directly from Pittsburgh to Harpers Ferry or Shepherdstown on a direct path — and these communities see the economic impact of this increasingly popular recreation vacation activity. Imagine if the rest of Jefferson County could be connected to this network. Not unlike high speed internet, if we can connect to it, good things will come. Read the Full Story >>
Blowing Warmer & Cooler
spring, we’re never quite sure if we’re getting warmer or cooler with some of these conversations. Read the Full Story >>
Local Conversations About The Future
Like a family we may squabble, but we also need to work together and tackle these problems, listening to the advice of experts, but also listening to the expertise of experience right here at home. Read the Full Story >>
Looking Back, Learning Forward
A century of debates over separation and equality linger today in our conversations about public schools. Often the largest employer in many localities across the country (including Jefferson County), public school systems both help shape local economies and offer the promise of bringing people together to help build the future of a community. It’s a promise not always fulfilled and one that we ignore at our common peril. Read the Full Story >>
The Foundations of Local Community
A last look at the current Hill Top House in Harpers Ferry before construction work began in late January 2022. Swan Hill Top, the development company, says that the activity of the early stages of the project may not be very visible as workers clean up and deconstruct the interior of the building to salvage Read the Full Story >>
A Place to Call Home
After many years of absence, the Cheer Booth returned for the 2021 Christmas celebrations in Charles Town. The spirit of the crowd lining the downtown streets at this year’s parade was lifted both by unseasonably warm weather and the welcome return of a sorely missed tradition. Read the Full Story >>
Changes Ahead For Route 340
The Observer staff hopes our readers are able to enjoy this special time of year, particularly in our local downtowns as they come alive to celebrate and share the community spirit of the season. Read the Full Story >>