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New book covers Bobby Bowden years at WVU
BY KYLE LOVERN MOUNTAIN CITIZEN West Virginia University (WVU) sports journalist John Antonik has a new book which was recently released. The book is titled “Almost Heaven – How Bobby Bowden’s Ten Years at West Virginia University Helped Him Become One of the Winningest Coaches in College Football History.” Antonik is a very talented writer…
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Government shutdown: A political stalemate with no end in sight
If you are like me, you have questions and concerns about the latest government shutdown. As I said recently, it feels like a political football, something both parties keep kicking back and forth while the country waits for resolution. Federal funding expired at midnight Sept. 30, 2025, when Congress failed to pass spending legislation for…
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History of trick-or-treating
If you were like me and my friends growing up at Nolan, you looked forward every October to Halloween and trick-or-treating. We were not allowed to go out wandering around after dark. We know the days get much shorter at this time of year. So it gets dark a lot earlier in late October, even…
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It is just common sense
I have been trying to keep from writing too many political columns. As they say, “Don’t discuss politics or religion.” But sometimes I just cannot keep silent. To me, many of these issues are not conservative, liberal or even moderate thinking, but just common sense. Some of the news that has circulated over the last…
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This and that—a few random thoughts
Have you noticed the new drug commercials on TV? They advertise a certain medication for an illness or problem some may suffer from. But at the end of every commercial, they quickly spew out the long list of possible side effects. Some could even end in “death.” No thanks, I think I will pass on…
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Some top ‘story’ songs
My wife Vicki and I were recently listening to the radio in the car and heard a couple of “story” songs and it got me to thinking about some of my favorite tunes that have lyrics that chronicle stories. After some research, here are a few of those tunes. One of my favorites was from…
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Cold case murder in Florida has ties to Nolan area
This month marked the 51st anniversary of the death of Betty Ann New in Alachua County, Florida. New, who was also known by Betty Tye because she was raised by foster parents Homer and Gladys Tye, grew up in Borderland, West Virginia, and attended Nolan Grade School in Nolan. Betty moved with her foster parents…
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Scots-Irish ancestry big part of our culture
There is no doubt that the immigrants from Scotland and Ireland had a huge impact on our culture in Appalachia. One of my wife Vicki’s favorite television series (mine too) in the last few years is “Outlander.” The show starts in Scotland but the characters end up in the Appalachian region of the United States.…
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The power of prayer
BY VICKI LOVERN I recently experienced a cancer scare. The Big ‘C.’ If you haven’t experienced it yourself, you probably know someone who has. My dear mom and two uncles died of this devastating disease. It is a scary diagnosis. And regardless of how much you’re told that it’s not a definitive diagnosis. All you…
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Lucky to have four seasons
The unseasonable fall-like temperatures we had last week were enjoyable. This comes after a very hot summer, during which the heat index hit 100 degrees several days in July and August. The humidity was extremely high, making it sticky and stuffy on many days. As we get older it seems like it is tougher to…
