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Letter to editor: Martin County’s future depends on clean water
Editor: I am now in my 80s, and the water in Martin County has had unnumerable problems for over 60 years. I love my hometown. The people here have done an incredible job in beautifying it, and I would love for it to become a wonderful tourist attraction. But before that can happen, there must…
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Tourism, talent and trust all begin with clean water
Martin County has spent years talking about growth. We have talked about tourism, beautification, workforce development, small-business incubation and reversing population loss. We celebrate our students, athletes, artists and entrepreneurs. And we take pride in our mountains, rivers and resilience. But there is one question that refuses to go away: Can we promise clean, reliable…
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A grade beyond the grave
BY DR. GLENN MOLLETTE James E. Webb was my first cousin, neighbor and friend. James was about 10 years older than me. At the age of 23, he became my junior high school teacher. I had him for classes in the seventh and eighth grades. Growing up, he taught me chords on the guitar and…
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Good news for coal industry
The coal industry received some fantastic news this past week. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced Feb. 11 that three West Virginia coal-fired power plants would be among six modernized to provide energy to military installations. Locally, the coal industry has long driven the economies of Southern West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky. The domino…
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LiKEN: Share your flood photos and stories
BY MADISON MOONEY As the anniversary of last year’s devastating flooding in Martin County approaches, the community is once again emerging from weeks of extreme cold, snow, and icy conditions. The timing is a reminder of a growing reality: extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe, causing repeated flooding and other environmental impacts…
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Bad Bunny and the Super Bowl: Did it work for you?
BY DR. GLENN MOLLETTE The Super Bowl is now in the history books and already forgotten by most Americans. I do not know if there was more talk about the Seahawks and the Patriots or the Super Bowl halftime show. I admit, I had never heard of Bad Bunny until he was announced a few…
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Old community schools were the best
I know I have written about this before, but I really miss the old community schools. Consolidation has gobbled up all of the old grade schools, junior highs and high schools. But those smaller grade schools were special and the heart of every community. Kids were able to attend classes with their friends and neighbors.…
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Nancy Guthrie: Be prayerful, be alert
DR. GLENN MOLLETTE By the time you read this there will hopefully be good news about Nancy Guthrie. Our nation has prayed for her, her famous daughter, Savannah and her family. The abduction of this beautiful, charming 84-year-old woman is alarming and very concerning to us all. Nancy Guthrie is known as a sweet, beautiful…
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Brown water, clearer picture
Sometimes the water runs brown and so do our thoughts. When faucets across Martin County turned rust-colored last summer, frustration filled kitchens and laundry rooms alike. People wanted answers, and for a long time all we had were questions, suspicion and a lingering sense that something was being hidden. What we learned this winter is…
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Memories of winters from the past
This winter weather season has been one of the worst this region has seen in a while. But there have been much more severe winters in the past. I will get to that in a moment. But my sister Karen and I were talking about growing up and not having real snow boots like most…
