A Previous Lack of Crows

22Nov09

When we were in Texas, I missed the crows.  Cawing in the distance had always seemed as integral to early morning as the dawn, until it was gone. I was pleased to hear one occasionally, especially early morning on our camping trips. I thought it was just that they didn’t come in to town.  But [...]

Filed under: Almost Heaven, Nature   |  1 Comment

Letter to the President

03Jul09

Mr. President:
I am sure you are aware of this editorial by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/02/AR2009070203022.html
It outlines what you can do immediately to enforce existing law and regulation and end the travesty of mountaintop removal coal mining, and touches on the consequences it has had for the people of the southern coal fields.
I am a West [...]

Filed under: Almost Heaven   |  Leave a Comment

Almost Heaven (8)

14Apr09

Morgantown is number 9 in the Small Cities Rankings – 2009 New Geography Best Cities for Job Growth, of 173 small cities in the country, and 13th among all cities.  Charleston has moved from the small to medium cities category, and is 37 of 103 medium-sized metro areas, and 114 overall.  Smaller job markets  like [...]

Filed under: Almost Heaven   |  Leave a Comment

Almost Heaven (7)

20Mar09

Pleasants County, West Virginia, was recently ranked as the 6th best county to raise a family in the Southeast by the Progressive Farmer.

Filed under: Almost Heaven, News and Musings   |  Leave a Comment

Almost Heaven (6)

17Mar09

While discussing public records and identity theft with a friend, I discovered that West Virginia has one of the lowest identity theft rates in the country.  In 2006, the top five states were:

Rank

State

Victims/100,000
Population

Total Victims

1
Arizona
1427.8
9,113

2
Nevada
120.0
2,994

3
California
113.5
41,396

4
Texas
110.6
26,006

5
Florida
98.3
17,780

The bottom five were:

46
West Virginia
30.3
715

47
Iowa
34.9
1,041

48
South Dakota
30.2
236

49
North Dakota
29.7
189

50
Vermont
28.5
178

Filed under: Almost Heaven   |  Leave a Comment

Almost Heaven (5)

15Mar09

West Virginia is second only to Texas in the number of active oil and gas wells in the country.

Filed under: Almost Heaven   |  Leave a Comment

Almost Heaven (4)

12Mar09

Housing costs in West Virginia are among the lowest in the country.  Since at least 1980, a higher proportion of people in West Virginia have owned their own homes than in any other state.  Three-quarters of West Virginia families own their home, compared to only two-thirds nationwide.

Filed under: Almost Heaven   |  Leave a Comment

Almost Heaven

06Mar09

The third in a series of posts of good things about West Virginia.
Unemployment in West Virginia remains among the lowest in the nation.  In December, we were tied for 8th place.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Civilian labor force and unemployment by state and selected area, seasonally adjusted

Filed under: Almost Heaven   |  Leave a Comment

Almost Heaven (2)

28Feb09

The second in a series of posts of good things about West Virginia.
West Virginia, like most of Europe, but only 13 other states, has abolished the death penalty.  The last execution in West Virginia was in 1959 and the death penalty was abolished in 1965.
One in every 198 U.S. residents was in prison in 2007; [...]

Filed under: Almost Heaven   |  2 Comments

Almost Heaven (1)

27Feb09

This is a first of a series of posts of good things about West Virginia, beyond the obvious beautiful scenery and friendly way of life.  When I announced my retirement and where we were going, my Texas friends and colleagues (and a few WV natives) started sending me emails of bad-news items about West Virginia.  [...]

Filed under: Almost Heaven   |  Leave a Comment