By Thomas Harding
Not since the introduction of seatbelts has there been a traffic safety issue that has caused such concern among legislators and consumer protection organizations. With the rapid growth of cell-phones during the last few years, followed by the widespread practice of texting, distracted driving has become a life-and-death issue in America.
The numbers speak volumes.
In a Pew Research study, 47 percent of drivers admit to texting while driving. The study also found that 25 percent of American teens of driving age say they have texted while driving, and half …

A Day with Governor Joe Manchin
By Thomas Harding
 
9.45 am, Wellness Center, Romney.
We were all waiting for the Governor of West Virginia. There were maybe 20 of us – fitness center staff in blue polo shirts, executives in neatly pressed grey suits, a state senator in bright skirt and jacket – waiting in the concrete and steel lobby of the newly built wellness center in Romney. We were all standing, except six-term mayor William Hicks who sat in the corner, cane in hand, muttering that it was about time the governor …

By Thomas Harding
So things are on the up.
According to local realtors we are seeing an extremely active market in the sub $300,000 range, with multiple offers commonplace. We are even witnessing  the return of escalation clauses from buyers, something we haven’t seen since the heady days of 2005 and 2006.
We are also seeing the return of investors, another indicator that we have moved beyond the bottom of the market and that people are wanting to invest their extra cash in real estate before prices go on the rise.
The other good …

By Thomas Harding
If I tell you the good news, will you forgive me? Or should I start with bad news, so that you will trust me more when I say that things are getting better?
Okay, here’s the bad news: Appraisers are struggling to find the value that has been agreed by buyers and sellers. This is causing real heartache in the market, and many a decent contract has been tripped up in recent months because the contract value is higher than the appraised value. As soon as sales pick up, …

Bluefield Telegraph editorial May 2010:
http://bdtonline.com/editorials/x537287722/Freedom-of-information-High-Court-must-support-public-s-right-to-know

Amicus briefs were filed in the West Virginia Supreme Court Friday 16 April 2010 by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the Society for Professional Journalists. They provided support in the case The Shepherdstown Observer vs Jennifer Maghan. A brief was also filed by attorneys on behalf of The Observer.
The case centers on The Observer’s Freedom of Information Act request for the list of petition names collected in support of a vote on the Jefferson County Zoning Referendum, which took place November 7 2009. The County Clerk …

Today attorneys for The Observer filed their brief for the case The Shepherdstown Observer vs Jennifer Maghan in the Supreme Court of West Virginia. This follows the earlier decision by the court to hear the case. The defendants will now have an opportunity to respond.
The Observer is asking the court to overturn the decision made by the Jefferson County Circuit Court that upheld the decision by Jennifer Maghan, County Clerk, not to release the names of petitioners who were calling for a referendum on a new zoning ordinance for the …

by Thomas Harding
This is the second article focusing on the alleged sale of unqualified retirement plans to Jefferson County families. The first article concentrated on the impact on two families, the Kables and the Lloyds. This second article looks at how the scheme impacted five other local families, and provides an update on how the cases are progressing.
 
Quietly and without much fuss, the largest case in Jefferson County legal history is making its way through the local court system. It involves a small local firm, perhaps as many as 15 …

By Thomas Harding
This month I intend to overwhelm you with data . . . so strap on your seatbelts and let’s go for it.
First, let me introduce a new statistic to my loyal readers: the ratio between homes sold (“solds”) and homes on the market (“inventory”). Let’s call this ratio the sold/inventory ratio.
This ratio is often used by economists to determine the health of the real estate market. As you can see from Graph 1, the sold/inventory ratio was incredibly low in the months leading up to spring 2005. For …

By Thomas Harding 
Another year, another round of political battles in West Virginia. The filing period for the 2010 political races is now closed, and there are many interesting matchups. Here are a few of them.
 
West Virginia Supreme Court
Just over a year into his first term, Circuit Judge John Yoder is running for West Virginia Supreme Court. Yoder will run against in a special election incumbent Thomas McHugh, who was appointed interim Justice by Governor Manchin in 2008 after the death of Justice Joseph Albright.
 
House of Representatives
Democrat Virginia Lynch Graf of Charles …