Howard Monroe And The Morning Show

Busy day today!

Singer/songwriter Carole King was my guest. Tremendous super star for decades. Lots of fun talking to her. I'll post a podcast soon.

Wheeling Symphony conductor Andre Raphel Smith stopped by to discuss the wrap-up concert of the season, how the musicians have adapted to their new homes (Wesbanc Arena and the John Marshall Center for Performing Arts), and when they might get back to the Capital Music Hall.

Don Schoendorf and Chris Figaretti from Free Wheel Chair Mission popped into Broadcast House to discuss  their work. I was at a big event for their cause this weekend. They do good work. Contribute!

Hoppy Kercheval was with me to give us the latest on the fall out of the Heather Bresch scandal. This story isn't done by a long shot. The Provost and Dean have resigned. Calls continue for WVU President Mike Garrison to quit as well. Best way to keep on top of the story is at the MetroNews web site.

A lot of canoodling has been done to the background music of Sophie B Hawkins. Especially her song Wish I Was Your Lover. She was a guest on The Morning Show today talking about her new found support for Hillary Clinton. She's revised her classic tune to now read Wish You Were President. Podcast of our interview to of the column on the right. Video right here.

A group of Marshall County organizations wants to know what you think about some aspects of the county life. Marshall County Family Resource Network is coordinating and has an on-line survey you can take part in by clicking here.  Thanks to the lovely and talented Kara Gray for calling in with some info about this on today's show.

There is a strong call for change at Wheeling City Hall.

I've been predicting it for months and the feeling seems to be growing. With every council seat contested, a guarenteed new Mayor because of term limits, and a sense of unrest among many voters, I think you're going see a different council come summer.

But I am still at a loss exactly WHAT this change is supposed to mean. I keep asking--on the radio and on the street--and I honestly don't hear an answer. I hear a lot of vague generalities: we need a more business-like attitude, we need to create jobs, and the ever-popular "it's time for a change". But PLEASE someone tell me what we're changing to. Give me a list of the actions a "changed" council will take. Tell me what the "changed" city will look like--and what we're going to do to get there.

Here are the 2 things I have been able to discern: many folks think downtown is dirty and dilapidated; and there is a growing problem with out-of-the-area drug activity (including shootings) coming into town.

The current administration has been working on the downtown problem--and in fact has prepared a multi-million dollar plan to clean up the dilapidation.

Chief Gessler is aware and involved in dealing with the drug problem.

There is a comment button right below this post. If you can tell me exactly what change you want, specifically what you think a new council will do,, I'd love to hear from you.

Let's play a game. I'll give you three trillion dollars and you can spend it any way you want. What would you do? Three trillion is the amount the Iraq war is predicted to cost and 3trillion.org is a web site that lets you spend ("virtually", of course).

Paul Trader is running for a spot on the Marshall County School Board. He was a guest on The Morning Show this week. A lot of e-mail came in after the interview questioning his criticism of the board and administration. Here's his website with his positions. I sense more underlying heat in this race than I had thought.

ENJOY UNCLE DOUG

Monday. Taking a day off. Just a little "it feels like Spring" day for myself.

Doug Stephan handling the hosting this morning. I'll back Tuesday with State Senator --and candidate for Wheeling Mayor--Andy McKenzie in studio plus our usual shenanigans.

What's with the black and gold? Have our current crop of political candidates all decided to use Steelers' colors?

Once upon a time, political road signs were of the red-white-and-blue variety. Colors and themes invoking a feeling of flag waving.

But in my travels around the region this year I've noticed a large number of candidates have black on bright yellow themes. An evening ride down Route 88 from West Liberty College was very confusing. I couldn't tell when the signs were asking me to vote.....or warning me of a sharp turn ahead.

Hmmmm.....considering the likelihood of a lot of newcomers getting elected maybe they ALL were warning of sharp turns coming.

Hoppy Kercheval and I have become pretty good acquanitances the past couple of years. I like Hop. He's a talk show host that actually knows what he's talking about, does research and focuses his show on issues of substance.

But he's been sucked so far to the "dark side" of right wing philosophy that he is now defending "Baron Don" Blankenship when the energy exec threatens a journalist with being shot. "Baron Don"--the Mountain State's last coal baron--may run roughshod over Hoppy and other Mounatin State reporters (I've never talked with him, but I'm sure he'd intimidate me, too), but he might want to think again about ABC News. They called and asked for an interview....repeatedly...and he declined. So they showed up with cameras rolling. Surely the Baron shouldn't have been surprised. He's in the midst of a big state supreme court case and controvery. He IS news.

Blankenship says he didn't understand it was a journalist. Says he's often approached by "environmentalists and just people in general". Apparently if he'd known the man with a camera was a journalist he wouldn't have ripped his shirt, grabbed his microphone and held him by the throat. But the implication from his statement is he WOULD do that to an environmentalist or "just regular people".

This is a man with millions and a company he rules with an iron fist. He's a "Baron" in the worst sense of the old word. He doesn't like his power to be in any way disputed. Heck, he has tried to buy Mountain State elections.

My good friend Hop, host of Statewide Talkine every weekday at 10 on our station, needs to start rethinking his ideas that all businesses and business people are good...and anyone who challenges them is bad.

Coal Baron or not, you don't grab, snatch, or--God forbid SHOOT--someone who wants to talk to you.

Not even in West Virginia.