Editorial

Mark Caserta: 1st Amendment right support varies with political ideology

Where do your 1st Amendment rights begin and end?

It would seem liberals believe the standards vary based on one’s political ideology. Read more

WV One Stop Business Center to Celebrate 1 Year Anniversary with Open House

By Mac Warner

WV Secretary of State

“Moving at the Speed of Business” is the motto of the WV Secretary of State’s Business and Licensing Division. Advances in technology and a new user-friendly website have given our office the opportunity to communicate more effectively and respond quicker to the needs of the state’s business community and entrepreneurs.  Read more

OPINION Mark Caserta: Americans, behold the hypocrisy of liberal Democrats!

Allow me to illustrate just how hypocritical liberal Democrats are on funding President Trump’s border wall. Even I’m amazed at the audacity of these corrupt politicians! This proves just how “dumb” and “unengaged” Democrats believe the American people have become! Read more

OPINION Mark Caserta: Bottom line: How many lives are Dems willing to sacrifice to stop Trump’s wall?

Anyone who trusts polls, especially those from the corrupt, mainstream media, hasn’t followed politics very closely.

It’s no surprise the complicit, liberal media has been wetting themselves in excitement over being able to attack President Trump over recent polling of voters regarding the government shutdown, now in its third week. Read more

OPINION GATOR CHOPPIN ON .... Late income tax refund checks could hurt Trump

As Trump and the rest of the fatcat politicians dilly dally around with the shutdown of the federal government....they are creating the need for another wall.  Trump may need Pink Floyd to build another wall.  While most of the talks center around funding a wall at the US/ Mexico border, we may need a huge wall around the White House. Read more

Mark Caserta: President Trump may declare national emergency to build wall.

As the government shutdown continues, both sides remain firmly entrenched in their ideology about building a wall along our southern border. The difference?

It’s this simple. Read more

COLUMN ... Gatorchoppin on ...... 2019 Something Positive

On the end of 2018, where drugs and violence have created a negative tint on the past year...I set out in search of some positive items to wrap up 2018 and bring in 2019 with some positive rays of light. It did not take me long to find it. The Salvation Army on 3rd Avenue in Huntington (what was a comfort station during the Emmons Jr. fire and afterwards)  was throwing a party. Read more

Mark Caserta: Huntington, WV. is becoming a sanctuary for everything bad in the U.S.

It’s imperative to remember “fake news”, or “news designed to influence, rather than inform,” is real.  And it’s alive and well in Huntington, WV.

Now, fake news targeting political differences is one thing. But, when “fake news” begins to compromise the safety of citizens…it’s time to hold media accountable. Read more

Attorney General Morrisey Highlights 2018 Achievements with Year-In-Review

OPINION: The Tunnel Historic but Safety an Issue

There are structures all over town that are becoming dwellings or breeding grounds for crime. The abandoned house at 1304 5th Avenue and The Flats on Fourth Avenue are dwellings that I fought against all Summer. Both have been slated for demolition. Unfortunately, in this age of the drug epidemic, any structure left unattended is almost immediately transformed into a trap house. Read more

COLUMN Mark Caserta: My advice: Stay the course with President Trump

Progressive Democrats and “Rino” Republicans are in shock that President Trump would be willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill his promise to the American people.

Donald Trump promised he would address illegal immigration head-on and build a wall making it much more difficult for illegals to cross the border. A promise, by the way, which helped him get elected in an electoral college landslide. Read more

Mark Caserta: It’s time for Huntington, WV to stop losing to the Deep State

A call to action for our readers:

There is a segment of our nation’s community, mostly liberals, who hate Donald Trump more than they love their country. Ironically, this more accurately resembles the definition of “deplorable”, despite the declaration of their progressive queen, Hillary Clinton. Read more

GATORCHOPPIN ON ... Officials against legalizing pot are holding West Virginia back

A symposium on legalizing marijuana held in West Virginia turned out to be mostly an one-sided ambush against those wanting marijuana legalized.  In fact they must be thinking pot smokers are smoking crack if they expect them to believe their facts. Read more

Prevention of Election Fraud Key to Successful, Accurate and Fair Elections

By Mac Warner

WV Secretary of State

 Charleston, W.Va.  – On December 6, 2018 the Charleston Gazette-Mail published an editorial titled “North Carolina case may show real election fraud.” This commentary is in response to that editorial. Read more

GATORCHOPPIN ON ... UFOs: Are the aliens still amongst us?

Growing up in the 70s, it seemed like there were always reports of UFOs.  Every week or so some country boy seemed to be getting carted away to outer space to be anal probed.  Gradually they decreased until the 90s when the success of X Files regenerated interest. Read more

COMMENTARY: Four-and-a-Half Alley Increasingly a Destination for Homeless

The Summer heat, abundance of abandoned houses, re-emergence of meth, free needle exchange, and other factors led to an increase of homeless in an area near downtown Huntington and Marshall University i.e. 4 1/2 alley.  Many settled in that area because of the availability of drugs, food, and other services in the area.  There were  several abandoned houses that provided shelter too. Read more

COLUMN ... Gatorchoppin on ...... The War on Santa Claus

The picket signs  have not shown up at the North Pole yet and there are not crowds throwing snowballs at Santa's sleigh....but, give it time, it's not quite Christmas yet.  In recent years Read more

COLUMN GATOR CHOPPIN ..... Santa:"Christmas is for memories..not protesters"

With it being Christmas time, I called my old friend Santa Claus to see how he was holding up under the stress.  The jolly old dude is not getting any younger and his sugar  has been running high. Read more

COLUMN Cameron Blevins: Communism vs. Socialism – Which is the greater evil in the 21st century?

Cam Blevins resides in the Tri-State area and has been a member of local broadcast media (including the Tom Rotan show) for nearly a decade.  His libertarian views on social and political issues lends a refreshing perspective to many complicated issues. HNN welcomes Cam as a new contributor! Read more

COLUMN Mark Caserta: Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” offers perspective for us all

Perhaps, we should all take some time to reflect on the chains we’ve forged in life this Christmas season. Read more

COLUMN Inappropriate teacher-student relationships on the rise

It seems like just this week alone there was a huge surge of teachers engaging in inappropriate conduct with their students.  A female teacher and ex Miss Kentucky in Cross Lanes, West Virginia, about 45 minutes from me was charged with four felony counts of distribution or display of obscene matter to minors, when she sent nude pictures of herself to one of her middle-school students. Read more

OPINION Mark Caserta: Progressives never accept blame for unintended consequences

Progressives are the most innocent among us and should never accept blame.

Right.

Last week, I wrote a very thoughtful column on the progressive movement and their tenacious attempt to desensitize the most innocent among us, our children, to their liberal ideology. Understand, this progressive mindset always involves “skirting” or challenging God’s Word and insists morality be placed on a sliding scale. Read more

Mark Caserta Column: Progressivism “smacks” Huntington, West Virginia

It would seem Mayor Steve Williams would like for Huntington, West Virginia, historically one of the most conservative cities in the Mountain State, to become the East Coast distributor for progressivism and liberal ideology.

In prelude to this column, understand that in a 2015 Herald-Dispatch opinion piece, regarding the mayor, I wrote, “I’ve always considered Mayor Williams an honorable man, with a successful track record, committed to making Huntington a better place to live.” Read more

GATORCHOPPIN ON ... how was the Black Friday Rumble?

Okay, shoppers...are you ready?  You have waited for this weekend all year.  You carb loaded on Thanksgiving Day...trained all year....now here is where those Zumba classes pay off.  Black Friday!!!! Read more

Mark Caserta: Community is united by embracing “Hannah strong”

God never ceases to amaze me in His infinite wisdom and ability to take what the devil meant for bad and turn it into good. Read more

GATORCHOPPIN ON ... A Thanksgiving prayer for help against the epidemic

Dear Father,  

Thanks for our loved ones, that although they may be hooked on drugs, that they are still able to celebrate Thanksgiving with us. Please watch over them and do not let their chairs be empty next year. Please let angels protect them and may give them the guidance to seek recovery for their addictions.  Read more

GATORCHOPPIN ON ... Holidays and Empty Chairs

I am writing today on the twentieth anniversary  of my father's death.  Every year I am hit with a little sadness as the holidays begin.  As I think back through my life, I think the thing that has changed the most is how I view the holidays. Read more

GATORCHOPPIN ON ... Ojeda: Presidential Candidate or Another West Virginia Character?

West Virginia State Senator Richard Ojeda, a former congressional candidate who lost his bid in 2018, has announced he is running for president in 2020.  While those who voted for him view him as a valiant underdog who will fight to make sure West Virginia's struggles are addressed in the 2020 election, conservatives feel like he is another West Virginia character like Jesco White or Boone County Ninja who will only prove to be another embarrassment to the state. Read more

MARK CASERTA Don't Complain if.....

A wise preacher I once knew said, “Don’t complain about what you permit.”

That challenge has resonated with me for the past 35 years. How often in life, do we find ourselves complaining about the world around us, but do absolutely nothing to enact change? Read more

Mark Caserta: Liberal Dark State Employs Mob Rule Antics

Liberals never cease to amaze me at their incessant ability to create new forms of evil in our nation. In fact, it’s all they’re capable of producing.  Without God’s precepts and the resulting parameters of decency, the dominating influence in their lives is their carnal passion. Read more

GATORCHOPPIN ON... Raising Awareness of the high-rate of suicides amongst veterans

The United States of America owes an immeasurable debt to our veterans of the armed forces.  These men and women gave their lives or risked their lives defending our freedom.  Veterans Day is the day of the year that we thank and honor those brave veterans for their service...obviously we owe them much more than one day of thanks.  However, with national focus on Veteran's Day, it is a perfect time to draw awareness to the high suicide rates amongst our veterans. Read more

GATORCHOPPIN ON ... Overdoses are down locally...is it a sign things are better?

Overdoses are down in the overdose capital of Huntington, WV.  According to The Herald Dispatch " So far, Cabell County has seen less overdoses in each individual month of 2018 compared to the same months in 2017. October 2018's total 76 overdoses, for example, are far less than the 139 overdoses reported in October 2017." Read more

HNN Endorses Patrick Morrisey

West Virginia faces a stark choice in the Manchin-Morrisey race.  Joe Manchin is the last Democrat holding Federal office in our state; his defeat would leave John Perdue the de facto leader of the state’s Democrats, and end a 50 year political dynasty begun by his uncle.