It took just a couple hours on Feb. 26, 2024, for Rodney Loftis & Son Demolition of Charleston to tear down this old Hooters restaurant in Kanawha City. A Sheetz convenience store and gas station is planned for the site.
Lines were long, on March 3, 2024, at Budget Tapes and Records, 3708 MacCorkle Ave. in Kanawha City. After 52 years in business, the owners closed the store and are retiring.
It took just a couple hours on Feb. 26, 2024, for Rodney Loftis & Son Demolition of Charleston to tear down this old Hooters restaurant in Kanawha City. A Sheetz convenience store and gas station is planned for the site.
Lines were long, on March 3, 2024, at Budget Tapes and Records, 3708 MacCorkle Ave. in Kanawha City. After 52 years in business, the owners closed the store and are retiring.
A new Sheetz is coming to Kanawha City. Captain D’s quickly sank and all Hooters eventually close. I conducted an informal MacCorkle survey — through the forever renovation project — and counted five other gas stations (all with stores) and 15 fast food joints along that stretch. The “music” will likely stop for at least one of them when the future behemoth on the block — with a store and restaurant — opens this summer. Only so many empty tanks and stomachs to go around.
Music? My favorite CD store, Budget Records and Tapes, recently bid a busy farewell to Charleston. Since moving back here it was a regular stop to sift through bargain music. Best of luck to now retired David and Priscilla Pope. We’ll miss you.
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I often venture along West Virginia’s fabled country roads to see the state. Recently, they took me to a place I didn’t belong. While driving the scenic river route (U.S. 60) to Fayetteville, my directions app started nonstop (obnoxious) warnings of a shutdown ahead and advised to detour onto some creek road near Cedar Grove. I took it, for many miles. The scenic two-lane road’s stripes eventually disappeared and it narrowed to one lane of asphalt with no signs and nary a dwelling anywhere. After a few more miles, the road was washed out, and I had to back up a mile just to turn around. Did my app help get me back to civilization? Ha! Service had conked out long before the road did. Wild, wonderful West Virginia is still a thing.
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A third fire in three years at the Bare Arms shooting range and eatery in Huntington? I’ve plinked some rounds and eaten there and consider it a topnotch facility. What is going on?
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Will the Charleston Police Department’s internal investigation of what happened during state DOT Secretary Jimmy Wriston’s highway (non?) incident pass the whiff test?
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March is an exciting month around these parts. Glorious flowers springing up despite some frigid nights, new potholes to suddenly dodge and basketball galore.
I watched the entire 32-minute, 16-second presser with West Virginia University athletic director Wren Baker concerning the selection process for a new basketball coach. His answers were detailed, thoughtful and seemed honest. I wondered if there was a flashing sign outside the room warning “DO NOT MENTION YOU-KNOW-WHO!”
Finally, at 29:45, a reporter asked what future, if any, involvement former head coach Bob Huggins might have with the program. While affirming the search would proceed in a forward direction, Baker did not slam the door shut on a Huggs’ return.
Huggins has dried out and lost weight. With all his achievements at Morgantown and unabashed ambassador of goodwill for the state, has he not earned strong consideration for at least a probationary one-year contract? Plus, there would be no waiting for certain coaching candidates to complete their current schools’ NCAA playoff runs before meeting with WVU. There are many choice coaching vacancies out there and competition will be fierce.
The shambolic transfer portal opened March 18, and recall how proficient Huggins was at pulling exceptional talent from it.
A coach new to the program will undoubtedly have a rebuilding period, and the team could be in for some losing seasons in the rugged Big 12 Conference while that’s in progress.
I spent the better part of this past season furious at Huggins for how far the program had fallen because of his humongous missteps and dismissal. However, I support truly contrite people making amends and getting a chance to resurrect themselves. Although it’s rare, people can change for the better. I’ve forgiven the man. Why leave his WVU legacy smoldering in a dumpster when a fresh chapter could serve as comeback inspiration for Huggs and West Virginia?
To those folks who are all in for a new (likely non-native) coaching selection, I say slow that roll and take a good look at who is right in front of us. Huggins can hit the ground running.
How many second (and more) chances have forgiving West Virginians afforded past governors?
Interim head coach Josh Eilert inherited a train wreck for his 10 months at the Mountaineer helm, and additional snakebites were nearly nonstop. The team never gelled, although occasionally showing flashes of brilliance. If that’s the only shot the affable Eilert ever gets as a head coach, it demonstrates how unfair life can be. Does he even want another try after this?
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The WVU and Marshall baseball teams recently played again in town. They’ll meet two additional times this season. But did the basketball teams play each other? Nope. Eight years now since the last in-state men’s game between West Virginia’s only Division 1 schools. It would have been an interesting contest between two programs plundered via the perplexing, perilous, (putrid?) portal.
How about the women’s teams? Both are having phenomenal seasons under remarkable first year head coaches Kim Caldwell at Marshall and WVU’s Mark Kellog. They haven’t played each other anywhere since 2015. Ridiculous! Perhaps they will clash this year in the Big Dance.
Baker and Marshall AD Christian Spears made impressive coaching choices for the women’s teams. Please gentlemen, take a logical step and get these schools playing one another on the hardwood yearly.
