By this time, most of the inhabitants of Tyler County are aware of the massive operation in Alma on the property owned by Roger and Sandy Weese.

We’ve read articles in newspapers around the region; and some have seen the drilling rig first-hand.

Questions abound.

Will it benefit our community? Without a doubt.

Does that benefit come at a risk? Perhaps.

But oil and natural gas define who we are as a community and history has a funny way of repeating itself.

This county once thrived on the oil and gas industry and the reintroduction of drilling operations in Tyler County may hasten the rebirthing process as money is funneled into our suffering local economy and jobs are created.

We live in a region rich in natural resources. Most of us know men and women who make their living harvesting these resources for the masses.

Thursday morning marked the beginning of the 42nd Annual Oil & Gas Festival celebrating our historic past and Friday morning saw the groundbreaking of the first horizontal gas well to be drilled in our county – a positive sign of what our future holds.

Oil and natural gas: These hidden treasures are synonymous with the mountains and the beautiful West Virginia countryside. These resources are reminders of our past and may be the keys to our future.