Editorials

Stay Informed on Vaccine Guidelines

Changes in guidance out of Washington, D.C., have left many confused about the accessibility of COVID booster shots this fall. There are questions about eligibility, insurance, and even where a patient can get the vaccine. Axios tried to unravel the mystery and found states falling into three categories (they used one pharmacy chain, CVS, as the test): unavailable, available without a prescription and prescription required for specific age groups. West Virginia falls into the latter category — prescription required. But in Ohio, the shots are available without a prescription. ...

Honor The Fallen This Patriot Day

Though the sense of urgency associated with observing the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the U.S. has faded a bit in recent years, we have still observed Patriot Day every September 11 as a national day of prayer and remembrance for the victims. For some, it has become a day of service to their communities to honor the lives of the 2,977 who were lost. For most, the day still stirs up memories of streets lined with U.S. flags and a country united as patriots — determined to stand strong in the face of those who loathed what we said we stood for nearly a ...

Barnes A Deserving Winner

Tiffany Barnes may have said she was “dumbfounded” after she heard her name announced as the West Virginia Teacher of the Year, but with her story, it’s no surprise. Barnes is an example of what hard work and a love of teaching children can do. An Iraq War veteran, Barnes began her career in Ohio County Schools as a substitute aide and cook. She earned her teaching and autism certifications and now is a full-time special education teacher at Wheeling Middle School. After her win, she talked about studying through the night for her degrees and certifications, as well as the ...

Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late for FEMA

As of today, there is less than two weeks left for those who suffered damage in the June Ohio County floods to apply for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The deadline to apply is Sept. 22. So far, many have taken advantage of that aid to the tune of millions of dollars. At a recent Ohio County Commission meeting, Ohio County EMA Director Lou Vargo said 519 Ohio County residents have applied and FEMA has awarded more than $5.9 million from those claims. Yet there may still be some out there who haven’t yet taken advantage of those services. Maybe they don’t ...

Employment Rates Still Rough

Employment rates continue to struggle all over the country. The approximately 7.2 million people in the U.S. unemployed during the last week of August pushed the nationwide average up 3.5% week-over-week heading into the Labor Day weekend. That added to the trend of a small overall increase in unemployment nationwide, over the past year, according to WalletHub. So, the personal finance company dug deeper and took a look at weekly claims on the state level. West Virginia was among those where unemployment claims were higher than they’d been in the previous week. Change in ...

Please Do Your Part To Help Fight Hunger

September is the start of many things: football season, the school year for some, spooky season if you ask the right people … But this is also Hunger Action Month. Note the difference between this “month” designation and many others. This is not just about awareness; this is about action to “provide nutritious food to neighbors facing hunger,” as Feeding America puts it. The idea is to come together with food banks and volunteers in communities “to build a nation where everyone has the food and support they need.” But that doesn’t happen if YOU don’t take ...