Opinion

Caring for Caregivers

Among the many other designations for November is National Family Caregivers Month — a time to recognize the role played by those who sometimes jeopardize their own long-term financial, physical and mental wellbeing to instead care for a loved one in need. According to data from AARP West Virginia, approximately 26% of Mountain State adults fall into the category of being a family caregiver. These people are often unpaid — and on their own — taking care of older parents, spouses and others for whom no one else has stepped up. In fact, AARP estimates there is approximately $3 ...

Steenrod Earns Its Blue Ribbon

Another Ohio County school earned yet another major honor this week, as Steenrod Elementary was named a West Virginia Blue Ribbon School for its overall excellence. Principal Michelle Dietrich said the school was on its way to National Blue Ribbon honors before they were notified that U.S. Department of Education was shuttering the program. Regardless of who is handing out the award, Steenrod is more than deserving. Long considered one of West Virginia’s top elementary schools, Steenrod has continued its great work. A veteran leader in Ohio County Schools, Dietrich has done a ...

Time To Work On Eating Healthy

Keep Pets Out of the Cold

The weather is only going to get colder — forecasts have Ohio Valley temperatures falling into the 20s overnight in the near future — and it’s time to think about our pets as those temps drop. Our furry friends, especially our dogs, aren’t built to withstand such frigid conditions. And if they’re really our friends, they shouldn’t have to. So there are some precautions everyone can take to make sure that our pets stay safe as we transition from autumn to winter. The most important and easiest step, according to the American Red Cross, is to ensure your pets come inside ...

Keeping the Ball Rolling for W.Va.

The difference in a child’s education could be something as small as a coat or a toothbrush. So a number of philanthropists from around West Virginia recently made a big donation to help schools provide those small things. The “Keep the Ball Rolling” campaign got an infusion of more than $1 million from Shawn and Angela Ball, owners of L&S Toyota in Beckley, West Virginia Treasurer Larry Pack and his wife Lisa through the Pack Family Foundation, and the Wing to Wing Foundation established by Marshall University President Brad Smith. With that money, $1,500 checks went to ...

Lawmakers Must Act

Ohio lawmakers are missing an opportunity to show they are capable of stepping up when federal lawmakers do not. According to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal, there have not yet been any hearings — nor are any scheduled — for House Bill 502, “Appropriate funds for SNAP, TANF, WIC upon lapse in federal funds.” Introduced by Rep. Latyna M. Humphrey, D-Columbus, the measure would be a safety net — similar to efforts in other states — for the nearly 1.4 million Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients in Ohio. As Humphrey points out, “Grocery stores won’t ...