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Remember the gift of life

Those looking to this space for perspective on the pressing issues of the day may wonder why it contains yet another appeal for blood donors and support of the American Red Cross’s mission. It is because the need is that urgent, and only growing more so. Over the weekend, the Red Cross issued a plea for help, as the blood shortage that had already presented a challenge is getting worse. Severe weather including the remnants of Hurricane Debby has canceled a significant number of blood drives that might have helped fill that gap. “The American Red Cross continues to experience ...

Take pride in the fruits of our labor

While Labor Day continues to serve as the end-of-summer holiday (it was moreso when the schoolchildren returned to the classrooms on the day after the first Monday in September) it should be about more than firing up the grill one more time. As we prepare to celebrate that holiday on Monday, it’s appropriate to take a moment and remember that people fought for protections for workers in a time not so long ago. Those battles led to safer workplaces, the rise of the middle class and benefit packages that helped build a nation. In our region, it is clear that change has arrived for ...

We can’t afford any more losses

For well more than a decade, West Virginia has suffered under the weight of a substance abuse epidemic that is crippling individuals, families and whole communities. Politicians have made a great show of fighting it, yet the reality is we are as much in the grip of the monster as ever. “The bottom-line thing is we have not made enough progress on this crisis,” said Jeremiah Samples, a senior adviser to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance and a former deputy secretary for the former Department of Health and Human Resources. “We are nowhere near where we need to be, ...

Making real progress in serving residents

West Virginia might fall to the bottom of the list in plenty of categories, but increasingly we are leading the way in others. Among those is the improvement of residents’ interactions with the government through modern technology. To that end, the state Division of Motor Vehicles partnered with Champ Titles and Tyler Technologies to develop the country’s first digital vehicle title program. Among the reasons for developing the digital titles (and making them fully transactable) was to help car dealers and operators of large fleets stay organized and up-to-date. But the system ...

Hear directly from your candidates

We’re a little more than two months away from the general election, but candidates for offices in all levels of government are making their way into our communities. Whether it’s to place their signs, meet with constituents or take part in rallies, we will be seeing campaigns in full swing in the coming weeks. We encourage our residents, no matter their political leaning, to take advantage of these opportunities whenever they have a chance. Please don’t go with an intention of causing disturbances. Instead, attend with an open mind and take time to listen and learn. We have ...

Coming together over Sunday Dinner

It is always nice to see someone make an effort to make our communities more welcoming. The first installment of Sunday Dinner took place at All Saints Greek Orthodox Church in Weirton this week, and we hope this is a program which will grow and last for years to come. It’s a new ministry, started by the Rev. Matthew Moore, with a single goal in mind – to bring people together while sharing a meal. It’s not an effort to raise money or to spread a particular message. It’s just to provide a meal, and if you would like to eat – no matter your background – you can stop by and ...