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Youth planning for the future

While some older Mountain State residents are worrying about ways to avoid leaving the planet in shambles for future generations, plenty of younger residents are already doing something about it. They were honored for their efforts during the 2024 Youth Environmental Day at North Bend State Park this spring. West Virginia’s Youth Environmental Program is not a recent creation. The first event was held back in May 1964 at Holly River State Park. Since then, the annual event has moved to North Bend, and has become a showcase of the work being done by young people through their ...

Stay safe in the swimming pool

Pool season is here, and the sounds of people playing in the water are a sure sign that the summer season is really heating up. But the fun of playing in the water can quickly turn tragic. Almost 400 children younger than age 5 drown every year in swimming pool accidents across the country, and more than 3,200 go to a hospital emergency room after a near drowning. A child can drown in 2 inches of water in under five minutes and never make a sound. Children ages 1 to 4 have the highest drowning rates — according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more children ...

Getting the system right

While politicians and some homeschool advocates continue to ask for West Virginia’s laws (and enforcement) regarding homeschooling to remain unchanged, the West Virginia Department of Education has produced data that should change their minds. According to a report by WCHS, the data show only one-third of Mountain State homeschool families turn in the required assessments As WCHS points out, state law gives county school districts the authority to take nonreporting families to court. But it does not require them to do so. After the death of Kyneddi Miller in Boone County, it was ...

The reason for our nation’s freedoms

We cannot describe the spirit of freedom any better than those who created the document which led the nation toward the actions which we celebrate on Thursday. The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that ...

Enjoy our local fireworks displays

We ask everyone to take a moment during the next couple of days and remember that, despite whatever differences we have, there are few nations in the world where citizens are able to gather to celebrate the freedoms residents of the United States of America too often take for granted. It’s an important thought as our nation prepares to celebrate its 248th birthday on Thursday. The Fourth of July is a true national holiday, one that is celebrated from the smallest township to the largest city. It’s a day of picnics, family gatherings, parades and summer fun, all played out against ...

West Virginia lacking independence

Independence Day is fast-approaching. Here in the Mountain State, we like to think of ourselves as being a fairly independent bunch. According to WalletHub’s “Most and Least Independent States (2024),” the data does not support that self-image. “Americans value independence,” the report’s authors write. “We fought hard for it during the Revolutionary War, and in the present day, we celebrate not only our freedom from the British crown but also our strong ability to rely upon ourselves as individuals. Now, with inflation affecting people across the country, many Americans ...