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West Virginia: The Wrath of CON

I am a Star Trek nerd through and through, ever since I can remember. Naturally, I’m a fan of “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.” I have many favorite scenes from that movie. I even have a Hallmark ornament of the (spoilers) famous engine room death scene with Adm. James T. Kirk and a mortally wounded Capt. Spock, separated by glass, unable to touch his dying first officer and friend. But one of my all-time favorite scenes is Khan appearing to outwit Kirk, stealing the Genesis device and leaving him, his ex-lover, their son and his landing party marooned in the center of a dead ...

A celebration of our heritage returns

One of my favorite community events will be making its return later this month. The modern iteration of Weirton’s Festival of Nations was started in 2009 by representatives of the Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center. Billed as a celebration of the “melting pot” of cultures in the Weirton community, the idea was to reflect and pay tribute to a similar celebration developed by Weirton Steel employees as part of 1934 Labor Day festivities. According to research by local historian Dennis Jones, that celebration was inspired by a pageant at Weir High School in 1929, showcasing ...

Expanding access to essential eye care in West Virginia

West Virginia faces a critical healthcare challenge: limited access to timely and essential eye care services, particularly in rural communities. Patients across the state experience prolonged wait times due to a shortage of ophthalmologists, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment for potentially serious eye conditions. But the solution to this growing crisis is within reach. By allowing optometrists to practice to the full extent of their education and training, we can improve access to care, reduce patient wait times, and enhance the overall health of our communities. Doctors ...

Protecting Medicaid means protecting mental health care in West Virginia

Medicaid is a lifeline for more than 72 million Americans, including people with mental health and substance use conditions, pregnant women, children, people with disabilities, working families and veterans. It is also the largest funder of mental health and substance use care in the United States, covering over 40% of non-elderly adults with mental health and substance use disorders. As executive director of NAMI Greater Wheeling soon to encompass all of West Virginia, part of the National Alliance on Mental Illness—the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization—I ...

Happy birthday to Bon Jovi and Ron Howard

Has there ever been a time when you hear or see something that makes you stop in your tracks and say to yourself, “Oh my gosh, I feel so old?” Well I have. I’ve experienced this quite a few time in my life. There are times when I might be lying there, watching television and feel like I’m still a teenager. Notice I said “lying” there, because whenever I move or bend over I can definitely tell I am not. But I have never felt as old as I did the other day when I was putting together this Valley Life section of the paper. In the Today in History section, I noticed it ...

History in the Hills: Preserving our past

I have heard it said that when someone passes away, it’s like a library burning down. And naturally every year, we lose more and more knowledge retained in the lives and experiences of those who have gone before us. Last week, I lost my grandmother, Lois Carpini, who lived to the ripe old age of 97. What more could one ask for but to have someone in their life for so long. I am so lucky that she lived a good long life, and that she got to know my wife and our four children who loved her dearly. My grandmother meant so much to me, and she will always hold a special place in my heart. ...