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OVAC All-stars are set to shine

Editorials

Fans of high school football in our region have been waiting for Saturday night for a long time. That’s when the 79th-annual Rudy Mumley Ohio Valley Athletic Conference All-Star Football Charity Classic will be played. As usual, the contest will allow the top graduated seniors from Ohio to square off against their counterparts from West Virginia, with kickoff set for 7:15 p.m. in Wheeling Island Stadium. Of course, there will be bragging rights on the line in the game, which was first played in 1940. Even more important will be the friendships that have been made during training ...

A fun week for all abilities

Editorials

With its signing 35 years ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act was designed to make certain that individuals with disabilities – no matter the kind – have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. It guarantees equal opportunity in public accommodations, employment, transportation, government services, and more. For the second year, the Weirton community is coming together to celebrate that landmark law, with activities designed for everyone. It begins Saturday morning with the Run the Distance, Embrace the Difference 5K, which will welcome participants of all ...

Insurance imbalance costing us dearly

Editorials

Health care coverage is on the minds of many these days, as we consider what changes at the federal level might mean for those covered by Medicare and Medicaid. Here in West Virginia, approximately 19% of the population is covered by Medicare and approximately 28% is covered by either Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, according to a report by the Association of Health Care Journalists. But the topic is broader than those two kinds of coverage. According to WalletHub’s “States Where People Spend the Most and Least on Health Insurance,” West Virginia ranks ...

A second chance to make the grade?

Local Columns

I’ve occasionally talked in this space about being a college dropout. In the past I used to qualify that statement as being a “proud” college dropout, though as I prepare to turn 43 on Friday, I’m not sure how proud of that I am anymore. I went to St. Marys Elementary School, Pleasants County Middle School, St. Marys High School and graduated from North Pleasants Christian School in 2000. I took a year off to decide my higher education options. I had thought about going to Marshall University at Huntington, but I just wasn’t ready to stray too far from St. Marys. So ...

Celebrating the legacy of E. Gordon Gee

Editorials

Monday marked the conclusion of an extraordinary chapter in American higher education as E. Gordon Gee stepped down from his presidency at West Virginia University. Spanning more than four decades and multiple institutions, Gee’s career has been characterized by visionary leadership, an unwavering commitment to student engagement, keen insight into the future of education and a profound impact on the nation’s academic landscape. Gee’s journey began where it ends — WVU. He first served as the university’s president from 1981-85. His leadership trajectory then took him to ...

Move over and slow down

Editorials

West Virginia drivers have known for years that when they see an emergency or other vehicle at the side of the road with flashing lights, they are to move over and slow down. Now, that law is even clearer about what is expected in such situations. Road maintenance workers are now also part of the law, which requires drivers approaching first responders or other vehicles stopped on the side of the road with lights flashing to move over one lane if possible, and to reduce their speed if not. “While AAA has been instrumental in getting Move Over laws passed in all 50 states, we have ...