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A fun week for all abilities

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

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 ...

Celebrating the legacy of E. Gordon Gee

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

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 ...

Take precautions from sun dangers

The summer season means many of us are spending more time in the sun. Before you head out, though, we ask that you take a few moments to pause and think about the toll all of those ultraviolet rays can do to your skin and your health. It’s especially important this time of year. The Skin Cancer Foundation reminds us that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than 9,500 people are diagnosed with skin cancer each day — and more than two people will die of the disease each hour. Around 20 percent of Americans will develop skin cancer by the time ...

How many hoops must we jump through?

What happened in Texas on July 4 was unfathomable. Flash flooding and its aftermath took the lives of —at this writing — approximately 120 people. Families and communities are devastated. Help from all corners is still desperately needed. And it is coming, even from the federal government, which rightly wasted NO time in quickly delivering a robust response. President Donald Trump approved Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s request for a major disaster declaration only one day after it was submitted. That activated Federal Emergency Management Agency resources and help for survivors and ...