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Increased fee keeps 911 reliable

It was a headline-grabber indeed for those who chose to present a change by the West Virginia Public Service Commission as meaning cell phone BILLS increasing 10% in the state. But the reality is significantly less frightening. Beginning July 1, cell phone users in the Mountain State will notice a 10.2% increase in the wireless enhanced 911 fee (WE911) on their bills. There will also be an 8-cent wireless tower fee and a 29-cent public safety wireless fee. The total amount of the fee will go from $3.64 to $4.38. That’s 74 cents a month; $8.88 over an entire year. Breathing a little ...

Enjoy some local fairs and festivals

Whether you’re looking for the chance to spend some quality time with friends and family, an opportunity to make some new friends or just trying to find something special to do during the next several months, you need only look at the many fairs and festivals that are scheduled to be held throughout the Tri-State Area. Their themes vary widely, and events held across our region feature activities for people of all ages. You can find many listed in the special section that will be included with today’s newspaper. Consider a random sample: • The life of Dean Martin, the ...

Either work together or move over

There’s nothing quite like listening to bureaucrats and corporate representatives bicker while something of vital importance to ordinary citizens hangs in the balance. But that’s just what happened Tuesday when West Virginia Public Service Chairwoman Charlotte Lane had to call out electric utilities, internet service providers and state officials for dragging their feet on establishing rules for expanding fiber broadband on existing power poles. Though a group of representatives for Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power, MonPower and Potomac Edison, several internet service ...

Remember their courage, sacrifice

Today marks the 81st anniversary of D-Day, and it is appropriate that we honor those who were willing to stand tall against what some considered to be nearly impossible odds to defend our freedoms. Because of the sacrifices that were made on that day — June 6, 1944 — along the beaches of Normandy, France, Allied forces were able to continue on their mission of defeating Adolph Hitler, the Nazis and the Axis forces that had brought a reign of terror and tyranny to Europe. The actions of the Allied forces that day created a true turning point in history. They came at a time when ...

Little kitchen, big job

West Virginia Health Right is on the move. Three mobile units now allow the agency to provide a dental clinic, a medical clinic and now a teaching kitchen to communities in even the most remote corners of the state. With the most recent addition, the non-profit will be able to travel to parts of 34 counties to provide nutritional education, healthy cooking demonstrations and preventive health outreach such as blood pressure readings, body mass index checks and A1C/blood sugar tests. “Food is medicine,” said West Virginia Health Right CEO Angie Settle. “It’s not just the ...

Are we ready for the ‘brawl’?

Gov. Patrick Morrisey has been on quite a tour over the past few weeks as he signs legislation, makes important announcements and listens in communities all over the state. Here’s hoping he is using those visits to gain an honest understanding of where West Virginia stands against our competition in an economic Backyard Brawl. While there are bright spots here and there, for the most part the Mountain State’s communities and counties are struggling. Backing that up is WalletHub’s “2025’s Best and Worst State Economies” report. No, we’re not dead last. We are second from ...