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Working detectors essential in homes

Though the winter has been mild over the last several days, we have entered a season during which we have even more reasons to be cautious about how we heat and light our homes. Working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are essential. On Christmas Day, four adult family members died in New Hampshire. “While the investigation remains active and ongoing, at this time, investigators believe the victims died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning,” said New Hampshire State Fire Marshal Sean Toomey. Part of that investigation involves examining the home’s gas heating system — ...

Fixing homelessness must begin at home

“No American should face homelessness,” reads the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s news release accompanying the January 2024 Point-In-Time Count Report. Yes, the data is a year old, but each year’s snapshot give us a better understanding of how many in our communities are facing just that. During the look at the number of individuals in shelters, temporary housing and unsheltered settings, researchers found more than 770,000 people were experiencing homelessness on that one night in January. That was an 18% increase from the same point-in-time in ...

Looking forward to an interesting year

With the beginning of every year comes a sense of hope and the feeling that the future ahead of us is at least a little brighter than the past that is behind us. That’s the case as we say farewell to 2024 and welcome 2025. We see that there are plenty of positive things on the horizon. Construction work continues at the site of Form Energy — the Massachusetts-based company is looking forward to opening a manufacturing facility that will produce specialty batteries on former Weirton Steel property in Weirton. Full production is scheduled to start later this year at the plant, ...

The losses of 2024

It’s likely that you lost a cultural icon who meant something to you during 2024, whether from the world of science, politics, the arts or sports. Whether they helped to keep us informed; entertained us on stage, on film or on television; whether they dazzled us through their accomplishments in athletics; or whether they helped to change the course of the world, each reminded us about the importance one person can make on many lives. Two of those who died in the past year helped to entertain us in many different ways, but a couple of characters portrayed by Dabney Coleman and ...

Think safety this New Year’s Eve

New Year’s parties are about to get under way, and it is a good time to again remember not to get behind the wheel of a car after drinking or using any impairing substance at one of those events. National statistics offer a sobering look at the dangers of driving while impaired. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 13,524 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in 2022. And, NHTSA adds, 32 percent of traffic fatalities involve drivers with a blood-alcohol content of .08 or higher. Breaking those numbers down even more, NHTSA reports there ...

Bringing new hope to West Virginia

West Virginians have been desperately searching for the means to loosen the grip of the substance abuse epidemic that has plagued us for so long. Perhaps this week’s distribution of the first round of West Virginia First Foundation Initial Opportunity grant funding will mark the turning of the tide. Sitting on nearly $1 billion of opioid settlement money, the foundation’s statewide expert panel had $19.2 million to grant to successful applicants — across the six regions of the state, with up to four target areas per region. The panel was able to distribute only $10.4 million, ...