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Looking to our past, to guide our future

There is no doubt West Virginia has contributed much about which we can be proud to building and powering our country and the world. A new exhibit planned for the West Virginia State Capitol Complex will celebrate that history in an outdoor complex called “West Virginia: Nature Designs a State that Fuels a Nation.” According to the Governor’s Office the exhibit is part of the America 250 WV “legacy project.” And while the name might lead visitors to believe they are about to learn about coal, oil and natural gas, the project will highlight 11 industries. Iron and steel, clay, ...

Doing better for ourselves

It’s easy to make a cost/benefit analysis on some expenditures and make a decision about whether it is worth spending the money. But when it comes to our health, most of us do not have that luxury. While the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates the average American spends $13,500 per year on personal health care, research by the Kaiser Family Foundation suggests the U.S. is falling behind several other wealthy countries when it comes to the quality of that care. And, as always, the conundrum is worse for those living in some states than in others. While many West ...

New tool to protect our children

West Virginia’s Department of Human Services appears to be looking not just for more people to support its mission, but also for better tools. DoHS Bureau of Social Services Commissioner Jeff Pack told WV MetroNews the state has contracted with Evident Change to develop a Structured Decision Making tool to support those screening alleged abuse and neglect cases. Now the Child Protective Services supervisor in charge of reviewing the facts tries to decide whether the allegations are true and/or meet the definition of abuse or neglect. “Honestly, oftentimes that’s a little ...

Permitting process needs a jump-start

Most all of us can agree that bureaucracy exists to serve itself, rather than the taxpaying public. Bureaucrats can wield licenses, permits, deadlines and other forms of red tape like precision weapons. Their zeal in doing so has bogged down our nation’s economic diversification and growth potential for far too long. But a plan presented by U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., and John Barrasso, R-Wyo., could speed things back up, at least for one sector. The Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 is meant to eliminate some of the time and hoops that stall energy projects of all ...

Getting ready to go back to school

Ohio and West Virginia are preparing to welcome back-to-school shoppers with sales tax holidays. And while residents of both states have become accustomed to that yearly break as they prepare to send their children back to the classrooms, Ohioans will see one big change: This year’s tax holiday has been expanded, and will run from midnight Tuesday through 11:59 p.m. Aug. 8. That’s a week and a half for families to take advantage of tax-free purchases — made in-person or online — of eligible items up to $500. West Virginians, meanwhile, will get their sales tax holiday from ...

Blood donations are still needed

The need for blood is great throughout the year, and area residents always are willing to step up whenever a call for donors is made. And, while every collection is important, officials with the American Red Cross of the Ohio Valley are placing special emphasis on a drive that is scheduled to be held Monday at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center on Market Street in Steubenville. All area residents are encouraged to donate, but the Red Cross is encouraging African Americans to participate. By doing so, they might be helping those who suffer from sickle cell ...