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Showing support for our veterans

One in 10 adult West Virginians is a military veteran, according to Ted Diaz, Cabinet Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance. While that is an incredible marker of willingness to serve, it is also a wake-up call for those in charge of providing those veterans the support they have earned. During the state Disabled American Veterans’ annual convention in Parkersburg Diaz talked not only about how much the state already does for those veterans and their families, but about where there is room for improvement. “We as a state have to create an environment ...

State’s bureaucracy is hurting our children

Surely Brian Abraham, Gov. Jim Justice’s chief of staff, saw last Thursday’s press conference going better than it did. In moderating the in-person press briefing, his aim was purportedly clearing up questions about how Kyneddi Miller’s case was handled leading up to her death at age 14 in Boone County. What followed was a standout example of bureaucracy over common sense, coupled with appalling disorganization and poor communication. West Virginians got to listen to the governor’s chief of staff call the actions of an on-the-ground local Child Protective Services worker ...

Work of the Guard is reassuring

As declarations and federal funding remind us of recent natural disasters, and reports suggest there may only be more to come, there is good reason for the West Virginia National Guard to want to help as many organizations as possible be ready. Last week, the Guard joined with members of several civilian fire departments for a joint training exercise near Winfield, in Kanawha County. According to a report by WV MetroNews, the National Guard’s All-Hazards Response team was joined by members of the Clendenin, Glasgow, Charleston, and South Charleston fire departments — all of which ...

Enjoy our local fairs, 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 Monday’s newspaper. Consider a random sample: • Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church ...

Cost of staying cool is heating up

For most of us, the ability to keep a home warm in the colder months seems more important than the ability to keep a home cool in the heat of summer. Those of us who grew up with grandmothers who opened the windows and set a couple of fans blowing when things got really warm probably don’t give much thought to air conditioning as an essential — particularly when so many of us take for granted that we CAN now crank the AC as low as we want to. But as temperatures rise, heat is becoming as deadly as cold in some parts of the country, while keeping a home cool is becoming more ...

A turning point in world history

Today marks the 80th 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 ...