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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 ...

Celebrating our area’s future leaders

A group of nine area businessmen and women have completed one journey and are embarking on another as graduates of the Weirton Area Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Ohio Valley program. For the last seven months, they have organized and attended a series of monthly sessions focused on local government, economic development, education, healthcare and more, while learning the importance of teamwork and public service. They visited and toured local businesses, volunteered their time with area organizations, attended civic and government meetings, took part in mock council exercises, ...

USPS must account for driver accidents

Winding its way through Congress is legislation that would require the U.S. Postal Service to track crashes of vehicles carrying mail. The legislation, which carries the name “Mail Traffic Deaths Reporting Act,” and which passed the House on May 6, also would punish USPS contractors that fail to report accidents. Additionally, the Postal Service would be required to publish a yearly report focusing on its highway safety record. Why has the USPS not already been doing this? The Wall Street Journal, in March 2023, revealed that in the prior three years, “outside” postal ...

Thriving through music education

Because of partners such as the Save the Music and Wing 2 Wing foundations, every middle school in West Virginia will have received free musical instruments by 2027. Residents who grew up during an era where most middle and even some elementary schools found ways to bring hands-on musical education to students might be surprised to learn it’s been lacking. But it has taken millions of dollars contributed to the state Department of Arts, Culture and History for such programs to make a come-back. Most recently, Wing 2 Wing, through its partnership with Save the Music, donated ...

Providing more harm than help

While state officials are bending over backward to protect themselves, rather than the children in their care, the former deputy secretary of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources is speaking out. “There is just not enough transparency in the system to fill some level of assurance that while tragedies will always happen, at least we did our best as a state and a government to address them,” Jeremiah Samples said during testimony in a class action lawsuit involving the state’s foster care system. “And I don’t believe we are at that stage right ...