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School attendance matters — much more than you may think

There is no “secret sauce” when it comes to performing well in school, but a good place to start is the data that tells us students who show up tend to do better. An increased focus on school attendance in West Virginia would likely have positive results, as we work toward the further development of economic diversity in the state. We have many contributing factors to low educational performance, but we need a solid starting point. With the new school year here, a focus on attendance could be the momentum we need to address those other issues. Attendance is a particularly ...

A reminder of what you don’t hear enough of

This week, I would like to tell you something you do not hear enough of. Something that perhaps no one ever bothered to ever tell you. Or, something some of you may already know. Today, I want to tell you … the world is a good place. Yes, you can go back and reread that sentence again, if you’d like. The world is a good place. You see, we always talk about, think about and hear about the negatives. And there are a lot of negatives. But, for the most part, the world is a good place. Think about what is our source in discovering what is going on in this world? For the ...

History in the Hills: Happy birthday, baron

As a historian, I enjoy commemorating the past. Events such as anniversaries, birthdays, dates of battles and the like, always have grabbed my attention and have been of particular interest to me. These events give us a good excuse to bring to mind our past. I am sure if one tried hard enough, every day could be a day that has some special historical significance. The very first commemoration one celebrates, is none other than a birthday. This month, we celebrate a very important birthday of an American hero and the namesake of the city of Steubenville, Friedrich Wilhelm August ...

A good man: Remembering Tim Armstead

West Virginia is a small state, and state government is not large, so the longer you cover certain politicians, the more chances you have to see the human side of the people you cover and even become friends. That’s the way it was with Tim Armstead, the late justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals and the former minority leader who rose to become the first Republican speaker of the House of Delegates in nearly 83 years. I attended the visitation for Armstead last Tuesday in the chambers of the House of Delegates, not as a news reporter but as a friend. I have a ...

Living united in the Upper Ohio Valley

The United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley kicked off its campaign this week with a couple of big events. Thursday evening saw the organization’s Jackpot Jubilee, with food, games, and more, at Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack. Then, during Saturday’s football game on the campus of West Liberty University, when the Hilltoppers take on the Seton Hill University (Pa.) Griffins, the United Way was set to be well represented, with the WL team running through a United Way sign, representatives taking part in the coin toss, with a 50/50 drawing and field goal contest planned as well ...

Guest Opinion: We cannot lose another one

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and here in West Virginia, the urgency couldn’t be higher. Our state is no stranger to hardship, but the current mental health crisis demands clear-eyed attention and bold action. In 2023, West Virginia’s age-adjusted suicide rate stood at 18.6 per 100,000 people, among the highest in the nation and significantly above the national average. That is 349 West Virginians we have lost in one year alone. Though this is slightly less than 2022, West Virginians deserve more. The numbers are more than data — they are human lives. In the ...