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Time to look around and fix those costly leaks

Each year, I enjoy encouraging you to conserve water when we reach our annual Fix-A-Leak Week. The Public Service Commission of West Virginia participates in this national program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an important public service. Fix-A-Leak Week begins on March 17 this year, and runs through March 23. And while we set aside a special week for this idea, you should be thinking of water conservation all year. So, let me tell you some things that might surprise you and might encourage you to make some small changes. EPA says the average household’s ...

Be still … A verse we should all learn to live by

I miss my boys. I realize it’s only been a matter of two weeks since they were all under the same roof once again. While the greatest moments of my life are the ones where I spend with them, it’s always heartbreaking when they close the door behind them until the next time. That hug goodbye is always the hardest. Hearing “Bye, Mom,” as they walk away always leaves me in tears. But that is the way it was meant to be. They go back to their own city. Back to their own state. Back to their own lives. You know, it seems every time I write about them, I cry. ...

West Virginia: The Wrath of CON

I am a Star Trek nerd through and through, ever since I can remember. Naturally, I’m a fan of “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.” I have many favorite scenes from that movie. I even have a Hallmark ornament of the (spoilers) famous engine room death scene with Adm. James T. Kirk and a mortally wounded Capt. Spock, separated by glass, unable to touch his dying first officer and friend. But one of my all-time favorite scenes is Khan appearing to outwit Kirk, stealing the Genesis device and leaving him, his ex-lover, their son and his landing party marooned in the center of a dead ...

A celebration of our heritage returns

One of my favorite community events will be making its return later this month. The modern iteration of Weirton’s Festival of Nations was started in 2009 by representatives of the Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center. Billed as a celebration of the “melting pot” of cultures in the Weirton community, the idea was to reflect and pay tribute to a similar celebration developed by Weirton Steel employees as part of 1934 Labor Day festivities. According to research by local historian Dennis Jones, that celebration was inspired by a pageant at Weir High School in 1929, showcasing ...

Expanding access to essential eye care in West Virginia

West Virginia faces a critical healthcare challenge: limited access to timely and essential eye care services, particularly in rural communities. Patients across the state experience prolonged wait times due to a shortage of ophthalmologists, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment for potentially serious eye conditions. But the solution to this growing crisis is within reach. By allowing optometrists to practice to the full extent of their education and training, we can improve access to care, reduce patient wait times, and enhance the overall health of our communities. Doctors ...

Protecting Medicaid means protecting mental health care in West Virginia

Medicaid is a lifeline for more than 72 million Americans, including people with mental health and substance use conditions, pregnant women, children, people with disabilities, working families and veterans. It is also the largest funder of mental health and substance use care in the United States, covering over 40% of non-elderly adults with mental health and substance use disorders. As executive director of NAMI Greater Wheeling soon to encompass all of West Virginia, part of the National Alliance on Mental Illness—the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization—I ...