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Ruby a diamond for West Virginia

Editorials

During this week’s legislative interim meetings, lawmakers got a glimpse at the drive — and success — of Chelsea Ruby, who was reappointed as cabinet secretary for the Department of Tourism by Gov. Patrick Morrisey after having already served in that capacity for eight years under Gov. Jim Justice. During those years, Ruby has guided the department through changes in the tourism industry and state government’s approach to it as a priority. “I will say that the mission of the Department of Tourism has changed over the years,” Ruby said. “You’ve seen over the last eight ...

Some help saving our skin

Editorials

As we’ve all been surviving under the rays of the hot summer sun in recent days, one organization has been working to offer some extra protection for area residents who are spending their days outdoors. The Hancock County Family Support Center, a division of the Brooke Hancock Family Resource Network, has installed portable sunscreen stations at five area parks. Throughout much of the year, visitors to Chester City Park, Clarke Field in Newell, New Cumberland City Park, as well as Marland Heights Park and Starvaggi Memorial Park in Weirton, will be able to find the yellow, ...

Take proper steps to beat the heat

Editorials

Along with the arrival of astronomical summer — which happened at 10:42 p.m. Friday — has come a brutal heat wave, a stretch of extreme weather that means we all should be aware of the potential for severe health risks. According to the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh, the Tri-State Area will be under a heat advisory or an extreme heat warning through Wednesday. While the air temperature is expected to reach into the 90s, the heat index likely will be climbing into the 100s. That extreme heat and high humidity can lead to serious health issues. More people in this ...

Morrisey’s punching down helps no one

Local Columns

At what point does one quit trying to keep winning the last political party primary? At one point does one stop trying to play to the perceived whims of a base and simply just govern? Gov. Patrick Morrisey won the 2024 GOP primary with 33.3% of the vote in a six-person primary. Albeit Morrisey didn’t win a clear majority and his closest competitor – former House Judiciary Committee Chairman Moore Capito – was only about five points behind Morrisey, but he did win. Turning to the general election, Morrisey carried the state last November with nearly 62% of the vote – a more ...

Don’t make our health worse

Editorials

Gov. Patrick Morrisey appears determined to turn around West Virginia’s hideous statistics when it comes to our health. Whether it be food dyes, the Mountaineer Mile or improvements in the ways SNAP recipients can access fresh produce, there have been plenty of announcements to indicate a desire to improve our health and health outcomes. But according to a report by the Commonwealth Fund, the Mountain State is still ranked a pitiful 47th in the country for overall health system performance. That assessment comes before the effects of any possible changes to Medicaid that might make ...

Enough is enough

Letters to the Editor

To the Editor, I’m sure a lot of people saw the blatant and disrespectful behavior of the Weirton Water Board on June 12 on local television news. The insulting behavior of the board toward Karen Mentzer was appalling. Not one person had the decency to answer her question about accountability over the city’s water problems. However, I know personally what that treatment feels like. For me my treatment was with the previous council administration, when I asked, not once, but on three separate occasions, why the city had to double the water and sewer system with a declining ...