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Tobacco

As mid-January tests New Year’s resolutions across the region, many may be weakening in their resolve. Certainly that must include some who vowed this is the year to give up smoking. To add a little incentive to the effort, WalletHub took a look at the true cost of tobacco use. The dollar amounts are eye-opening for the 46 million people in the U.S. who still use tobacco. Total lifetime cost per smoker in West Virginia was estimated to be $3,210,116. Think about that for a moment — particularly given that those who live in rural areas and have lower incomes are statistically ...

Inspiration

Gov. Patrick Morrisey gave us a peek at his inspiration when he touched on points from the presidential administrations of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush during his inauguration ceremony Monday. Rather than Reagan’s “shining city on a hill,” Morrisey repeatedly referred to West Virginia as “that shining state in the mountains.” Later, he appeared to give a nod to Bush’s No Child Left Behind education initiative by saying we will aim to assure every child has a chance to thrive and that “We will leave no one behind.” It is encouraging to hear our new governor say he ...

Controversy

Americans elect their leaders on the premise that those individuals will be capable of making the right decisions on difficult, as well as easy, issues. An issue on which members of Congress might have to render a decision, possibly in the early weeks of the new legislative session, is the kind of topic that could generate opposition and trigger anger, no matter how the decision making shakes out. The issue is whether Medicare and Medicaid should pay for popular anti-obesity drugs for many more Americans than those already eligible for that benefit. The Biden administration ...

Give Blood

If the weather has been a hindrance to your daily (or weekly) routine, think about what it has meant to organizations dependent upon the help of others to fulfill their missions. For the American Red Cross, January can be a difficult month. Weather is a factor, yes, but so is the active cold and flu season, which may make it harder for some to keep blood donation appointments or be eligible to donate. “The start of the new year is one of the most challenging times to collect blood products as the threat of severe winter weather builds and can often lead to widespread blood drive ...

Headed Down

Some of us may have shied away from looking at our credit scores once we finished our holiday shopping, but WalletHub took a look anyway and found perhaps we’d better do a little work. In “States With the Largest Credit Score Decreases,” West Virginia ranked 11th in the country. The average credit score in the Mountain State fell by 0.61% between the third quarters of 2023 and 2024. In fact, by the end of Q3 2024, the average credit score in the state was 647. Ohio is doing a little better, with a rank of 22nd. In the Buckeye State, the average credit score fell by 0.58% in the ...

Digging Out

If it took you several days to dig out, clear your driveway and sidewalk, maybe even wait for the roads closer to your home to be safe enough to drive on, you’re not alone. This week’s winter storm was likely an inconvenience for you AND your employer, with various levels of emergency being declared to keep as many people off the roads as possible. Now, stop and think for a minute about what the loss of those precious days has meant to many of our small, locally owned businesses — particularly retailers and restaurants. If you thought you were done worrying about whether to ...