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Editorials

Honored

Most Mountain State residents already know what a treasure the late Katherine Johnson was, and how important she and her colleagues were to any successes the United States had at the beginning of the space race. The White Sulphur Springs native and West Virginia State University graduate was among those known as human computers for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and then the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Their work helped put a man on the moon. Though Johnson had already received the Presidential Medal of Freedom back in 2015, Congress did the right ...

Dangerous

Public discourse has devolved to a dangerous degree as we approach another general election in November — that’s not news. But what is noteworthy is the manner in which public officials who SHOULD be held to a higher standard are willing to indulge in frightening rhetoric. Portage County, Ohio, Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski is entitled to his own opinions, of course. But as the chief law enforcement officer for the county, he must be more responsible than he was on social media late last week. Imagine living under the jurisdiction of a man willing to publicly declare “I say … write ...

Adoption

West Virginia’s myriad challenges — poverty, substance abuse and unevenly distributed resources, to name a few — have been affecting our children for generations. Measures in place to mitigate the damage done to those who will forge our future are facing their own challenges. As the need grows for families willing to adopt or foster children in state custody, the number of those willing families seems to be shrinking. But organizations are coming up with new ways to reach out. Mission West Virginia is launching the West Virginia Adoption Resource Exchange. It is a web-based photo ...

Fire Season

Fall fire season is fast approaching in West Virginia. It begins Oct. 1 (though the ongoing drought has made conditions dangerous already). This will be the first season during which employees of the state Division of Forestry, Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Section and state parks have improved equipment to fight wildfires, after passage of Senate Bill 1032 back in 2023. At an event at Twin Falls State Park, officials announced the inclusion of two Type 3 bulldozers with specialized forestry and firefighting packages, three Type 6 wildland fire engines, six new drones ...

Still Working

When members of Congress returned to work after their summer break, West Virginians got a reminder there is someone working on their behalf, even when there isn’t much spotlight left to grab. U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R. W.Va., has been working on finding support for those trying to overcome some of our state’s biggest challenges. To that end, her office announced Congressionally Directed Spending funds on the way for five regional projects. Marshall University’s Center of Excellence for Recovery will get $1 million toward a wraparound model to serve children affected ...

Kid Safety

When a new baby arrives, families child-proof their homes and continue to adjust safety measures and rules for children as they grow older. It’s just common sense. But sometimes doing the same for our vehicles can become an afterthought (or just one more expense that feels easier to avoid). But our vehicles can be a dangerous place for children, too. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 756 kids were killed in passenger vehicles in 2022 in the United States, and approximately 120,000 were hurt. Among the ways in which we can keep our children ...