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Necessities

Gov. Patrick Morrisey arrived in Welch, W.Va., this week with a determination to let the people of McDowell County know they have not been forgotten. In addition to announcements regarding money for other parts of the state, Morrisey touted the awarding of $1 million to address sewer system deficiencies in Bradshaw, in McDowell County. “Every man, woman, and child should have access to safe, clean drinking water,” Morrisey said. “Every business owner should have the opportunity to operate in a town with modern utilities, and every county should be part of our state success story. ...

Lawmakers

West Virginia lawmakers spent considerable time this past session discussing public education. Bills pertaining to weakening vaccination requirements, shifting oversight for the West Virginia Board of Education to the Legislature, mapping all schools to improve safety and more found their way to committee agendas. But no where in that mix was discussion on how to improve student achievement. That was a missed opportunity. Consider the updated 2024 NAEP scores presented earlier this year by the Urban Institute, which uses demographic information such as “gender, age, race or ...

Improvement

West Virginia’s deadly substance abuse epidemic has become significantly less so lately. According to the National Center for Health Statistics through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been a 43.5% decrease in overdose deaths in the state over the past year. “That’s great news and it’s really unprecedented,” Dr. Matthew Christiansen, chief medical officer for Valley Health and a former state public health officer, told WV MetroNews. It is wonderful news, yes, but it begs the questions: What has changed? And are use rates as high as they ever ...

Danger in the Air

Until the midair collision that claimed 67 lives on Jan. 29 near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, followed soon thereafter by a number of other incidents involving planes, some of those incidents also resulting in fatalities, members of the flying public generally had exuded great confidence regarding their safety while using that mode of travel. Now, however, many of those same travelers do not feel quite as secure, due to what has been happening during recent weeks on the air travel front. It is clear that the level of confidence that had existed in the past will not ...

Memorial Day

It’s the end of a school year; perhaps it is the opening weekend for swimming pools; it’s a three-day break — an excuse to travel, grill out, invite a few friends over and relax. It is Memorial Day weekend. And on Monday, in the midst of all that summer celebration, we must remember “to observe Memorial Day by praying, according to [our] individual religious faith, for permanent peace,” as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reminds us. It’s not much to ask from those of us who will be able to enjoy the results of the sacrifice by those who were willing to give ...

Retirement

Imagine a career in which you personally celebrate the accomplishments and achievements of more than 335,000 young (and some older) men and women. That’s the mark retiring West Virginia University President E. Gordon Gee set Sunday when he conferred degrees to graduates of WVU’s final three colleges — the College of Applied Human Sciences, the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Sciences and the Eberly Colleges of Arts and Sciences —during ceremonies at the Coliseum. Gee offered graduates words of wisdom accumulated over 43 years as a college president at ...