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Foster Care

Editorials

There are nearly 6,000 children in foster care in West Virginia. Approximately one-third of them are between the ages of 13 and 17. These children are among our most vulnerable populations, and face challenges most of the rest of us are simply incapable of understanding. But they do have support. Initiatives from Fairmont State University, for example, offer opportunities for Mountain State students who have experienced foster care to earn a high school diploma and an associate degree simultaneously, through Middle College. The RISE (Resilience, Independence, Support, Empowerment) ...

Unleashing the power of ‘How can I help?’

Columnists

My friend Marv is near the end of his life on earth. By the time this is published and posted, he may have already ascended to heaven.   I met Marv 44 years ago when I entered the rooms of recovery. Marv must have known how scared I was for he quickly embraced me. I have never had a day in recovery in which Marv was not a part of my life. He loves unconditionally.  As life evolved, the giant of a man from Milton, Wisconsin, and this small-in-stature fellow from Janesville, Wisconsin, (that’s me) shared many experiences. In recovery, there is something called the Fifth Step. ...

Hunger

Editorials

West Virginia is considered to be the fourth “hungriest” state by organizations such as Feeding America and the U.S. Department of Agriculture studying food insecurity in this country. Certainly, Appalachia is hit hard. The food insecurity rate in southeast Ohio is 17.4%, though some counties in the region are much higher. In the Mountain State, the rate is approximately 16.67%. A significant number of those affected are children. Homegrown efforts such as those of the Highmark Foundation and WVU Medicine are a lifeline for families in need. For that reason, the Highmark Foundation ...

Shawn Dilly

Columnists

Any time a high-profile transition occurs, it naturally raises questions. When clear information is not immediately available, that space is often filled with speculation and, at times, misinformation. I have been deeply saddened by the number of false narratives that have circulated in recent days. While I cannot control what others choose to say or imply, the presence of malice in such narratives ultimately reflects more on those who spread them than on the subject itself. Moments of difficulty and controversy test all of us. While none of us are immune to hard decisions or ...

Consequences

Editorials

Twenty years ago, no one really knew where social media was going to go. Facebook had just dropped “The” from its name. It was not yet ubiquitous. It was only beginning to move beyond college campuses and into broader public use. By 2006, it opened the doors wide. There were just two requirements: have an email address and be at least 13. It was a revolution without a war. We can remember a time when we weren’t in years-long WhatsApp group chats or documenting every sandwich on Instagram. But the inch-by-inch way social media’s before and after bled together can obscure how ...

Determined to divide

Columnists

George M. Cohan, an American songwriter, penned “You’re a Grand Old Flag” on the eve of America’s entry into World War I. Somewhere in this ditty, he celebrated the country where there was “never a boast nor brag”. Irving Berlin celebrated the United States in the epic “God Bless America.” The themes of both songs stressed the importance of America being both modest and mighty. Oh, how things have changed. Braggadocio has replaced the sweet, dulcet tones of Kate Smith, who sang “God Bless America” in the 1930’s. Again, the USA was representing a better world that ...