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West Virginia Corrections Staffing Issues Must Be Remedied

West Virginia’s Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation continues to face a challenge experienced by many private employers: staffing shortages and pay rates that haven’t been able to keep up with inflation. David Kelly, commissioner of the DCR, reported to lawmakers this week that as of July there were still 410 vacancies of uniformed and non-uniformed personnel, with 223 vacancies of correctional officers across all facilities. The difference between most employers in the state and the DCR is that staffing shortages don’t result in a legitimate state of emergency or ...

Be Cautious This Deer Season

Southeast Ohio is facing the largest outbreak in the region’s confirmed cases of epizootic hemorrhagic disease in deer. An Ohio Division of Wildlife deer biologist told The Columbus Dispatch this year’s outbreak is the largest he has seen in his career, and that hundreds of dead or sick deer have been reported in Athens, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Noble and Washington counties. Mid-Ohio Valley counties in West Virginia have been affected, too. That will mean deer hunters will have to think a little differently about their trips. Preseason scouts in West Virginia have reported seeing ...

Change Needed for Struggling Districts

A recent report included a disturbing fact about West Virginia public education. According to a story from Mountain State Spotlight, there are now eight county school districts — Mingo, Tyler, Upshur, Logan, Nicholas, Boone, Roane and Randolph — of the state’s 55 where the West Virginia Department of Education is overseeing operations. Fifteen percent of state school districts are under the state DOE microscope. That’s jarring. That’s not an indictment against the students or teachers in any of those districts. They’re not why the state has intervened. The actions of the ...

Continue Caring Spirit the Whole Year Round

A shining example of the charitable spirit of the Ohio Valley came Thursday, as it does every year, with the Sandy O’Haver Day of Caring through the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley. As has been the tradition, businesses and organizations throughout the valley helped many of the region’s nonprofits throughout the day, taking on tasks that those nonprofits can’t get to. The projects might sound menial — painting guardrails, washing windows and working on landscaping — but not for those nonprofits. They’re tasks that need done, but often must be placed to the side while ...

Pats on the Back

- To Rabbi Joshua Lief of Temple Shalom and everyone who participated in the 9/11 Service of Remembrance at Heritage Port. It is crucial that we remember the lives lost and the spirit of togetherness that came following that tragedy, and this ceremony always brings that perspective to the forefront. - To the team at the new Foxfire Film Festival. The inaugural event kicked off in grand fashion Thursday with a red carpet premiere and will offer a fantastic slate of documentaries from award-winning filmmakers throughout the weekend.

Stay Informed on Vaccine Guidelines

Changes in guidance out of Washington, D.C., have left many confused about the accessibility of COVID booster shots this fall. There are questions about eligibility, insurance, and even where a patient can get the vaccine. Axios tried to unravel the mystery and found states falling into three categories (they used one pharmacy chain, CVS, as the test): unavailable, available without a prescription and prescription required for specific age groups. West Virginia falls into the latter category — prescription required. But in Ohio, the shots are available without a prescription. ...