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Improving Health Outcomes in W.Va.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey appears determined to turn around West Virginia’s hideous statistics when it comes to our health. Whether it be food dyes, the Mountaineer Mile or improvements in the ways SNAP recipients can access fresh produce, there have been plenty of announcements to indicate a desire to improve our health and health outcomes. But according to a report by the Commonwealth Fund, the Mountain State is still ranked 47th in the country for overall health system performance. That assessment comes before the effects of any possible changes to Medicaid that might make their way ...

Using Common Sense in West Virginia Issues

West Virginia’s Prosecuting Attorneys Association injected a little common sense and decency into a conversation that reached intrusive absurdity after Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney Tom Truman earlier this month made the chilling claim that women could face potential criminal charges if they do not inform law enforcement of miscarriages. “Call your doctor. Call law enforcement, or 911, and just say, ‘I miscarried. I want you to know,’” Truman said to WVNS-TV in a June 2 interview. Ludicrous, isn’t it? To be sure Truman’s claim didn’t do any more damage than it ...

Needs Remain; Find a Way To Help Out

It’s been 10 days now since flash flooding devastated the lives of most of those living in the Valley Grove and Triadelphia communities. Much work has been done since the floodwater ravaged those communities in the evening of June 14 to help those living there start to rebuild; but so much more work remains. Homeowners need help cleaning out basements; businesses need help rebuilding; supplies — cleaning, paper products, food, water — are in abundance right now, but the need still will be there as we move ahead; the West Virginia National Guard and other national disaster relief ...

Rising Power Rates a Concern for W.Va.

It’s always jarring when those representing corporations on which so many of us depend display their total disconnect from the real world. Appalachian Power customers had to be scratching their heads with company President and CEO Aaron Walker’s assessment of a 72% increase in residential customers’ rates since 2018. “I don’t think I’d say substantial. I don’t know what you mean by substantial,” he said during a West Virginia Public Service Commission hearing last week. Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power, subsidiaries of American Electric Power, have requested what ...

Coming Together for Friends and Neighbors

The last week has been a whirlwind for hundreds of Ohio County families devastated by the June 14 flooding in what now has become the largest single mass casualty incident in recent memory. Consider: - Eight dead and one still reported as missing. Among the dead were a mother and her 3-year-old daughter; a husband and wife; and a recent high school graduate; and others. (And let’s be clear: without the efforts of our area’s first responders, who selflessly put themselves in harm’s way to save others, the death toll would have been much higher. Dozens of swift-water rescues took ...

Looting Has No Place Here

As residents in Triadelphia and Valley Grove began the recovery process last Sunday from the flash flooding that claimed eight lives, it was heartwarming to see the strength of our community on display: neighbors helping neighbors recover from the single deadliest incident in recent memory in Ohio County. We chronicled many stories — including on today’s front page — of folks that went out of their way to help others recover. It’s only the beginning of that process, but the outpouring of love and assistance given to those in need showed the compassion and caring we have for one ...