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Letters to the Editor

A Hodgepodge of Thoughts This Day

Editor, News-Register: I always look forward to this format. The “thank you” letters often published are mostly heartwarming. To place “Light” on benevolence is needed these days. Years ago, an old neighbor, friend and good man had told me something I’ve always remembered. It was 1978 (I wore a Jimmy Carter sweater), inflation was 20%. I was a steelworker (Yorkville Mill) Wheeling Steel, WPSC, Severstal Steel and RG, LLC (40 years). The cost of living adjustment (COLA) reflected an extra $150 a pay (2 weeks). The fixed income of the good man (mentioned), who was a retired ...

Lawmakers Should Let Teachers Teach

Editor, News-Register: I just read where our West Virginia Legislature, in all its wisdom, dumped something else on teachers (and we wonder why we can’t attract teachers to our state!). Now teachers must inform parents if their child identifies as a different gender. In most cases, the parents live with their children and should be able to pick up on the fact that their child may be transgender. About the time a teacher informs a parent of that fact and the parents don’t want to believe it, a lawsuit is in the making. In my 30 years teaching, I though my job was to teach the ...

Time To Rethink City’s Park System?

Editor, News-Register: As a lifelong resident of Wheeling, I’ve always believed in the beauty of our parks and green spaces. From sprawling trails at Oglebay Park to quiet corners in neighborhood parks, these are places meant to bring people together. But as I’ve grown older and more civic-minded, it’s become increasingly clear that our system is anything but united. In fact, it’s fractured—by history, by design, and by a troubling lack of transparency. Most people don’t know that the Wheeling Park Commission is not just a parks department. It’s a special district, ...

Lawmakers Right on Immunizations

Editor, News-Register: This is a huge thank you to the West Virginia legislators who voted against the proposals that would have weakened our childhood immunization laws. Childhood immunization rates have always been an area where West Virginia leads the nation. I am very happy that our record will continue. I know some think that requiring immunizations is an infringement on personal freedoms. That is the same argument used by some people who want to smoke cigarettes in public. If your actions affect only your own health, you can be as self-destrucive as you wish. However, like ...

Where Does Moore Stand on Trump?

Editor, News-Register: This week, our congressional Representative, Riley Moore, (R-W.Va.), did not directly respond to questions about whether he supports impeaching Trump from office. This is upsetting and I am unhappy seeing this lack of foresight and leadership from my district’s representative. As a concerned citizen and voter from Benwood, it’s obvious that Trump is leading the country into authoritarianism. His threats not to leave at the end of this term are highly credible. Hyperbole about the danger of his administration, from immigration to the economy, has become ...

Looking at What Makes Nation Great

Editor, News-Register: I was in junior high school when my dad got real sick. They took him to a medical center and did a lot of tests. The doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Then a blood test intern who had arrived here from Korea on a student visa suggested a test for some disease that was common in his country but rarely appeared here. That test pointed out the problem. My dad got the appropriate medication and returned home healthy. What if Donald Trump had been president and deported the intern? Our country benefits from immigrants from different countries, ...