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Don’t Jeopardize Health

Editorials

Sitting in the Ohio House Health Committee is state House Bill 561, a measure for which authors appear to have given as much thought to a catchy acronym as they did to the well-being of Ohio children. HB 561, “to revise the law governing childhood immunizations and exemptions and to name this act the Parental Clarity on Health Options and Information on Conscientious Exemptions ‘C.H.O.I.C.E.’ Act,” would eliminate the requirement for some Buckeye State children to get the hepatitis B vaccine and make changes to other vaccine regulations. It is similar to a host of other ...

Working To Feed Hungry Families

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. 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 announced a $1 million grant toward the extension of the Food for Mountaineers program. Since 2024, the ...

Assisting Foster Children

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) ...

Help Out With Easter Giveaway

Editorials

The holiday giveaways put together by Bishop Darrell Cummings and Bethlehem Apostolic Temple have, for decades, been an example of the best that people in the Ohio Valley can be. Cummings and his church have made sure for so long that those in the valley who are struggling have food for a full family meal on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, that children have toys at Christmas and dresses and suits for Easter, and that students have the needed supplies for the start of school. For this Easter giveaway, set for 11 a.m. April 4 at the North Wheeling Dream Center, Cummings made a ...

‘Sammy’s Law’ Important

Editorials

A bipartisan group of lawmakers in Washington, D.C., has been working on ways to better protect kids online by giving parents the right to receive safety notifications through Federal Trade Commission-regulated third-party providers. Versions of Sammy’s Law, introduced in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, are meant to help alert parents when their children are taking part in potentially risky interactions. U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, has joined Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Katie Britt, R-Ala.; along with U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., and Buddy ...

Honor Red Cross During This Month

Editorials

March is National Red Cross Month, the time of year where the Red Cross is recognized for the important work it does the entire year round. The American Red Cross was founded in 1881 by Clara Barton as a nonprofit humanitarian organization providing emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in throughout the United States. One of the most recent appearances in Ohio County came during last June’s fatal flash floods, when the Red Cross opened a pair of distribution centers ­—one in Valley Grove and one in Triadelphia ­­—to help those in need in ...