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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 ...

Letting All Enjoy Movies

Editorials

Easterseals Rehabilitation Center has long been a champion of inclusion in the Ohio Valley, and showed that again with its latest event. The organization once again hosted its fourth a “sensory-friendly” matinee for children and their families at Towngate Theater. “It’s a way for people who maybe wouldn’t feel comfortable in a theater setting or cinema setting like up at The Highlands, they can come here. There’s no expectation for kids to sit still and be quiet,” Easterseals marketing director Betsy Bethel-McFarland said. Multiple accommodations are made so ...

Central Boys Hoops Were Simply Perfect

Editorials

Not only did the Wheeling Central boys basketball team add to its rich history with another state championship, it was able to do something this past weekend that it hadn’t done since the Beach Boys’ “Surfin’ USA” topped the charts. The Maroon Knights went wire to wire with their winning, finishing with the program’s first undefeated season since 1963. The players’ parents weren’t around to see that one. Heck, some of their grandparents probably weren’t, either. That capped an extra-special season for Central, the team’s second consecutive state title and one that ...