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Hoppy Kercheval: Help Needed For West Virginia's Working Poor

Local Columns

I wrote about West Virginia’s poverty level in last week’s commentary, based on U.S. Census figures. However, those numbers do tell only part of the story of the financial challenges in our state. The United Way’s ALICE report is more revealing. ALICE stands for asset limited, income constrained and employed. It’s a measure of those living above the federal poverty level but still struggling to make ends meet. ALICE is a more real-life view of poverty because it presents a comprehensive look at the cost of household basics—housing, childcare, food, transportation, health ...

John McCabe: Residents Deserve Answers On National Road Issue

Local Columns

I’ve been wondering something in recent months, an issue that moved front-and-center again last week: How many times must the same stretch of National Road in Wheeling break open before someone decides the people living along it — and those who use it for their daily commute, to get to Wheeling Park or Wheeling Park High School — deserve more than another patch? For residents along National Road near Wheeling Park, that question — and an answer — is long overdue. More than a half-dozen major waterline breaks over the past few years have turned an ordinary expectation — ...

Susie Nelson: The Best Tribute To Dolly Parton Is To Give To Others Like She Did

Local Columns

When news broke that Dolly Parton had died in August, the tributes poured in fast. Social media and news reports shared clips of “9 to 5,” memories of “Jolene,” and photos from Dollywood. While I was a fan of her music and entertainment, I was even more enamored by her philanthropy. That’s the real measure of Parton’s life. She wrote some of the most iconic songs in American music, but she may have done just as much good with her checkbook as she did with her guitar. The way she gave, not just how much, is a model for the rest of us. In 1995, Parton launched the Imagination ...

Is Deep Debt Worth It For A College Education?

Editorials

It seems as though the school year has just gotten under way, but families across our region are beginning conversations about next steps with students who will graduate in the spring. Part of that conversation will inevitably be “Can we afford college?” For generations, part of the answer to that question has been student loans. Many young people believe they have bright futures ahead of them, and that post-high school education will give them what they need to bring home paychecks from which they can pay off those student loans quickly. Parents hope for the same. Reality is far ...

Save A Life Day Reminds Us To Remain Prepared

Editorials

It’s no surprise an observance such as today’s Save A Life Day was born in West Virginia — a state ravaged to a greater degree than any other by the substance abuse epidemic that continues to plague us. From a humble pilot meant to increase access to naloxone and help prevent overdose death, the day has become a nationwide push to take action. In the Mountain State alone there will be 220 events today, with the West Virginia First Foundation noting the sense of urgency means the number of events could continue to grow. Access and awareness of naloxone is essential, as is ...

Stop Flock Camera Abuse

Editorials

As wariness (and outright anger) over the use of Flock cameras in our communities increases, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson is right to be joining organizations such as the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio in seeking greater regulation of the surveillance devices. Investigations, including those by news organizations such as the Ohio Capital Journal, have turned up multiple instances of misusing the data. Further, the Capital Journal’s public records search of Shaker Heights’ license plate reader data over approximately four months showed the data was accessed more than ...