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Keeping the Ball Rolling for W.Va.

Editorials

The difference in a child’s education could be something as small as a coat or a toothbrush. So a number of philanthropists from around West Virginia recently made a big donation to help schools provide those small things. The “Keep the Ball Rolling” campaign got an infusion of more than $1 million from Shawn and Angela Ball, owners of L&S Toyota in Beckley, West Virginia Treasurer Larry Pack and his wife Lisa through the Pack Family Foundation, and the Wing to Wing Foundation established by Marshall University President Brad Smith. With that money, $1,500 checks went to ...

Lawmakers Must Act

Editorials

Ohio lawmakers are missing an opportunity to show they are capable of stepping up when federal lawmakers do not. According to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal, there have not yet been any hearings — nor are any scheduled — for House Bill 502, “Appropriate funds for SNAP, TANF, WIC upon lapse in federal funds.” Introduced by Rep. Latyna M. Humphrey, D-Columbus, the measure would be a safety net — similar to efforts in other states — for the nearly 1.4 million Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients in Ohio. As Humphrey points out, “Grocery stores won’t ...

Keep Our Kids Safe When Dealing With Artificial Intelligence

Editorials

As much as technological advances can help us, there are always possible dangers as well, as Ohio County Schools and law enforcement officials recently discussed. The Wheeling Police Department will soon put together a video educating parents and students about the risks in artificial intelligence image manipulation. It is getting much easier to take existing photos and videos and mold them into whatever the user wishes — and that sometimes can lead to trouble. Wheeling Park High School Assistant Principal Jack Doyle told the story of someone who took a photo of two girls standing ...

Get Out and Vote, Ohio

Editorials

Tomorrow, Ohioans that have not already voted will head to the polls for the Nov. 4 general election. According to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, as of late last week there had been 61,308 absentee ballots returned and 98,382 early in-person ballots cast. Nearly 160,000 people had already weighed in on the candidates and issues. But at about this time last year there were 8.2 million registered voters in the Buckeye State, and 71.71% of them turned out to vote. Admittedly, that one was a bit more of a headline-grabber — but it was certainly no more important than the ...

Locals Stepping Up To Help the Hungry

Editorials

As the federal government continues to drag its feet in reopening — and thus restarting the funding on crucial programs like SNAP and Head Start ­— neighbors are helping neighbors here in the Ohio Valley. One local organization and a local grocery store have stepped up to assist those in need as SNAP benefits have halted. Grow Ohio Valley and its downtown grocery and food hub, The Public Market, will be providing food boxes in November to those experiencing the temporary loss of food assistance benefits. Meanwhile, Neely’s Grocery in Wheeling will offer 10% discounts on ...

Learning Experience?

Local Columns

November legislative interim meetings began Sunday at Pipestem Resort State Park near Hinton in Summers County, continuing today and wrapping up Tuesday. This is the second time lawmakers have traveled for interims, with the Legislature holding interim meetings at Stonewall Resort near Roanoke in Lewis County. It’s part of the Legislature’s efforts to travel to different parts of the state and learn more about the unique regions in West Virginia. While West Virginia is unfortunately stereotyped as one image of the hillbilly, we know that our communities are vastly different and ...