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Anti-Opioid Bill Is a Necessary Measure

Editorials

While the acronym might have been a bit of a stretch, the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) for Veterans Act is still a long-overdue piece of legislation, introduced last week by U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. Given all this country — and particularly our region — has been through because of the substance abuse epidemic, it is a bit of a surprise no one has worked toward such a measure for those who have served. This one would expand veteran access to non-opioid alternatives by creating pathways for Food and Drug ...

Bipartisanship Still Works

Editorials

Lawmakers do love an alphabet soup when it comes to naming their legislation. But for some, if the clever name helps it stick in the minds of those who will be voting for it, the wordplay is worth the effort. Such is the case with the Adoption Deserves Oversight, Protection and Transparency (ADOPT) Act (and its accompanying Hospital Adoption Education Act) being introduced by U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio. According to Husted’s office, the aim of the bill, which is co-led by U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Katie Britt, R-Ala., is to fight exploitation by unlicensed adoption ...

Don’t Fall Victim to Scams

Editorials

Nearly all of us have been on the receiving end of an attempt to scam us out of our hard-earned money — particularly in the digital age. Utility scams are fairly common, and many of us probably think we know how to sniff them out. Still, according to AEP Ohio, more than 2,000 scam attempts have been reported to that company alone so far this year. That’s 2,000 the company knows about. Who knows how many have gone unreported, or who might have fallen victim? AEP was issuing its reminder on Utility Scam Awareness Day, earlier this week. But the safety advice is important to ...

WVNCC Students Helping and Learning

Editorials

It is wonderful to see students get real-world experience in their chosen fields while helping others in need at the same time. West Virginia Northern Community College HVAC students are doing just that right now in flood-affected areas of Ohio County. Those devastating June floods destroyed dozens of homes. Those homeowners are trying to rebuild, and in many of those domiciles, new heating and air conditioning units are necessary. Professional contractors can’t keep up with all the need, so WVNCC students are jumping in to help install those units. “The students get to learn ...

A Sobering Outlook

Editorials

A report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland delivered some unsettling news as we roll toward the holiday season. Indicators suggest there is a 24% chance the U.S. economy was in recession last month. The Cleveland Fed represents Ohio and parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky, where the Ohio Capital Journal noted there have been a number of worrying indicators. Credit card debt is rising faster in Ohio than in all but four other states. We had the fifth-highest unemployment rate in the country in August. In fact, hiring across the country has slowed dramatically, ...

One Governor at a Time, Please

Local Columns

Larry Pack has a good reputation as an accountant and businessman, having operated an assisted living company until selling it off a few years ago. He was an active member of the West Virginia House of Delegates. He continues to be a respected Republican national committeeman. He moved on to serve as a senior advisor to former governor Jim Justice and easily slid into a vacancy as Department of Revenue secretary during Justice’s final year in office. Pack won election unopposed as state treasurer, taking office early in January so that former state treasurer Riley Moore could be ...