UP: To local law enforcement officers and other first responders who have gone to various Mid-Ohio Valley schools in recent days to build good relationships with kids as part of a week that kicked off with National First Responder’s Day. “Lots of different agencies participate with us to make sure our kids have all the knowledge they need to make good decisions,” said Mineral Wells Elementary School Principal Melissa Powers. “It gives the students the opportunity to ask questions and talk about their lives. Now they know, all these different agencies are people they can go to if they need help.”

UP: To Constellium in Ravenswood being awarded a $9.5 million Department of Defense grant to modernize and upgrade its 114-inch mill for cold-rolled aluminum. Because our local facility holds one of only two pieces of equipment in the country that will produce a specific kind of armor plate that protects military transports, it is a vital part of what helps protect our troops. Constellium already employs 1,150 people, and this grant will make more jobs available. It is good news all around; and more evidence of how much large employers and even government agencies think of the workforce right here in West Virginia.

UP: To Roane General Hospital’s expansion project, and the unveiling of a new program called “Prescription for your Health,” which will launch in conjunction with the opening of the expansion in 2021. The streamlined, individualized care plans will incorporate preventive medicine, testing and care planning; with an educational but also medical and fitness components. In fact, patients who have signed an agreement will receive perks for staying on track with participation in the program –which will include free access to a fitness facility. It sounds like the kind of plan other hospital systems in our region might want to consider.