High Points of the Valley (Graphic Illustration)

* Wood County Schools director of curriculum and instruction Ashlee Beatty and her team of 30 educators have put in a lot of work to choose the new instructional materials for PreK and social studies across grade levels. It’s not an easy task these days, but the group spent months examining print and online materials, attending publisher presentations, and conducting independent reviews using West Virginia Department of Education criteria. “Every year, we have such fantastic team members,” Beatty said. “Their dedication to and passion for education is evident. The workload is heavy as a teacher, and this is a little extra on the staff, so we’re thankful for their commitment to their students and making sure we have the best instructional materials for our kids.” As Board President Justin Raber pointed out, “This is local government approving curriculum that’s not being mandated by the state or federal governments.” And so we join Beatty in being thankful for the effort she and her team gave to making the recommendation they believed will be best for local students.

* To see a band that has been performing nonstop since the 1970s — and remaining a crowd-pleaser all that time — you might be tempted to spend hundreds of dollars on a ticket to see the Rolling Stones or Santana. But Mid-Ohio Valley residents don’t have to go to all the trouble. Here we have Insured Sound, which is celebrating 50 years of nonstop performances this summer. Though members have rotated in and out over the years, there has been enough continuity over the decades to have audiences coming back for more. “It’s fun for us when we see people having fun and dancing and we just love music,” said lead vocalist Susan Owens. Certainly those who come to hear “a little bit of everything” from the band are in for a treat. Here’s to another 50 years of music, dancing and fun.