High Points of the Valley (Graphic Illustration)

* Mid-Ohio Valley residents can be caught off guard by a winter storm featuring snow, ice (so much ice) and sub-zero temperatures. Worse still if those temps keep many of us snow-and-ice-bound for a week or more. But we are fortunate to have among us those who go to work when the rest hunker down. First responders (can you imagine driving an ambulance in this mess?); electric, phone, cable and internet line workers; water department workers; plumbers; road-clearing crews … an army of people made sure as many of the roads as they could handle were plowed and treated as quickly as possible. The folks stocking shelves in grocery stores (if you shopped a day ahead of the storm, you saw the impossible task they were facing) and working in pharmacies tried to keep us fed and our medicine stocked up. Health care workers got the job done. After a day or two, there were plenty of others able to get to work and keep things running to the best of their abilities. But even after a week, it felt easier to stay warm and cozy at home than to face the elements. To those who didn’t have a choice (other than to choose a line of work that put them in such a position), we say thank you! May you have a long vacation somewhere warm scheduled very soon.

* Just ahead of that storm, high school students from Belpre, Fort Frye, Caldwell, Warren and Wolf Creek competed in a Battle Bots-style competition organized by the Appalachian Ohio Manufacturers’ Coalition. They designed, built and competed with one-pound combat robots in an event coordinated with support from AOMC interns, associate technical trainers and the coalition’s technical training manager, along with Building Bridges to Careers. “Discover Battle Bots is a powerful example of students learning directly from industry-connected mentors while building real technical and problem-solving skills,” said Kristi Leonard-Webber with BB2C and AOMC. “Experiences like this help students see themselves in future careers and understand that high-tech opportunities exist right here in our region.” What a fun way to learn important skills and critical thinking. Well done.