High Points of the Valley (Graphic Illustration)

* A response team made of teachers, coaches, administrators and support staff at Fort Frye Local Schools is trained and ready to take potentially life-saving action should a sudden cardiac arrest occur. They are a “heart-safe” school system, as designated by the Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Project ADAM, after acquiring more automated external defibrillators, training staff and establishing rapid-response protocols. “We worked together … and went over how to respond and what to do in situations like this, and the locations of the AEDs … so that way, if ever I’m not there … they feel confident of how to respond,” said school nurse Lacey Wickham. Fort Frye’s rural nature makes it even more important to have trained people and the proper equipment on hand, when emergency response times can be longer. “Fort Frye shows a lot of initiative in its wellness and safety program,” Superintendent Stephanie Starcher said. “This allows every one of our schools to have a very thorough plan for addressing sudden cardiac arrest. All of our schools and athletic complexes are equipped with AEDs.” That’s a comfort, and a tribute to those willing to take part in the training to bring Project ADAM to Fort Frye. Well done, folks.

* Earlier this month, the Parkersburg High School Foundation announced recipients of more than $26,000 in 2026 teacher grants, to 16 teachers at the school. “We had an overwhelming amount of applicants this year,” said Sue Steinbeck, teacher grant committee member for the foundation. “With over $40,000 in requests, we had some hard decisions to make to stay within our budget. A huge thank you to Principal Jason Potts for his guidance in managing our budget and identifying additional funding opportunities. His support was a tremendous help in keeping us on track.” Money will do everything from purchasing a portable balance scale for a chemistry class to buying materials to create 80 vocational task boxes for students in the autism program. It’s a fantastic boost for some teachers (and their students) who are doing excellent work; and are no doubt grateful for the support.