"If we don't start something, we're costing the county money. It's costing the county money not to be a part of it."Drema Mace, executive director of the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department, did not mince words in encouraging Wood County Board of Education members to approve a universal ...

UP: To Jackson County, for being named a quarterfinalist in the America's Best Communities competition. According to Tammy Shingleton, of Frontier Communications, the quarterfinalist communities will now have "six months to shape and refine their revitalization plans for the chance to win up to ...

Constitution Week began Thursday, though with little fanfare. The week between Sept. 17 and 23 is set aside as a result of a Daughters of the American Revolution petition to Congress that was meant to promote study of the U.S. Constitution. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the observance ...

When Mid-Ohio Valley residents give of their time and money to various local organizations and foundations, sometimes it is not always easy to see the results of that generosity. But one shining example came to light this week, when the Meals on Wheels program in Marietta was able to purchase a ...

Next week, parents of Wood County Schools students will receive a package of information designed to help them better understand and discuss their children's WESTEST2 results. It is essential for parents to review this information and use it to help talk to their kids about the exams."Since ...

West Virginia lawmakers made great strides earlier this year to tackle the problems of lawsuit abuse in our state. They have miles to go. Or, at least, the word has not yet gotten out about how much they did accomplish, if a recent survey can be believed.Forbes Magazine quoted a survey by the ...

Only Arkansas and Missouri have worse "food security" than Ohio, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. What that means is the federal government has found a way to put a number on how many families are forced to skip meals - or eat less - because they do not have the money to buy ...

Drivers are getting the message about seat belts."The seat belt campaign is making an impression on people and saving lives," said Sgt. B.A. Pickens, of the Wood County Sheriff's Office.But there are still some who ignore the rules and disregard their own safety. When more than 1,000 vehicles ...

UP: To a planned meeting next week between Jeff McDougle, manager of the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport, and Department of Transportation officials. Local travelers wish McDougle luck in explaining the degree to which Silver Airways' poor performance has created problems for the airport and ...

It has been 14 years since four planes slammed into New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pa., and plunged the U.S. into a new era. We have, essentially, been at war ever since, and have lost nearly 14,000 men and women - U.S. military service members and contractors.We travel ...

Most people shy away from thinking about the kinds of decisions associated with patient wishes and end-of-life care. But a tool available to West Virginians will at least make it easier for folks to make those decisions known to emergency responders and medical professionals.West Virginia ...

Newport Elementary School students learned some important lessons about bullying - or, rather, how to stop it - when they took part in a presentation that mixed magic tricks with a message."I have no idea how he did that (magic trick)," third-grader Kaylynn Lauer said, "But I learned that if ...

West Virginia University's school year and football season are underway, and the administration and some students are encouraging the Respectful Mountaineer Moments Program. It is a good idea, aimed at a culture shift on campus that will focus more on volunteer service, learning and respectful ...

As analysts more and more frequently lament the end of industry in the United States - and look hopefully to the horizon for its return - it is important to remember the degree to which the intelligence, skill and strength of our workforce has built this great country. It is also essential to ...

It is easy to spout off on a topic - to fire out a social media post or, even, write a letter to the editor, and believe the point has been made. But the outlet for public comment that really counts is not used nearly as often as it should be. Most politicians and government bodies offer ...

UP: To the Vienna Lions Club, which donated a new picnic table to the New Era One-Room School in Mineral Wells, after the original was stolen. As club members put it, even though Mineral Wells is outside their normal area of focus, the group felt it was important to do something to address the ...

"You can't tax an economy into prosperity," said Arthur Laffer, CEO of Laffer Associates, an economic research and consulting firm. He was speaking to the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting and business summit this week. But his remarks should have caught the attention of ...

Local residents have learned more about the ins and outs of political committees and appointments in recent months than they might ever have imagined. And as another elected official steps into a different role, we see once again that in many cases the path of voters casting ballots with which ...

Next week, the United Way Alliance of the Mid-Ohio Valley will kick off its annual fundraising campaign, and Executive Director Andrea Shirey reminded local residents why participation is so important. With a theme this year of "Change Someone's Story," the campaign will be raising money and ...

For anyone under the impression the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has only West Virginia's extraction industries in its sights, it must be noted the agency quietly announced its assessment of the Mountain State's farms Monday. To the surprise of no one, the EPA found our state's animal ...