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High Points of the Valley

* Jefferson Elementary Center students got rewarded last week for their summer reading during the Golden Ticket Book Fair, which is in its third year. Students earned golden tickets for books they read over the summer and at fairs throughout Wood County Schools where they were able to cash ...

Determined: Small business success must be just the start

Some public officials in West Virginia have understood for years that we need to expand and diversify our economy — and that maybe the best way to do that is to start small. Efforts to help people start and sustain small businesses here have strengthened to the degree that a study conducted ...

SAFE Act: Justice’s bill would benefit seniors

More than a year ago, U.S. Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., introduced Senate Bill 2612 — the Stopping Addiction and Falls for the Elderly Act. It’s a bipartisan effort that incorporates risk assessments and prevention services for falls into annual wellness visits and initial preventive ...

Education: New goals are needed for student success

West Virginians expect their tax dollars will be spent on supporting public schools’ effort to educate and prepare students for life and careers after graduation. There have been improvements on that front, but West Virginia Board of Education member James Paul was right to ask a couple of ...

Economics: Hard work doesn’t mean what it used to for our region

WalletHub recently produced its “Hardest-Working States in America (2026)” report. Readers in West Virginia and Appalachian Ohio are likely thinking “Finally! A report in which our region will not be dead last.” About that … Both the Mountain and Buckeye states fall in the bottom ...

Infrastructure: WVU, Marshall effort could be a great help

Whether your favorite teams’ chants begin with “We are …” or “Let’s go!” Mountain State residents can agree it’s a wonderful thing to have West Virginia University and Marshall University team up with state government to tackle the problem of aging water system ...