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Guest column/A college education vs. workplace training

Is a college education the only answer to a bright future? I’m beginning to wonder if college is always the right path for one to take. And so should all high school graduates who are not sure what their goals are in life. Let’s take a look at the numbers. The average cost for a four-year college degree that includes tuition, housing, parking, books and various fees can cost as much as $120,000-plus for a bachelor’s degree, $70.000-plus for a master’s degree and $150,000.00-plus for a PhD or EdD. (Source: SoFi Loan Financing.com) That’s a grand total of $340,000-plus ...

Guest column/Don’t let Congress undercut life-saving research

Across Ohio, researchers are achieving medical breakthroughs on what seems to be a monthly basis. Unfortunately, proposed legislation in Congress threatens to undermine Buckeye State scientists by weakening the patent protections that biotech startups rely on to raise capital and to give patients meaningful access to promising research ideas by developing those ideas into real-world therapies. This year, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced several such troubling bills, including the Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act and the Drug Competition Enhancement Act. The reason ...

Guest column/W.Va. businesses should be able to procure their own electricity

The cold days of winter have barely set in, and electricity is already one of the biggest concerns in West Virginia. At kitchen tables, in campaign speeches, and at national energy forums, people are asking the same questions: How do we keep power affordable and reliable, all while demand grows? At local hearings, residents are worried about rising bills. At economic-development meetings, leaders are debating how to power energy-hungry data centers. And just the other week in Charleston, energy experts at the West Virginia Energy Summit outlined a stark reality: Demand is climbing, ...

Some interesting thoughts

Catching up: • Their missions, the goods and services they provide and the way they look to the future might vary widely, but businesses and organizations that have served the region for decades all share at least one thing in common: They are committed to putting a quality effort into everything they do. A reminder came on Nov. 15, when Valley Hospice held its recognition and dueling pianos fundraising event at the St. Florian Event Center in Wintersville. “Forty years ago, Valley Hospice began with one promise: We do the right thing, for every patient, every family and ...

Guest column/Skilled building trades strengthen future

Each holiday season, West Virginians are reminded that the true measure of our state’s strength is found in the ways we show up for one another. For members of the West Virginia Building and Construction Trades, this commitment to community is woven into our very being. Our members don’t just build the roads, bridges, schools and energy infrastructure that keep West Virginia moving. They show up after hours, off the clock and from the heart, especially during the holidays. For example, this year, one of our partnerships supports the Salvation Army, where we were able to bring ...

I remember a time, not so long ago …

I remember a time, not so long ago , when the church pews didn’t just hold people — they overflowed with them. It was a specific kind of closeness unique to Christmas Eve. Families were pressed shoulder-to-shoulder with coats piled high. Voices rose in unison to the holiday favorites we all knew by heart. I remember a time, not so long ago … The way the candlelight flickered across the faces throughout the congregation. The profound hush that fell across the church just before the first notes of “Silent Night” were sung without hymnals. Those lyrics carried a ...