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Mental health access must be a priority

In West Virginia, we pride ourselves on resilience. We rally for our neighbors, we lift up our communities and we carry our burdens with grit and grace. But when it comes to mental health, resilience alone isn’t enough. Access to care, support and hope must be part of the story, too. This May, as we recognize Mental Health Awareness Month, NAMI is proud to launch the “More Than Enough” campaign, a message of hope, inclusion and empowerment. It’s a simple but powerful idea: no matter where you are on your mental health journey, no matter what you look like or what you’re going ...

Please, remember your mother next Sunday

This week, I would like to use this small section of your Sunday paper to remind you that next week will be Mother’s Day. We blinked. And now, it is already mid-May. The month in which we are supposed to pay tribute to the woman whose every breath has been dedicated to our well being. She is given one day of the year to be recognized and appreciated for the millions of little things and hundreds of big things she has done for you since that moment you took your very first breath. So, what do you give someone like that? Has there ever been a gift designed that could equal what ...

Why coal still matters and innovation can’t wait

Right now, California faces rotating power outages previously only seen in third world countries. Pretty soon, they’ll be coming to Ohio too – unless we do something about it now. Fortunately, President Donald Trump took a major step earlier this month to address this looming crisis by issuing three executive orders to revive the coal industry—keeping aging coal plants online, accelerating mining leases on federal lands, and rolling back burdensome climate regulations. Coal shouldn’t be treated like a four-letter word in America; we should embrace it. Last year, the rest of ...

The urgency of Passing HB 180 and SB 82 in Ohio

Across Ohio and the nation, our democracy is confronting a crisis: a growing shortage of election workers. These individuals are the backbone of our electoral process, ensuring that every vote is accurately counted and every voice is heard. However, they are increasingly facing not only long hours and modest pay but also harassment, threats, and, in some cases, violence. To preserve the integrity of our elections, it is imperative that we prioritize the protection and retention of these vital public servants. House Bill 180, sponsored by Rep. Roy Klopfenstein (R-Haviland) and Rep. Elgin ...

Solutions to fix our public schools

Today’s op/ed is not going to be well received by a number of my readers. What you’re about to learn are my beliefs pertaining to educating our students based on my practical experiences as a teacher, administrator, coach, and athletic official. To digress a bit, many contemporary businesses are looking, almost begging to hire new employees, but many young people don’t want to work at entry level positions. They want top wages without proving their worth to employers. Now when my late wife, Peggy, and I moved to Wheeling in 1970, we knew literally nobody in the area. We had to ...

An anonymous Easter letter that required my response

Today, I am going to reply to a recent letter I received at work. Kind of like an Ann Landers thing ... minus the fact she is dead and this person never even asked for my opinion. So, in reality, it isn’t anything like an Ann Landers thing at all. To Whom it May Concern, I received your Easter card in the mail the other day. The Bible scripture you enclosed was nice to hear. We all need a reminder sometimes that God is with us always. The hand-written letter inside the card really did get my attention. Hence, the reason I am writing this column. I honestly hope you ...