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Ohio must do better with maternity care

Editorials

Officials have known for years there are maternal health care challenges in Ohio, but it always comes as a shock to see the numbers. This month, the state Department of Health announced it is hosting training sessions for some new programs meant to help prevent the deaths of mothers due to pregnancy-related complications. Such programs are necessary because in the Buckeye State an average of 24 mothers die every year during pregnancy or within one year of the end of their pregnancy, because of pregnancy-related complications. The Department of Health says 62 percent of these deaths ...

Keeping older population safe

Editorials

Our region’s population is aging, and that growing older population is increasingly vulnerable to a number of abuses. Sometimes they fall victim to complex scams in this digital age. Sometimes they fall prey to those on whom they should most be able to rely. WalletHub estimates elder abuse is an issue that costs more than $2.3 billion per year. But the human toll is incalculable. Certainly, policymakers do their best to put in place measures to stem everything from gross neglect and exploitation to financial abuse. But some parts of the country are doing better than others. ...

Season of line breaks arrives

Editorials

Some weather forecasts are predicting a big jump in temperatures later this week, and the high temperatures across the Tri-State Area appear to be heading into the upper 40s – and even the 50s – during the next several days. That, no doubt, will be welcome after our area has experienced a couple of days of below-freezing temperatures that came on the heels of Saturday’s snowstorm. One area of caution to consider, though, is that when such extreme cold temperatures are followed by a sudden warm up — water line breaks become a threat. Residents of our region are familiar ...

Beware dangers of holiday fires

Editorials

Late fall and winter make up the peak season for home fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association, the U.S. Fire Administration and the American Red Cross. Cooking and home heating are the leading causes of fire during the winter months. Candles, decorations and Christmas trees are among other causes of fires during the last two months of the year. The joy of the holidays can quickly turn to tragedy if simple safety precautions aren’t taken with decorations. Overall, the American Red Cross reports that 47,000 fires will occur during the winter holidays. They ...

Lessons to learn in Marshall County

Editorials

On Sept. 18, a school aide at McNinch Primary School in Moundsville reportedly witnessed a horrifying incident in which a teacher grabbed a 6-year-old girl — nonverbal and on the autism spectrum — by the neck with both hands and squeezed. That aide took the girl to the nurse’s office, where photos were taken of red marks on the girl’s neck. Then, the aide took the correct next step: Reporting the incident to the school’s principal. After that, it seems, Principal Jane Duffy and Erin Cuffaro, district director of special programs, did not have the sense of urgency or desire ...

Some holiday numbers

Local Columns

A trip through the holiday-themed inbox: With Christmas less than two weeks away, the push is on to acquire all of those last-minute gifts. And with the anticipated rush likely will come some concern about just what everything is going to cost. When all of that shopping is completed, estimates show that total spending will likely exceed $1 trillion. Just how much of that each person will budget depends on a lot of factors, including where you happen to live. That led WalletHub, the Washington, D.C.-based personal financial website, to look at nearly 560 cities across the United ...