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Let’s get health-conscious legislation on the menu

Reports from data analysis finance websites such as WalletHub don’t often paint a pretty picture of West Virginia, but in its “Best and Worst States for Healthcare” 2026, there is one bright spot for the state — and it may come as a surprise. The Mountain State ranks 19th in the country for healthcare access. Though poorer, rural residents may question that ranking, it was the good news. Now, on to the rest. Overall, West Virginia ranks 47th this year — 41st for cost and 47th for outcomes. (Hey, it’s not dead last. Texas, Georgia, Mississippi and Alaska are worse.) The ...

Granville sales tax proposal appears overboard

A move by the town council in Granville to become a Home Rule city and add a 1% municipal sales tax is of real concern. If passed, the town of 1,400 would see its municipal budget balloon from its current $9.5 million to about $13.3 million. Morgantown, by contrast, has 30,500 residents and a $45 million budget. How is it that Granville, at 1.31 square miles, needs a budget one-third the size of Morgantown? Someone on council should explain.Yes, the University Town Centre is part of Granville, and the town handles some paving there. But according to Mayor Patty Lewis, the tax increase ...

Each and every day, remember what’s important

“They have so little, and we have so much.”“They are so happy, and yet we are so sad.”Those observations come from one of West Virginia’s most interesting and genuinely kind residents, the Bishop Darrell Cummings of Wheeling. Cummings, a Pentecostal bishop who now oversees Port Elizabeth in South Africa along with his ministry in Wheeling, recently returned from a visit across the ocean with his parishioners. He said even though the residents there have little, they always are so happy. He compared that to here, where we have been given so much yet always seem to believe we ...

Getting out the vote important

Leaders of both major political parties agree on one thing: The presidential election scheduled for Tuesday is among the most important in American history.Its outcome will shape our government, economy, even our society for many years to come, and may even come to truly define just who we are at this time. Your life and that of your children and grandchildren will be affected profoundly no matter who is elected.Don’t you want to have a say in the matter?To judge by voter turnouts in previous elections, many of your friends, family members, co-workers and neighbors simply don’t care ...

Be mindful of youth during travels today

Forget about decades-old urban myths about razor blades and poisons hidden in Halloween candy — the real dangers tonight are more likely to come from inattentive drivers on local roads and children consuming candy that contains allergens.According to a report by The Hill, other risks include falls due to costumes that become a trip hazard (or reduce visibility), and candy that can lead to choking.Parents are advised by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to feed children before sending them out for their candy, to reduce the chance they will snack on a treat that contains an ...

Bureaucracy getting in the way in W.Va.

When most West Virginians think about being on top of things and getting the job done, they aren’t thinking about paperwork. But in Washington, D.C., we appear to be developing a reputation for just that.“All of the folks at the Department of Commerce who talk to me about our state say ‘wow, you guys are really ahead of the curve. You guys are really getting it done’ in terms of applications and paperwork,” U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said at the start of the 2024 West Virginia Broadband Summit in Charleston.That’s great. But getting a jump on all that paperwork ...