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Better cities, better lives

“Bike paths, it’s a fact that they make communities a better place to live.” Sam Skinner, president of Beverly-Waterford Growth and Revitalization, couldn’t be more right, as local residents who take advantage of other bike and walking paths in our communities can attest. It is a wonderful thing to be able to safely get out and enjoy nature in your own backyard. With plans for a new multi-use trail in Beverly to be built this year, residents there should soon have the same opportunity. A $1.2 million grant from the Ohio Department of Development’s Appalachian Community ...

Mental health matters too

With increasing talk about a growing sense of anxiety and fragile mental wellbeing, it makes sense that some Ohioans are seeking needed mental health care. For most of them, finding timely care is a challenge. Health Policy Institute of Ohio says 75 of the state’s 88 counties are mental health shortage areas, according to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal. “We also did some focus groups with parents and caregivers of children needing mental health services and just asked about their experiences and some of them talked about wait lists two years long to get into a certain ...

A group merger for good

When two organizations have worked so well, for so many years, to improve the lives of Mid-Ohio Valley children, it is cause for celebration to learn they plan to team up. The Ely Chapman Education Foundation and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Washington County will begin working as a team — consolidating services by May 31. Arts, academics, food security and individualized care will be stressed as the two groups combine, with the idea being an expansion of capacity for kids aged 3-18. With a focus on early learning, the combination should create 48 new spots for children aged 3-5 to ...

A richly deserved retirement

Last week, state Senate President Pro Tempore Donna Boley announced her decision to step away from the legislature after decades of service representing Pleasants County and state Senate District Three. “It is with a heavy, but grateful, heart that I submit to you my resignation from the West Virginia Senate,” said Boley, R-Pleasants. “It has been the honor of my life to represent Pleasants County and the Third Senatorial District for more than 40 years. I would not have been able to do that without the support of my constituents, who chose to elect me 11 times.” Boley served ...

Opportunity for many to participate

The American Discovery 250 Relay will travel 6,800 miles across the country this summer and fall. Some of those miles will run right through the Mid-Ohio Valley, including the North Bend Rail Trail and crossing the river into Belpre. What a wonderful way to be part of the celebration of this milestone for our country, and there is plenty of time for local groups to figure out how they want to be involved. “We’re pushing out that local engagement right now,” said Dave Whitson, relay director for the event. “In West Virginia, the North Bend Rail Trail is a natural fit, and ...

Be wary of AI in what you watch and read

It may not be Ultron or Skynet as some initially worried, but the latest wave of artificial intelligence technology has not turned out to be a perfect tool, either. In fact, a case out of Wood County Circuit Court reminds us there are big reasons NOT to rely on the technology. A petition seeking an injunction was denied by Circuit Judge J.D. Beane in part because the filing contained inaccurate citations generated by AI. He believed that because it was “riddled” with errors, it was unlikely to succeed. “The Court is left with the conclusion that this complaint was drafted, ...