In the midst of the recent government shutdown, a story emerged that a group of people receiving welfare through the “EBT” program unexpectedly found that their EBT debit cards suddenly had no limit. The computer glitch allowed these individuals, who are dependent on food stamps to live, to go to Wal-Mart and fill up carts […]

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Another school year has started again for thousands of children in the Valley. As all parents and grandparents know, there is nothing more precious to us than our children. I love seeing children with their mothers waiting for the school bus in the morning, talking to their buddies, holding their mother’s hand and waiting for […]

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Halloween is finally upon us, and trick-or-treaters will soon be knocking at your door. Piles of candy and amazing costumes make October 31st a night of fun and excitement for so many families. However, as you take your children house to house, it is best to be informed of any potential dangers within your area. […]

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So next weekend I’m participating in Dancing With the Ohio Valley Stars. I’d be lying if I said I’d jumped at the opportunity. In fact, my first thought upon being asked involved flying pigs in a frozen Hell. After all, I don’t know anything about dancing. I’ve never watched the ABC show and can’t tell […]

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After the death of my yellow lab, Otis, I couldn’t stop feeling like something was missing in my life. I started looking for another lab to help fill the void. My son Ben’s chocolate English lab, Stubby, had died a couple of years before Otis died and he was also suffering from “lab loss”. You […]

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As Forbes magazine recently reported, nearly half a million people die each year from preventable medical errors. The Forbes article relies on a study recently completed by the highly-regarded Journal of Patient Safety. In the words of Forbes, new research techniques have allowed investigators to identify “killer errors in hospitals” and to locate “where the bodies are […]

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Despite various efforts to turn the housing market around, 10.8 million homeowners remain underwater (meaning they owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth), which represents 22% of all mortgages in the country. While policy makers continue to butt heads on how to respond to this huge drag on the economy, homeowners continue […]

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When I was in school, history was one of my least favorite classes. I always felt it was so boring to have to memorize names and dates of explorers, inventors, wars etc. Why was learning to recite the Gettysburg address in front of the whole class so important? It all seemed so unnecessary. The only […]

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Three recent news stories reveal that “zero tolerance” policies in our schools have truly run amok. In Boston, Massachusetts, Erin, a 17-year-old high school honor student, received a call from a friend saying that she had been drinking at a party. The friend asked for a ride home and Erin obliged. Erin arrived at the […]

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“Warning to West Virginia Motorists: If you text or talk on a hand-held cell phone while driving you could be pulled over, convicted and fined” As the above quote notes, West Virginia’s ban on texting or talking while driving is now in effect, with 125 convictions in the first 10 months of enforcement. West Virginia […]

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