We West Virginians can be excused for puffing out our chests a little bit over the recent news that Eric Eyre, a reporter for the Charleston Gazette-Mail won a Pulitzer Prize recently for investigative reporting. Especially since such awards routinely go to staffers from the New York Times, Washington Post and other major newspapers with…
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Read State of Miracles Part 1 Second of two parts I mentioned in my last blog that we made a decision to change our lives after facing the enormous pressure brought on by my stepson’s drug use and related problems—which ultimately led to him serving several months in jail for violating his probation. I think too…
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Former First Lady Nancy Reagan was laid to rest last week, amid glowing tributes and remembrances from dignitaries across the nation. However, this being the modern era, her death also sparked criticisms, like this one that argued her “Just Say No” anti-drug initiative was a failure. Not only did it create hysteria and lead to…
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Third of three parts I was so captivated by the talk by Sam Quinones, author of Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic, that when the moderator opened the floor for questions, I was the first to the microphone. Like many others in the crowd at Marshall University’s student center, drugs have had a…
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Second of three parts In my last post I mentioned how Sam Quinones, the author of Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic, kept the attention of a capacity crowd recently at Marshall University. I think one reason is the fascinating details he revealed about the legwork and research that went into his book.…
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First of three parts Conventional wisdom advises public speakers to limit their remarks to 15 to 20 minutes to avoid losing their audience. Supposedly, in today’s short-attention-span world, going any longer means most people will tune out. I recently watched an author that wisdom on its ear. Sam Quinones, the author of Dreamland: The True…
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My wife and I recently attended two community forums organized by a woman concerned over the calamity in our city wrought by heroin and other drugs. We were shocked to learn that heroin overdose deaths in 2015 in our city are projected to be six times the national average. Nor does it matter where you…
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By Ken Walker – My wife and I recently attended the graduation ceremony for nine men who had completed a drug treatment program that lasted anywhere from 12 to 18 months, depending on their circumstances. The most fascinating story came from the man who wound up living on the streets because of his addiction. Desperate,…
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