DEAR PAW’S CORNER: Every morning, my next-door neighbor walks her dog past my house. Every morning, she berates her dog, calling him an idiot and a bad dog, especially after picking up his poo. I cannot see the dog doing anything wrong, so I don’t know why she’s constantly yelling at him. I know it’s affecting him, though — he has his tail between his legs most of the time. Is there anything I can do for that dog? — Bill in Oshkosh, Wisconsin

DEAR BILL: That’s hard to watch — emotional abuse can be as damaging to an animal as physical abuse.

Strong verbal correction is OK in obedience training when you need a dog to stop doing something immediately. But it should be limited to a firm “No!” and a quick tug on the leash if necessary -- followed by proper corrective training.

When an owner simply berates the dog and takes out their anger verbally on them, it isn’t training. It doesn’t correct their behavior. Behavioral issues often get worse, not better. And the mixed signals and negative feedback that the dog constantly receives can cause trust issues that never fully go away.

What can you do as an outside observer? Rescues or animal control likely won’t intervene in a simple case of yelling at a dog.

If you feel safe talking to the owner, try starting a conversation with them. You may be able to glean more info about why they are yelling at the dog, and you might be able to give training advice.

However, you should also observe and document the situation. Write down the dog’s physical condition and behavior and note if they deteriorate. If you see physical abuse from the owner, note the date, time and place and, contact animal control.

(c) 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

By Steven Allen Adams

Parkersburg News & Sentinel

Gov. Patrick Morrisey laid out his legislative agenda and presented lawmakers a balanced budget after previously raising alarms about a potential $400 million budget hole in his first State of the State address as West Virginia’s 37th Governor.

Morrisey gave his first State of the State address last Wednesday night in the House of Delegates chamber to a joint session of the House and state Senate, as Morrisey’s cabinet officials, Board of Public Works members, justices, and guests looked on.

Morrisey was elected in November as governor, succeeding now U.S. Sen. Jim Justice. A former three-term attorney general, Morrisey took office on Jan. 13.

Starting off with a story about asking students attending West Virginia Boys State whether they plan to stay in West Virginia following graduation, Morrisey said his mission as governor is to work to make the state a place young people want to stay, work, and raise a family.

“The first question is: how many people here want to go to college? When I ask that question, nearly every hand goes up,” Morrisey said. “Then I follow up and ask: how many people think there will be a good job available for you here in West Virginia once you graduate? Every year, about 20% of the hands go up. Think about that. It’s heartbreaking: four out of five of these kids feel they need to leave the state to find a job.

“Tonight, I want to share my vision for how to make those hands go up and help kids and grandkids make West Virginia home forever,” Morrisey continued

Morrisey said he wants to leverage West Virginia’s rich history as an energy state and abundance of coal and natural gas. Morrisey also wants to grow the perception that West Virginia is an all-of-the-above energy state, willing to embrace micro-grids for manufacturing and small modular nuclear reactors in order for the nation to compete globally with countries, such as China.

Read more: Mic Checks and Balances: Morrisey presents first State of the State address

Kent A. Leonhardt

W.Va. Commissioner of Agriculture

Facing what our new governor describes as a “massive deficit” in our state budget, I can’t help but notice that Medicaid and PEIA are among the primary causes.

This raises an important question. What could we have done over the past few decades to reduce these expenses? The answer is simple - promote healthier outcomes through better diet and nutrition.

Healthcare professionals have long advised us to eat healthier, and national discussions increasingly emphasize the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables over processed foods.

Yet, here in West Virginia, we’ve often ignored the ounce of prevention, only to pay the price for the pound of cure.

For decades, we’ve taken the cheaper, short-term path by relying on processed foods. That’s earned us another ranking at the bottom.

The WVDA, primarily through our WV Grown Program, consistently advocates for increasing the number of local foods in our diets while shortening the distance between the farm and table, thus improving our health.

We see food as medicine. Growing more food here in West Virginia is good for the environment, good for our health, and good for the economy.

For years, we have requested funding for the WV Grown program. Why? Funding for the program can exponentially increase its reach and effectiveness.

Connecting West Virginians to our agricultural producers gives them the power to choose local, whether that be from a farmers’ market or straight from the farm. The WV Grown Program supports our local communities to shorten the distance to your dinner table.

Money spent locally helps grow our economy. It also reduces the number of processed foods in our diet and leads to healthier lives.

The program, to date, has improved the bottom line for many West Virginia agribusinesses. Helping these rural businesses grow improves the quality of life for those communities. Improved communities result in better education outcomes, recreation, and health.

Funding WV Grown means supporting local communities economically and culturally. Now is the time to put real dollars behind this program and ensure our farmers, producers, and communities reap the benefits.

The USDA SNAP Stretch program has been a tremendous asset to West Virginians, allowing SNAP/EBT customers to double the value of their benefits. When shoppers use their SNAP/EBT card at participating markets, retailers, and farm stands, they receive an immediate dollar-for-dollar match to spend on fresh fruits and vegetables.

A minimal amount of stable state funding would be a huge win for our senior population, and the funding will be an income multiplier for producers selling at farmers markets to our seniors.

SNAP Stretch goes hand in hand with the FARMacy (food as medicine) programs gaining popularity and providing healthier outcomes to those living in food deserts that rely on dollar stores and gas stations for their meals.

Fresh foods do contribute to healthier outcomes. The closer we grow our food to the consumer the safer and healthier we are. Growing food locally adds to food security and supply stability. During COVID we saw food shortages, not because food was scarce, but rather the supply chains were disrupted. These disruptions are now an opportunity for West Virginia to move forward. Here in West Virginia, we have a huge food gap. That gap is an opportunity for growing our local economy. All of our neighboring states invest in their food systems. Some of those states use tobacco settlement funds, while others use legislative financial appropriations. It makes no difference to me how financial assistance is made available, but if we want a different outcome, then we need to try something different to improve our health.

West Virginia has a chance to break the cycle of poor health and improve our historically low public health rankings. By investing in local agriculture, we’re not just feeding our families, we’re building a healthier, more prosperous future for our state. Key steps toward this goal include insisting the Fresh Food Act is enforced, funding WV Grown, and improving the implementation of USDA food assistance programs.

A small investment in West Virginia agriculture will return big dividends.

To the Editor,

I’m not sure how much longer I can spend good money on my regional newspaper when they continue to publish political cartoons one-sided and without a scintilla of supporting evidence. Kirk, who is quite obviously a dyed-in-the-wool MAGA, shows President Biden sitting on a SUV-Sized bag of money marked “BIDEN INC.”, holding a pile of papers marked, “Family Pardons” and the quote, “Show me a man that gets rich by being a politician and I’ll show you a crook.” - Harry S. Truman.

For starters Biden pardoned his son Hunter who was prosecuted for checking a box about not possessing a firearm as a felon. A prosecution rarely ever pursued. A political hit job if there ever was one. All his infamous laptop revealed was naked pictures of our President’s son. Trump pardoned all the felons who were convicted or plead guilty for trying to steal the 2020 election; Michael Flynn, Steven Bannon, Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, and Bernie Kerik. And don’t forget the blanket pardon for the 1,500 Rioters who attacked Capital Police Officers with spears and clubs with nails and bear spray and bicycle racks; violent insurrectionists who tried to overturn the 2020 election results by interfering with the peaceful transition of power. Not just “apples & oranges”, but a crab apple & an apple orchard.

Donald Trump overcharged Secret Service Officers protecting him exorbitant rates at his hotels, and dignitaries who stayed at his Hotel in Washington D.C. His own family raked in bags of cash for deals, most exceptional son-inlaw Jared Kushner who received two Billion (with a “B”) dollars from his pal MBS of Saudi Arabia. The cartoon strikes me as one comparing an armored car robbery with a kid shoplifting a pack of gum.

While I can appreciate that regional newspapers in conservative areas like Grant County where 88.2% supported the Republican candidates, and that political cartoons represent a graphic form of satire, when they so blatantly ignore the facts and splatter the editorial page with cartoons that are not the least bit amusing much less accurate, it might be time to seek a more balanced approach to their choice of political cartoonists. Keep in mind 11.8% supported the other guy who was never indicted, much less convicted of ANYTHING.

Frank L. Miller

Mount Storm, W.Va.

Letters to the editor are encouraged. The writer must sign the letter and include a phone number and address for verification. Letters are subject to editing and those longer than 400 words will usually not be published. No more than one letter per month per person will be published. Political endorsements, as well as letters of opposition to any candidate, and thank you notes, are considered advertising, not subjects for letters.

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