Mar 28 Agriculture Kentucky Called A “Warning Signal” On SNAP Work Requirements The federal government is considering a work requirement for some people who get food assistance through SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. A new study uses Kentucky as an example of what that change could mean for the country. The SNAP rules require 80 hours of work a month and cap assistance at three […] By Mary Meehan Mar 28 Agriculture Kentucky Called A “Warning Signal” On SNAP Work Requirements Mary Meehan
Mar 20 Health Report Links Housing To Health A new report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation confirms the significant health challenges in the Ohio Valley, including premature deaths. It also lays out the often overlooked connection between health and housing. The report presents a county-by-county breakdown of health outcomes and reveals significant gaps between the healthiest counties and the least healthy counties. […] By Mary Meehan Mar 20 Health Report Links Housing To Health Mary Meehan
Mar 1 Health Serving Survivors: In Rural States, Telemedicine Brings Treatment For Sexual Abuse Gillette, Wyoming, isn’t the kind of place you just happen to come across. “It’s about a four hour drive through vast, unimpacted, wide, sweeping plains,” said Matt Gray, a professor at University of Wyoming in Laramie, explaining the trek from his office to his clients. Plains, he said, “and lots and lots of antelope.” For […] By Mary Meehan Mar 1 Health Serving Survivors: In Rural States, Telemedicine Brings Treatment For Sexual Abuse Mary Meehan
Feb 11 Health Health Experts Say Poor Practice By Company Likely Source Of Vaccination Infections Infectious disease experts say poor practices in vaccine delivery are the likely cause of infections reported by some people who received vaccine shots at their places of employment in the Ohio Valley. Kentucky health officials are investigating a link between the infections and a private Kentucky company hired to deliver vaccinations in the workplace. Location […] By Mary Meehan Feb 11 Health Health Experts Say Poor Practice By Company Likely Source Of Vaccination Infections Mary Meehan
Jan 23 Health Food Aid A Concern As Government Shutdown Affects SNAP Payments The partial shutdown of the federal government is affecting families depending on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program program, or SNAP. Benefits for February have come early as a temporary fix to avoid anticipated disruptions should the shutdown drag into another month. But the leader of God’s Pantry Food Bank in Lexington, Kentucky, said the […] By Mary Meehan Jan 23 Health Food Aid A Concern As Government Shutdown Affects SNAP Payments Mary Meehan
Jan 11 Health The Vexing Vape: Officials Say Small Vaping Device Juul A Major Health Risk To Youth A slender, black, rectangle, the Juul fits easily in the palm of your hand. You don’t light it, you trigger it with a click of a finger. The mist that is exhaled is so fine it’s hard to see. The nicotine is delivered via a pod the size of a AAA battery, with each pod […] By Mary Meehan Jan 11 Health The Vexing Vape: Officials Say Small Vaping Device Juul A Major Health Risk To Youth Mary Meehan
Dec 20 Health Sensitive Santa: A Kinder, Gentler Kringle For Kids With Special Needs I’m not usually one to name-drop but my brother Pat Meehan is Santa Claus. A real, professional Santa. Sitting in his home office fresh from work, he’s wearing black suspenders and a red T-shirt. There at least six other Santa outfits in his closet including beach Santa. His thick, white beard (yes, a real one) […] By Mary Meehan Dec 20 Health Sensitive Santa: A Kinder, Gentler Kringle For Kids With Special Needs Mary Meehan
Nov 23 Health “A Failure Of Public Health.” Sexually Transmitted Diseases Rise As Health Budgets Fall Health officials are tracking record-breaking rates of sexually transmitted disease, including a resurgence of some infections which had been considered rare, such as gonorrhea and syphilis. These STDs are on the rise amid cuts to public health budgets dedicated to testing, prevention, and public outreach. In the Ohio Valley, for example, a review of state and […] By Mary Meehan Nov 23 Health “A Failure Of Public Health.” Sexually Transmitted Diseases Rise As Health Budgets Fall Mary Meehan
Oct 26 Health Healthy Debate: Ohio Valley Health Concerns Driving Competitive Midterm Races The political ads in the Ohio Valley are playing on what seems like a constant loop. That’s not unusual for election season. But what is unusual this year is how many ads focus on health care. Consider this one from Kentucky Republican Andy Barr, who’s facing a tough challenge in the 6th Congressional District from […] By Mary Meehan Oct 26 Health Healthy Debate: Ohio Valley Health Concerns Driving Competitive Midterm Races Mary Meehan
Jul 27 Health Infection And Inequality: How The Income Gap Fuels Ohio Valley’s Hep A Outbreak Jim Thacker is frustrated. The spokesperson for the Madison County, Kentucky, Health Department said there is a real threat of a Hepatitis A outbreak at the detention center right down the road in Richmond. Built to house about 240 inmates, it holds more than 400. “It’s like a petri dish, they are packed so close […] By Mary Meehan Jul 27 Health Infection And Inequality: How The Income Gap Fuels Ohio Valley’s Hep A Outbreak Mary Meehan