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* West Virginia Division of Highways officials wasted no time naming the new bridge on the Scott Miller Hill Bypass project for the late Bob Ashley. It was a project near and dear to the long-time legislator's heart, and he had pushed for its completion for many years. "(Bob Ashley) would be so proud that you are there doing that job that he's working with you to make things happen, make things better for West Virginia," said Ben Ashley, Bob Ashley's son. "So thank you to everyone who came here today." Bob Ashley died May 15, and the Scott Miller Hill Bypass opened to traffic July 1. Now drivers on that section will travel the Robert G. "Bob" Ashley Memorial Bridge. It is a richly deserved tribute to a man who did so much -- not just for one project, but for the state as a whole.
* The newest monument at Marietta's Gold Star Park is the Purple Heart and POW/MIA Memorial, which was dedicated earlier this month on National POW/MIA Recognition Day. "This is a wonderful acknowledgement, because not too many folks really know about the MIA stories," said U.S. Navy Cmdr. (retired) Rick Buell, during the dedication ceremony. His father, U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Kenneth "Ken" Buell has been missing and presumed killed in action since a Sept. 17, 1972, mission over North Vietnam. The plane was hit, and no trace of the aircraft or crew has ever been found. "My dad's case happens to still be active, which is amazing," Buell said. Former U.S. Army soldier and West Virginia native Jessica Lynch also spoke at the event. She was one prisoner who was rescued. "They looked at me and they said, 'We're Americans, and we're here to take you home,'" Lynch said. It is worth a trip to the new monument (and to all the others at Marietta's Gold Star Park) to take a moment to remember what Buell, Lynch and so many others have done for this country -- for us.