Representatives of “Never Alone Kids” provided information about their program at Monday’s Hancock County Board of Education meeting.  Patti Barnabei, founder of Never Alone, and Kim Weaver, executive director of the Weirton Christian Center, said the new program is designed as a peer support group for children who have lost parents or loved ones to the opioid epidemic.  The program will provide counseling to grieving children in a child-centric setting.    Children will have the opportunity to share their loss with others who may have experienced similar loss  with the  caring adults and counselors present.
  Barnabei asked that the group be permitted to provide information to school counselors so that the counselors are aware of the program and can provide referrals to it.  “Never Alone Kids” will host an Open House on Thursday, November 19, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the Weirton Christian Center in Weirton.
In other business, the Board:

**Approved Ray Six as Assistant Girls’ Basketball Coach at Oak Glen High;
**Approved Kenneth McElhaney as Head Boys’ Basketball Coach and Kenneth “Jake” McElhaney as Assistant Boys’ Basketball Coach at Oak Glen Middle;
**Approved John McGowan as Head Swimming Coach at Weir High;
**Approved Paul Buffington, Larry Hood and Ron Smith as Assistant Boys’ Basketball Coaches at Weir High;
**Approved Stan Robinson as Assistant Wrestling Coach at Weir Middle;
**Transferred Charles Klar from Countywide Substitute Food Truck Driver/Custodian to Custodian II, Weir High;
**Transferred James Crain from Custodian II, Allison Elementary, to Custodian II, Oak Glen High;
**Scheduled the next meeting of the Board for Monday, November 23, 5 p.m. at the JDRIV Career Center.