Dr. William Mercer poses with the “Joe Nailer Too Cool To Smoke” statue in the lobby of WesBanco Arena.
When Dr. William Mercer was a family medicine resident at Wheeling Hospital, he never imagined that he would become a champion of the anti-smoking movement in the region.
“My duty when we would go read EKGs was to go get the cardiologist the ashtray,” Mercer said. “And we’d sit there and read EKGs and I never thought anything of it.”
Now, Mercer is being honored with the Bruce Adkins Lifetime Achievement award, given by the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free West Virginia to an individual who demonstrates a lifetime commitment to tobacco prevention.
When Mercer was the Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department’s health officer, he got a call one day from Pam Wilson with the American Lung Association who said, “‘hey why don’t you make Ohio County smoke-free?” And Mercer said, “Hey, that sounds easy.”
Mercer described that effort as “defining” for him as a health officer. He learned firsthand how he was able to impact a community with a regulation and educate the public.
“A lot of people didn’t know that secondhand smoke was harmful at the time,” Mercer sid.
Thursday marks 20 years since the Wheeling-Ohio County Health Board passed its local clean air indoor legislation in 2005 – a change that Mercer was instrumental in. The legislation bans smoking in 98% of indoor spaces, excluding only gaming rooms.
“That’s 20 years that our youth or adults have not gone into a restaurant and heard ‘smoking or non smoking?’” he said. “That made a difference. That was something we were pretty proud of.”
Adkins, the namesake of the award and longtime anti-tobacco advocate, was a close colleague of Mercer’s, making the award even more of an honor, Mercer said.
“It’s very special to me because it’s the Bruce Adkins lifetime achievement and he helped me get started with all of the smoke-free policies and trying to educate our kids not to get started on tobacco, so he had a big influence,” Mercer said.
Mercer fondly recalled the time the original “Joe Too Cool To Smoke” Snoopy statue, a key part of Mercer’s youth tobacco prevention and education work, was brought to Wheeling University, then Wheeling Jesuit University, for a kick-off event for the anti-smoking campaign.
Adkins asked Mercer who he would like to speak at the event. Mercer shot off then-U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin as a shoo-in for one of the slots, but his dream speaker? Surgeon General Richard Carmona, who had a major hand in spreading awareness on the dangers of smoking and secondhand smoke nationally.
“I thought that would never happen and then one day I can remember being at home and Bruce calls me and says ‘are you sitting?’ and I said ‘no…’ and he said ‘well you better be because Carmona is coming,’” Mercer said. “I said ‘how did you do that?’ and [Adkins] said ‘oh, I have my ways’.”
Mercer is known locally for his years as a family physician, his work with the retirement community, street medicine group Project HOPE, and his massive Peanuts collection. He has tens of thousands of Peanuts memorabilia items, the majority gifts from patients, which is hosted at the Kruger Toy and Train museum.
The Peanuts character Snoopy has become an iconic piece of Mercer’s anti-smoking education work with children over the years.
“Especially when we focus on fifth graders, it’s hard to go into the lung function, the bronchial tree and all that, so bringing Snoopy made it fun,” he said.
Mercer has had a longtime connection with the Schulz family – the late Charles M. Schulz was the creator of the Peanuts – which has allowed him permission on projects like the “Joe Too Cool To Smoke” statue, specially painted with anti-smoking imagery. “Joe Cool’ is one of Snoopy’s many personas in the Peanuts universe.
In 2018, the statue was repainted with a Wheeling Nailers uniform and skates — now known as “Joe Nailer Too Cool To Smoke” — and resides in the lobby of the WesBanco Arena.
“Joe Too Cool To Use Spit Tobacco” was where the Shulzes drew the line, Mercer said jokingly.
Mercer said it can be difficult to measure the positive health impacts from legislation and anti-smoking campaigns. However his students have told Mercer that imagery of healthy lungs in comparison with black, smoker’s lungs stuck with them throughout their lives.
“That’s what they remembered the most: ‘Gee, that’s what your lungs look like?’” he said.
Though Mercer said he has seen smoking decrease in youth in his time educating about smoking, vaping, or e-smoking, quickly took its place.
“We started to see a decrease in our youth doing cigarettes but then vaping came out and so that’s still an issue,” Mercer said.
Mercer credited the many in the healthcare field who have helped support him in his anti-smoking and educational endeavors.
Looking ahead, he said the marketing of flavored tobacco products to youth as well as federal funding cuts to prevention programs will be ongoing challenges.
“That’s where we’re sad to see some of these cuts come, like the West Virginia tobacco prevention program is in jeopardy,” he said. “You have to keep on top of this. I’m disappointed that a lot of this funding for programs for prevention are looked at as not necessary and that’s going to cost more money in the long term.”
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — In North Charleston, the High Hoops Basketball League is making a significant impact on nearly 500 kids from schools across the Lowcountry.
The league, organized by Dr. Justin Beaufort, aims to mirror the excitement of the NBA with media highlights, player jerseys, and post-game interviews.
“If I’m a kid, second or third grader walking down the hallway and I see my face on the screen at school, I’m definitely excited about that,” Beaufort said. “I wanna do everything in my power so I can get that same feeling next week as well.”
READ MORE | “Carolina Champion: Group combines basketball and faith to inspire youths in the Lowcountry”
The league not only focuses on basketball skills but also emphasizes academic engagement.
“We only play our games on Saturdays, so the kids can focus on the scholastic aspect of things throughout the week,” Beaufort explained. He believes the program helps lower criminality by keeping kids engaged.
However, the league faces challenges in finding enough courts to accommodate its growth.
“The lack of resources as far as gyms inside the community, we’re not able to get into ’em,” Beaufort said. “It just puts us inside a situation where we have to go rent gyms in order to do it.”
Beaufort is hopeful for community support to expand the league. “We would love that opportunity and we think that we can raise the number of kids that can be a part of it,” he said.
With backing from the city of North Charleston, Beaufort envisions the league growing from 448 kids to 4,000, which he sees as a win for everyone.
PSIA-AASI Central serves more than 3,500 teaching professional members in the Midwest through snowsports education, certification and promotion, according to the organization’s website.
“We are extremely thankful for all in our CCSC community who have contributed to our success as a club,” the organization said in a press release. “It is due to this community that we have been awarded PSIA-AASI Central Member School of the Year.”
The release said members and supporters of the club played a role in its efforts and recognition.
“It is a huge honor coming from one of our premier partners,” said Hunter Steinkamp, executive director of the Crystal Community Ski Club, in an interview with the Record Patriot. “Using their materials and education, we’ve been able to train some of the most highly trained coaches in the state. That allows them to be as effective as possible in our programs.”
The Crystal Community Ski Club operates as a youth-focused nonprofit, offering a range of skiing programs designed to build skills and interest in winter sports among young people in northern Michigan. Programs include alpine and Nordic teams, holiday camps, race academies, junior ski patrol and instructor training for middle and high school students, from beginners to competitive athletes.
The club also has initiatives such as the Nordic Rocks program, aimed at introducing elementary school students to cross-country skiing, often at little or no cost. The club partners with school districts and community organizations and offers scholarships to help reduce financial barriers and expand access to the sport.
For some Harlingen residents, the lake at the Tom Wilson Youth Sports Complex has not been the same in over a year.
The lake, located at 3139 Wilson Road, has been receding due to evaporation and a lack of a natural water source. The decreasing water levels have left fish unable to thrive.
To address the problem, the city’s parks and recreation department began pumping water from a newly tapped well into the lake last month.
It’s part of a conservation project fully funded by a state grant.
Crews also installed catfish spawning boxes and structures throughout the lake to give fish a place to hide and grow.
More fish will also be added as part of the project.
The lake is open for anyone to come fish. City officials said fishermen are only allowed to take home five fish of any species.
Those wanting to participate must have a valid fishing license, and city crews and game wardens will be at the lake enforcing the rule.
Jodi Darling Peterson didn’t know all the details of her brother’s work coaching youth basketball with the Boys & Girls Club in Portland. But when she watched Joe Voisine’s teams play, when she watched him on the sidelines, she recognized the most important thing.
“Those kids did not want to let him down,” she said.
That feeling was mutual.
Joe Voisine died on Dec. 8 after an illness. He was just 48.
His legacy echoes in the lives of all the players Voisine coached with the Yellowjackets and Blue Wave, the club teams he coached over the years.
Demitrius Covington, left, played for Joe Voisine, right, at the Boys & Girls Club of Southern Maine. Voisine, who coached the Boys & Girls Club and club teams in Portland for a number of years, died on Dec. 8 after an illness. (Photo courtesy Demitrius Covington)
“He was the guy, man. He was the guy,” Demitrius Covington said of Voisine.
A 2012 graduate of Portland High, Covington was the first captain of the Yellowjackets. He recalled the intense Saturday morning practices where Voisine taught the Yellowjackets to be a brotherhood. To look out for each other. For the guys from Portland’s lower income communities, who went home to places like Sagamore Village, Riverton Park or Kennedy Park, Voisine provided the opportunity to belong to something bigger than themselves that was hard to find.
“He helped so many kids find their way,” said Covington, who served eight years in the Navy. “He was our father figure. Look out for your brother. That’s what he taught us.”
If a player needed a ride, Voisine was the chauffer, Peterson said. If a player couldn’t afford basketball sneakers, Voisine bought them. He grew up a gym rat at the South Portland Boys & Girls Club, going often with his uncle, Peter Darling. Basketball was a passion for Voisine, and he wanted to share it, instill that passion in others.
“Without Joe, I don’t think I’d be the player I am today,” said Terion Moss, who was Mr. Maine Basketball as a Portland High senior in 2018.
When Moss was playing for Voisine at the Boys & Girls Club in middle school, Voisine had him playing with high schoolers, pushing the youngster to appreciate his talent. At the University of Maine at Farmington, Moss became North Atlantic Conference Player of the Year and an All-Region selection by d3hoops.com. He even played a little pro ball in Ireland.
When Moss and Lewis Gaddas didn’t handle a tough loss well, Voisine sat them down and had them talk to Covington about winning and losing with grace.
“That was a big deal for me, to hear that from somebody I looked up to,” Gaddas said.
Voisine took his teams to out-of-state tournaments. For many players, that was their first time outside Maine, Gaddas said. He treated everyone with so much respect. He taught every kid how to play the game, no matter their experience or talent level. If you wanted to play basketball, Voisine wanted you to love it as much as he did.
They had fun, Gaddas said. They gave each other good-natured jabs when Gaddas’ Portland High team played Voisine’s beloved South Portland in back-to-back Class AA state finals in 2016 and 2017.
Now an equipment coordinator for the Boston Celtics, Gaddas was working for the Maine Celtics a few years ago when the team made a run to the G League finals. Voisine reached out to Gaddas with messages of good luck and congratulations.
“He made me fall in love with basketball. He’s a big reason I’m where I am now,” Gaddas said.
You hear that, or similar sentiments, from many of Voisine’s players. He set them on a path of success.
“His biggest lesson was, just try,” Covington said. “The moment we started playing, he gave us confidence.”
Moss is now the gym coordinator at the same Boys & Girls Club in which he played for Voisine. Passing the game on to the next generation. Living Voisine’s legacy.
FARGO — Learning to swim often brings a mix of excitement and fear, from awkward doggy paddling and struggling to float to finally feeling comfortable in the water. Many can recall the early days of clinging to the pool’s edge or feeling overwhelmed without the help of a pair of arm floaties.
But on Sundays at the Hulbert Aquatic Center, traditional whistles and drills are replaced with laughter, patience and encouragement — thanks to AquaFun.
AquaFun is a free, weekly swim program designed to make swimming enjoyable and less intimidating for kids. It is a volunteer-run, youth-led initiative founded by Davies High School senior Justin Jiang, with fellow Davies swimmer Helen Wu serving as a head coach, alongside assistant coaches and sisters Sunisha and Nashatawn Tangpong.
As Jiang puts it, the goal is simple: “to make the water fun.”
Justin Jiang and Helen Wu, pictured on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, at the Hulbert Aquatic Center in West Fargo, are swimmers at Fargo Davies and instructors with AquaFun, a youth-led non-profit organization that teaches youth essential swimming skills.
Chris Flynn / The Forum
Inspired by their own memories of learning to swim, both Jiang and Wu are committed to encouraging kids of all skill levels to give swimming a try — especially those who are “scared to even put their feet in.”
Jiang has been swimming since he was 8 years old, participating in club swimming and now swimming competitively in high school. He started AquaFun about three and a half years ago after a family friend asked him to teach their children how to swim.
Word spread quickly, and what began as lessons for two kids soon grew into a community program helping dozens of children.
Using their years of experience in the pool, Jiang and Wu’s aim to create a welcoming experience — enjoyable for all newcomers and swimmers developing new skills.
Helen Wu and Justin Jiang, pictured on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, are swimmers at Fargo Davies and instructors with AquaFun, a youth-led non-profit organization that teaches youth essential swimming skills.
Chris Flynn / The Forum
AquaFun typically works with up to 15 kids at a time, ranging from about 6 or 7 years old to 11 or 12, and split into groups by age and skill level with Jiang teaching the more advanced swimmers and Wu and the sisters assisting the younger or less experienced children.
“We take all levels,” Wu said, noting Jiang’s observation that “some kids show up and they don’t want to get in.”
Unlike traditional swim lessons, AquaFun instructors embrace a more relaxed atmosphere, focusing on the fundamentals like floating, kicking and comfort underwater before progressing to strokes and harder skills like flip turns and diving techniques.
‘There’s no like yelling or drills,” Jiang said.
“I don’t like yelling,” Wu added with a laugh.
Lessons typically begin with a name game to help the kids feel comfortable with their instructors and fellow swimmers, followed by a group demonstration and skill practice — and always a snack break provided by the coaching crew.
The two are quite the pair — the type of teenagers that are seemingly chill in nature and just looking to have a fun time — and both say that teaching their lessons has made them better swimmers themselves.
“Teaching the little kids like reminds me to do stuff that I don’t do, don’t usually do,” Jiang said.
“Yeah,” Wu agreed. “You think about it more and then you’re like ‘Oh wait, I should work on this too.’”
The program operates entirely on volunteer time and grant funding. Jiang has raised thousands of dollars through science competitions and company grants which cover the lane rentals and snacks and allow AquaFun to remain completely free for families.
Alongside their happiness to volunteer, the pair say the most rewarding part is seeing the swimmers grow and become more confident.
“I remember this one student … at the start she couldn’t like put her head in the water,” Jiang mentioned, “But now, she just went off the high wall.”
“I was so proud of her,” Wu added. “She started when we first started teaching.”
Helen Wu, a state champion swimmer at Fargo Davies, discusses being a teacher on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, with AquaFun, a youth-led non-profit organization that teaches youth essential swimming skills.
Chris Flynn / The Forum
Parents are encouraged to watch, especially if their children are new, but many grow comfortable enough to sit back — or run errands — as their kids gain confidence. Over time, the coaches often see swimmers “graduate” from AquaFun and move on to club teams.
“Most stick around for a while,” Jiang said. “Some of them, after taking AquaFun for a while, they try out a club, and that’s when the intensive training starts.”
The youth swimmers typically transition to club programs around ages 11 or 12, with Fargo-Moorhead being home to several clubs, including the F-M Gators Swim Team at the YMCA, West Fargo Flyers, Moorhead Marlins USS Swim Club and Red Dragon Swimming.
Wu,15, has been swimming since she was 7 years old. She swam in club and has been swimming competitively for the Davies High School girls team since seventh grade. A sophomore, she recently concluded her swimming season in November by claiming the individual 50-yard freestyle state title, as well as claiming third in the 100-yard freestyle.
Jiang, 17, has been swimming since he was 8 years old. He started competitively swimming in high school and has been a captain on the Davies boys swim team since his junior year. His senior season started at the beginning of December, but last season, he qualified for state in the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard individual medley.
Sunisha and Nashatawn Tangpong, both swimmers at Fargo Shanley High School, joined AquaFun through their connections with Jiang and Wu in club swimming and now serve as assistant coaches.
Justin Jiang, a swimmer at Fargo Davies, discusses being a teacher on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, with AquaFun, a youth-led non-profit organization that teaches youth essential swimming skills.
Chris Flynn / The Forum
With Jiang preparing for college next year — and hoping to attend someplace warmer than North Dakota — leadership of the program will largely transition to Wu, with Jiang returning to help during the summer.
“I am excited, but a little scared,” Wu said. “I haven’t done it by myself, but I feel like it’ll be good.”
Both coaches hope AquaFun continues to grow and welcome new volunteers. For both Jiang and Wu, fun is at the heart of the program.
“If you’re curious, just try it,” Jiang said. “It doesn’t cost anything. You can show up and see how it feels.”
