It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in East Palestine, OH is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
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“Always Best Care has been taking care of my mom for almost two years now”
“I Work for always best care and I love it the clients are great the people in the office are wonderful and they work with you .. They give people a chance to better there lifes and make a living by help others and I just love everyone in this company. I will retire from here ????”
“I have been with ALWAYS BEST CARE for about 10 years. The staff has always worked to make sure the Caregiver and I are a good match. One morning my Caregiver was unable to come. The owner of the company came to be my Caregiver that morning!! I have never had that happen with any other company. I ❤ ALWAYS BEST CARE!!! I recommend this company to everyone who needs a Caregiver!!!”
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“This company has a very kind team working very hard to make a difference in people's lives. Clients and staff. Owner has worked hard and professionally to give everyone the respect and chance they deserve!”
“Always Best Care has been taking care of my mom for almost two years now and we really appreciate their dedication and compassionate care. Thank you for everything.”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in East Palestine, OH, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in East Palestine, OH understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in East Palestine, OH 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 1, 2025) — University of Kentucky scientists received $1.8 million through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) East Palestine, Ohio, Train Derailment Health Research Program to conduct critical research into the long-term health effects of the 2023 disaster. The funding — from NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) — supports the program’s first year of work, and the university will be a major contributor by helping to lead a consortium of thre...
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 1, 2025) — University of Kentucky scientists received $1.8 million through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) East Palestine, Ohio, Train Derailment Health Research Program to conduct critical research into the long-term health effects of the 2023 disaster. The funding — from NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) — supports the program’s first year of work, and the university will be a major contributor by helping to lead a consortium of three academic institutions. The program is administered by NIEHS and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, also part of NIH.
On Feb. 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed, with 38 cars carrying hazardous chemicals — including vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, ethylene glycol and benzene residue — leading to prolonged fires and a vent and burn of five cars of vinyl chloride. Since then, community members have reported a range of health issues, from headaches and respiratory problems to skin and eye irritation, raising concerns about potential long-term impacts on maternal and child health, as well as psychological, immunological, respiratory and cardiovascular outcomes.
The research consortium, named East Palestine Investigation Consortium (EPIC), is led by Erin Haynes, Dr.P.H., professor in the UK College of Public Health Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health. EPIC emphasizes a community-driven approach, ensuring residents play an active role in shaping the research agenda.
Since shortly after the derailment, Haynes has worked closely with residents, local organizations, and public health officials to develop a comprehensive health strategy for East Palestine. Her team, including East Palestine resident Misti Allison, who has a Master of Public Health, has already followed people in the community through a two-year health tracking study. With this new funding, EPIC researchers will measure long-term changes in health markers such as lung and immune function and mental health.
“I am so grateful to NIEHS for supporting our ongoing research with and for the East Palestine community,” said Haynes, the Kurt W. Deuschle Professor of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health. “This funding will allow us to conduct a comprehensive community health needs assessment, collect health data over time, implement a health research tracking system and share findings with the community. We will also collaborate with other research teams to help address the ongoing health and exposure questions the community is asking.”
Community partners in the UK-led study include The Way Station, Columbiana County General Health District, The Brightside Project and East Liverpool Health Clinic, who have worked alongside residents since the derailment. Their involvement will ensure the research stays rooted in local priorities.
UK will collaborate on this initiative with other consortium team members, including Yale University and the University of Pittsburgh. At Yale, Nicole Deziel, Ph.D., Michelle Bell, Ph.D., and James Saiers, Ph.D., will evaluate water quality impacts through state-of-the-science hydrological modeling with Ohio Valley Allies. At the University of Pittsburgh, Juliane Beier, Ph.D., will study liver and thyroid function. Darryl Hood, Ph.D., from Ohio State University, will serve as a consultant on the study.
To strengthen its community partnership, EPIC is planning a community meeting in East Palestine in November to provide updates on the research, answer questions and share next steps. More details about the event will be announced in the coming weeks and will be open to the public.
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Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number OT2ES038696. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
Sheen Assessment Early in the response, under the oversight of EPA and its partners, Norfolk Southern started surface water quality monitoring downstream of the derailment site. Sediment washing and air sparging have been used to restore water quality in Sulphur and Leslie Runs. Air sparging involves spraying water to add air so that oxygen and microbes can break down chemicals. Air sparging is often used in some emergency responses like this derailment to remove chemicals from water.Stream cleaning has successfully removed c...
Early in the response, under the oversight of EPA and its partners, Norfolk Southern started surface water quality monitoring downstream of the derailment site. Sediment washing and air sparging have been used to restore water quality in Sulphur and Leslie Runs. Air sparging involves spraying water to add air so that oxygen and microbes can break down chemicals. Air sparging is often used in some emergency responses like this derailment to remove chemicals from water.
Stream cleaning has successfully removed chemicals and surface water results have been below levels considered to be hazardous to human health. While surface water is no longer badly impacted, heavily disturbing the creek beds (sediment) can sometimes cause shiny iridescent patches, called sheen, to rise to the water’s surface.
On October 18, 2023, EPA issued an order under the Clean Water Act requiring Norfolk Southern to investigate and cleanup the oily sheens and sediments in Sulphur and Leslie Runs. The qualitative assessment of the stream is complete, and the results are posted below. The first assessment showed that oil-related substances are common in sheens and sheen appears when sediments are disturbed in more than half of the streams.
Crews collected samples of sheens and nearby sediments to check their chemical makeup. Areas with medium and heavy sheens guided planning for exactly how and where additional stream cleanup and monitoring is done.
EPA continues to recommend avoiding Sulphur and Leslie Runs during assessment and cleanup work, and to follow posted warning signage along the creeks. EPA will coordinate with Ohio Department of Health and other partners on reviewing and updating this recommendation.
Crews walked both Leslie and Sulphur Runs and disturbed the creek bed every 25 feet to look for visible sheen. They assessed the creek at approximately 740 locations downstream of the derailment. These locations are highlighted in brown in the dashboard map below.
Crews also assessed the streams at approximately 90 background locations, which are upstream from the derailment site. Background locations are without derailment impacts. By checking these background areas, investigators can compare the streams where oil was and wasn’t released. Background locations are highlighted in green in the dashboard map below.
If crews observed sheen, they assigned a score on a 0-to-3 scale depending on the amount of visible sheen. Zero means there was no sheen and three means there was a lot of sheen. Initially in Leslie Run, 59% of locations had some sheen, compared to 66% of locations in Sulphur Run. In background locations, 92% of areas had no sheen. In the dashboard below, you can select different stream areas to see the breakdown of sheen results. After the fourth reassessment, Leslie Run had 3.5% of locations with some sheen, Sulphur Run had 27%, and background locations had 98.8% of areas with no sheen.
Efforts to clean up the sediment took place in November 2023, March and April 2024, and July 2025. Some sheens are caused by naturally occurring bacteria. Cleanup crews graded chemical sheen, (which looks different), based on how fast it rises to the surface when sediments are disturbed, its size, and its smell. Below are photos of water with different sheen scores.
Crews found sheen in some background locations. This is likely from human activities such as littering or contamination from stormwater runoff. The early stream washing and cleaning along with the sediment clean ups removed sheen from the derailment.
Useful Information
If some data are not shown when a segment is selected, then data were not able to be collected at that location for that time period. The number of observations in an area may change slightly over time because of the dynamic nature of the creek channel or problems with access to that area.
When a segment is selected, if no data appears in one or more pie charts then data was not able to be collected at that location for that time period.
(NewsNation) — Class-action lawsuits are supposed to provide compensation and justice to victims of corporate negligence or malfeasance. But critics say the settlements are notorious for shortchanging plaintiffs and lining the pockets of the attorneys hired to advocate for them.Did something similar happen with the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment? A whistleblower is now coming forward with claims that the firms representing victims in a $600 million settlement against Norfolk Southern essentially sold out their clients....
(NewsNation) — Class-action lawsuits are supposed to provide compensation and justice to victims of corporate negligence or malfeasance. But critics say the settlements are notorious for shortchanging plaintiffs and lining the pockets of the attorneys hired to advocate for them.
Did something similar happen with the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment? A whistleblower is now coming forward with claims that the firms representing victims in a $600 million settlement against Norfolk Southern essentially sold out their clients.
Among the hundreds gathered inside a recent East Palestine town hall, one woman was publicly considering blowing the whistle on the $600 million settlement reached after a train derailment and chemical burn.
“I have tried. I have called our governor, I tried all our representatives, nobody cares anymore,” Beth Kosar said.
She is coming forward with information she believes residents of the town need to know.
“The people who signed up for this lawsuit signed up not knowing all the facts. There was a lot of information that was hid from people,” Kosar said. “The people that passed during the first two years, all the people that are getting cancer, it’s like, ‘Oh, no, that had nothing to do with that toxic mess.’”
Sister of legendary quarterback Bernie Kosar and daughter of the late Bernie Kosar, Sr., who was the mayor of Canton, Ohio, Beth Kosar worked for Perfected Claims.
That company said it was working with law firms to provide support for the East Palestine train derailment class-action lawsuit.
“We let a lot of people down,” Kosar said.
Kosar is going public now after seeing Austin Druckenbrod’s story.
Druckenbrod is an otherwise healthy 27-year-old with swelling on his brain.
The Cleveland Clinic diagnosed him with reactive airway disease, which they linked to exposure to the chemicals in East Palestine.
Druckenbrod said his attorneys told him the deal was simple: He would accept the settlement terms of the class action lawsuit but keep his mouth shut.
“Oh, we’re going to take care of you, we’re going to make sure you get like $3 million to $6.8 million,’ and then they told me to not tell anybody,” Druckenbrod said.
Druckenbrod’s former attorney, Mikal Watts, denied the characterization.
“I did not communicate with him to stay quiet. If he believed that he had a personal injury claim worth pursuing, we certainly advocated for those clients to simply opt out and continue to pursue the personal injury litigation,” Watts said.
In an additional statement provided to NewsNation, the attorney said: “No one from my firm authorized clients to be addressed in that way; in fact, I said directly the opposite while warning clients of the difficulties presented by applicable Sixth Circuit law in the Hirsch v. CSX Transportation decision. Indeed, in Powerpoints of client presentations I have on June 11, 2024, I specifically explained how to opt out of the settlement, with specific instructions as to how to do so by the Court’s July 1, 2024 deadline.”
But Kosar says Druckenbrod is 100% accurate.
“Everybody was pushing to sign the personal injuries … We were told, ‘If you don’t want to sign, if you want to opt out, go ahead, but we are not going to represent you because we don’t want to upset the judge,’” Kosar said. “I thought some of those attorneys were my friends, and it turns out, I feel like it was a money grab.”
Kosar, along with more than 200 East Palestine residents, filed a motion for relief with the federal judge.
The motion is based on “substantial evidence of fraud and misrepresentation by class counsel, who concealed critical expert findings about health risks while inducing class members to sign personal injury releases in exchange for inadequate personal injury payments.”
“She knows about the people who are sick. She thought that what she was doing there was for the good of the community,” attorney Mindy Bish said of Kosar. “And she’s had to take the long look and come to understand that she was betrayed. And so, what we’re hoping is that the court will also take a similar long look and realize that just as Beth was betrayed by lawyers who looked at $600 million, that the court was equally betrayed.”
Kosar says the cover-up has been worse than the derailment itself.
“I’m more mad at the government, and people that were supposed to protect us, and the attorneys,” she said.
EAST PALESTINE — Nearly three years after the February 2023 train derailment changed life forever in East Palestine, the people of East Palestine are once again showing what resiliency and self advocacy looks like.In a powerful act of unity and hope, residents within a 20-mile radius of East Palestine — stretching across both Ohio and Pennsylvania — are writing letters to federal leaders, urging them to ensure that accessible, long-term medical care becomes a reality for every person affected by the disaster.&...
EAST PALESTINE — Nearly three years after the February 2023 train derailment changed life forever in East Palestine, the people of East Palestine are once again showing what resiliency and self advocacy looks like.
In a powerful act of unity and hope, residents within a 20-mile radius of East Palestine — stretching across both Ohio and Pennsylvania — are writing letters to federal leaders, urging them to ensure that accessible, long-term medical care becomes a reality for every person affected by the disaster.
“From the wreckage, we rise,” the campaign’s motto is a simple phrase that symbolizesthe determination for those who call East Palestine home. As East Palestine continues to recover and rebuild, this campaign stands as a reminder that some needs — particularly medical monitoring — remain unmet.
The effort, supported by the Village Council of East Palestine, aims to gather the personal voices of the community — the mothers, fathers, veterans, grandparents, and children who have lived through uncertainty since that night in February 2023. The letters will be sent to Vice President JD Vance and other federal officials for review.
Vance, who was a junior U.S. Senator at the time of the disaster, made numerous trips to the village before winning the vice presidency last November. During those trips, Vance advocated for more federal action for East Palestine and criticized Biden’s decision to not declare a Presidential Disaster for East Palestine which would have unlocked key resources for those impacted.
As a senator, Vance asked the EPA to explore the applicability of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) to make a determination whether the crisis caused by Norfolk Southern’s derailment meets the criteria of a public health emergency under the law. CERCLA allows the EPA such authority when any hazardous substance is released into the environment and may present an imminent or substantial danger to the public health or welfare. It would also allow Social Security Act 1881a — a little known clause in the Affordable Care Act grants free Medicare to citizens exposed to environmental disasters — to be enacted in the village and other areas affected by the rail disaster.
Vance made that request to the EPA via a letter. Residents are following his lead and now reaching out to him in the same way.
Campaign organizers are asking residents to write about what local medical care means to them and why it’s vital for the community’s future. Organizers stress that every voice matters — whether the letter is signed or anonymous — and that this campaign is not just about the lingering health concerns from the derailment, but about being heard after years of struggle.
Letters are being collected until Nov. 15, and should be addressed to “The Office of the Vice President of the United States” or “Vice President Vance.” Submissions can be mailed or dropped off at the East Palestine Municipal Office, 85 N. Market St., East Palestine, OH 44413.
After the deadline, council will gather and forward all submissions to the appropriate federal offices starting Nov. 16.
Residents within the 20-mile radius of East Palestine are invited to write a short letter explaining why medical care access matters to them and their neighbors.
Letters should:
— Not include personal information, just a name on the outside of a sealed envelope, or they can be signed “Anonymous.”
— Be addressed to The Office of the Vice President of the United States or Vice President Vance.
— Be delivered or mailed to Misti Martin, Village Manager, East Palestine Municipal Office, 85 N. Market St., East Palestine, OH 44413, no later than Nov. 15, 2025.
330-385-5960
