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Recovering our patriotic spirit

West Virginians have always prided themselves on being patriotic citizens who answer our country’s call. And for generations, that was true. Now, according to WalletHub’s “Most Patriotic States in America (2024),” our status on that front has plummeted. We now learn the state is 41st in the report’s overall rankings. Even in the most obvious category — one in which the Mountain State has performed admirably for decades — we are faltering. Military engagement here is a surprising 32nd in the country. The figure takes into account average military enlistees between 2015 ...

Protect your pets from the heat

Have a hard time dealing with the sudden oppressive heat after getting into your parked car over the past few days? You immediately either rolled down all the windows completely or cranked the A/C as high as it would go, didn’t you? Now, think about those few moments of discomfort and imagine how very much worse it is for animals who are left in parked cars for an extended period of time on days like these. “A parked car can become an oven under the sun, even in mild temperatures,” said Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane. “When it’s a comfortable 70 ...

West Virginia, 161 years young

West Virginians are a determined, strong, hard-working sort of folk. From the state’s southern coal miners to the northern steelworkers of old and everywhere in between, residents have always given it their all. The state was born of conflict, and it has faced numerous battles and difficulties throughout its history, each of which has made it stronger. Today is a day residents of West Virginia celebrate that storied history. On June 20, 1863, years of struggle and hardships beginning with the start of the Civil War, reached a conclusion when West Virginia officially joined the ...

Project another investment in future

Investment in Weirton’s infrastructure is continuing as city officials work to prepare the community for future opportunities. Last week, the Weirton Area Water Board was finally able to award a contract for its long-planned project to expand the capacity of its water treatment plant. The project, in the works for close to seven years, will move forward under the direction of Triton Construction, the same firm to serve as contractor of the expansion of Weirton’s wastewater treatment plant. Triton was the lone company to place a bid on the most recent effort, but additional ...

Invest your time to help others

Area residents will have an opportunity to perform a simple and selfless act Wednesday. That’s when this year’s Jefferson County Media Day Blood Drive is scheduled to be held at the St. Florian Event Center in Wintersville. The doors will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and we hope that everyone who is eligible will participate in the annual event. Late spring and early summer often bring a need for blood that sometimes isn’t met. Regular donors might be on vacation or involved with other activities that keep them away from donation centers. That said, the need for blood ...

The importance of our fathers

Fathers don’t always receive the attention they deserve, often because many fathers garner attention that isn’t so good. Tales of single fathers and stay-at-home dads are not as common as tales of fathers gone wrong, fathers who succumb to the terrible pressures of supporting a family in a tight economy or fathers who simply never even tried to meet those pressures in the first place. But all fathers don’t simply act as a genetic donor who then goes away or goes wrong. The fathers who stick around, who work at the job of caring for and supporting children while trying to ...