While some ultra-liberal members of Congress are advocating crazy, impossible initiatives such as the “New Green Deal,” some of their peers are going quietly about the business of doing something productive about climate change. Last week, U.S. Reps. David McKinley, R-W.Va., and Scott ...

Corruption seems to be such an integral part of government in West Virginia that punishing those caught at it is vital to deter others from engaging in criminal acts. Federal Judge John Copenhaver’s action in sentencing former state Supreme Court Justice Allen Loughry to two years in prison ...

With all the accusations of “voter suppression” being made against Republicans, it is a real pleasure to note that West Virginia’s chief election officer, Secretary of State Mac Warner, seems to be doing all he can to increase the number of people who cast ballots. In the process, ...

Today is Presidents Day, and it should be a chance to reflect, to honor and to give thanks. It should be an opportunity to remember that while our president changes every four or eight years, our democracy continues to set a standard that is the envy of the rest of the world. The office ...

Joe DiBartolomeo was Weirton’s city manager for only about six months, but he leaves a lasting, extremely positive impression on other municipal officials. DiBartolomeo has left the city manager’s position to take advantage of another job opportunity, and Diana Smoljanovich, the city’s ...

We West Virginians owe an enormous debt to veterans of military service. One way of repaying it could be to offer some help to veterans who run afoul of the law as a result of problems stemming from their service. A bill introduced by state Sen. Ryan Weld, R-Brooke, would do that by ...

Many West Virginians believe we can have the best of both worlds. That is, we can enjoy the financial benefits of the natural gas drilling boom while maintaining the natural splendor that is one of our state’s trademarks. Insisting the energy industry play by those rules is ...

Steubenville finds itself in a tough position as this year’s election cycle gets under way. Last week’s filing deadline for the May 7 primary came and went, and few candidates emerged for several positions. In one race, in fact — the city’s 5th Ward — no candidates, including ...

At least the potholes are good for something, according to state Sen. Randy Smith. During a discussion in the Senate about the sorry state of many secondary roads in West Virginia, Smith, R-Tucker, told fellow lawmakers that during a weekend trip back to his home, he saw ducks swimming in ...

Controversy over how Brooke County schools are administered has been flaring for several months. Many parents and educators have serious concerns. Voting against renewal of the so-called “excess levy” to support schools is no way to address desires for improvement. Defeating the levy would ...

Brooke County Board of Education members made a wise decision in hiring Jeffrey Crook as interim superintendent of schools. The choice is “an opportuity for a new beginning,” as Crook put it. Bringing in a superintendent not formerly part of the school system was a near-necessity, in view ...

Black History Month 2019 calls to attention those men and women who, despite segregation and derision from fellow countrymen, chose to serve in the cause of freedom as Americans. “Black Migrations” is the theme from the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, the ...

At a time when Gov. Jim Justice and West Virginia legislators are considering budget increases running into eight figures for some line items, state Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt’s request amounts to chicken feed. He just wants a few more dollars in state funding so his agency can ...

Weirton Elementary School continues to emphasize the importance of reading, both to its pupils and to the community. Monday saw the launch of this year’s reading program, now called “Read to Me Weirton,” with the announcement of “Charlotte’s Web” as this year’s book. Literacy ...

The calendar has rolled into February, and that means the seasons are winding down for area high school athletes. Already, the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference has crowned its champions in swimming and wrestling. The bi-state conference will decide its girls basketball champions Saturday, and ...

President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un are planning a second summit meeting. The date and place have not yet been arranged. But the question the two will discuss is clear: Is Kim keeping his pledge to dial back on North Korea’s runaway militarism? North Korea already ...

Members of West Virginia’s three big unions for public school teachers and service personnel will be asked this week to authorize another strike — and that, semantics and legal technicalities aside, is the word for it. Another lengthy work stoppage like the one that shuttered nearly all ...

Presidents of the United States are big news, whether they want to be or not. President Donald Trump is a more riveting story than many of his predecessors. Yet Trump has broken with the tradition, established in recent years, of regular press briefings at the White House. Reportedly, he told ...

We wake up this morning with the comfort of knowing the end of winter is approaching and the arrival of spring is not that far away. This we are sure of, not because the cadre of groundhogs and woodchucks across the country, led by the most famous and accurate prognosticator of them all, ...

The annual recognition of Catholic Schools Week comes to an end today. Based around the theme “Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed.,” the week featured activities, posters, contests, opportunities to help others and liturgies for Catholic school children across our region. It ...