The Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission functions as the lead planning agency for the tri-county region because of citizens, some elected, some simply doing a civic duty.In recognition of it taking people not only to guide planning but to make communities, the BHJ began in ...

The annual trek of area ghosts and goblins, pirates and princesses, will begin Wednesday evening and continue for the next few days across our region..Children will parade through our neighborhoods in the trick-or-treating quest for all things candy, so parents are reminded to make safety a ...

Brooke County residents are being asked to vote on a new five-year levy to support the operations of the Brooke County Animal Shelter as part of the upcoming election.If approved, the levy - which must pass by 60 percent - will raise $300,662 per year for the shelter. For most of us, that ...

"It's time to take our university back," West Virginia University President E. Gorden Gee emphasized in a letter sent recently to the WVU community. Indeed it is.Gee was referring to riots that occurred last weekend in Morgantown, after the WVU football team scored an upset victory over Baylor. ...

The death of Ben Bradlee may not mean much to the millions of self-styled Internet journalists who think knowing one little factoid is enough to crow about.Bradlee, the gruff-voiced retired editor of the Washington Post who died last week at the age of 93, came from the time when knowing just ...

No doubt many public employees and retirees in West Virginia will be upset with their government-provided health insurance next year. Cuts in benefits are virtually unavoidable.Public Employees Insurance Agency officials have avoided cutbacks for three years by dipping into the agency's reserve ...

Saturday has been recognized as National Make A Difference Day; a day set aside to promote the idea that anyone - no matter their background - can do something to benefit their community.Locally, our area has seen an increase in interest in this annual observance, with businesses, civic groups ...

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has a well-deserved reputation as a conciliator, eager and often able to make political opponents understand his positions and sometimes agree with them.He may have taken on his toughest battle to date - persuading other senators the war on coal and affordable ...

Election Day may officially be Nov. 4, but beginning today West Virginia residents can go ahead and cast their ballots as part of the early voting period offered throughout the Mountain State.For years, West Virginia offered absentee ballots to those who were disabled, serving in the military ...

When Brooke County voters cast their ballots as part of the upcoming election, they will be asked to consider a new levy which will provide funding for the construction of a new, consolidated middle school to be built on the Brooke High campus.If approved, the levy will raise $15 million over ...

Despite changes in interests and technology, our local libraries continue to provide a number of services for our residents, and our area is fortunate to have such a strong network of libraries available.As part of the Nov. 4 election - early voting for which begins Wednesday - Hancock County ...

Voters in our area of West Virginia, the First Congressional District, have had reason to be grateful for our good judgment in sending David McKinley to the House of Representatives.Since early 2011, McKinley has served our region courageously and capably. He has fought hard to safeguard West ...

West Virginians need a U.S. senator who will fight for us without regard to political interests. For years, Rep. Shelley Capito has been doing that for part of our state. On Election Day, voters should send her to the Senate to stand up for all of us.On two major issues - President Barack ...

Good teachers have the ability not only to help us learn, but to inspire us to reach for our dreams and go farther than we ever thought possible.Many of us have had at least one teacher in our lives shine that light of inspiration, putting us on a special path toward honing our skills and ...

An afternoon dedicated to the ladies of the Ohio Valley is planned for Sunday at the third-annual What a Woman Wants ... Head to Toe Expo, organized by our newspapers.The event, set to run from noon to 3 p.m. at St. Florian Hall in Wintersville, will feature fashion, food, fitness and other ...

Traffic safety is something we all need to keep in mind as we make our daily commutes between home, work and errands.With the school year in effect, we have that added challenge of taking extra precautions while school buses are on the road.Unfortunately, Hancock County Schools has experienced ...

Rep. David McKinley, R-Wheeling, lists as his top priority ensuring that West Virginia's economy is healthy. His approach to job creation is thoughtful and comprehensive.During meetings with area business people last week, McKinley outlined a package of proposals to reinvigorate manufacturing. ...

Since the beginning of time, humans have demonstrated the desire to explore, the drive to gain knowledge.Those traits are important to remember as we mark Columbus Day 2014.It has became fashionable of late to bash Christopher Columbus as being nothing more than a person who ruined a pristine ...

The good news about deer-vehicle crashes in Jefferson County is that the number decreased by 30 percent from 2011 through 2013. The bad news is we are in the peak time of the year for deer-vehicle crashes.Deer crashes peak in October, November and December, so the time has arrived to be extra ...

No doubt West Virginia University President E. Gordon Gee's emphasis on serving students will be applauded by many Mountain State residents - and rightly so.Gee, in his first State of the University address, stressed that "students are the reason we are here." Though that philosophy seems to ...