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Take extra precautions to prevent holiday fires

Late fall and winter make up the peak season for home fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association, the U.S. Fire Administration and the American Red Cross. Cooking and home heating are the leading causes of fire during the winter months. Candles, decorations and Christmas trees are among other causes of fires during the last two months of the year. The joy of the holidays can quickly turn to tragedy if simple safety precautions aren’t taken with decorations. Overall, the American Red Cross reports that 47,000 fires will occur during the winter holidays. They will ...

Balance the discussion on County Road fire station

It is a proposal that now has gone between two municipal administrations. The possibility of reopening Weirton’s County Road fire station has been discussed at various points over the last few years, in particular as efforts continue to attract new business opportunities to the northern parts of the city. It was raised again during last week’s meeting of Weirton Council, and will go through another full discussion as part of a work session scheduled for Tuesday night at the Weirton Municipal Building. The idea may sound simple enough. The previous city administration ...

A new chapter for Community Bread Basket

It appears the luck of the Community Bread Basket is turning, and the local organization will be able to put down some more permanent roots. For years, the non-profit best known for its food pantry operations and other charitable endeavors, operated out of a building on West Street in Weirton. A variety of issues with that building led to them eventually having to move. Since then, the Bread Basket has been operating out of temporary space at 3545 Pennsylvania Ave. - always keeping an eye out for something more permanent. After two years, and a big boost from a Weirton native, that ...

Having a safe, and responsible holiday

’Tis the season … for the potentially nasty combination of holiday parties and weather-affected roads. And while we should bear in mind Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over all the time, local law enforcement agencies will be increasing efforts to stop impaired driving over the next few weeks. According to the Governor’s Highway Safety Program, there are some disturbing trends in West Virginia, where there were 58 alcohol-related traffic fatalities in 2023. Of the DUI arrests in the state since Jan. 1, 2025, 43% were double the legal limit or higher, 21% were 0.20 or higher and 1.6% ...

Progress to help our most vulnerable

West Virginia’s Department of Human Services has its work cut out for it as it attempts to respond to a federal audit of Child Protective Services, but there seems to be a good plan in place. Department Secretary Alex Mayer told the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resource Accountability his agency takes seriously the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General report on West Virginia’s compliance with child abuse and neglect requirements. “These are children’s lives, families’ futures, and the credibility of state ...

Better communication needed on superloads

It has been quite some time since a superload for the natural gas industry has made its way through Weirton, or any of our Hancock or Brooke county communities for that matter. So, when a hauler carrying one of these massive pieces of equipment began making its way along some of Weirton’s main thoroughfares last Thursday, it was a surprise to the motoring public. As it turns out, it also was a surprise to municipal officials, including the mayor, city manager, and chief of police, who said they received no prior information on the first of a series of such transports. We, too, ...