Breaking News

Editorials

Play it safe when swimming this summer

Swimming season is here, and the sounds of people enjoying the water are a sure sign that the summer is really heating up. But the fun of playing in the water can quickly turn tragic. Almost 400 children younger than age 5 drown every year in swimming pool accidents across the country, and more than 3,200 go to a hospital emergency room after a near drowning, statistics show. A child can drown in 2 inches of water in under five minutes and never make a sound. Children ages 1 to 4 have the highest drowning rates — according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more ...

Remembering our nation’s foundation

We cannot describe the spirit of freedom any better than those who created the document which led the nation toward the actions which we celebrate Friday. The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should ...

Enjoy our local fireworks displays

We ask everyone to take a moment during the next couple of days and remember that, despite whatever differences we have, there are few nations in the world where citizens are able to gather to celebrate the freedoms residents of the United States of America too often take for granted. It’s an important thought as our nation prepares to celebrate its 249th birthday on Friday. The Fourth of July is a true national holiday, one that is celebrated from the smallest township to the largest city. It’s a day of picnics, family gatherings, parades and summer fun, all played out against ...

Keep pressure on for broadband funds

Despite a pause in March, progress has restarted with some of the broadband expansion projects on which 10 West Virginia counties had been waiting. Money from the American Rescue Plan Act will go to CityNet, Comcast, Digital Connections Inc., Spruce Knob Seneca Rocks Telephone and Micrologic — $34 million for Calhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer, Lewis, Jackson, Mason, Putnam, Preston, Pendleton and Grant counties. A big deal, right? But it is just the start of what was meant to be a much larger effort in West Virginia. West Virginia was awarded $1.2 billion through the Broadband Equity, ...

Great places for road trips

A stretch of suffocatingly hot weather may have made it tempting to just stay indoors as much as possible, but a recent study reminds us West Virginia and surrounding states have a great deal to offer outside. The best part is, it just takes a switch from the air conditioning in your house to the air conditioning in your car to go enjoy it. WalletHub’s 2025’s Best and Worst States for Summer Road Trips placed the Buckeye State at an impressive third in the country. The idea for this particular group of researchers was to find road trips that were fun and budget-friendly, which is a ...

Carry on that Blue Don spirit

Our region received another hard dose of reality last week when it was learned that officials at Weirton Madonna High School made the decision to suspend the school’s football team for the coming season. It was a decision that — for now — ends a long tradition of successful seasons at the school. Fans have cheered the Blue Dons on to six West Virginia Class A state championships (in 1968, 1971, 1972, 1987, 2009 and 2013;) the Catholic state title in 1975; and 11 Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Class A championships (in 1962, 1967, 1969, 1975, 1987, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013 ...