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Holiday festivities continue

Our region will continue to revel in the magic of the Christmas season during the next couple of weekends. From Wintersville to Chester, and many locations in between, this weekend will offer a wide variety of things to see, hear and do. Thousands of residents from across the Tri-State Area are expected to pack the streets of downtown Steubenville at noon Saturday for the annual Sights and Sounds of Christmas Parade. The parade will feature marching bands and cheerleaders, dancing groups, homecoming queens, colorful floats sponsored by community organizations and local businesses ...

Take fire precautions during the holidays

Winter is 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 cause 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 claim more than 500 ...

Putting funds toward defeating the monster

Next week, the West Virginia First Foundation will meet again — this time to start determining who will receive a share of the $19.2 million in Initial Opportunity Grants. It is a heavy responsibility. According to a report by WV News, more than 170 applications came in from across the state. Not only must the foundation determine which projects are worthy of support, they also must distribute the funding evenly: $3.2 million to each of the six regions. Mid-Ohio Valley counties are in Region 3. “We’ve applied a very fair and equitable approach to make sure that every ...

A slow wait for high-speed internet

Mountain State residents who have — for years now — been waiting for the fulfillment of promises that high-speed broadband access would be brought to all of us were likely not surprised to learn there is another obstacle to overcome. “It’s still very complex, but if all the parties have a commitment to trying to solve the problem, then it can get solved,” said Mark Polen with the Cable Telecommunication Association of West Virginia last week. He was referring to overcoming the hurdle of actually attaching the new fiber lines to poles owned by other utilities. Believe it or ...

Remember the safety of our older drivers

How many of us greeted one of the more senior members of our family as they arrived for the Thanksgiving feast and wondered how in the world that person was still able to drive safely? How many threw in an extra “watch for deer” to that person on the way out the door, just in case? It may seem unfair to have such worries simply because of their age, but according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Safety Administration, fatal traffic accidents involving drivers over the age of 65 increased by 4.7% between 2021 and 2022, to 7,870 nationwide. That number ...

Stay safe while holiday shopping

The rush for holiday shopping has officially begun. It is a shorter shopping season this year for those who have waited until after Thanksgiving to begin their gift buying. The constant running that surrounds the holiday season means shoppers need to practice common sense and have an awareness of their surroundings in order to make sure they have a safe experience, whether they are at a store or shopping online. Thieves look for the opportunities the season brings. They know store security and police are busy keeping track of people who might be trying to shoplift or work some other ...