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Letters to the Editor

Caution where you step

To the Editor, Over the past several months, the city of Weirton seems to be in some sort of financial difficulty. An old saying says, “if you do not know what lies ahead, on the path you’re walking, you could easily fall into an unseen hole.” Wanting to increase and upgrade the fire department by six additional members seems like a great idea, but only if there is sound reasoning and justification for increasing its size. I’m all for keeping the city protected, especially when it comes to fire protection, but can this increase be fully substantiated to a specific need? ...

Chess not checkers

To the Editor, The financial crisis facing Hancock County Schools did not happen overnight. It is the predictable result of rising costs, shrinking revenues, and hard decisions delayed. No teacher/employee thought the revenue that pays them would run out. I do not believe the Board of Education intended to pay people from a source that would run out. Hiring and spending decisions were made with good intentions — but produced bad results. Taxpayers assume that oversight boards fully understand the financial implications of their decisions. Some do, but some do not. The role of a ...

Unfairness in Mountaineer Gas rate increase

To the Editor, Mountaineer gas has asked for a rate increase of over 10 percent for residential customers. Notably the rate increase for commercial customers is just over 4 percent. Large commercial and industrial customers is just over 1 percent. The rate for what they resell to other gas suppliers is just over 1 percent. If the rate increases are necessary then they should be born by all customers equally, not top loaded so residential customers pay the most. Please contact West Virginia PSC and make your opinion known Alvin Rudder Weirton

Me and Phil

To the Editor, So Ground Hog Day has passed. Six more weeks of this lovely weather. Now I came up with this idea that I to go talk to Phil. Yes, the groundhog that sees his shadow every year. As I set off on my journey, my wife says I am crazy. I nodded my head, and obliged to her accusations. As she proceeded to go shopping with her sisters, I headed off to my journey. Being that it was a Saturday morning, I knew traffic would be light. Pennsylvania Avenue, Route 22, the Parkway…which we all love. Onward to find Pennsylvania Route 219 North. North to Indiana. Once I arrived in ...

Animal cruelty on display

To the Editor, Weirton has several colonies of community cats — cats that live outdoors, have been neutered or spayed and are cared for by volunteers or store employees. Some of these colonies have been in the same places for a decade or more. Recently, during the cold snaps, someone who apparently likes to cause suffering to animals collected all of the bins and boxes that the cats live in by Gabe’s and the downtown car wash and threw them away, even though those bins and boxes were not their property. Worse yet, this person left the cats to die in freezing weather. One cat was ...

Stability, stewardship, and public trust

To the Editor, I have been preparing to start the next chapter of my public service, and I wanted to take a moment to share what is on my mind and why I remain energized to continue this work. Serving as Hancock County Commissioner has been both an honor and a responsibility I take seriously. As I reflect on the work accomplished during my term, I want to begin with a simple message to the public: thank you for trusting me with this job. County government is not abstract. It is detailed, procedural, and consequential. Decisions made at the commission affect taxes, services, ...