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Craig Howell: A review of the election by the numbers

By now, the canvassing of the general election should be complete, and West Virginia's results should be getting close to being declared official (there's still a final certification process which must be completed). I'm sure there are a few thoughts among our population after seeing how the candidates fared. I don't know if there were too many surprises. While, as a voter, I certainly had individuals I preferred to see in office, as a journalist, I, ultimately, have to communicate with anyone holding elected office no matter how I might feel about them personally. I'm not going to ...

Ross Gallabrese: Getting Caught Up

October and early November is always a busy time of year. There are numerous events and dinners that happen just about every week. They are put on by organizations that serve many segments of the community, but they all share a common goal — and that's bringing area residents together to enjoy time with each other, celebrate accomplishments and offer recognition. Whether it was the Taste of Jefferson County, which benefits the United Way of Jefferson County; chamber of commerce banquets; the dedication of the renovated fellowship hall at All Saints Greek Orthodox Church in Weirton; ...

Craig Howell: Rockefeller’s life, service an example we should all remember

I was planning for this week's column to be a wrap up of the general election, offering some thoughts on the results and an examination of the turnout. Then, I woke up Friday morning to the news of the passing of John D. “Jay” Rockefeller IV, West Virginia's former governor and U.S. senator. I had the opportunity – the privilege, if we're being honest – to interview Sen. Rockefeller several times during my early career. The first time he and I spoke was in a telephone interview at a time when Congress and the administration of George W. Bush was in major discussion on the ...

Craig Howell: The election season is coming to an end

It will all be over come Tuesday night. This isn't meant to sound morbid, but it's the reality. The election of 2026 will come to an end sometime Tuesday night, bringing to a close months of campaigns, advertisements, public appearances, a mixture of truth and lies plus everything else candidates do. Saturday is the end of West Virginia's early voting period. If you haven't done so and don't want to take the chance of not being able to make it to your polling place Tuesday, you might want to visit your county courthouse before 5 p.m. to make use of the opportunity. Otherwise, polls ...

Ross Gallabrese: We love to spend on Halloween

Drive through any neighborhood in the region and there's no doubt you will see plenty of Halloween decorations. A lot of those will have been in place for some time now. It wasn't all that long ago when it was rare to find a house whose owner went all-in on that day. Thanks to technology, it's easier than ever to find 12-foot-tall skeletons that share ominous messages, bubbling witch's cauldrons and frenetic light shows in orange and black that stretch around an entire house. As it turns out, Americans are spending more on Halloween than ever. This year, in fact, a total of $13.5 ...

Craig Howell: Signs of Christmas are already here

No, we haven't missed Halloween, but Christmas is right around the corner. That couldn't be more evident than when you drive along Main Street in Weirton and see the city's two large trees on display in preparation of the winter holiday. City crews put up the trees – one in front of the Millsop Community Center and one at the corner of Main and Pennsylvania Avenue – in recent days, with decorations surely on their way. I'm sure there are going to be rude comments made about this, just as there were last year. I, too, personally prefer to not have any signs of Christmas until we ...