Craig Howell: Remembering the spirit of unity following that fateful day

September 12, 2026

Friday was the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. That event changed our nation in many ways, from the relatively brief moment of national solidarity, with members of Congress – no matter their political affiliation – joining together in song on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, to a nationwide response to the rescue and recovery effort. Every community was affected, and connected, in some way. It also changed the way the nation approached safety, from the passage of the U.S. PATRIOT (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to ...

Craig Howell: Community bonds will be important in Brooke County

September 5, 2026

This has been a difficult week for many in our area. Rumors began swirling sometime Wednesday night that an individual placed in a position of great trust in our community had been accused of an action which not only violated that trust, but the privacy of hundreds of our local youth. I'm attempting to be very careful in my wording in this column, not because it doesn't anger me to see this type of thing happen, but because the investigation is continuing and we don't have all of the facts as of yet. There was a lot of chatter on social media (the modern-day rumor mill) Thursday ...

Craig Howell: Fall is getting into full ‘Swingo’ in West Virginia

August 29, 2026

I guess one of West Virginia Tourism's latest marketing campaigns has done well, as Swingo is has launched for a second season. For those uninitiated into the movement, Swingo is a combination game and travel effort, originally launched in the spring, and aimed at residents and visitors traveling throughout West Virginia to “check in” at some of the sites of our Almost Heaven swings. You sign up through the state Tourism website to get a link sent to your smartphone, typically through email, and that helps to generate a Bingo-styled “card.” From there, you are tasked with ...

Craig Howell: Local media still important for our communities

August 22, 2026

Wednesday afternoon, I had the opportunity to assist in presenting before the Brooke County Area Chamber of Commerce for a discussion about the benefits of media, with a particular focus on what we can do for the business community. It's not something I'm used to. In fact, I typically dread public speaking (and, quite frankly, spent most of the morning feeling nausious), but it was a good experience with a good conversation about the pros and cons when it comes to the various mixture of local media available in our region. It also gave me some time to reflect on the ever-changing ...

Craig Howell: Getting ready for those autumnal celebrations

August 15, 2026

The abundance of back-to-school events in the last couple of weeks is a fierce reminder that the summer months soon will be coming to an end. Realistically, of course, we have almost 40 days before the switch in seasons is official, but the signs are already here. Communities are getting ready for the start of the school year, as mentioned, with events to provide our local youth with school supplies, resources, and other materials to prepare for their first day back to classes. It's certainly a far cry from when I was a kid, and the preparation was essentially going to the school ...

Craig Howell: Ready to celebrate Weirton’s honored citizens

August 8, 2026

It is the contributions of the residents of a city or town – those who are willing to step forward to provide leadership, guidance, and support for others – which helps to make it a community. In Weirton, many of those who have made such contributions are honored annually through induction into the Weirton Hall of Fame. Established by action of Weirton Council in 2008, the Hall of Fame enshrines the names of those honored citizens – past and present – who have made a lasting impact which often is felt for generations. This year's class was announced in May, and will be ...