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Local Columns

Is West Virginia gambling on Hope?

Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but on first glance it sure seems like both the Senate and House Finance Committees are sending messages to Gov. Patrick Morrisey. Perhaps the message is this: You can have a 10% personal income tax cut, or you can have the Hope Scholarship educational ...

Project a step toward meeting housing needs

It’s no secret that Weirton, and for that matter much of our area, is in need of housing investment. Every comprehensive study or development plan of Weirton for the last 15 to 20 years has cited a lack of proper and available housing, not only for current residents but any potential future ...

Guest Column: Why we talk about teen mental health and why it matters now

West Virginia is at a pivotal moment when it comes to teen mental health. Across the country, young people ages 12 to 17 are experiencing rising levels of stress, anxiety and emotional distress. National surveys show that mental health challenges among adolescents are widespread and growing. ...

We need to teach our children how to live

There is a quiet wisdom in the way a child watches the world. Their eyes are wide and not yet clouded by the cynicism of adulthood. Their hearts are constantly open, always believing in a way that most of us have forgotten how to do. Questions come tumbling out of their mouths like ...

It’s all downhill from here in Charleston

Last Thursday marked day 30, the halfway mark of the 60-day annual legislative session. It’s all downhill from now to midnight on Saturday, March 14, when the regular session adjourns sine die. At the beginning of the session, I had a hard time predicting whether this session would be a ...

Paying for the decisions of our forefathers

Last August, this newspaper published an editorial, under the “Our Opinion” banner, titled “The water bill will come due, eventually.” Well, it’s looking as if that time is approaching. At the time, the Weirton Area Water Board was working with Thrasher Engineering to develop a ...