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Adjustments coming for new officials

We’re about a month away from the start of a new term in many of our levels of government. In the coming weeks, current administrations will hold their final meetings, and, in some cases, they also will serve as the last meeting for several of our elected officials. This Monday, for example, will see the final regular meeting of the current Weirton Council. This means, unless a special meeting is called for some reason before Jan. 1, it will be the last time this group of eight individuals will be gathered to conduct the city’s business. Only two of the current council will be ...

Numerous West Virginia ties to legendary battle

When Army takes the field against Navy on December 14, West Point players will proudly display “Bastogne” logos on their chest. The logo honors the heroics by the 101st Airborne Division, the “Screaming Eagles,” during the Battle of the Bulge in WWII. In June 1944, Supreme Allied Commander Dwight Eisenhower issued the order to destroy the German war machine and eliminate Nazi tyranny in Europe. Eisenhower chose the 101st Airborne Division as a lead assault element and visited the 101st before they jumped into Normandy on June 6, 1944. For the next six months, the Division took ...

History in the Hills: Sharing mall memories

This week, I was able to spend some time in the Mall at Robinson Christmas shopping. While my wife shopped with my daughter and sons, my son Frankie and I moved from store to store looking for the perfect gift. Walking around the mall this week made me think of all the fun I had as a kid at our local mall, Steubenville’s Fort Steuben Mall. My parents would drop me off, usually by the theater, and I would meet up with my friends to hang out. We would spend hours going from store to store, eating at one of the restaurants and walking around. There was so much to do at the mall in ...

Christmas memories I wish would come back

Nostalgia sets in for most of us during the holidays, especially around Christmastime. It includes those memories we all miss. Everybody has some, or at least one. Think about it: There has to be at least one single time in your life that you wish you could go back and relive again. If only for a moment. It could be of a particular Christmas from your childhood, or a Christmas when you were the parent of a child who still believed in the magic of Santa Claus. We all have that one memory for which we just can’t let go. As you may recall, I am someone who chooses to live my ...

An educated guess on legislative goals

The next legislative session is going to have several issues to tackle, including whatever Governor-Elect Patrick Morrisey’s agenda will be, any possible messes left behind by outgoing Gov. Jim Justice, a likely hole to fill in the upcoming fiscal year 2026 general revenue budget, etc. But expect education to take a spotlight. With the number of traditional public school consolidations increasing and parents becoming angry at the closure of community schools, longer bus rides for their children, and other issues that come from shrinking county populations, some lawmakers are ...

Remembering the spirit of the holidays

We are in the midst of the opening days of the official Christmas shopping season, with the “observance” of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday filling our eyes and ears in our often-consumer-driven society. Don’t get me wrong, I believe fully in supporting business, especially our local businesses whenever possible. It’s great to go out into our local shops and purchase directly from those who are a part of our community...even better when they are owned and operated by our neighbors. But, understandably, that hustle and bustle and emphasis on spending so ...