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Banketas deserving of honor

Editorials

Chances are, if you have spent any amount of time in Weirton over the years, you have seen a building, community landmark, or project that has been touched by Tom Banketas. From serving on the Weirton Sanitary Board, to designing local business developments, to establishing community gardens, to financing and overseeing much of the construction of the current Weirton Christian Center, and contributing to an uncountable number of charitable organizations and efforts, Banketas’ generosity and work has touched many in the community. What sets him apart, even more, is that, despite all ...

Improve dental health in W.Va.

Editorials

We’ve all heard the jokes about West Virginians’ dental health that plenty of us rushed to call unfair and untrue. They’ve been around for generations. The problem is, there is some truth to the idea that we’ve got a problem here. WalletHub’s “States with the Best and Worst Dental Health (2025)” notes the Mountain State is not quite dead last, but close. We are 49th, ahead of only Mississippi and Arkansas. We are 38th for dental habits and care, and dead last (51st) for oral health. West Virginia is 50th for the percentage of adults who visited a dentist in the past ...

The summer concert season is upon us

Editorials

No matter what style you like to listen to or your preference for performance, there will be plenty of opportunities to enjoy live music in beautiful outdoor settings across the Tri-State Area during the next several months. The Brooke County Area Chamber of Commerce helped to kick things off on Memorial Day with the launch of this year’s Monthly Monday Music Madness and a performance by Twice As Nice at Follansbee Park. Shows will continue June 16, June 30, July 14, July 28, Aug. 11, and Aug. 25, alternating between Follansbee Park and a spot near the log cabin in Wellsburg. The ...

Reporter's Notebook: The 2026 Senate seat chase has begun

Local Columns

Attention is already turning to the midterm elections next year, which will determine whether Republicans can continue to hold the majorities in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. In West Virginia, that means that U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., is up for re-election to a possible third six-year term after winning election to the seat held by former senator Jay Rockefeller in 2014. I say “possible,” because she is beginning to get challengers to her right and no elections are sure things. The latest person to throw their hat in the ring is freshman ...

Remember the history, their sacrifice

Local Columns

In communities across the nation, people will gather this weekend at cemeteries and various monuments established to honor the memories of our military veterans in observance of Memorial Day. We often look to this weekend as the start of the summer season, with swimming pools opening and families planning cookouts, while others make plans for long-weekend getaways. That’s all well and good, but let’s remember the true and somber reason for observing this holiday. Keep in mind, this isn’t a day to wish anyone a “Happy” anything. It’s a day to remember, to pay tribute, to ...

History in the Hills: The Start of Summer

Local Columns

I can’t believe this weekend is Memorial Day. It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating Easter and the first days of spring. Although the weather forecast is pretty cool this weekend to be sure, Memorial Day for a lot of us signifies the first days of summer. In my family, we usually spend the weekend at the pool; and on Monday, we would spend time at my grandmother’s home enjoying a picnic. In our area, summer is a busy time, and it’s a season I look forward to because there is so much to do. We spend a lot of time at the pool, working in the yard and spending time ...