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Voter registration deadline is here

If you live in Ohio and have not yet registered to vote, you are nearly out of time. The deadline to register and be eligible to vote in the Nov. 4 election is 9 p.m. today. Our representative democracy allows residents to choose who will represent them on city and village councils, who will serve as township trustees, who will be their mayor and who will represent them on the local school board. Local voters get to determine the fate of tax and other issues. Those are among the items Ohioans will see on their ballots this fall. Many area residents stay on top of politics ...

Newspapers have vital role in our lives

There are as many reasons to read a daily newspaper as there are readers. Some are looking to see how their favorite high school sports team is doing. Others want to know what’s happening in their local schools. Many are looking to learn more about the people and events that shape their cities, villages townships and counties. Some are interested in crossword puzzles and word games. And yes, some always will turn to the obituaries first. Some are looking to learn more about events happening at area churches and with local clubs and organizations. Some enjoy ...

Where’s action on redistricting?

If watching Congress has not been enough to make you wonder whether elected officials worry about doing any real work, or remember who they serve, Ohio lawmakers seem eager to answer with “No, not really.” They missed their first deadline for congressional redistricting on Tuesday, according to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal. Despite Buckeye State voters demanding action when they passed a constitutional amendment in 2018, members of the General Assembly appear to have decided they’d rather not bother to work together to pass a bipartisan map in the allotted time. They ...

Enjoy autumn at Applefest

A tradition that has brought residents of the Tri-State Area together for nearly 50 years will be renewed this weekend. It’s the 45th Wellsburg Applefest, which will run Friday through Sunday along several blocks of Charles Street and the Wellsburg Town Square. The festival celebrates the town’s connection with the Golden Grimes apple, which was discovered in 1832 on a farm owned by Thomas Grimes that was located along Washington Pike. Seeds for the apple, which is related to the Golden Delicious, West Virginia’s state fruit, were first planted, legend has it, by Johnny ...

Vigilance needed to fight trafficking

In naming its latest statewide human trafficking operation, the Ohio Attorney General’s Organized Crime Investigations Commission chose Operation Next Door as a way to bring home the message that the people committing these crimes are not distant strangers. They may, indeed, live right next door. With the help of more than 100 law enforcement agencies, 135 people were arrested for seeking to buy sex — some of them from minors, according to state Attorney General Dave Yost’s office. Included in those 135 people was a 45-year-old man from Weirton. In total, 103 were arrested ...

Ohio’s parks tops across the nation

When you hear Ohioans brag about the state’s natural beauty and recreational opportunities, it might sound like hyperbole to hear we are the best. But an award from the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration and the National Recreation and Park Association backs that up. Ohio won the 2025 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. “Our state parks protect Ohio’s natural resources while providing incredible opportunities for people to explore, learn and connect with nature,” said Gov. Mike DeWine. “From protecting natural ...