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Weirton parks face challenges

For years now, the Weirton Board of Parks and Recreation has warned of the need to renovate Starvaggi Memorial Pool in order for it to continue for generations to come. The proverbial can was kicked down the road by various city administrations, most of whom cited a lack of funding or simply not feeling the project was a priority. Finally, some officials took the need seriously enough to pledge approximately $1 million, and the efforts to come up with a design began. Parks officials had hoped the renovations could begin this summer, so much so that they initially decided to go ...

Coal is still a vital part of energy mix

As the U.S. Senate considers codifying the reestablishment of the National Coal Council, lawmakers have an opportunity. U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli’s bill drew support from enough Democrats in the House of Representatives that it is now moving to the Senate, which will consider whether it is necessary to back up the executive order that, among other things, called for reinstating the group that provides guidance on the future of coal technologies and markets. And Rulli, a Republican from Salem whose 6th Congressional District includes our area, is right. It is important for those ...

Improving oral health in Ohio

In the Buckeye State, particularly in rural or lower-income regions, not all children are able to get regular care from a dentist. It’s a generations-old problem, but between 2022 and 2024, CareQuest Institute for Oral Health and Oral Health Ohio tried a pilot program to do something about it. Through Medical Oral Expanded Care, the project incorporated oral health checks into annual well child visits with pediatricians, according to a report by the Statehouse News Bureau. The pilot involved more than 1,000 children. Rebekah Mathews, vice president of health transformation ...

Free speech should be non-negotiable

Freedom of speech is on a lot of minds these days — even Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who spoke at the state Department of Higher Education’s Trustees Conference recently. According to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal, DeWine felt it important to remind policymakers on college campuses that an environment in which people are comfortable speaking freely is essential. His remarks were inspired, of course, by the killing of Charlie Kirk and its aftermath, though he noted the notion of whether Kirk’s death could have been prevented was a security issue, not a speech issue. ...

Riverfest helps open fall season

The fall season officially arrived Monday afternoon, and with it an expectation of cooler temperatures and a change in the look of the world around us. What better way to welcome the season, then, than by attending one of our local autumnal community events? New Cumberland’s Fall Riverfest is set to take place Saturday and Sunday with a variety of vendors, entertainment and other activities for all ages. The festival will kick off Saturday with the Riverfest 5K Walk and Run, with registration at 8 a.m., and the race at 9 a.m. The course begins at the Hines Park gazebo, ...

Redistricting process shows some promise

Though the results of Ohio’s latest redistricting attempt have yet to be seen, state House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, should be commended for one thing: He says he will not give in to pressure from the White House to draw maps that meet the approval of President Donald Trump. “I’m most interested in what residents of the state of Ohio have to say,” Huffman said when asked about Trump and national influence, according to the Ohio Capital Journal. “Of course, the President of the United States is an important person too, but there are 11 million+ people in the state of ...