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Brooke County Fair offers plenty of fun

County fairs offer something for just about everyone. And, if you are in need of another reminder of that, you need look no farther than Brooke Hills Park in Wellsburg. That’s where the Brooke County Fair will be held. Set to run today through Sunday, the annual event will feature a wide variety of food, games and entertainment. The weekend will include presentations of Native American culture and lumberjack skills, drag races for all-terrain vehicles and dirt bikes and plenty of music. Agriculture will play a part, with contests built around home-grown produce and ...

We remember, reflect today

Nineteen committed people can change the world. That is the frightening reality that we learned 24 years ago today, after Americans and the world watched as civilian airliners were used as piloted cruise missiles to rain terror in New York and Washington, D.C., and on the people who fought back aboard an airliner that crashed into a peaceful farm field east of Pittsburgh. Sept. 11, 2001, is receding in time, but not in effect. The world has accepted wars, seemingly without end. It has accepted that madmen bent on using violence as a political statement will forever be with ...

Let’s look at all energy options

As the most obvious economic development in Ohio is data centers and server farms — necessary, but not exactly providing a lot of jobs while they place a greater burden on our energy infrastructure — lawmakers are looking for new ways to make sure those hungry facilities get all the electricity they need. The growing demand is creating the possibility of energy shortages, prompting lawmakers to come up with energy efficiency and energy generation ideas. “Until we get new baseload built, there is still not enough energy,” state Rep. Roy Klopfenstein, R-Haviland, told the ...

Where’s the interest in improving safety?

Those hoping for railroad companies to move on their own toward improved safety for their workers and the communities through which their trains run will have to wait a bit longer. More than two and a half years since a Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, not one of the larger freight railroads in the country has signed on to the Confidential Close Call Reporting System, a voluntary federal program that was meant to reduce rail hazards and prevent accidents. According to a report by The Associated Press, BNSF and Norfolk Southern did attempt partial trials, but have not ...

Scammers always looking to deceive

Across the country, scammers continue to find success — particularly with older residents and their families — with a seemingly endless supply of techniques for separating people from their hard-earned money. Among the latest efforts is a scam in which a person receives a phone call, e-mail or text that says they need to pay a fine, but that they should do so with Bitcoin, a gift card or other virtual currency. And yes, the wording is confusing and aggressive enough that people continue to fall for these scams in droves. In Ohio alone, between July 1, 2024, and June 30, ...

Recent incidents leave questions

Our region is blessed with many wonderful entertainment venues. They’re places to relax with members of our families and friends, spots where young and old should be able to take performances from top entertainers and enjoy a thrill ride. Sadly, nights at two of the most popular spots in the Tri-State Area have been disrupted during the past several weeks, incidents that have led to injuries and raised questions about security measures and what makes some people behave so badly in public settings. Those incidents — which included a man being hit in the head with a beer can ...