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New Bethany mayor sets a positive tone

Bethany’s new mayor, Thom Furbee, is hitting the ground running only a few weeks into his new position. While no stranger to local politics, having previously served as a member of the town’s council for 10 years and holding a prior appointment to the sanitation commission, Furbee has noted he doesn’t have all of the answers and is looking to the community he serves for suggestions. This week, he hosted a town hall meeting at Bethany Memorial Church, inviting town residents to sit down and talk about their concerns, ask questions and offer suggestions for possible projects ...

Helping uncover Medicaid fraud

As officials at the federal level go on and on about reducing spending on Medicare and Medicaid by eliminating fraud, waste and abuse, officials at the state level are showing they’ve already been working diligently on that front. Earlier this month, the office of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed indictments against nine Medicaid providers accused of stealing a total of $1.2 million from the program. These suspects are home health aides and mental health specialists who are accused of billing Medicaid for services they did not actually provide. One suspect, James Ferguson, ...

Warning signs about W.Va. roads

If anyone in our area needed a reminder that the efforts to maintain our state’s roadways has been ridiculously underfunded, all they had to do was listen to the discussions during last week’s Brooke County Commission meeting. Commissioners were approached by a county resident who expressed continued concerns over the status of U.S. Route 22, which, despite various attempts at fixing its crumbling surface over the years, continues to present unevenness, with a variety of cracks, craters and bumps. State Route 27, also known as Washington Pike, is another road of concern, with ...

Ohio showing it’s pro-business

Ohioans have always had an entrepreneurial and adventurous spirit. But according to a new report by CNBC, it now has the pro-business credentials to match. The news outlet ranked the top states in the country for business in 2025 — using 135 metrics in 10 categories — and the Buckeye State landed at fifth. Pennsylvania was ranked 17th on the list, while West Virginia was ranked 40th. North Carolina, Texas, Florida and Virginia topped the rankings with Alaska finishing at the bottom. In fact, the only category in which Ohio received a letter grade below a C was for workforce, ...

Taste freshness at farmers markets

Take some of the region’s freshest produce and throw in an opportunity for area residents to enjoy a pleasant day with family and friends, and you have the perfect recipe for local farmers markets. Held at many locations throughout the Tri-State Area, the markets offer a chance to buy fresh fruits and vegetables and to support the men and women who grow them. You’ll also find a variety of baked goods; jams, jellies and pickles; candies, cookies and fudge; and crafts from local organizations, vendors and crafters. The markets offer the chance to enjoy some time outside and ...

OVAC game marks return of football

Fans of high school football in our region have been waiting for Saturday night for a long time. That’s when the 79th-annual Rudy Mumley Ohio Valley Athletic Conference All-Star Football Charity Classic will be played. As usual, the contest will allow the top graduated seniors from Ohio to square off against their counterparts from West Virginia, with kickoff set for 7:15 p.m. in Wheeling Island Stadium. Of course, there will be bragging rights on the line in the game, which was first played in 1940. Even more important will be the friendships that have been made during ...