Breaking News

Editorials

25-Year Club tradition lives

While the facilities of the Weirton Steel Corp. and its successors that once dominated downtown Weirton appear to be no more, that doesn’t take away from the history and traditions for which they stood. That includes an annual picnic where longtime steelworkers gather to reconnect and relive their experiences as they contributed to the building of America and the rest of the world. The Weirton Steel 25-Year Club has existed for more than 75 years, and, for much of that history, has organized a picnic for employees and retirees with at least 25 years of service in the local mill. ...

Reminder: Seat belts save lives

Seat belts. For the vast majority of us, putting on a seat belt when entering the car is second nature. But for some, apparently, the act remains optional — and that’s leading to fatal results. In Ohio during the Fourth of July weekend, 10 people died in car crashes, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Of those 10 fatalities, six were not wearing seat belts. The issue goes deeper. According to the Columbus Dispatch, during the Fourth of July weekend, troopers issued 2,286 seat belt and child safety seat violations. How is that possible in 2025? The problem ...

Anniversary for special document

An important milestone of this country’s early days and values will be recognized Sunday, the 238th anniversary of the Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States, North-West of the River Ohio — the Northwest Ordinance. There is much worth celebrating in that founding document. At the time, the authors made repeated references to religious freedoms, noting that “the fundamental principles of civil and religious liberty … form the basis whereon these republics, their laws and constitutions are erected.” Article 1 of the ordinance: “No person, ...

Your donation can make a difference

Repeated reminders of our need to take care of one another have often come with pleas from vital non-profits for support over the past few years. Charitable giving is a priority for many who are able to make it part of their budget — and the number of people who share that priority appears to be growing. According to the most recent Giving USA report, charities received approximately $592.5 billion in donations in 2024 — a 3.3 percent increase over 2023. The donations data used for this report came before the layoff of tens of thousands of workers for non-profits for 2025 due ...

Put safety first when you swim

Swimming season is here, and the sounds of people enjoying the water are a sure sign that the summer is really heating up. But the fun of playing in the water can quickly turn tragic. It’s a reality that hit home on Monday, when 13-year-old Reese Hanshaw of Burgettstown lost her life after drowning while swimming in the Ohio River near the Veterans Memorial Bridge. Almost 400 children younger than age 5 drown every year in swimming pool accidents across the country, and more than 3,200 go to a hospital emergency room after a near drowning, statistics show. A child can drown in ...

Spirit of 1776 remains alive

We cannot describe the spirit of freedom any better than those who created the document which led the nation toward the actions which we celebrate on Friday. The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should ...