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Festival of Nations a chance for unity

Area residents can take a trip around the world this weekend, just by visiting Weirton. After a hiatus of several years, the Festival of Nations is making its return Saturday, providing an afternoon of live entertainment, food and more, reflective of the melting pot of cultures represented across our region. Organized by the Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center, the festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Millsop Community Center, and there is no charge to enter. The Festival of Nations has a long and storied history tied to the Weirton community. It’s ...

Students bring life to stages

Auditoriums in our area’s schools again are being filled, as our high and middle schools offer their annual spring productions. The presentations offer a great opportunity for relatives, friends and area residents to support our school districts while enjoying the talents of area students. A look at this year’s schedules has shown a wide range of titles, including “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “Newsies,” “Anastasia,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Sister Act,” “Beetlejuice” and “The Crucible.” Each of these productions represents the ...

Good goals, but questions remain

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine spoke in his annual State of the State address about giving Buckeye State residents “the tools to live up to their full potential,” and “the opportunity to live their version of the American dream.” Though there are plenty of challenges, volatility and uncertainty that make it less clear how those goals will be attained, DeWine was right to focus on jobs and families. His proposed two-year spending plan includes a novel $1,000 child tax credit and access to vision care for young people. After all, literacy efforts are less effective when children have ...

Free information flow still critical

Think about the big stories that have touched our region during the past couple of months. Many residents of the Heritage Place apartment complex in Steubenville have been without heat since late last year. The ongoing issues have led to court appearances and growing frustrations among the occupants, who have, in addition to finding ways to battle off the cold, had to deal with broken pipes and other concerns associated with the problem. Weirton, meanwhile, has been suffering with water issues for the past several months. While the community appears largely to have turned the ...

Bill seeking to help caregivers

Plenty of Ohio families are struggling with caring not only for children, but older family members who need full-time attention. Legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Mike Carey, R-Columbus, aims to lighten that load. The Credit for Caring Act would offer up to a $5,000 nonrefundable federal tax credit to offset family caregiving-related expenses. For example, those include home care aides, adult day care services, home modifications and respite care. “We know that families want to support their loved ones through illness, disability and aging in place. The Credit for Caring Act ...

Program growing leaders of future

Young people are the future of our community, and should be provided with every opportunity to learn and prepare themselves for whatever path they choose in life. That’s what makes programs like the one run by the Weirton Area Chamber of Commerce important. For almost 30 years, the chamber has organized Youth Leadership Weirton, a seven-month program providing guidance and mentoring through sessions focused on life skills including teamwork, goal setting and ethics. Bringing together 30 sophomores from Weir, Madonna, Brooke and Oak Glen high schools, the series provides a ...