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Opinion

Poised for digital comeback

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: From steel to silicon, the Northern Panhandle is once again at a crossroads. With the Trump administration’s Digital Assets Report setting the tone for national crypto and AI policy, West Virginia’s energy-rich regions have a historic chance to lead. Here in the Ohio River Valley, we’ve got the raw materials for a digital comeback: Underutilized substations, legacy industrial zones and a workforce built on resilience. As the federal government signals support for blockchain, Bitcoin mining and decentralized infrastructure, we must act — not later, but now. ...

Reassessment issue needs debate

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: A group of lawmakers in Ohio are attempting to ban property taxes. Although it may appear enticing, since we all want to lower our taxes, we need to ask ourselves, “At what real costs?” This initiative will require getting 413,000 signatures on a petition before it can be placed on the November ballot. If passed, the amendment would go into effect in January, without discussion of how this lost revenue will be replaced. This raises concerns about funding for schools, local service (like 911) and other public safety services, such as grants to volunteer fire ...

Tradition lives at county fair

Editorials

When you browse through this year’s Jefferson County Fair Book, you’ll likely come across a simple set of words on the third page. There you will find the welcoming statement, a reminder that the fair is a showplace for the creative skills of people of all ages, as well as a place to see new products and exchange new ideas. Those words sum up what the fair is all about and remind us, once again, that while many things in our lives seem to go by faster and faster and the tone of the world seems like it’s getting meaner and meaner, it’s good to be able to sit back, relax and ...

Guest column/Children with autism deserve care, not cuts

Local Columns

I recently read over my son’s last report card and was overwhelmed with pride. It showed how far he’s come — progress that, not long ago, felt out of reach. I made mental notes of the areas where we still need to do some work, but mostly I just sat with the joy of seeing comments like “participates well in class” and “a pleasure to have in class.” A few years ago, those kinds of remarks seemed impossible. My son is on the autism spectrum. He’s bright, curious and kind, but he faces challenges in areas that come more naturally to his peers — things like ...

25-Year Club picnic a success

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: The Weirton Steel 25-Year Club held its annual picnic on July 12. Thanks to hard work, it was a success. We would like to thank our sponsors who made it happen: First Choice America Community Federal Credit Union; Tudor’s Biscuit World; Hancock County Savings Bank; USW Local 2911; Brooke-Hancock Central AFL-CIO; Randy Skiles; Hauser’s Furniture; R.S. Saxon Jeweler; Steel and Wolfe Funeral Home; Mario’s Restaurant; Total Equipment; Follansbee McDonald’s; Holiday Inn; Wash-Rite Car Wash; Wine and Beverage Merchants of West Virginia; Gus’s Goodies; James White ...

Reminder to protect children

Editorials

Last week, the Jackson Township Police Department in Northeastern Ohio conducted Operation Unsportsmanlike Conduct, in which it targeted predators traveling in an attempt to solicit sex from children, during a multi-day operation. According to a report by WOIO-TV in Cleveland, the operation resulted in the arrests of seven men who were allegedly trying to engage in sexual activity with girls they believed to be under the ages of 13, 14 and 15. Stark County court records showed those girls were actually undercover police officers being contacted through cell phones, thank goodness. ...