Jefferson Commissioners seek support for grant funds

STEUBENVILLE–Jefferson County Commissioners are hoping for federal assistance to complete the funding circle for the County Road 36 bridge replacement and trail grade separation project.

Commissioners recently submitted a letter asking U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli, R-6th, to support $300,000 in Congressionally Directed Funding to advance the project, which would address what they described as “two urgent public safety needs” in Jefferson County–replacing an aging bridge of CR 36 nearing the end of its service life while also eliminating a dangerous “at-grade” conflict between vehicular traffic and Hellbender Preserve trail users.

“The project also advances connectivity along the Great American Rail-Trail, a nationally significant corridor that will span more than 3,700 miles coast-to-coast,” they said in the letter. “Safe, seamless trail access supports regional tourism and rural economic development–areas where Jefferson County is well-positioned to grow. This project reflects a valued partnership between the Jefferson County Engineer’s Office and the Jefferson County Soil & Water Conservation District, whose collaboration will ensure the project is designed and constructed in full environmental compatibility with the adjacent Hellbender Preserve.”

The requested funds would give the county the $1,550,000 needed to complete the project “and deliver lasting safety, infrastructure and recreational benefits to our…community,” the letter stated.

The county previously committed $975,000 of the $1.25 million in total non-federal funds to be used for the project which, if awarded, would give the county the $1,550,000 needed to pay for the work.

“Give back” to veterans, first-responders

STEUBENVILLE — Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce is hoping to “give back” to veterans and first-responders by raising money to assist with the cost of a specialized treatment many need.

Chamber members scheduled an April 25 benefit at 7 Ranges Entertainment to raise money to purchase TMS treatment machines so veterans and first responders diagnosed with major depression can receive free treatment.

According to Cleveland Clinic, transcranial magnetic stimulation is a pain-free, noninvasive treatment that uses magnetic pulses to trigger nerve cells in your brain. It may help manage conditions like depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and certain types of migraine and is approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for use when other depression treatments haven’t been effective. Treatments, which can be costly, are usually administered five days a week for six weeks.

Twenty-percent of all purchases at 7 Ranges from noon-8 p.m. will be donated to Operation Veteran Payback. Chamber members also are also planning a Chinese auction in the banquet room

New medical director for local health district named

STEUBENVILLE–Dr. Coleen Hart has been hired as Jefferson County Board of Health’s medical director.

A native of Trinidad, Hart earned her undergraduate degree from Franciscan University of Steubenville.

In addition to her work with the health department, Hart also practices both adult and pediatric primary care at Trinity Health System with a goal of helping to manage the health care needs of whole families. She believes her work with youth and families as a young adult underscored the importance of support networks and mental health. She also maintains that studying and working in underprivileged and poor communities has ingrained the lessons of good health, food, nutrition and a healthy vaccine program in disease prevention and a holistic approach to medicine.

In addition to her internal medicine and pediatric credentials, Dr. Hart has a diploma in diabetes care and completed a fellowship in obesity management.

Local artist in national competition

STEUBENVILLE — Bella Thompson will be representing the Sycamore Youth Corps in this year’s You, God’s Music Showcase — a national Christian music competition similar to “The Voice,” but centered on glorifying God through music, officials with the youth corps have announced.

Here’s how you can support Thompson, who uses the stage name Rose Marie, and help the Sycamore Youth Corps: You can cast five votes for a $5 donation, and 20% of every vote goes to the corps to support mentoring, life skills and service opportunities for its students

Voting runs from 10 p.m. April 17 through 10 p.m. May 3. Votes can be cast at yougodsmusic.org, by searching for Bella Thompson and clicking “Vote Now.”)

If she advances through the competition, Thompson will have the opportunity to perform in a major live showcase alongside top Christian artists.

Poetry workshop planned

STEUBENVILLE — Poetry in Season, a one-hour poetry workshop celebrating the spring season, will be held at 11 a.m. April 19 at Zion United Church of Christ, 139 N. Fifth St.

The workshop will feature award-winning Ohio poet Barbara Marie Minney. A West Virginia native and a seventh-generation Appalachian, Minney is a transgender woman, award-winning poet and writer, speaker, teaching artist, guest reader and quiet activist. Her poetry and essays have appeared in numerous publications, including “Women Speak: Women of Appalachia Project,” “Untelling,” “I Thought I Heard a Cardinal Sing: Ohio’s Appalachian Voices” and Politico.

Minney is the author of four collections: “If There’s No Heaven,” winner of the 2020 Poetry is Life Book Award and an Akron Beacon Journal Best Northeast Ohio Book in 2020; “The Poetic Memoir Chapbook Challenge” (2021); “Dance Naked With God” (2023); and “A Woman in Progress,” winner of the 2024 American Fiction Award for Poetry Chapbook, an Eric Hoffer Da Vinci Eye Award finalist and a San Francisco Book Festival runner-up.

A retired attorney, she lives in Tallmadge with her wife of more than 44 years.

Cost of the workshop is $10, and reservations can be made by calling (740) 282-1793. Minney will read the Psalm during worship, which will begin at 10 a.m. Anyone who attends the full worship service can attend the 11 a.m. workshop at no cost.

7 Ranges helping veterans

STEUBENVILLE — The 7 Ranges Entertainment Center at the Fort Steuben Mall will host Operation Veteran Payback April 25.

The goal, officials with the complex have explained, is to give back to those who served.

Money raised during the day will go toward the purchase of TMS treatment machines for veterans and first responders, who will be able to receive free treatment.

A Chinese auction will be held in the banquet room noon to 8 p.m. Plus, 20 percent of purchases at 7 Ranges between noon and 8 p.m. will be donated to Operation Veteran Payback.

University brings Shakespeare outdoors

STEUBENVILLE — Franciscan University of Steubenville’s theater program will present William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at 6 p.m. April 24-26 in a unique outdoor production on campus.

Directed by John Walker, associate professor of theater, the performance will take place on the lawn between Finnegan Fieldhouse and Christ the Teacher Hall. This adaptation sets Shakespeare’s classic comedy in 1960s Woodstock, blending the play’s timeless themes with the energy and aesthetic of a more modern era.

Audience members are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets and picnics to enjoy the performance in a relaxed outdoor setting.

Walker’s approach to the production draws on a classical Shakespearean method practiced today. Actors rehearse using only their individual lines and cues, working one-on-one with the director to interpret meaning through the text’s literary devices and punctuation. The full cast performs together for the first time on opening night, resulting in a production marked by spontaneity and authentic reactions.

“This play won’t just make the students better actors or be more fun for the audience,” said Walker. “It also trains the students to perform outdoors in front of a live crowd–to project, to communicate clearly, and to respond in the moment. Those are skills that can be invaluable in their future careers.”

The event is family-friendly, open to the public and free of charge, with donations to the theater program accepted.

In the event of rain, the performances will be held in the Anathan Theatre, on the ground floor at Egan Hall.