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Helping students should be priority

Not every student has the same path to follow after high school graduation. They don’t have the same skill sets, interests or aspirations. So why would we limit the options they have for assessing their readiness to proceed on those paths? In Ohio, there may be other options available, if lawmakers give serious consideration to state House Bill 326, introduced by Reps. Kevin Ritter, R-Marietta, and Johnathan Newman, R-Troy. “Regarding the use of nationally standardized assessments in public and chartered nonpublic schools and state institutions of higher education,” it would ...

Campaign aims to protect elderly

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced earlier this month that his office is partnering with the Ohio Bankers League and the Ohio Health Care Association on a statewide campaign to increase awareness about elder abuse and intercept financial exploitation before it ever does its damage. The Ohio Pharmacists Association is already part of the group, which will help front-line professionals learn how to spot abuse. That kind of training is important if we are to support a population that can be more vulnerable to scams, fraud and exploitation. “Elder abuse doesn’t always leave ...

Make sure you’re prepared to vote

If you’re beginning to feel as though the stakes in this year’s elections are unusually high, you are not alone. Even a cursory glance at newspaper opinion pages or social media feeds will tell you there are strong feelings on many important issues — and plenty of people believe they must weigh in on the candidates who might address those issues. Here’s the problem. When it really counts — Election Day — those opinion pieces or social media posts will not move the needle. Your vote will — and primary elections are closer than you might think. The office of Ohio ...

Groups benefit from foundation

Thanks to the Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley, 11 Ohio Valley nonprofit organizations are getting a financial boost to continue the good work they do in the community. Those organizations shared in more than $70,000 in Community Impact Grants that the CFOV distributed this week. Organizations earning those grants included the Belmont County Court of Common Pleas Juvenile Division Probation Department, CASA for Children, Catholic Charities West Virginia, Childrens Home of Wheeling Inc., City of Steubenville Parks and Recreation, Hancock and Brooke Young Professionals, Laughlin ...

Development money coming Ohio’s way

Good news came this week out of the U.S. Commerce Department, which says Japan is planning to fund three projects totaling approximately $36 billion in the coming years — one each in Ohio, Texas and Georgia. According to Reuters, this is the first wave of investments in the planned $550 billion reportedly pledged as part of a trade deal with the U.S. The Ohio project is expected to be a $33 billion natural gas-fired power plant in Portsmouth in the southern part of the state — perhaps the largest ever, according to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Reuters reports Lutnick ...

Hall spotlights Weirton’s history

When you look at the names of those who have been enshrined in the Weirton Hall of Fame since its founding in 2008, you can feel the sense of the history and dedication behind the community. From the city’s namesake, E.T. Weir, to the city’s first mayor, Thomas Millsop, to longtime community volunteers like Nick Tranto, Deb Witkowski, Dr. J.K. Luthra, Pam Makricosta and Jim Pauchnik, to businesspeople such as Vanessa Beaver, George Kondik, educators like Tracy Ohalek, David Reitter and Louis Kuntupis, and many more, each has left a lasting impression on the city, whether through ...