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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 ...

Take precautions with outdoor fires

Perhaps we should take it as a positive sign that we are moving out of winter and into spring and the Ohio Division of Forestry’s outdoor fire laws (for “kindled” fires) are once again in effect. From the beginning of March through November, outdoor open burning is prohibited statewide in unincorporated areas between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. This could mean anything from a proper burn barrel to burning of yard waste, trash and debris. “During spring, wildfire danger is high before plants have turned green, and in fall, fire danger is high due to abundant dry leaves ...

Spelling bee offers valuable lessons

Twenty-nine pupils from across our region had the chance to put their knowledge, analytical skills and poise on display Saturday during the Jefferson-Harrison County Regional Spelling Bee Presented by the Herald-Star. Held in the auditorium of Buckeye North Elementary School in Brilliant, the bee lasted about two hours and included some intense moments as the competition neared its conclusion. When all of the spelling was concluded, Kaden Haddox, a sixth-grader at Indian Creek Middle School, correctly spelled the word “abscess” to earn his win. That means Haddox, the son of ...