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Juneteenth reason to come together

Juneteenth, a celebration of the end of slavery in the United States, will be commemorated on Wednesday. According to tradition, Juneteenth is observed on June 19 because it was on that date in 1865 that Union soldiers arriving in Galveston, Texas, at the end of the Civil War told African-American slaves there that they were free. No one knows with certainty how long the holiday has been celebrated. But the date now is recognized as a federal holiday. Area residents will have the chance to recognize the holiday last weekend, during the annual festival at Second Baptist Church. ...

Help others at blood drive

Area residents will have an opportunity to perform a simple and selfless act Wednesday. That’s when this year’s Jefferson County Media Day Blood Drive is scheduled to be held at the St. Florian Event Center in Wintersville. The doors will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and we hope that everyone who is eligible will participate in the annual event. Late spring and early summer often bring a need for blood that sometimes isn’t met. Regular donors might be on vacation or involved with other activities that keep them away from donation centers. That said, the need for ...

Fathers fill special roles

Fathers don’t always receive the attention they deserve, often because many fathers garner attention that isn’t so good. Tales of single fathers and stay-at-home dads are not as common as tales of fathers gone wrong, fathers who succumb to the terrible pressures of supporting a family in a tight economy or fathers who simply never even tried to meet those pressures in the first place. But all fathers don’t simply act as a genetic donor who then goes away or goes wrong. The fathers who stick around, who work at the job of caring for and supporting children while trying to ...

Remember what flag stands for

It proudly flies in front of schools. It is raised in front of public and private buildings. It is displayed from the porches and in the front yards of countless homes around the nation. It stands near the podium when speeches are delivered. It is raised each day at outposts in the far reaches of the world. It stands tall and is recognized before the start of sporting events. It stirs patriotism as it is marched past us at the front of parades. It draws salutes from battle-tested men and women who remember what sacrifices must be made to defend it. It covers the ...

Juneteenth Festival offers fun, reflection

When this year’s Juneteenth Festival begins its two-day run Friday, there will be many things for area residents to enjoy. There will be fun activities and games for children, there will be vendors offering a wide variety of items and information and there will be food — including some of the best fish and rib dinners you can find in the Steubenville area. But the annual event at Second Baptist Church is about more than being able to enjoy a few days of entertainment and fun — it is a recognition, a chance to reflect on the significance of the Juneteenth holiday. The ...

Martin memories take center stage

Visitors from around the Tri-State Area, the nation and the world are gathering in Steubenville this week to celebrate the memory of Dean Martin. His name still carries that touch of magic, and will forever be associated with the cocktail-cool era. And, while the world remembers him as one of the greatest performers of all time, residents of our area still sometimes think of him as Dino Crocetti, the guy who was born in Steubenville on June 7, 1917. Martin, and his pals in the Rat Pack — Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford — helped set the tone for ...