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Ohio’s teachers deserve better

Ohio teachers deserve better than the worry being stoked by questions about the State Teachers Retirement System. They can hardly be blamed for wondering what in the world prompted consulting firm Aon to cut its ties with the agency. Gov. Mike DeWine is right to be seeking an investigation, after Aon made several recommendations to improve corporate governance at STRS … and then showed itself out. “The unstated implication is that the governance issues at STRS are so concerning that Aon could not continue its contract in good faith,” DeWine said. “STRS may now be out of ...

Making investments in Weirton’s parks

While there has been much attention in the last year to discussions by the Weirton Board of Parks and Recreation and Weirton Council on what is and isn’t needed in the city’s recreational offerings, it has been nice to see some investment from outside of city government taking place. Last month, representatives of the Mon Power/First Energy Green Team unveiled a partnership with Weirton Parks, kicking off their efforts with the planting of various trees and shrubs — including flowering dogwood, silky dogwood, red bud, yellow birch, Canadian serviceberry, shrubby St. John’s ...

West Virginians can let voices be heard

West Virginia voters will be heading to the polls Tuesday to make their selections in the state’s primary election. They will have the opportunity to cast votes for partisan nominees for president, members of Congress, governor and other high-level candidates. Ballots also will include the chance to make a choice in local offices, including county commission, county board of education, sheriff, magistrate and more. Let’s not forget about our legislative representatives, either. Hundreds of residents in the Northern Panhandle may already have cast ballots through the ...

Mothers hold a special place

While honoring mom today — and you should be if you have a mother or other significant nurturing woman in your life — it’s also a time to consider the work mothers do. It can be measured in monetary terms — one survey has pegged the work of a stay-at-home mom as worth $185,000 a year in cooking, cleaning, child-rearing, housework, taxi-driving and everything else that is asked of them. But there is more to the value of the work of mother that goes beyond pay. It’s a priceless gem to society when it’s done well. The true value of a mother is found in the children they ...

Showing pride in our community

There was a time when it would have been impossible to walk anywhere in Steubenville and not come across a sticker bearing a cartoon figure known as Mr. Pride. Launched in the 1960s during the administration of the late Mayor Andrew Miller, Mr. Pride was a dashing figure — he sported tails and striped pants; he had a big smile on his face and doffed his top hat to everyone he would meet. He was created as a symbol for a clean-up and fix-up campaign designed to help instill a sense of civic pride among community residents. He served as a reminder that keeping the streets of your ...

Treat problems, not just symptoms

An Ohio University medical student and an assistant professor decided to examine the relationship between six “social determinants of health” and the prevalence of diabetes. What they found isn’t really a surprise, but it could inform better decision-making — or at least a greater sense of urgency. According to a report by the Ohio Newsroom, a partnership of public media organizations across the state, these social determinants of health include factors such as safe housing, steady income or literacy. Student Samuel Borgemenke and assistant professor Allyson Hughes found the ...