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Even though the opportunities to have conversations among us have been reduced during the past 10 months, it's a safe bet that some of the talk will center on the problems our area has been suffering.
Yes, it's easy to point to our shortcomings, a topic that can take on a life of its own, it seems. Now, if you add the issues that have come along with the COVID-19 pandemic and the changes we have had to make to our lives in an effort to lessen the spread -- everything from mask mandates to the use of gallon after gallon of hand sanitizer to having to deal with travel restrictions -- the picture can appear to be pretty bleak.
We've learned a lot along the way. We now know that in some cases, we can work remotely and maybe the time-honored routine of reporting to an office for 40 hours each week is no longer such a necessity.
At the same time, we have seen that education might work better if children are in the classroom and not trying to learn remotely.
In both cases, though, we've come to the reality that whether we are trying to work from home, forced to stay home because some businesses have been forced to reduce their hours or take classes on a regular basis, there needs to be an upgrade to our infrastructure that will make high-speed broadband Internet more widely available to the entire area.
That's a big issue for our part of Ohio, but one Jefferson County's newest commissioner, Tony Morelli, has said he plans to take on.
Problems? Yes, that's a real problem that we face, and it affects thousands of area residents, just like some other things.
But everything is not bad, and there are signs all around us that positive change is happening. There are plenty of examples of that all around us, and we are once again happy to be able to share those in our annual Progress Edition.
"Progress 2021: A Resilient Reset" -- that's this year's theme and, as we have for many years, we will be offering a comprehensive look at what is happening around the region.
Whatever topic you are interested in, from local business, to tourism, to recreation or education, you'll be able to learn what's been going on during the past year while getting a glimpse into what the future might hold.
Our Progress Edition remains one of the most-anticipated sections we produce each year. And, as has become our tradition, we will deliver it to readers in five installments spread through February.
It will begin Tuesday, when we offer a look at the region's economic outlook and an update on the status of the energy business across the region. You'll find stories about the work being done by the Jefferson County Port Authority as well as the Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle. The section will include an update on the Shell's cracker plant being built in Monaca.
Publication will shift to Sundays for the remainder of the month, and the section that will be included in the Feb. 7 edition will focus on community, retail and financial services offered through the region. On Feb. 14, the focus will shift to tourism and lifestyles, while the Feb. 21 publication will include a look at health and education. On Feb. 28, you'll find a section dedicated to business, industry and transportation.
If you look at any of the five sections by itself, you'll find a lot of information about a particular segment of our area's economy. But when you look at all five of the sections together, you'll discover a comprehensive read that covers all aspects of our lives -- and offers profiles of many local businesses and organizations that each has its own interesting story to tell.
Don't let anyone tell you there are no problems in our area -- there are many. But don't let anyone tell you there aren't some good things happening, either -- there also are many, and we're once again happy to be able to share their stories in our annual Progress Edition.
(Gallabrese, a resident of Steubenville, is executive editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times.)