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What’s not to love about autumn?

I can remember a time when autumn was simply amazing. Cool breezes on amber days. Fallen leaves in colors one could only imagine. Yet, here they were … a mix of hues intertwined. Yellows, oranges, reds and browns … each a masterpiece all its own, appearing as if strategically placed by the author, himself, who created them. And every time the wind blew, you could somehow detect a faint glimpse of what heaven must smell like. Hints of pumpkin, apple, cinnamon ... collectively filling the air. Autumn used to be a beautiful time. At least in my mind. But all ...

History in the Hills: Ghosts of the past

This week is Halloween, and usually around this time of year, I get in the mood to read a good spooky tale or ghost story. I guess this is to prepare me to write a good local history tale of my own. Believe it or not, it is hard to find honest-to-goodness ghost stories from our area. They are just not written down. Rather, they are spread by word of mouth and passed down. I have heard of a few and many of those I have related in these columns during the past six years, but I am always on the hunt. For me, just because a story doesn’t have a “ghost” component, doesn’t mean it ...

Guest column/A look back at the Halloween that we’re losing

My first Halloween memory sits somewhere around 1995 or 1996 in Pottery Addition, just north of Steubenville. I was 4 or 5, dressed as the Blue Power Ranger — the kind of plastic mask that fogged up every time you breathed. My grandfather, my nana, my mom and my mom’s friend all walked with us that night. Her daughter, about a year younger than me, was dressed as a fairy — glittery wings, a tiara and a pink tutu that caught the streetlight like it was made of spun sugar. The air smelled like leaves and candle smoke. We went door to door with our plastic pumpkins, our parents ...

Always something to do

Many of the calls that have been coming into the newspaper’s office during the past several weeks have asked the same question: “Where did my business or the company I work for finish in the annual Best of the Best Reader’s Choice voting?” That’s a fair question, and it speaks to the interest the annual promotion attracts. This year’s process began in June, when the nomination process opened. In July, readers were asked to vote and narrow all of those nominees to the top five in each category. That led to the final voting, which concluded on Sept. 22. All that ...

Guest column/Some questions about city charter changes

I have read the proposed changes to the Steubenville City Charter mailed to registered voters in the city, not because none was mailed to me but only because my wife received hers, and certain parts have left me confused. The proposed amendment to Article II, Section 4 A 1 states that the mayor or members of council can, for certain reasons, be removed from office by “a majority vote of Four (4) members of council ...” as opposed to the existing language stating removal “by a majority vote of members of council ...” Does this change mean by a majority vote of all members of ...

Guest column/Government should stay out of contract negotiations

For decades, I had the privilege of serving as president and CEO of Eagle Manufacturing, a company based right here in West Virginia. Over those years, I understood the importance of sitting down together with my employees, talking through challenges and building trust over time. That approach worked for us, and it works for countless businesses across our state. That’s why I’m concerned about a new proposal in Washington called the Faster Labor Contracts Act. While its name makes it sound like common sense, the reality is that this legislation is unnecessary and could make ...