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Guest column/We're just a little diminished

Local Columns

I have waited a few days to write this, trying to get my thoughts in order because I know Marian Houser will be editing it somewhere. The world, the Steubenville area, lost a true pioneer, leader, mom, friend and boss last week. And as she often said of the deaths of those whom she knew and loved, it diminishes you. I am diminished. Marian was the city editor of the Herald-Star when I was hired as a know-it-all radio newsman who wanted to be a newspaperman at the ripe old age of 22 back in January of 1985. I still remember the first time I saw her, sitting at her desk at the head ...

Sharing memories of King

Editorials

Monday, Americans of all races and religions mark the observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. We think there can be no better way to remember his legacy than by offering the text of the speech he delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 28, 1963: Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the ...

AI a useful tool, but it must be monitored

Editorials

It may not be Ultron or Skynet as some initially worried, but the latest wave of artificial intelligence technology has not turned out to be a perfect tool, either. In fact, a case out of Wood County Circuit Court in Southern West Virginia reminds us there are big reasons not to rely on the technology. A petition seeking an injunction was denied by Circuit Judge J.D. Beane in part because the filing contained inaccurate citations generated by AI. He believed that because it was “riddled” with errors, it was unlikely to succeed. “The court is left with the conclusion that ...

Treatment access remains important

Editorials

With increasing talk about a growing sense of anxiety and fragile mental wellbeing, it makes sense that some Ohioans are seeking needed mental health care. For most of them, finding timely care is a challenge. Health Policy Institute of Ohio says 75 of the state’s 88 counties are mental health shortage areas, according to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal. “We also did some focus groups with parents and caregivers of children needing mental health services and just asked about their experiences and some of them talked about wait lists two years long to get into a certain ...

Hancock schools facing questions

Editorials

The next couple of weeks could very well determine much of the future for Hancock County Schools. A meeting held Tuesday between local officials and the West Virginia Department of Education included discussion as to whether the district will receive an advancement of funds to meet payroll; an issue Superintendent Dan Enich said was the result of a late drawdown of $475,000. On Jan. 26, members of the school board — and anyone else attending the board’s regular meeting — are scheduled to hear from Jeff Davis (not the former Hancock County commissioner) of Educational ...

Take steps to keep information safe

Editorials

As political season ramps up, election filings begin, tax preparation is underway and any number of 2026 tasks come to mind at the start of the year, residents are reminded to beware of phishing campaigns and other cyber crimes in which deceptive website addresses and other techniques lead people to believe they are dealing with a state agency when they are not. Generally, the goal is to gain login credentials or other personal information — maybe even money. Criminals do so by creating web addresses that look as though they came from state agencies, or send e-mails from ...