Breaking News

Opinion

History in the Hills: Looking back on new years

Local Columns

One of my favorite movies of all time is Woody Allen’s classic 1987 film “Radio Days.” This movie is a delightful blend of history, radio, music and nostalgia from the late 1930s and 1940s. It takes place in Rockaway, N.Y., in the outskirts of New York City on the Atlantic coast, not too far from where my wife grew up. I always loved this film because of the glimpse into the past and the great music that was popular at the time. That is my favorite genre of music, so that is part of the reason I like it. One of the last scenes of the movie shows many of the radio personalities ...

Some annual events

Local Columns

With the Christmas and New Year’s holidays behind us and the calendar having flipped to 2026, we can now turn our attention to the next events that are coming our way. And while the dead of winter doesn’t always lend itself to many activities, there still are plenty of things on the horizon. For example, Jan. 19 is set aside for a couple of important events this year. The first is the Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration. Weather often plays a part in local events surrounding that day, but it still offers a chance for everyone to reflect on the messages King shared. It’s also ...

A cabal of dunces

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: I owe MAGA an apology — though “MAGA” is really shorthand for something broader. I’m talking about the conspiracy theories that many, maybe most, MAGA voters have repeated for decades, long before there was QAnon and even before Alex Jones became a household name. Ideas once dismissed as fringe — muttered by tin-foil-hatted callers on late-night Art Bell radio shows — now appear less absurd than before. We’re discovering, it seems, that shape-shifting lizard people do, actually, control the levers of power. Or at least something close enough to them ...

Sharing true spirit of Christmas

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: I am writing to share a wonderful story of generosity and kindness that truly made this Christmas the best one ever for the residents of Shaffer Plaza in Steubenville. Shaffer Plaza is an IDD ICF group home that supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and this past Christmas was made incredibly special thanks to an extraordinary donation from the living family members of the late Pete Puskarich. They came together to honor Pete’s memory in the most meaningful way — by giving joy, comfort and unforgettable memories to others. Because ...

Local Columns

Well, we blinked. And just like that, another year has slipped through our fingers, joining the long line of years that came before it. But I’ll be honest with you ... this time around, I didn’t even bother keeping an eye on the clock. I didn’t hold my breath for the countdown, nor did I wait for that glittering ball to descend over a crowded Times Square. I’ve performed that dance more times than I can count. I’ve finally learned a hard-won truth: The simple turning of a page on a calendar has never actually mended a heart or fixed a problem. Not for me, ...

Trades offer opportunities

Editorials

Those who have the opportunity to spend time with younger family members over this holiday break may be tempted to ask questions such as “What do you want to be when you grow up?” or “What are you studying in college?” A growing number of employers are hoping the answer to that question is plumber, carpenter or even conveyor belt repairperson. There are so few people entering (or staying in) the skilled trades that consulting firm McKinsey predicts an estimated imbalance of 20 job openings for every one net new employee between 2022 and 2032. Employers such as Wal-Mart and ...