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Weirton parks face challenges

Editorials

For years now, the Weirton Board of Parks and Recreation has warned of the need to renovate Starvaggi Memorial Pool in order for it to continue for generations to come. The proverbial can was kicked down the road by various city administrations, most of whom cited a lack of funding or simply not feeling the project was a priority. Finally, some officials took the need seriously enough to pledge approximately $1 million, and the efforts to come up with a design began. Parks officials had hoped the renovations could begin this summer, so much so that they initially decided to go ...

What happened to free speech?

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: George Orwell’s book, “Nineteen Eighty-Four,” written in 1949, is a dystopian novel about a totalitarian society ruled by the omnipresent party and its figurehead, Big Brother — the Thought Police. This is where one’s personal and political thought was unapproved. I can’t help but think about the context of this novel and how it is being reflected in the United State today, in 2025. Are we undergoing a dismantling of freedom of speech right now? Brendan Carr, a Trump lackey, and a key writer of Project 2025 and current chair of the FCC has the power to ...

Guest column/Congress must restore IT protection to drive innovation

Local Columns

Founding a successful startup has never been easy, but a little-known U.S. Supreme Court ruling has made it even more difficult in recent years by enabling corporations that use startups’ patented technology without permission to get off nearly scot-free. Now, Congress has a chance to set things right. On Feb. 25, Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., reintroduced the Realizing Engineering, Science, and Technology Opportunities by Restoring Exclusive, or RESTORE, Patent Rights Act, a bipartisan bill that would enable startups and other patent holders to block infringers ...

Coal is still a vital part of energy mix

Editorials

As the U.S. Senate considers codifying the reestablishment of the National Coal Council, lawmakers have an opportunity. U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli’s bill drew support from enough Democrats in the House of Representatives that it is now moving to the Senate, which will consider whether it is necessary to back up the executive order that, among other things, called for reinstating the group that provides guidance on the future of coal technologies and markets. And Rulli, a Republican from Salem whose 6th Congressional District includes our area, is right. It is important for those ...

Guest column/West Virginia must act now and implement IDD increases

Local Columns

West Virginians with intellectual and developmental disabilities deserve the opportunity to live, learn, work, and thrive in their communities. The services that make this possible — provided by dedicated professionals across our state — are at risk. Unless the state implements rate increases for IDD services on Oct. 1, more providers will be forced to close their doors, and families will lose the critical support they depend on every day. This is not a new issue. A 2023 rate study recommended a 31 percent increase to IDD home and community-based service rates. Providers ...

Here we go again

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: In his Sept. 20 letter, Barry Bardone claims Democrats are just as guilty of gerrymandering as Republicans, pointing to Massachusetts and Illinois to make his case. But his examples, as usual, don’t stand up to a simple Google search — and they certainly don’t excuse what has happened in Ohio. First, Massachusetts. The writer says the state has 11 districts and that Republicans are “gerrymandered out” despite Trump winning 42 percent of the vote. Both claims are incorrect. Massachusetts has nine congressional districts, not 11. And Donald Trump never won 42 ...