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Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival in Wheeling Beats the Heat

File Photo Visitors attend a past Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival at Heritage Port in Wheeling.

WHEELING — Temperatures soared to near 100 degrees Saturday with the skies offering little relief from the sun, but that didn’t keep the crowds away from the Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival throughout the day.

Observances opened up at noon with the solemn Veterans Appreciation Ceremony, where local veterans from wars, including the few remaining World War II veterans, were thanked for their service, as is done each year. Keynote speaker Edward Jackfert was kept as a prisoner of war in the Philippines.

“As a nation and its people, a special debt of gratitude must be made to those who were captured, and yet maintained their faith in their nation for their ability to rescue them back to freedom,” Jackfert said. “It is only by looking into the eyes of a former prisoner of war and hearing their stories of capture and internment can one understand the full depth of commitment these veterans have toward freedom.”

Jackfert made headlines in 2015 when Mitsubishi Materials Corp. sent representatives to Wellsburg to formally apologize for the treatment of captives in Japanese POW camps during the war. Jackfert organized a museum in Brooke County to educate and preserve the memory of the horrors suffered in internment camps.

Jackfert was among the six individuals honored with recognition from the Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation, which pays tribute to individuals who dedicate their lives to the betterment of others. Jackfert and Gary Rider were honored with the Legion of Honor Humanitarian Award. Rider is highly involved in the education of children in Marshall County as a resource for  history lessons. Also honored were Hugh and Lois Stobbs; both were instrumental in organizing the Veterans 10K Race and Walk to benefit local veterans; and Michael and Steve Novotney, father and son, who work with the Wheeling Vet Center.

“This is the newest generation of veterans, and when you find one as dedicated as Michael, it sure makes getting up to make any effort much easier,” speaker James Lee said.

Wheeling’s Vice Mayor Chad Thalman delivered a proclamation from the mayor’s office before laying a pair of wreaths in remembrance of those soldiers whose lives have been lost.

“During this time of war, the Italian Festival Foundation expresses deep appreciation for the military men and women who are sacrificing life and limb in faraway nations like Iraq and Afghanistan,” Thalman said. “We honor and recognize our Gold Star Mothers, of members of the armed forces who have died in battle, and have made the most supreme sacrifice.”

After the ceremony, a slew of regional and rising bands and musical acts, including the Semi-Supervillains and the Joseph Sisters, took over entertainment for the day, while hundreds filled the streets.

Friday evening proved eventful, as Wheeling police apprehended a man accused of attempting to make off with a cash box filled with money. Dale Parsons, 33, of Wheeling, was arrested after 10 p.m. Friday after allegedly stealing a cash box and fleeing on foot. Parsons allegedly led officers on a foot chase through a crowd. Once caught, he allegedly kicked an officer and tossed the cash box into the air.

Parsons faces charges of unarmed robbery, battery on a government official, obstructing, and eluding.

The festival continues from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today at Wheeling’s Heritage Port.

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