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Working Together To Keep the Region Healthy

It’s always good to see organizations work together for the greater good — and that’s exactly what’s happening right now on both sides of the Ohio River. As the J.B. Chambers YMCA in Elm Grove undergoes major renovations, the Martins Ferry Recreation Center is stepping in to help ensure opportunities to stay active don’t skip a beat. For the next three months, the Wheeling YMCA will run several programs at the rec center — including senior fitness classes, adult evening workouts, and a youth basketball skills and drills clinic led by former college player Asia Roby. ...

Cleaning Up Moundsville

Moundsville officials are taking necessary — and overdue — action to address serious safety concerns at several rental properties in the city. The sight of cockroaches and rats overrunning homes on Center, Cedar and Cypress streets is more than disturbing; it’s a public health crisis that no community can tolerate. Residents have every right to be alarmed. When vermin spill from one property into others, when neighbors are forced to endure swarms of roaches and the stench of decay, local government must intervene. City Manager Rick Healy and the Marshall County Health Department ...

Morrisey Move Works for West Virginia

This week, Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced that the state will extend its “donor agreement” to keep open the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. At $7,000 a day, Morrisey is likely correct that such a decision is worth the money, given the consequences if New River was to be closed for Bridge Day, or visitors were disappointed when they tried to visit our parks during what should be peak leaf-viewing season. “The political gridlock in Washington, it’s hurting a lot of people, but we took swift action in one area where we felt ...

It’s Time for a New Direction in Wheeling

A $2 weekly user fee. Water and sewer rates increasing. Power rates that have increased about 50%, on average, over the past two decades. The cost of living in Wheeling, while still much lower than many other parts of West Virginia and across the nation, is now on the rise. And if the city, Ohio County and the surrounding region can’t find a way to attract new residents here — and soon — that burden only will increase and lead to additional issues for residents. A shrinking population, quite simply, leads to fewer residents shouldering more of the burden for essential government ...

Outlining County’s Future

One of the more interesting points to come out of this past week’s Economic Outlook Conference in Wheeling was this: Ohio County has the highest per-capita income in West Virginia. This information, shared by businessman David H. McKinley and based on economic data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, is a strong indicator of the county’s overall economic health. It is a good reminder that our region has many of the pieces necessary for growth and just needs that spark to unlock its true potential. “And the reality is 2025-26 looks even better than 2024-25,” McKinley ...

WVU Must Ensure It Is a Good Investment

West Virginia University President Michael Benson had a lot of big ideas in his first State of the University address this week. They come as he is in the middle of an effort to visit every county in the state — an important attempt to truly understand his new home and the state his university serves. Sure, it’s nice to learn the holiday lighting party will return to Woodburn Hall this year, but it is also encouraging to hear Benson has a realistic understanding of the challenges faced by the university, and the need to tackle them — with help from those who responded to the ...