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Consider Running for Elected Office

If you’re a West Virginia resident not satisfied with the status quo of the Mountain State — or if you are satisfied and would love to see what you consider positive momentum to continue — there’s a way for you to directly influence that. From Jan. 12 through midnight Jan. 31, West Virginia residents can file to run for elected office. Seats in government both large and small are up for grabs this year, and now is the time to throw your hat in the ring. Among the seats up for grabs this year are those in the United States Senate and House of Representatives, West Virginia ...

Fitting Honor for Cross

The Brooke County Prosecutor’s Office now bears the name of the man who held that position longer than anyone — a fitting honor for someone who spent decades representing the county in court. Last week, the prosecutor’s office was dedicated to former prosecutor David B. Cross, who was in that role for 33 years. That’s the longest anyone in West Virginia has held the elected office of county prosecutor. For more than three decades, Cross not only presented countless criminal cases to the local justice system, but also served as legal counsel to both the Brooke County ...

Consider Donating Blood This Year

If your New Year’s resolutions included finding small ways to do good more frequently, the American Red Cross has some ideas for you. You — yes, you — are needed, right now. A glance at the organization’s website reveals an alert that there is an “EMERGENCY NEED for type O blood” because winter weather has caused a decline in donations. There’s even a pitch that if you donate by Jan. 4, you will receive a Red Cross long-sleeved t-shirt; and if you give blood before Jan. 31, you can earn points to be used toward rewards. Local opportunities to give blood include ...

Don’t Forget Flu Shots

A new variant of the flu virus has been affecting people all over the world, and serving as a reminder to get your flu shot. According to an Associated Press report, that variant is known as “subclade K” and led to early outbreaks in the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada. In the United State, while flu season typically begins in December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported high or very high levels of illness in more than half the states. The CDC estimated there have been at least 7.5 million illnesses, 81,000 hospitalizations and 3,100 deaths from flu ...

Growth Tops Needs for the Ohio Valley

As the calendar turns to 2026 in the Ohio Valley, it’s fitting that we all look to the future. What is it that this region needs in the new year? What will push it into a better place? There’s a short, but important answer: growth. It’s not growth in any one specific area. It’s growth in every area — population, economics, you name it. For decades, the Ohio Valley has been shrinking with no real evidence of an upturn. Take Wheeling, for example. The 2000 census had The Friendly City at 31,419 residents. In 2010, that total dropped to 28,486, and then to 27,062 in 2020. ...

Getting Healthy in 2026

The calendar has turned to 2026. The Christmas desserts are long gone. The New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day celebrations — and the calories that often come with them — are over. Now many of us are looking in the mirror and wondering how we can shed some of the holiday pounds we packed on over the last few weeks. The solution comes not just from thought, but from action, as in getting up off the couch, getting mobile and burning some of those added calories. Some people might already have started on detailed regimens to whip themselves into shape. Good work, guys. For ...