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Get Out and Walk the Mountaineer Mile

Though the weather is still warm enough to make us forget, cooler temperatures are on their way. As the cold gray of winter appears on the horizon, it’s a good time for those who love the outdoors to remember: There’s no such thing as bad weather, only poor clothing choices. The Mountaineer Mile has been a tool to help West Virginians stay healthier for months now. But representatives of Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s office took the chance this week to visit a couple of parks in Pleasants and Wetzel counties to remind us there are walkable opportunities outdoors in the Mountain State ...

Working Toward a Drug-Free West Virginia

State and regional law enforcement agencies continue to fight diligently against one of West Virginia’s most dangerous foes: the flow of fentanyl and other drugs that continues to endanger and kill Mountain States residents still falling victim to the substance abuse epidemic. On Sept. 10, the West Virginia State Police, the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force and the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area worked together on what has been billed as one of the largest fentanyl busts in state history, in Mercer County. It yielded 54 pounds of suspected ...

Caution With Data Centers

Data centers have generated plenty of buzz in Ohio, as some economic development officials have touted them as an integral part of the state’s economic future. That may be true, but the Ohio Chamber of Commerce has some words of caution as it releases a new report through its research foundation on the economic impact of those centers. SRC EvalMetrics LLC prepared the report, which took a look at Ohio’s spot in the upper echelon of North American data center markets, but also noted a few challenges. For 2024, the data center industry here “supported more than 95,000 jobs across ...

Program Bridges Past and Present

In the warm glow of streetlights along the Friendly City’s thoroughfares, a quiet tribute has taken shape over the past few months. The Military Banner Program, launched under Mayor Dennis Magruder’s administration, now colors the city’s skyline with faces of the brave — each one a story, a sacrifice, a reminder. It’s time we reflect on the power this program holds for a community that must never forget the sacrifice made by its native sons. This past week, Wheeling raised a banner honoring John Stanley Duplaga who died aboard the USS Forrestal in July 1967. Duplaga’s story ...

Pats on the Back

- To Ohio Valley General Hospital/Ohio Valley Medical Center School of Nursing alumni that are now conducting Nightingale Nurse tributes during local nurses’ memorial services when requested by families. Alumni member Jody Miller started the project and, to date, four tributes have been conducted. The tribute allows families to recognize the hard work and long hours their loved one gave as a nurse. What a touching way to honor someone who spent their life serving others. Those involved have our praise. - To educators in Ohio County Schools working to establish a program that would ...

Take Care To Stop Forest Fires

Fall fire season has arrived across our region. Don’t let a little rainy weather in September fool you, things are still dry enough to elevate the risk of wildfires. That risk is already higher now that leaves are hitting the ground, and other vegetation is either going dormant and drying out or dying altogether at this time of year. Lower humidity and fall breezes may be pleasant for us, but they, too, add to the risk. All those factors create “a situation where we have an elevated risk of wildfires here in Ohio,” according to the state Division of Forestry’s Aaron ...