Breaking News

Editorials

Continuing To Honor Our Veterans

The Wheeling community once again showed its love and appreciation for those who have served in the United States military this past week. The city conducted dedication ceremonies for three Wheeling soldiers killed in action in its ongoing military banner project, and there was a special honor for longtime Wheeling attorney and World War II veteran Joseph Gompers, who received a quilt through Quilts of Valor for his service to his country. On Thursday, Lance Cpl. Gary E. Schubert, who served in Vietnam, and Pvt. Raymond W. Latz, who served in World War II, received public tributes ...

Wheeling Homelessness Task Force Looks Like It Will Start Strong

Based on what was said Tuesday at the Wheeling Rotary Club, this new Wheeling Homelessness Task Force chaired by Rabbi Joshua Lief of Temple Shalom could quickly get on the right track. Lief spoke before the Rotary Club, his first speech after being named chair of the task force by Wheeling Mayor Denny Magruder. There hasn’t been a meeting of that task force yet ­ — there hasn’t been anyone on the task force announced outside of Lief yet ­— but the rabbi did offer some insight into how he will guide the group. One of the first things he offered was that everyone should keep ...

Let’s Live Up To What Our Founders Wanted

As our country celebrates not just any Independence Day, but the 250th anniversary of one of the boldest declarations in human history, the festivities give us an excellent opportunity to look back on two-and-a-half centuries of this American experiment and check ourselves against what the founders hoped they were setting in motion. Draped in red, white and blue and surrounded by flags and fireworks, it is easy to forget how we got here and why we are free to celebrate as flamboyantly as we’d like. Richard Henry Lee made the motion to declare independence in June 1776, but not ...

Take Time To Celebrate

What a milestone we’re able to experience, the 250th birthday of the United States of America. What we’re seeing is a literal once-in-a-lifetime happening, the quarter millennium of the nation. It’s a cause for celebration. So let’s celebrate it. There will be plenty of opportunities to do so. Communities throughout the Ohio Valley will hold events throughout the weekend honoring America and its historic birthday. There will be parades, rides, food and, especially, fireworks in multiple towns on both sides of the Ohio River. Everyone should take advantage of that. Go to an ...

Rabbi Lief A Great Choice To Lead Wheeling Homelessness Task Force

In choosing the inaugural chairperson for his homelessness task force, Wheeling Mayor Denny Magruder needed to find someone who is a proven unifier, someone with compassion for their fellow man and someone who can guide a diverse group of people to seek solutions to a very difficult subject. In Rabbi Joshua Lief of Wheeling’s Temple Shalom, he found someone who checked all of those boxes. The city announced earlier this week that Lief would be the chair of the city’s homelessness task force, a group whose roster will be led by members of the clergy in the city and include members ...

Finding Pockets of Success in W.Va.

While the narrative tends to focus on the rapid rate at which West Virginia’s population is shrinking, there are some spots in the state where population is actually growing. It’s worth taking a look at why. WorldAtlas compiled a list of the communities bucking the trend here, noting something that should be common sense, but seems to have escaped many policy makers: “Jobs and housing explain why these towns add residents while the rest of the state loses them.” So which communities are growing? Martinsburg, Charles Town and Ranson, in the Eastern Panhandle, which has ...