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Foxfire Film Festival a Fantastic Addition

One of the beauties of Wheeling is that, even in a small city, its people like to think big. The latest example of that is the new Foxfire Film Festival, to run Sept. 11-14 at Towngate Theatre. Kristin Seibert, who co-founded the documentary film festival with Molly Hughes, said they wanted to provide the Friendly City with a window into what’s going on around the globe. “We want to bring the world to Wheeling,” Seibert said. “We want people to open up their minds and be challenged in what they think.” The lineup, which includes documentaries from Oscar-nominated and ...

Listen to Constituents

As results of the annual WV MetroNews West Virginia Poll by Research America continue to be unpacked, lawmakers who held their ground on vaccine requirements last winter learned their stance reflected the will of the majority of registered voters who were polled. Nearly three-quarters of those respondents said they were in favor of strong vaccine requirements for school-aged children. In answer to the question “Should states require children in grades K-12 to be vaccinated against highly contagious disease before entering school,” 71% said yes, and 12% said they were not sure. ...

Suspension Bridge Key to Downtown

The new look of downtown Wheeling truly is coming into focus. All new streets and sidewalks, those odd (yet functional when it actually rains) bioswales that now are less weeds and more plants, and new and planned construction throughout Main and Market streets are leading to a level of optimism not felt in years. Yet one piece remains missing. The downtown Wheeling wants — no, in fact, the downtown Wheeling needs — must include a reopened Wheeling Suspension Bridge. The 176-year-old span stands as more than a historic engineering marvel — it is woven into the very fabric of ...

Finding Creative Uses for Opioid Settlement Funds

Here’s a potential new and “innovative” use of West Virginia’s opioid settlement funds: a license plate reader for the Ohio County Sheriff’s Department. That would pair well with the side-by-side utility vehicles and “covert cameras” provided to the Wheeling Police Department last year — also through grant funding. Sheriff Nelson Croft this past week informed Ohio County commissioners that his agency is applying for grant funds through the West Virginia First Foundation — the group tasked with distributing the state’s $1 billion-plus opioid settlement — to outfit ...

Consider Signing Up To Be a Poll Worker

One of the most important jobs we as American citizens have is letting our voices be heard at the ballot box. In order for us to do that, we rely on the poll workers who help make each of those polling places operate without a hitch. Yet elections officials around the Ohio Valley are searching for more people to fill that crucial role. Eberle Ferrell, director of the Belmont County Board of Elections, recently said she is looking for more poll workers in her county, especially Democrats, as each polling place needs bipartisan representation among its workforce. The need is ...

Measles Vaccine Is Safe

As political chatter raises questions about vaccines and legal requirements for them, some news close to home should remind us of their importance. According to the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department, a measles outbreak was confirmed in the county on Aug. 29. Three children from the same family — all unvaccinated. And while those children are reportedly improving at home, the health department’s task now is to work with the family “to identify and follow-up with any exposure and contacts, and help where needed.” The Ohio news made its way into a report by the ...