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Celebrating Legacy of E. Gordon Gee

Monday marked the conclusion of an extraordinary chapter in American higher education as E. Gordon Gee stepped down from his presidency at West Virginia University. Spanning more than four decades and multiple institutions, Gee’s career has been characterized by visionary leadership, an unwavering commitment to student engagement, keen insight into the future of education and a profound impact on the nation’s academic landscape. Gee’s journey began where it ends — WVU. He first served as the university’s president from 1981-85. His leadership trajectory then ...

Showcasing What Arena Has To Offer

Generating interest in events downtown — particularly at WesBanco Arena — obviously is good for Wheeling, even if it means, after nearly a decade, slightly relaxing Ohio County’s strict Clean Indoor Air Regulation. Members of the Wheeling-Ohio County Board of Health deserve credit for their 4-2 vote last week to relax the smoking rules and allow a one-time “cigar social” to take place later this year at WesBanco Arena. Howard Karnell, marketing coordinator for the Capitol Theatre and WesBanco Arena, and Wheeling City Councilman Dave Palmer, a member of the Greater Wheeling ...

Protecting Our Youth

Though an outbreak in Ohio appears to have subsided since the spring, outbreaks of measles are still popping up all over the country. The summer break does not seem to have slowed the spread of this dangerous disease. Canada and Mexico are experiencing thousands of cases, too. In the U.S., the total number of confirmed cases this year sits at 1,267 — just shy of the 30-year high. Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah have active outbreaks. So far, two children and one adult have died. All ...

President Trump, Area Deserves FEMA’s Help

It’s been four weeks since devastating flash flooding changed life for many here in the Valley Grove and Triadelphia communities of Ohio County. To ensure ongoing recovery, it is imperative that President Trump issue a major disaster declaration to facilitate federal assistance for the affected communities. The flash flooding, which occurred in the evening hours after 4 inches of rain dropped within just 30 minutes, led to the tragic loss of nine lives. Entire neighborhoods in Valley Grove and Triadelphia were inundated, with homes destroyed, roads washed out, and critical ...

New Drone a Big Bonus

WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital and WVU Medicine Reynolds Memorial Hospital deserve the community’s thanks for stepping forward to provide a much-needed tool to the Ohio County Emergency Management Agency: an underwater drone. The drone now can be deployed during swift-water rescue operations, flooding, drownings and even police investigations, EMA Director Lou Vargo said. It could have been particularly useful during rescue operations following the June 14 flash flooding. “The drone can confirm the images that we see on the side-scan sonar before we send a diver or swift water ...

Disasters near and far have deepened the desire in many to help — to somehow do something amid all this suffering and struggle. In many of the hardest hit places, the American Red Cross is helping — and if we can’t be involved in those direct efforts, we can certainly do something to help that organization fulfill its mission of helping save lives. Part of that mission is, of course, keeping hospital shelves stocked with blood and blood products. The need for that never ceases. At the moment, the national organization is asking especially for those with type O to donate blood, ...