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First Responders Are Area’s True Heroes

The call can come at any time. A house fire. A vehicle accident. Or, as we witnessed late Saturday evening into Sunday, a devastating flash flood. The flooding that swept through Triadelphia, Valley Grove and elsewhere in Ohio County late Saturday evening claimed at least seven lives. The tragedy is unthinkable. Yet without the heroic efforts of local first responders from the Wheeling police and fire departments, the Triadelphia and Valley Grove volunteer fire departments, state Division of Natural Resources employees and so many others, the toll could have been much worse. Consider: ...

Area Devastated Following Floods

Gov. Patrick Morrisey on Sunday declared a State of Emergency in Ohio County due to flash-flooding that swept through Triadelphia, Valley Grove, Elm Grove and parts of the Woodsdale neighborhood late Saturday evening. While that’s the official designation necessary to allow for help from the state, it falls so far short of truly describing and understanding the total devastation area residents and businesses experienced. ∫ Five confirmed dead and four others still reported missing. ∫ Dozens of cars damaged or destroyed. ∫ Homes damaged and even destroyed as they were swept ...

A Business-Unfriendly Approach in Wheeling

There’s something fundamentally wrong when city leaders repeatedly tell a private property owner that there’s nothing that can be done with their property. Want a zone change? Not a chance. Want to tear down a building currently sitting alongside one of Wheeling’s busiest roads and build residential homes in its spot? Highly unlikely, as the building there is a “contributing historic structure.” Want to return it to its original use as a church? No, unfortunately the property no longer meets the zoning requirements needed for a church. Such is the current plight of Tom ...

A First Step in Addressing County’s Future Growth

Both Wheeling and Ohio County have the same problem: a declining and aging population. The 41,000 people here today (Ohio County at its peak nearly a century ago had 72,077 residents) are being forced to shoulder more of the burden when it comes to public utilities, taxes and more. This is an issue every resident and public official should have at the top of their priority list. Quality of life here, as we all know, is excellent. We have the amenities of a medium-sized city (a symphony orchestra, professional hockey, a casino and more) without much of the crime and traffic. Homes, when ...

Continue Efforts in Overdose Fight

West Virginia’s deadly substance abuse epidemic has become significantly less so lately. According to the National Center for Health Statistics through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been a 43.5% decrease in overdose deaths in the state over the past year. “That’s great news and it’s really unprecedented,” Dr. Matthew Christiansen, chief medical officer for Valley Health and a former state public health officer, told WV MetroNews. It is wonderful news, yes, but it begs the questions: What has changed? And are use rates as high as they ever ...

Keeping W.Va. Seniors Healthy

West Virginia is not only routinely ranked as one of the poorest and most unhealthy states in the country, it also has the third-oldest population, according to data from the 2020 census. That means plenty of people with challenges related to their health, age and income. Fortunately, we have a state Department of Agriculture that understands all that, and is once again offering vouchers through the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, through Oct. 31. Though seniors must receive their vouchers in their home counties, they can use them at any participating farmers market in the ...