For the past three weeks or so, people who have been out-and-about have seen red kettles in front of some area businesses. Of course, these are the Salvation Army kettles, which have been around for many years. In fact, the tradition of bell ringing started in San Francisco in 1891. At one ...

To the residents of Wheeling: As interested buyers of the 1400 block buildings, and prospective Wheeling residents, we want to share a little bit about our story with you. Typically, a move across country for a family would either be to be closer to family or for a new job with some big ...

Reading improves the mind. We know that. The interesting thing is that reading just about anything is good for us, though, clearly, certain types of material are better than others. A number of benefits accrue to those who read. We learn how to use the English language better. We pick up ...

Well, heck, World War II was a long time ago. Why do we even need to know about those “Nazi” people? Ask the 30 or so West Virginia prison guard trainees who are in trouble after touching a raw nerve regarding the Nazis. Some of them probably wish they’d learned more about the horror ...

I miss G.C. Murphy’s. Now before all you mayors out there start groaning, bear me out. I am not lamenting the loss of major retail in your downtowns. I am not dissing the way you and your elected cohorts run your cities and towns today. I realize that times and cities change with the ebb and ...

Reaction to a prank by some W.Va. Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation trainees says much about our state — more of it good than bad. The question we need to face up to is about the trainees, however. What does it say about their generation? You may have heard about a prank, ...

Apathy? I noted in the last election, which happened to be for the Ohio County School Bond renewal levy, that fewer than 10% of the registered voters in Ohio County participated in the election. This fact was pointed out by the news media, and was mentioned to me on more than one occasion by ...

Officials of the Greater Moundsville Convention and Visitors Bureau were presented with a certification of accreditation at a recent meeting of the Marshall County Commission, with Craig White accepting on behalf of the GMCVB, of which he is executive director. He is also the executive ...

It is unlikely the public will ever know all the reasons why a proposed partnership between The Health Plan, of Wheeling, and WVU Medicine has been put on hold — but some may have a strong suspicion about what happened. Whether and in what form the idea might be resurrected is ...

You would think 12 would be enough — children, that is. It was crowded sitting around that long picnic table that served as our dining space in the kitchen. And it became more challenging as my 11 siblings and I grew. Of course, there was always a child in the high chair which left a little ...

One of the best parts of Christmas for most of us (I hope) is the ear-to-ear grins and whoops of delight from our children and grandchildren when they open those packages from Santa Claus. Is there anything better? Yes, there is, as hard to believe as you may find it. There’s a different ...

During November legislative interims, a disturbing trend was once again confirmed by data: We can and must do more for the children in foster and kinship care in our state. We have known about the problems for years. On its face, the continued failure to support our kids is bad enough, however, ...

Although there has been a Army National Guard unit in Moundsville for some 70 years, permanent housing of it has been in the city for 60 years. When Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd Squadron, 150th Armored Cavalry Regiment, moved from the Exposition Building on Wheeling Island to ...

It’s not a big deal, but someone has to do it. Each week, I and a few other women in our Catholic parish volunteer to wash and iron the altar cloths and towels used at each Mass and other liturgical ceremonies. These cotton or linen cloths have a cross embroidered on each. They must be ...

My first job was as a welder. After I completed trade school and became certified, I worked at a mining operation and was responsible for maintaining all on-site equipment. It was hard work, but it was rewarding, and it led me to want to open my own mobile welding business. I planned to ...

Why is it that when we West Virginians dream big, we talk internet companies and the firms that make software and equipment for them and related industries? And when we do that, why do we look outside the state for inspiration? Two pieces of news from the past week come to mind: First, ...

As we gather around the dinner table this Thanksgiving, it is important for us to reflect on the great blessings we share as West Virginians and Americans. It is easy to forget how blessed we are to live in a country with the greatest liberties and freedoms in the world, but Thanksgiving is the ...

First, as all wise dogs do, he sniffed. Yep. Definitely a pine tree. So he lifted a rear leg, aimed at the tree, and let fly. Why not? Easier than having to whine for someone to open the door. Dog owners learn many things. One of them is how difficult it is to clean up canine urine. But we ...

Over the past year, we have seen an emphasis on the repair of our roads in West Virginia. This includes interstate highways, primary roads, secondary roads, as well as local roads. A lot of the funding for these projects has come from recent passage of the “Roads to Prosperity” act and ...

The Marshall County Commissioners have approved a resolution that recognizes 911 service telecommunicators as first responders. The resolution states that 911 public safety telecommunicators “serve 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the same as firefighters, law enforcement officers and ...