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Giving the Best Gift to Others This Holiday Season

Christmas is an event that has emerged in bits and pieces from out of the mists of antiquity. The tradition of giving gifts at Christmas time dates back to a practice in vogue in pagan Rome. Each year, on Dec. 17 and 18, ancient Romans celebrated the festival of Saturnalia, honoring Saturn, the god of agriculture. At this time, Romans exchanged gifts of sweet pastry, lamps, precious stones, and gold and silver. The early Christians, however, shunned Christmas-giving, for the very reason that it was popular among what they called the “pagan Romans.” It was centuries before they ...

Marshall Memo: Christmas in Moundsville; Robotics; Grants; and a Joyous Season

Christmas is almost here! As we close in on the big day, let’s remember to shop small and support local businesses. Christmas sales are important for many small local businesses, sometimes even accounting for up to 30-40% of their annual revenue! Christmas sales help the businesses make enough money to stay afloat during the slower months after the holidays or off-peak seasons. The Christmas shopping season is a great time for businesses to attract new customers through promotions, events, and unique offerings. Customers can rely on personalized service and locally made ...

W.Va.’s Coal-Fired Generation Industry Poised To Meet Future

There is a sudden, unexpected and massive rise in electricity demand occurring across the country due to a variety of factors converging before us. Large power-gobbling data centers necessary to support our nation’s ever-increasing digital activities and the evolution of artificial intelligence technologies are a primary factor. Our growing economy, the rise in remote work, personal technology reliance, and electric vehicle usage are also contributing to this demand. This is great news for states like West Virginia, which generate more electricity than it consumes and has the ...

Wheeling Health Right Growing Entering 40th Year

As we enter the season of gratitude and giving, we at Wheeling Health Right want to thank those who have helped us fulfill our mission for nearly 40 years. For those unfamiliar with us, Wheeling Health Right opened its doors in 1985, and since then we have been dedicated to delivering top-quality health care to the working poor of the Upper Ohio Valley. We could not have persevered this long without incredible support from generous health care providers, families, businesses and the state of West Virginia. We are beyond grateful for the countless doctors, nurses and other ...

Marshall Memo: Strings Alumni To Gather; Holiday Drawings Honored; and Christmas on the Avenue

The Marshall County Strings Program will present its annual alumni concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15 at the John Marshall High School Center for Performing Arts. The concert will feature the chamber orchestra and alumni orchestra of more than 30 string program graduates. Festive holiday favorites will fill the air with sounds the season. --- Moundsville Middle School 8th grader Jessie Nguyen was one of the eight middle school students in the Ohio Valley recognized by Main Street Bank for her artistic talents. Nguyen’s Christmas-themed drawing has been made into a billboard, which ...

A Look Back at Christmas Eve 1933 as We Head Into Season

In the era of President-Elect Donald P. Trump, many remain anxious about the coming new year. The nation’s capital is seen from the heartland like a 21st century Sodom and Gomorrah. But a step back in time captured in the 1971 TV Christmas Special “The Homecoming” set in the Great Depression on Christmas Eve 1933 introduced viewers to a family called the Waltons with a brood including John Boy, who aspired to be a newspaper writer; a younger son who wore knickers and shared a story about squeezing a little duck; and a family that gathered to listen to the radio — carrying comedy ...