Breaking News

Opinion

Letting All Enjoy Movies

Editorials

Easterseals Rehabilitation Center has long been a champion of inclusion in the Ohio Valley, and showed that again with its latest event. The organization once again hosted its fourth a “sensory-friendly” matinee for children and their families at Towngate Theater. “It’s a way for people who maybe wouldn’t feel comfortable in a theater setting or cinema setting like up at The Highlands, they can come here. There’s no expectation for kids to sit still and be quiet,” Easterseals marketing director Betsy Bethel-McFarland said. Multiple accommodations are made so ...

Central Boys Hoops Were Simply Perfect

Editorials

Not only did the Wheeling Central boys basketball team add to its rich history with another state championship, it was able to do something this past weekend that it hadn’t done since the Beach Boys’ “Surfin’ USA” topped the charts. The Maroon Knights went wire to wire with their winning, finishing with the program’s first undefeated season since 1963. The players’ parents weren’t around to see that one. Heck, some of their grandparents probably weren’t, either. That capped an extra-special season for Central, the team’s second consecutive state title and one that ...

Fix Economic Insecurity

Editorials

Buckeye State residents don’t have to be reminded, but research from the Urban Institute might help elected officials and policymakers remember a significant number of their constituents are struggling with economic insecurity. According to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal, the institute updated its 2023 research with help from U.S. Census Bureau data to look at “income fragility,” and other factors here. For example, the cost of average rent, groceries and daycare for two in Ohio is more than $55,000 per year. That means even those who aren’t sitting at or below the ...

‘Raylee’s Law’ Must Return Next Year

Editorials

While “Raylee’s Law” ­— which protects children from abuse ­—shamefully died on the West Virginia House of Delegates floor on the last night of session, it’s good to see some local legislators vowing that it won’t be the last the bill is heard of in Charleston. The bill stops children suspected of being abused at home from being removed from public school and homeschooled. By the time the House took up the bill and passed it, the state Senate had already adjourned for the year. That led to some fiery responses from Northern Panhandle legislators, namely Del. Shawn ...

Final Thoughts On The Session

Local Columns

Normally my column immediately after the end of the legislative session focuses on final thoughts, but I needed to write about the Raylee's Law debacle that occurred in the final hours on March 14. So, consider the following my 2026 legislative session final thoughts. --- If the budget bill this year was a staring contest between Gov. Patrick Morrisey and the Legislature, then Morrisey blinked first. Much has been made of the House of Delegates and the state Senate getting Senate Bill 250, setting the general revenue budget for fiscal year 2027 beginning on July 1, out the door far ...

Funding the Fundamentals In West Virginia In 2026

Local Columns

For generations, West Virginians have believed in something simple: if you focus on the fundamentals, reward hard work, and let families keep more of what they earn, good things happen. That’s the approach we’ve taken in the Mountain State, and today we’re seeing real results. This year, working alongside the legislature, we secured major wins that will strengthen our economy, empower our families, and position West Virginia for long-term growth. Three of those victories stand out above the rest: cutting taxes, protecting educational freedom, and unleashing our energy ...