Breaking News

Opinion

DeWine Taking a Stance

Editorials

There are 27 states in which the death penalty is still legal. Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine would like to make it 26. Last week he said he believed the death penalty should be abolished in the Buckeye State. His position is that the death penalty is no longer a deterrent to violent crime. “I do not believe that argument today can be successfully made, nor do I believe that there’s any chance in the future the facts that I’ve cited to support that belief will change,” he said. “Therefore, I believe Ohio should abolish the death penalty.” DeWine’s position is no surprise. He ...

Elizabeth Romanek a Genuine Role Model For Mountain State

Editorials

In a world where public images are often carefully curated and every message is meticulously crafted, authenticity can be difficult to find. That is one of the reasons why Wheeling native Elizabeth Romanek’s message resonated so strongly Saturday evening in Martinsburg as she was crowned Miss West Virginia 2026. For decades, the Miss West Virginia Competition has celebrated intelligence, talent, poise and a commitment to service. Yet Romanek demonstrated that one quality may matter more than any other in today’s world: genuineness. Romanek impressed judges and audiences ...

Leave Ohio County Schools' Start Time Alone — For Now

Editorials

The Ohio County Board of Education, at its meeting set for today, could vote on whether to move its school start times a half-hour later for each school, elementary through high school, in the county. That shouldn’t happen — for a number of reasons. Before we even get into pros and cons of the schedule adjustments, let’s talk about the first reason that vote shouldn’t happen — the timing. This vote comes in the final meeting of this school board. When they meet again in July, the board will be different. Molly Aderholt, the board member who has rightly championed the ...

Where's The Beef?

Local Columns

Last week's legislative interim meetings were a bit of a let down for the press and the general public, and perhaps lawmakers themselves, though that is unclear. It was a traveling interims, set among the mountains of Tucker County at Canaan Valley Resort State Park. Sunday and Tuesday consisted of local tours and hikes. But last Monday was dedicated to normal interim meetings. To show my age, I have to ask the same question those three seasoned ladies asked in that old Wendy's commercial: Where's the beef? Sure, the topics for the interim meetings were of importance, but the ...

John McCabe: Celebrating the Men Who Shape Our Lives

Local Columns

As we celebrate Father’s Day this weekend, I find myself thinking not only about my own late father, but also about the many men who helped shape the person I’ve become. It’s easy to consider fathers only in the singular. But the truth is that most of us are influenced throughout our lives by a collection of men — fathers, grandfathers, uncles, mentors and friends — each leaving a mark on us in ways both large and small. For me, it all begins with my own father. Like many sons, I did not fully appreciate all he was teaching me while I was growing up. The lessons never came ...

Happy Birthday, West Virginia!

Editorials

Editor’s note: West Virginia turns 163 years old this weekend. To mark the occasion, we are republishing the front page editorial from the Daily Intelligencer of Wheeling’s June 20, 1863 edition, the day West Virginia officially entered the Union as the 35th state. *** This day ushers into being the new state of West Virginia, and adds the 35th star to the constellation of the American Union. Today is the beginning of a new order of things with us here. The old government goes out and the new one comes in. Today, Governor Pierpont bids us a formal farewell as our chief ...