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Opinion

Laws Must Be Followed

Editorials

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has been focused for years on improving literacy in the state; and in 2023, a law was passed to require teaching colleges and universities to align with the Science of Reading in its curricula for those who hope to become teachers. But a recent state audit shows that while most (33) have complied, five are in partial alignment and 10 are not in alignment. Among those 10 are Ohio State University and Ohio University. DeWine says the state has made “great strides” in implementing the Science of Reading in its K-12 classrooms, but that all 10 of the colleges ...

New OVGH Tower Is a Fitting Honor

Editorials

The legacy of Ohio Valley General Hospital and Ohio Valley Medical Center will remain a visible part of Wheeling for years to come, thanks to a slew of people. Recently, the design for a tower bearing the former hospital’s OVGH letters was unveiled to the public. The letters used to adorn the tower at the hospital, but as it was being torn down to make way for the future WVU Cancer Institute St. Joseph Regional Cancer Complex, crews carefully removed the letters and the City of Wheeling stored them for safe keeping. Now, they’re at Wheeling Park High School, where machine tool ...

Get Out and Take a Hike This New Year

Editorials

If you’ve already gotten far enough ahead of the game, it’s just about time to relax, enjoy some time with friends and family while celebrating Christmas and maybe even start making plans for New Year’s Day. West Virginia State Parks has an idea — 21 parks will host 24 First Day Hikes on Jan. 1. Tomlinson Run State Park in New Manchester is among them, with Audra, Beech Fork, Blackwater Falls, Bluestone, Cacapon, Canaan Valley Resort, Cass Scenic Railroad, Cedar Creek, Elk River Trail, Little Beaver, Lost River, North Bend, Pipestem Resort, Tu-Endie-Wei, Twin Falls Resort, ...

Good News for Nature

Editorials

Ohioans got an early Christmas gift this year, as the state Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife announced this week it can confirm the sighting of a fisher — the weasel-like animal, not a person in hip waders — caught on a wildlife camera in Cuyahoga County. Fishers have not been seen in Ohio since about the mid-1800s, according to the ODNR, until recently. They were run out because of unregulated harvest and loss of habitat. But this latest sighting joins 40 others in Ashtabula, Columbiana, Geauga, Trumbull, Mahoning, Portage, Lake, Jefferson, Harrison, and ...

State Government Stocking Stuffers

Local Columns

As we get close to the start of the new year, the 2026 legislative session, and the next election cycle, we’re seeing a lot of movement in the deck chairs. For example, Del. John Williams, D-Monongalia, will challenge state Sen. Mike Oliverio, R-Monongalia, in the 13th Senatorial District covering parts of Monongalia and Marion counties. Of course, both will have to make it through their respective party primaries, which is likely. But a contest between Williams and Oliverio will mean at least one of them will not be returning to the statehouse after the November 2026 ...

Bring West Virginia Foster Children Back Home

Editorials

State officials have come up with a creative way to address one of the challenges in West Virginia’ foster care system, with Gov. Patrick Morrisey and state Department of Human Services Secretary Alex Mayer proposing a revolving investment fund to renovate state-owned foster care facilities and improve treatment capacity. Change is necessary because of the volume of West Virginia children in foster care who end up in out-of-state placement — 543 of the 5,960 children in state custody. For each of those children placed somewhere else, the cost is an average of $156,000. “What we ...