Editorials

Wheeling Budget Feeling the Pinch

The city of Wheeling’s general fund budget has ballooned about 25% over the past 10 years, going from a little more than $32 million to the proposed $40.2 million for fiscal 2025-26. The coming year’s budget also is $1.4 million more than the 2024-25 budget approved this time last year. Despite the increased tax collections, the coming budget will be tight, according to City Manager Robert Herron. In fact, for the first time, the city is expected to tap into its Budget Stabilization Fund to help keep next year’s budget balanced. Rising costs obviously have contributed to this, ...

Urgency Needed in W.Va.

This weekend marks days 32 and 33 of the West Virginia Legislature’s 60-day regular session. After quick movement the past few sessions on issues important to West Virginia’s future, lawmakers have, at least to date, focused primarily on social and cultural matters along with a few election-related items. These are not bills that will help your average West Virginian pay their bills, nor items that will provide opportunities for youth to remain here. That’s important to note. The election-related matters included a ban on ranked-choice voting — something that wasn’t being ...

Pats on the Back

- To firefighters and police officers from 20 different local departments that responded last Friday to a fire in downtown Moundsville that destroyed nearly an entire block. The fire was tough to contain due to remodeling that had been done, but firefighters ensured it didn’t get out of hand. The cooperation between departments deserves our thanks, as well.

Visit Underscores Legion’s History

On March 15, 1919, an organization dedicated to “focusing on service to veterans, servicemembers and communities” was formed, with its first chapter being established right here in Wheeling. Leaders here actually got started on March 1, 1919 by forming a World War Veterans of America organization. That organization just a few weeks later became part of the American Legion, allowing Wheeling to claim itself as the oldest American Legion post in the nation. Now, as the Legion prepares to celebrate its 106th birthday, its national commander, James A. LaCoursiere Jr., will visit the ...

Intel Delays Concerning

Economic development officials in Columbus and Franklin and Licking counties can be forgiven if they find themselves humming the tune to an early 1980s hit while they wonder when the next bad news will come from Intel Corp. The company had nothing but “promises, promises.” At the end of last month, the chipmaker announced it is once again pushing back the planned opening of the semiconductor plant that was going to revolutionize the employment landscape in central Ohio. Now Intel says construction on the first of two planned factories in New Albany is expected to be completed in ...

Give Blood and Give Gift of Life

Most of us think of the American Red Cross for one of two reasons: blood donations and disaster response. But as the organization points out, its founder Clara Barton was a nursing pioneer who cared deeply about humans and their healthcare. Here in Appalachia, one of the larger healthcare concerns is diabetes — and access to affordable, quality healthcare. But in March, the Red Cross is “helping to bridge access to health care for blood donors by providing free A1C testing, commonly used to screen for diabetes and prediabetes, on all successful blood, platelet and plasma ...