Editorials

School Board Hosts Debate Done Right

The Ohio County Board of Education offered a perfect example Monday evening of how debate over a controversial subject could — and should — be done. At its latest meeting, the board discussed whether to allow Lifewise Academy to transport students off campus during school hours for a Christian education course. Groups representing both sides of the argument were in attendance. Some touted Lifewise as a program that helped students perform better at school in both behavior and academics. Others decried the insertion of religion into public schools, as well as voice concerns about ...

‘Team Tressel’ a Winner

Ohio is getting ahead of the game in terms of student fitness with a new plan from the lieutenant governor. The Team Tressel Fitness Challenge for students in grades 4-8 is a program developed by Jim Tressel — who has some experience in keeping students fit and healthy. His idea is a solid one. Rather than outdated and intimidating goals that might throw a young person off track, the Team Tressel Fitness Challenge would let students pick their own activities and set their own goals over 90 days. He worked with educators to fine tune the program, which starts Sept. 8. “Educators ...

West Virginia Math Scores Need Improvement

As the school year gets rolling in West Virginia, teachers and administrators throughout the state are once again tackling a persistent problem — the drop in math proficiency from elementary school to middle school to high school. Once again, West Virginia Department of Education data show a consistent decline in math proficiency as students get older. It’s a problem the Northern Panhandle is not immune to. Department of Education information shows that, in Ohio County, 58% of fifth-graders were proficient in math last school year, which fell to 43% of eighth graders and 27% of ...

Be Careful Around School Buses

School is already in session for many students in Ohio and West Virginia. With the beginning of the school year comes the return of school buses and students riding them. Get back in the mindset of giving yourself plenty of time to get to your destination during pick-up and drop-off hours. School buses may be a little slower and make frequent stops, but the drivers are not out to get you, personally. Their job is to make sure kids get to and from school safely. And they can do that because (most) drivers follow a few rules. Never pass a bus while the stop arm is extended and the red ...

Be Safe, Be Sober When on the Road

“If you feel different, you drive different. Drive high, get a DUI.” That’s the theme of an effort by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to help local law enforcement be highly visible from now through Labor Day as they crack down on those taking the risk to drive impaired. Even in states such as Ohio where (despite lawmakers’ best efforts to subvert the voters’ will) adult-use cannabis is legal for recreational use, it is still illegal to drive under the influence. It doesn’t matter what substance is to blame. But, ...

Stay Alert for Scams

Across the country, scammers continue to find success — particularly with older residents and their families — with a seemingly endless supply of techniques for separating people from their hard-earned money. Among the latest efforts is a scam in which a person receives a phone call, email or text that says they need to pay a fine, but that they should do so with Bitcoin, a gift card or other virtual currency. And yes, the wording is confusing and aggressive enough that people continue to fall for these scams in droves. In Ohio alone, between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, ...