Local Columns

Why Close Doors on GOP Primary in West Virginia?

Independent and unaffiliated voters were saved by the snow last week after the West Virginia Republican Executive Committee postponed its winter meeting where they were to take up a resolution to close the May GOP primary to non-Republicans. That meeting was postponed until this Saturday, so the state Republican Executive Committee is set to consider the resolution again, with the possibility of amending it to postpone closing the primary until 2026. Limiting the Republican primary to just registered Republican voters has been discussed before. State Code gives political parties ...

King’s Legacy Remains Strong in Our Ohio Valley

This past week we celebrated what would have been Dr. Martin L. King Jr.’s 95th birthday. Over the past few years, the Dr. Martin L. King holiday was normally the third weekend of the month; this year it came early and caught some off guard on the second weekend of the month. The good news is many in the Ohio Valley did get to participate even with the very cold weather. The majority of the programs went on in the bitter cold with great success. Successful programs took place in Steubenville, Weirton, Wheeling and several other places. Programs took place all over the nation, honoring ...

Marshall Memo: Handing Out Taxpayer Funds; Budgets; and Books

The Marshall County Commission is accepting Community Development Funds now through Feb. 23. This is a grant opportunity offered by county taxpayer funds. The funding level for this year will be $75,000. Once the deadline is over, the requests will be reviewed by a committee. Questions can be directed to the commission office at 304-845-0482. CDF requests should be sent to Attn: Administration Assistant Missy Tscahppat at P.O. Drawer B Moundville, WV 26041. --- Moundsville City Manager Rick Healy outlined several issues at Tuesday’s council meeting. A budget meeting with ...

Group Working for Redemption for Those Less Fortunate

We call them a “homeless person.” Yet even if defined by only those two words, a homeless person is not just homeless, they are also a person. Many in our community, including the city of Wheeling, seem to have forgotten that. The homeless are not faceless strangers. They are someone’s daughter, someone’s brother, or someone’s mother. In our small community, it’s likely that you know someone who is experiencing homelessness, but you don’t realize it. No child grows up with a dream of being homeless. No one wants to be homeless. Those sheltering in the hills and woods ...

Justice’s State of the State Reflected Well on Time in Office

On Wednesday, Jan. 10, for the last time in his tenure as governor, Jim Justice delivered an occasionally emotional State of the State address to the 1.79 million people who call West Virginia home. As one might expect, Justice’s eighth such address was reflective, prideful, and, ultimately, optimistic. Admittedly, I was expecting something of a glorified campaign speech as Justice is running for one of West Virginia’s two United States Senate seats, but I was, happily, surprised. There is no doubt that West Virginia in 2024 looks much different than what it did when Justice ...

Homeless Crisis Not Just Happening in Wheeling

I can remember back in 2005 when I was the health officer for the Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department. We were debating changing the clean indoor air act to include bars, restaurants and gaming facilities. The overwhelming public health consensus was that secondhand smoke was harmful to your health. The 17th Surgeon General, Richard Carmona, had just come out with the official policy stating the harmful effects of secondhand smoke, until then we didn’t realize how harmful it was. We even thought that having separate sections in a restaurant would help. Luckily we now have a ...