Opinion

A Focus On Education

Editorials

In his final State of the State address, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine was right to spend so much time on education — particularly reading. If we aren’t giving Buckeye State children the best start possible, it’s hard to see how public officials are going to be able to get much else right. They’ll just be playing catch-up. But there are bright spots on that horizon. DeWine’s persistence regarding the Science of Reading may be helping our youngest readers improve their reading performance. The governor and his team at the Department of Education and Workforce must be seeing evidence ...

Stay Safe For St. Patrick’s Day

Editorials

One of our state’s biggest holidays for cultural appropriation (suddenly everyone is Irish) is just around the corner as many of us make our plans for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. The Governor’s Highway Safety Program has rightly chosen March 13-17 for a “Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving Campaign” to remind us to observe the holiday responsibly. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data showed between 2019 and 2023, nearly 38% of traffic fatalities on St. Patrick’s Day involved a drunk driver. Two hundred eighty-four people were killed. The excess of many St. ...

Charles Ballouz Advocated For All Of Wheeling

Editorials

Strong, civic-minded communities are often defined not by those who hold office, but by those who show up — the men and women who believe deeply enough in their hometown and its residents to speak up for it again and again. For more than five decades in Wheeling, one of those voices belonged to Charles Ballouz. Ballouz, who died March 9, was a familiar and unmistakable presence in Wheeling civic life. He never held elected office — though not for lack of trying. Ballouz ran for Wheeling City Council seven times over the years, once coming within a single vote of victory. While ...

Investing In W.Va. Industry Pays Off

Editorials

International partners have proved to be crucial to any momentum West Virginia’s economy has maintained over the past several decades, and among the most solid has been Toyota Motor North America. This month, the company announced the largest share of investment in its planned expansion of hybrid vehicle manufacturing in the United States will be right here in the Mountain State. Its Buffalo, W.Va., manufacturing facility is expected to receive a $453 million boost that should create approximately 80 jobs. Other investments in this round will go to Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee ...

Program Benefits Police

Editorials

Given that Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services data shows there were 2,837 “use of force” incidents from 1,040 police agencies in the state in 2025, one would think law enforcement agencies would be clamoring to take advantage of the new Ohio Collaborative Law Enforcement Accreditation Program. Established in 2024, the program gives law enforcement agencies an opportunity to demonstrate they are meeting standards set by the state Public Safety Department. “If an agency is willingly opening their doors to criticism, that shows great leadership. Having someone else come in ...

Proper Nutrition Important

Editorials

Look at what you’re eating today. Did it come from a machine? A drive-through? How much fresh food is part of that meal? We’ve all been there. The hustle and bustle of everyday life keeps us moving and we have to make sacrifices somewhere. Unfortunately, those sacrifices often come in the quality of what we eat. March is National Nutrition Month, and its a perfect time to take a look at what and how we eat, so we can all push through those crazy days. Food is our fuel. Put substandard fuel in a car, and it doesn’t run correctly. Do the same with your body and it’ll ...