Opinion

Roads in West Virginia Still Need Work

Editorials

A gift of good news came for the state this week, in the form of the American Society of Civil Engineers “2025 Report Card for West Virginia’s Infrastructure.” The Mountain State’s grade has improved from the last grade it received, in 2020. Now the dose of reality: The grade improved … to a D+; and marks for bridges and wastewater have not budged. Category grades included a C+ for solid waste; a C- for aviation, public parks, rail and roads; a D+ for bridges, broadband, dams, drinking water, energy, levees and ports; a D for hazardous waste, inland waterways, transit and ...

Drive Carefully on Two-Mile Hill

Editorials

Of the many winter traditions around the Ohio Valley, there’s one that I think we’d all like to see less of — traffic crashes on Two-Mile Hill along Interstate 70 in Ohio County. Long a problem spot on I-70 near The Highlands, we were reminded of just how much of a problem it could be on Monday, when a tractor trailer overturned on the curve at the bottom of the hill, choking traffic there for several hours. Thankfully, no one was hurt. The driver was able to walk away. Yet not every crash victim has been so fortunate over the years. In that area, injuries and deaths have ...

Manufacturing Matters

Editorials

Data centers are getting a lot of attention in Ohio, but one organization reminds us the backbone of the Buckeye State economy is still an industry with a more human touch. The Ohio Manufacturing Association released its 2025 Ohio Manufacturing Counts report Thursday, in which the analysis shows manufacturing is the largest private sector contributor to the state’s economy. Manufacturing supports jobs, income, exports and investment. The association says it also continues to make progress in efficiency and environmental metrics. “Manufacturing sets the pace for Ohio’s ...

Help Keep Seniors Safe From Scams

Editorials

Our region’s population is aging, and that growing older population is increasingly vulnerable to a number of abuses. Sometimes they fall victim to complex scams, in this digital age. Sometimes they fall prey to those on whom they should most be able to rely. WalletHub estimates elder abuse is an issue that costs more than $2.3 billion per year. But the human toll is incalculable. Certainly, policymakers do their best to put in place measures to stem everything from gross neglect and exploitation to financial abuse. But some parts of the country are doing better than others. ...

Streaming Meetings Right Move for Ohio County Commission

Editorials

Openness and transparency is the key to any successful governing body. The Ohio County Commission is taking a strong step forward in that arena by streaming its meetings online. The installation of an “owl camera” in the City-County Building will allow for so many more people to view each county commission meeting. The commission is starting slowly, testing things out through Zoom meetings, but they feel that they should be ready to roll out livestreams by the beginning of 2026. “We’re going to get there,” Ohio County Administrator Randy Russell said. “Streaming the ...

Keep Kids Safe Online

Editorials

A Pew Research Center study shows approximately 20% of teenagers report social media has damaged their mental health. Interacting with online platforms (this includes video games and chats, too) can create a host of ways for young people to endanger not just their mental health, but their physical safety, too. U.S. Sens. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and John Thune, R-S.D., are joining Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in supporting the Kids Online Safety Act, which would help protect kids’ personal data on these online platforms AND give ...