Opinion

A Great Take-Off at WLU

Editorials

West Liberty’s fledgling aviation program took a major step forward recently, as five of the program’s students completed their inaugural solo flights. Brady Bauer, Luke Miller, Jeremy Ratcliffe, Isaiah Zelaski, and Brock Bauer each took to the air for that significant milestone in their education. “A first solo flight is a defining moment in every pilot’s training,” said Tasha Taylor, WLU Aviation coordinator. “It represents not only the technical skills our students have mastered, but also their confidence and readiness to take the next steps toward a professional ...

Overreach Still No Good for West Virginia

Editorials

“The president cannot decide major economic and political questions, or significantly alter the balance of power between the states and federal government, without clear authorization from Congress.” Those are the words of then-West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey back in 2021, when he was rightly continuing his fight against the illegal federal efforts and executive overreach of the Clean Power Plan. He was able to make his point because he understood then, “Thankfully, our Constitution stands in the way of (then-President Joe) Biden unilaterally pushing the country ...

Avoiding The Malaise

Local Columns

Herbert Hoover was well-liked in his day, praised for his engineering prowess which he used to tackle major worldwide problems following World War I. He was a natural choice for president in 1928. But then the 1929 stock market crash happened, followed by the Great Depression. None of these things were exclusively the fault of Hoover, and frankly most of what his successor — Franklin Roosevelt — did to end the Great Depression worked until World War II broke out and we flexed our production muscles. But Roosevelt is remembered for ending the Great Depression and Hoover is ...

Honoring Those That Make America Work

Editorials

On this Labor Day weekend, many of us may be thinking of a quick retreat into summer vacation mode during the three-day break. It is a time to celebrate the return of college football and the promise of cooler temperatures. Fans of America’s pastime are strapping in for the final month of the season while professional football fans also are gearing up for a new campaign There will be festivals, parades, good food cooked outdoors for perhaps one of the last times this year and a general sense of not only celebration, but transition. Despite most public school boards’ best efforts, ...

Moving Forward on Clay School Demolition

Editorials

It’s good to see work beginning to move on asbestos abatement at the former Clay School in East Wheeling. The giant eyesore has stood empty and crumbling for far too long, and first abating and then demolishing the site will go a long way toward improving the neighborhood’s appearance. But as with everything, the details are what matters. City taxpayers will bear a portion of the estimated $13 million demolition cost. The West Virginia Dilapidated Properties Program will assist in the demolition, but that program only has $30 million available statewide — which means city ...

Water, Sewer Rate Increase Will Be a Hardship for Many

Editorials

Everyone needs clean water. There’s no debate there. And if you live in Wheeling, we all understand the desire to have the water pollution control plant in Center Wheeling smell … well, like anything but what it usually smells like, particularly given its proximity to some businesses and homes. But those necessities come with an increasing price, as city residents learned earlier this month when Wheeling City Council’s public utilities committee proposed a combined 38% increase on water and sewer bills for residents. That means the average household using between 4,000 and 4,999 ...