Opinion

Reminder To Practice What You Preach

Letters to the Editor

Editor, News-Register: I and many of my neighbors of Penco Estates received a letter on Aug. 1, 2025, from Mark E. Brennan, Bishop of Wheeling-Charleston Diocese, concerning a Miracle Field and playground to be placed in our neighborhood within the city of Weirton. This letter was in response to a petition sent to the Diocese regarding the proposed Miracle Field to be built adjacent to St. Joseph the Worker School. Bishop Brennan’s letter was condescending and implied that the neighborhood residents have no Christian love for young people with disabilities. That is an absurd and ...

Point: Coal Needs To Be Part of America’s Energy Future

Local Columns

There is no disputing it: coal isn’t disappearing. Despite reports of coal’s demise, global coal use hit a record in 2024. Since the turn of the century, coal demand has doubled. The world needs a new political discourse on coal. This is not a fuel that is going to be phased out or a technology left behind. Its importance to energy security and energy affordability is growing. The misguided idea that the West would lead the developing world away from coal needs to be put to bed. Europe’s attempted dash to renewable power has left it energy insecure and home to the world’s ...

Don’t Leave Money on the Table

Editorials

It’s hard to rationalize how many of our West Virginia friends and neighbors left millions of dollars unclaimed last year by not paying their personal property taxes on time. They have a chance to rectify that in the coming months by paying taxes on their vehicles and some other items by Oct. 1. Doing so may make them eligible for a credit on their 2025 taxes, due in April of next year. It’s really simple. First, make sure your personal property is properly registered with the county assessor. And then, when you get that tax bill in the mail, pay it prior to the penalty period ...

Defending Against Hate

Editorials

Last week, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced the appointment of the state’s newest solicitor general — the person who serves as the state’s lead attorney for appeals in state and federal court. He has chosen Mathura Sridharan, an Ohio native who has been deputy solicitor general since 2021. “Mathura is a relentless defender of Ohioans, a champion of federalism and legal force to be reckoned with in a courtroom,” Yost said. “Her brilliant legal mind and masterful understanding of constitutional law make her the obvious choice to lead the team as Ohio’s solicitor ...

Help Students Get Ready for School

Editorials

As the school year is about to begin around the Ohio Valley, students and parents throughout the region are gathering what those kids need for that first day. Sadly, not every family will be able to afford them. Struggling valley families will do the best they can to make sure their students will be ready, but any of a number of circumstances will be hurdles in their way. Compounding problems this year is the June 14 floods in Ohio County that left dozens of homes destroyed and many families without even the basic necessities, much less the tools for school. Luckily, there are plenty ...

Make Public Schools An Attractive Option

Editorials

As if our county boards of education did not have enough to worry about, a recent report by The Reason Foundation suggests a trend may present big challenges for West Virginia public schools. In a look at public school enrollment across the country, the foundation said West Virginia was one of only four states with public school enrollment that decreased by more than 5% between fiscal years 2020 and 2024. Certainly, the COVID-19 pandemic had something to do with that, but the Mountain State has not bounced back. At the beginning of FY2020, West Virginia had 263,485 students enrolled ...