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Barnesville project a plus

Editorials

Although we understand the concerns of Barnesville residents who opposed the demolition of several structures in the center of the community’s historic downtown district, we were pleased to learn that the site will soon be home to a new development designed to mesh with the character of that area. Earlier this month, it was announced that an office building will be built at the northwest corner of Main and Chestnut Streets at an estimated cost of $3.5 million. The developer — T.J. Jefferis — is a well-known village resident who has already worked on a variety of projects in the ...

A supreme egotist in the White House

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Our mega-egotistical and self-promoting President Donald J. Trump held a signing ceremony recently on July 4, 2025, Independence Day, flanked by Republican legislators and cabinet members in order to officially establish what he braggingly has promoted, quite illogically, as his “Big Beautiful Bill.” In fact, what it will do, according to the U.S. Congressional Budget Office, is add a monumental $3.3 trillion to our national deficit and, in the process, deprive 11.8 million Americans of their healthcare as Medicaid as well as food stamp benefits will be dramatically ...

You can help, too

Editorials

Volunteer fire departments across the Buckeye State are experiencing reduced staffing levels at the same time they are receiving an increased number of calls. Of course, most of those who are working in those departments also have full-time jobs; and for many, those jobs are also jobs of service. That’s why the State Fire Marshal Division and Ohio Department of Transportation took a moment Tuesday to recognize the more than 70 ODOT employees who also serve as volunteer firefighters or emergency medical technicians. The event focused on employees in ODOT Districts 5, 9, 10 and 11 in ...

Cheers & Jeers

Editorials

CHEERS to to news that the village of Belmont straightened out its loan issues and is ready to break ground on a new firehouse. JEERS to extreme weather events that continue to catch people across the country off guard.Do your part to keep your family safe, Get a NOAA weather radio. Take warnings seriously. CHEERS to all who stepped up to help when a woman experienced a medical emergency at the public pool in Martins Ferry on Saturday. Although she did not survive, they did their best to save her. JEERS to a mixup that left several vehicle owners stranded after they fueld up at ...

Buckle up every time

Editorials

Seat belts. For the vast majority of us, putting on a seat belt when entering the car is second nature — it’s done without a thought. But for some, apparently, the act remains optional — and that’s leading to fatal results. In Ohio over the Fourth of July weekend, 10 people died in car crashes, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Of those 10 fatalities, six were not wearing seat belts. The issue goes deeper. According to the Columbus Dispatch, during the Fourth of July weekend troopers issued 2,286 seat belt and child safety seat violations. How is that ...

Swimming safely this summer

Editorials

Swimming season is here, and the sounds of people enjoying the water are a sure sign that the summer is really heating up. But the fun of playing in the water can quickly turn tragic. It’s a reality that hit home last week, when 13-year-old Reese Hanshaw of Burgettstown, Pennsyvania, lost her life after drowning while swimming in the Ohio River near the Veterans Memorial Bridge. Almost 400 children younger than age 5 drown every year in swimming pool accidents across the country, and more than 3,200 go to a hospital emergency room after a near drowning, statistics show. A child ...