Body cameras have become very important equipment for law enforcement personnel. If you have to ask why, you have not been following the news. Video and audio records of interactions between the public and law enforcement officers serve multiple good purposes. First, they protect good cops ...

Unacceptable. That is the best way to describe any behavior that interferes with others’ right to cast their votes. And some of the behavior that has been occurring during early in-person voting in Belmont County this month is absolutely unacceptable. According to elections officials, ...

Like so many local government officials, those in Martins Ferry have been looking for ways to reduce spending and increase revenue. They were right last week, however, to reject a proposal that would have increased the burden on city taxpayers. An ordinance that would have slashed the ...

Ohio legislators are right to be furious about the way they were manipulated into taking $150 million a year out of their constituents’ pockets to benefit two nuclear power plants. At the same time, however, they are correct to avoid a knee-jerk reaction to the scandal. In July, ...

October is a special time of year — particularly for children. Not only do the leaves begin to show their fall colors, but our thoughts start to turn toward the holidays, beginning with Halloween on Oct. 31. Halloween has roots that date back many centuries to Celtic festivals that aimed ...

Local government budgeting always has been a guessing game. In Ohio, local entities such as municipal councils must have spending plans for the coming year in place before they have a good understanding of revenue trends for the current one. COVID-19 has aggravated the dilemma. Like many ...

Flexibility isn’t something that’s easy to come by these days. Due to the ongoing pandemic, many of us feel constrained, both by the danger of exposure and by the rules and recommendations that government and health officials have put in place. But a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t ...

It is difficult to imagine a situation more tangled and frustrating than that involving the old Crossridge Landfill in Jefferson County. It has been closed for years, but it still continues to generate both environmental and legal problems. Now, county Health Department officials say ...

Martins Ferry city leaders have some big decisions to make in the near future. Early this month, bricks, mortar and other chinks of the city building’s facade came tumbling to the ground. This sort of thing has happened in the past, and officials should only expect the issues to get worse ...

Making it as easy as possible for registered voters to cast ballots in the Nov. 3 election ought to be the name of this year’s game for both Democrats and Republicans. One means of doing that has been suggested by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. He sought state Controlling Board ...

Knowledge really is power. These days, it also can be a step toward safety. Give Bethany College officials and professors credit for helping us all add to the information we can use to fight back against the COVID-19 epidemic. Bethany has launched a virtual lecture series on the ...

Like many other public bodies in our area, Steubenville City Council has not really been meeting during the past few months. Because of COVID-19, they and other city officials — including those in St. Clairsville, as well as several boards of education — have been connecting ...

Time is running out. Our opportunity to step up and be counted has nearly expired, and each of us should make sure that we don not miss the chance. The U.S. Census Bureau is conducting its traditional 10-year count of the American population. The tabulating has been going on for months, ...

Despite all the changes we have experienced over the past several months, the time of year has arrived when students are heading back to school. Classes may be somewhat unconventional. Some districts are welcoming all their students back at once to attend classes five days a week. Others are ...

College life is not what it used to be for many higher education students. They enjoy housing amenities the likes of which parents and grandparents could never even have dreamed. This fall, that becomes even more true for a few dozen local students. A total of 35 West Liberty University ...

There’s not much about life in Eastern Ohio that can be considered “normal” right now, so it likely is a relief to families who participate in 4-H and farming that a portion of the Belmont County Fair is set to go ahead in spite of the pandemic. Gov. Mike DeWine a few weeks ago ordered ...

It is virtually certain that the COVID-19 epidemic has been a death sentence for some small businesses. Months of economic activity slowdowns, combined with the reluctance of some customers to visit retail outlets, restaurants and other businesses, have been hard on entrepreneurs with ...

Belmont County welcomed an important visitor last week, recognizing that his presence was a positive sign for things to come. New Deputy Energy Secretary Mark W. Menezes chose the proposed ethane cracker plant site at Dilles Bottom for his first official visit in that capacity. He said his ...

Law enforcement officials in our area have been reminded once again of the hazards of the hot pursuit. Their reaction should be to take another look at policies regarding such action — and ensuring the rules are followed. Last Friday afternoon, local and federal authorities in ...

Like it or not, we are facing an uphill battle against an invisible enemy. Being angry about the new coronavirus won’t stop it. Denying the reality of the situation won’t change it. Resenting the precautions that can help slow its spread won’t make them unnecessary. That is why we, as a ...