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Cheers & Jeers

CHEERS to Rebecca Kiger, a Wheeling photographer who also teaches at Bellaire High School, for receiving national recognition for her documentation of the aftermath of the East Palestine train derailment. JEERS to the fact that fire destroyed yet another local home earlier this week, this time in Bellaire. Area residents cannot be too cautious at this time of year. CHEERS to news that dredging of the main reservoir in St. Clairsville is complete. The process will result in increased capacity, which adds security for residents of the city. JEERS to severe weather that claimed several ...

Help youth help themselves

Ohio’s young people are stronger, smarter and better connected to the needs of their communities than many of us give them credit for. They are also willing to get involved at a level from which many adults shy away. Last week, 20 high school students — including Harrison County’s Kate Liggett of Conotton Valley High School — were selected (from 50 applicants) to be part of the new Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation Youth Advisory Council. Those teenagers, representing a variety of ages, locations, interests and groups, were determined to make a difference in supporting suicide ...

A refreshing perspective

Those surprised by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s choice for lieutenant governor must have been encouraged last week when Jim Tressel spoke to the state about his priorities. When so much in Columbus can feel overly specific or exclusionary, Tressel understands it is time to look out for ALL of us. “We’ve got to make sure the concern for our Ohioans and their fate, their future is our chief concern, and sometimes it doesn’t line up with what individually with what I’d really like. Maybe it doesn’t serve my needs. But the chief interest and the decisions we make need to make sure ...

C-O-N-G-R-A-T-U-L-A-T-I-O-N-S

What do the words “eucalyptus” and “marsupial” have in common? More than just koalas, including the fact that they carried a local scholar to victory on Thursday evening. After successfully spelling both words correctly at the end of the 38th annual Belmont County Spelling Bee, eighth-grader Brett Kuprowicz claimed the grand prize. The Bridgeport student will go on to represent the county at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., at the end of May. The trip begins with private shuttle service to Pittsburgh followed by Amtrak transportation to the nation’s ...

Prices up, earnings down

If you have experienced pain at the grocery check-out lately — and not because you still haven’t mastered ringing up your own produce — you’re not alone. In fact, according to a WalletHub study, “States Where People Spend the Most and Least on Groceries,” Ohio shoppers spend 2.19% of the median monthly household income. That is 12th in the country, meaning there is a lot of room for improvement in the Buckeye State. West Virginia is second only to Mississippi for the cost of groceries as a share of median monthly household income. In the Mountain State, the average ...

Cheers & Jeers

CHEERS to the Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley for awarding nearly $100,000 in grants to a wide variety of local organizations. That money will go a long way toward helping local residents. JEERS to news that whooping cough has returned to Belmont County after an apparent six-year hiatus. Three cases have been diagnosed so far. CHEERS to all the students across Eastern Ohio who made the honor rolls at their respective schools. It takes hard work and dedication to achieve good grades consistently, and they should be commended. JEERS to the fact that the Trinity Health System ...