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Cheers & Jeers

CHEERS to the Ohio State Highway Patrol for reminding motorists and families about the importance of following the law and paying attention as school buses are transporting children. JEERS to the ongoing precipitation deficiency that has St. Clairsville officials concerned about the water level in its main reservoir. CHEERS to the Union Local Marching Band and its March It Forward campaign that will provide free meals of roast pork and sauerkraut to some district residents on New Year’s Day. JEERS to ongoing tensions surrounding the election that have led to the theft of campaign ...

Drug Take Back Day

Saturday is National Drug Take Back Day. Across our region, there will be designated locations for those with old prescription medicines to properly dispose of what’s been taking up space in their cabinets. It’s the safest way to do so. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., law enforcement, municipal, county and state agencies — with the help of states’ attorneys general — will staff Take Back sites. It’s an effort that’s been an important part of the National Drug Enforcement Administration’s work since 2010. “DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day reflects DEA’s ...

Get out and cast your vote

In less than two weeks, voters will decide everything from who holds the highest office in the land to whether longtime school levies will be renewed. The social media cacophony may fool some into believing there will be hordes of voters headed to the polls, but past voter turnout figures suggest that may not be the case. According to figures from the secretaries of state on both sides of the Ohio River, during the 2022 general election in West Virginia, voter turnout was 42.91%. Back in 2020, however, voter turnout was 63.24%. In Ohio, 2022 general election turnout was 52.32%. For the ...

Keeping kids on buses safe

Local drivers are, for the most part, back in the habit of obeying safety laws regarding school buses on the roads. But during this National School Bus Safety Week, it is important to remind ourselves not only of the rules but why they are so necessary. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the danger is not just for those still riding on a bus. Between 2013 and 2022 there were 1.5 times more fatalities among pedestrians than occupants of buses — 169 people were killed. During that time 111 school-aged children died in ...

Poverty must be addressed

Each year, the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies takes a look at poverty in the Buckeye State, and how it is affecting our kids. State of Poverty report numbers came from 2022. In that year, the poverty rate in Ohio was 13.4% — higher than the national average 12.6%. The state child poverty rate was 17.7%. According to the Ohio Capital Journal’s look at the report, researchers assessed poverty’s effect on kids when it comes to housing, food and health care. According to the association, in Ohio there are 79 affordable and available units per 100 renter households for ...

Cheers & Jeers

CHEERS to all who turned out Wednesday in support of Domestic Violence Awareness in St. Clairsville. Such annual events help ensure the issue isn’t overlooked or forgotten. JEERS to reports that people continue to steal political campaign signs from both public and private property. No matter the motivation, theft is a crime. CHEERS to Taylor Abbott and others who are launching Ohio’s first river maritime academy to help preserve and promote one of the state’s oldest career fields and put Monroe County on the map for yet another reason. JEERS to the fact that a lack of funds is ...