UP: To Parkersburg firefighter Private Jason Fleak, who is also a paramedic with St. Joseph Ambulance Service, for receiving the Captain James Neal Chapter of the West Virginia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution 2017 Firefighter of the Year Award. Fleak was nominated by the Wood County Firefighters Association for his work with the County Training Center, where he has been project manager since 2012 and completed planning for the new center. Congratulations, to Fleak.

UP: And wishes for a speedy recovery, to Delegate Frank Deem, R-10th Dist., after he had surgery Wednesday to repair a broken hip. The lawmaker, who has served in the Legislature every decade since the 1950s, reportedly asked EMTs to give him a shot for pain so he could avoid missing the vote on Senate Bill 267 Tuesday. Though they denied his request and he missed the vote, Deem appears to have come through surgery well and is eager to return to work.

DOWN: To a continued roller coaster of weather and days upon days of rain that is leading to the possibility there could be another Ohio River flood, a little more than a week after the last one. It is enough to make one doubt whether it is possible for March to come in as any more of a lion than February has already proved to be.