UP: To Gov. Jim Justice’s moment of clarity last week when he declared “For those who believe with just blinders on that we’re going to have these surpluses forever and ever and ever are making a big mistake. It’s a high-risk gamble.” After having spotted a few “red flags” Justice acknowledged it is important to responsibly manage the state budget to avoid dependency on severance tax surpluses. “We need to with all in us to absolutely mind the store and mind the store in the right way,” he said. Good. He and lawmakers need to keep that in mind.

UP: To the naming of Belpre’s Lyndsay Dennis as the new executive director of Artsbridge. “I am so excited to hit the ground running and to keep learning and growing professionally in this industry. The Mid-Ohio Valley is such a wonderful place to call home and I am thrilled to be stepping into this role and adding to the arts community,” she said. Leading one of our area’s many wonderful nonprofits is no easy task, but Dennis appears more than up for the challenge. Congratulations!

UP: To continued work on the Parkersburg Flood Wall mural project, which is shaping up to be a beautiful addition to Point Park to be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. “It has been a wonderful two summers of doing this and hopefully a few more summers,” said artist Christopher Santer. We are looking forward to it.