When I write one of these articles, I try to look at you, the reader, and decide what I could say or share that would make your life a little better. Last week’s article was a little different. I wrote that article for you but also for me. I needed to listen to some of my own words. I was ...

Although the season of cooler weather is upon us, Downtown PKB is still working on events to bring people downtown to visit, shop and dine at our wonderful and unique businesses. Next on our calendar of events is Small Business Saturday. The idea of Small Business Saturday was created by the ...

In 1978, I was a foreman at a coal mine east of Beallsville, Ohio. I enjoyed my weekends off because I was required to work a number of them. It’s a Sunday afternoon and I am relaxing with my family when the phone rings. I answer the phone expecting to hear the voice of a family member. ...

The Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Council has been in Parkersburg since 1971. Created by an act of the Legislature the MOVRC works to promote, advance and improve the community and economic prosperity of the region. They have multiple program focusing on community development, workforce, ...

Two fan favorite Amish writers return with new books just in time for the holidays. From New York Times bestselling author Wanda E. Brunstetter, along with her daughter-in-law, Jean Brunstetter and granddaughter Richelle Brunstetter, writes 18 short stories in “Amish Front Porch ...

November. Each day the sun rises a few minutes later and sets a few minutes earlier. Days grow chilly. Nightly frosts become the rule. It’s just a matter of time until the first snow falls. Yes, it’s November. By month’s end, the whole world seems on the brink of death. The few brown ...

The annual 12 Days of Christmas fundraising raffle benefiting the Beverly-Waterford Community Pool has begun. Tickets are now on sale for $25 each at any of these local merchants: B & W Pharmacy, Lisa’s Sweet Stop, Wainwright’s Jewelry, and the Waterford Commercial and Savings Bank. ...

Josh Martin, R.J. Lowe, Peter Sour and the Smoot Theatre staff deserve applause for last Saturday night’s presentation of “The Story of My Life.” The wonderful show at the Smoot honored John Lee, longtime theater director in Parkersburg who died in 2016. Lee had directed Martin and Lowe ...

Sand Plains news Mr. Dan Mercer, the new potter, is spending the holidays at his home in Green County, Penn., and will remain a few days; the boys are all anxious for him to return. It is reported that one of the Riverside police has been tried, convicted, dismissed and blacklisted for ...

Teachers were able to play off news a few weeks ago showing a major problem with teacher absenteeism as “teacher bashing” before leading up to the 2020 election. I’m unsure how they explain away the most recent national reading and math scores. According to test scores from the 2019 ...

You aren’t encountering as many of those gas industry trucks on the back roads as you did for a long time, are you? That may make for a less stressful drive to work, but it’s a bad sign for West Virginia’s economy and the state budget. Once again this month, Workforce West Virginia’s ...

Did anyone else wait until Nov. 1 to turn on the heat? I did — but just barely. With the way that wind whipped in last week, I very much considered staying up till midnight and turning on the heat the second Nov. 1 arrived. I didn’t. I got out an extra blanket and dealt with it. (Although ...

I sit in my office at West Virginia University at Parkersburg, photos with students hanging on the walls, homemade cards colored by children and good wishes of every persuasion lining the book shelves, a copy of Audre Lorde’s Sister Outsider catching my eye from the corner of the desk in ...

If you cook with a slow cooker, do you like it? It is a different way of cooking and requires special recipes but turns out delicious foods. Many have asked me to send some recipes for slow cookers so this week I am doing so and also adding some suggestions about them. It is very convenient ...

As we head into the month of November, I am mindful that it is a month of “thanksgiving” — to be thankful for the opportunities we have to support local businesses through Chamber programming, but more importantly, to be thankful for the businesses that are members of our Chamber and ...

United Way strives to serve every person in every area of our community. When we say that, it is actually what we mean, in the fullest, most sincere sense of the words. To some it might just sound like a warm and fuzzy statement. Some might hear that and think it is a lofty and even ...

When my son was in high school, his soccer team had an undefeated regular season. I only remember them trailing once, and that was briefly in the first half of one game. Everything went their way. They had no major injuries and really only one close game. They were clearly a very strong ...

There are multiple new cozy mysteries for November reading. National bestselling author Bethany Blake starts a new series with “A Brushstroke with Death.” Willow Bellamy has changed an old barn into an art school, that has some animals still hanging around, like Rembrandt the owl. Things ...

Back in 1976 a Canadian ornithologist named Erica Dunn established the Ontario Bird Feeder Survey through Canada’s Long Point Bird Observatory (LPBO). After a successful 10-year run with more than 500 participants, it became apparent that only a continental survey could accurately monitor ...

‘Plan and Practice Your Escape’ was the theme for this year’s Fire Prevention Week program. Students in grades 1-5 at Beverly-Center Elementary School were eligible to compete in grade-level poster design contests and the winners were honored at the Beverly-Waterford Volunteer Fire ...